The guitar tab (chords and melody) for “The Shadow of Your Smile” is available for download as a PDF.
The Shadow of Your Smile
“The Shadow of Your Smile” was written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) for the 1965 film The Sandpiper, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Introduced on screen by Tony Bennett, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became emblematic of mid-1960s romantic balladry, its wistful melody matching the film’s reflective tone.
The song quickly entered the jazz repertoire, with notable versions by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Wes Montgomery. Its gently shifting harmonies and spacious phrasing invite intimate interpretation; instrumental takes often linger over Mandel’s descending lines, while vocalists favor a hushed, conversational delivery that underscores its tender nostalgia.
Video
In the video below, I perform the piece as transcribed.
Guitar Tab
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