"The Man I Love" is a well-known song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother, Ira Gershwin. It was originally part of the 1924 musical comedy Lady, Be Good. The song was later removed from that show and added to the Gershwins' 1927 play Strike Up the Band, which included both "The Man I Love" and "The Girl I Love." This play did not perform well in previews. The song was also considered for inclusion in the 1928 musical Rosalie but was not chosen.

In 1947, the song was used as the title of the film The Man I Love, a dramatic movie with dark themes. The film featured actors Ida Lupino and Bruce Bennett.

Covers

"The Man I Love" is part of the Great American Songbook, like many songs by George and Ira Gershwin. It was composed in AABA form and performed on stage and recorded by many artists. An early famous performance was by the Benny Goodman Quartet during the Goodman band's 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert. The group included Benny Goodman on clarinet, Gene Krupa on drums, Teddy Wilson on piano, and Lionel Hampton on vibraphone. This performance was famous both for being part of that important jazz concert and for being performed by one of the first groups in the United States to include both Black and white musicians.

In 1994, the song was recorded by Kate Bush for Larry Adler's tribute album The Glory of Gershwin. It was released as a single on July 18, 1994, and reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.