RIP, Hal David

I was surprised this weekend to hear of the death of lyricist Hal David, who penned some of the most enduring pop tunes of the ’60s.  I didn’t realize just how prolific he had been until I read his obit in the Times and saw his output:

“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” “Alfie,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “What’s New, Pussycat?,” “Walk On By,” “Close to You” and on and on and on. (Among other things, he and Burt Bacharach created what might be considered the entire Dionne Warwick oeuvre.)

Below, a classic that first made its mark on the charts when it was performed by Jackie DeShannon. (In a timely coincidence, a lot of us will remember this melody as a staple on the Labor Day telethons of Jerry Lewis, too…)