
Autumn Leaves" is the English version of the French song "Les Feuilles mortes" ("The Dead Leaves"). The French version, from 1945, was originally part of a ballet.
The English lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer, who almost missed the deadline and wrote them on a train to New York
The original French version has a darker, more passionate tone about loss and regret, while the English version is gentler and more wistful