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“I Won’t Mind” was written for the unfinished musical, The Other Franklin, which had music by Jeff and lyrics by Annie Kessler and Libby Saines. The show, which was abandoned in the early 1990s, dealt with the relationship between William Franklin and his famous father, Benjamin Franklin. “I Won’t Mind” was brought back to life in 2000 with Audra McDonald‘s recording of the song for her CD, How Glory Goes. It also was included in her PBS concert, Audra McDonald: Live at the Donmar.

It is one of Schubert's most popular works. Beyond the song as originally composed by Schubert, it is often performed and recorded by many singers under the title "Ave Maria" (the Latin name of the prayer Hail Mary, and also the opening words and refrain of Ellen's song, a song which is itself a prayer to the Virgin Mary), in musically simplified arrangements and with various lyrics that commonly differ from the original context of the poem. It was arranged in three versions for piano by Franz Liszt.