Every year we sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year’s Day, but where did it come from? Auld Lang Syne is a Scots poem that was written by Robert Burns in 1788. His poem was set to a traditional folk song. Music historians are unsure if the melody used today is the original melody Burns Read More
Behind the Song: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was almost cut from the film that made it popular. The song was sung in the 1944 MGM musical, Meet Me in St. Louis. In the film, Judy Garland’s character sings the song to her despondent little sister, played by Margaret O’Brien. The song was written by Hugh Martin Read More
Behind the Song: Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer
Bob May had not lived an easy life. As a child he was bullied and called names. Life seemed to be looking up when he graduated college in 1926, married his sweetheart and secured a job at Montgomery Ward, as a copywriter, during the years of the Great Depression. Then the couple was blessed with Read More
Behind the Song: White Christmas
White Christmas is the most popular Christmas song of all time. The Irving Berlin song is reminiscing about an “old fashioned Christmas.” Accounts vary as to when and where Berlin wrote the song. He often stayed up all night writing or would ask his secretary to write down what he dictated. Both La Quinta Hotel Read More
Behind the Song: Here Comes Santa Claus
Here Comes Santa Claus was inspired by a Christmas parade. In 1946, the original singing cowboy, Gene Autry, was riding Champion, his horse, down Hollywood Boulevard in the annual Christmas parade. He was placed just a few spots ahead of Santa Claus. He noticed that no one was paying any attention to him. They were Read More
Behind the Song: Over the River and Through the Woods
The popular children’s song, Over the River and Through the Woods, was written by Lydia Maria Child as a Thanksgiving poem. The lyrics represented in the song is often associated with cold. In the early 19th Century, New England winters were colder and had earlier winters than they do in the present day. The poem Read More
Behind the Song: Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep
Count Your Blessings {Instead of Sheep} was the last hit for the popular composer Irving Berlin. The song was written sometime around 1952. Irving Berlin tells the story best: In the book The Irving Berlin Reader, a letter from Irving Berlin to Joseph Schenck and dated September 1952 includes the following information about the writing Read More
Behind the Song: My Favorite Things
My Favorite Things is another song from a popular musical, The Sound of Music, that is often heard at Christmas although there is no mention of Christmas in the song. The popularity at Christmas is most likely due to the winter-related imagery of “snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that Read More
Profile of a Performer: The Bee Gees
The Bee Gees were a group that comprised of three brothers: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. Robin and Maurice are fraternal twins. The group is recognized for their three part harmonies. The Gibb brothers were born on the Isle of Man, England. The family lived in various parts of England before relocating to Queensland, Australia Read More
Behind the Song: You’ll Never Walk Alone
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is the most popular song from Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s 1945 musical, Carousel. The song is sung twice throughout the course of the movie. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is a very popular Broadway song for solo artist. Frank Sinatra was the first artist to make the song a hit on the Read More