On Top of Old Smokey

On Top of Old Smokeyis a song many of my residents enjoy singing. The song is an American folk song, which was passed down through the generations. Only when these songs began to be written down around the early 20th Century, was the song preserved for prosperity. Throughout the years of World War I, Cecil Read More

Song Story: Happy Birthday to You

  Happy Birthday may be one of the most sung songs in the world.  Once a year each individual has a birthday and the song sung to them at least once, if not more. According to the 1998 Guinness World Record, this song is the most recognized song in the English Language.  The melody to Read More

Song Story: Buffalo Gals

If you’re a fan of It’s a Wonderful Life you’ll remember Mary and George Bailey singing the song “Buffalo Gals” where George lassos the moon. Buffalo Gals is an American song that was written and published in 1844.  The song was originally titled “Kubly Fan”. The song was written by John Hodges, who was a Read More

Song Story: Pennies from Heaven

Pennies from Heaven is one of my personal favorites and I recently heard Regis Philbin singing the song and thought this would be a great song to explore. Pennies from Heaven was written by Johnny Burke {lyrics} and Arthur Johnson {music}.  The song was first introduced in the 1936 film Pennies from Heaven, which introduced Read More

Song Story: Swinging on a Star

Swinging on a Star was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film, Going My Way. The pop standard was composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke.  The song is said to be inspired by a conversation Bing Crosby had with his children one evening while Jimmy Van Heusen was a guest.  Read More

Unforgettable

Unforgettable was written by Irving Gordon and published in 1951. Gordon actually conceived of the title being “Uncomparable”, however the music publishing company requested the name be changed to “Unforgettable.” The most popular version of the song is by the legendary Nat King Cole.  His arrangement was written by Nelson Riddle.  He initially recorded the Read More

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

By the Light of the Silvery Moon is another popular song from the early 20th Century.  It was first published in 1909. The lyrics were written by Edward Madden, who wrote On Moonlight Bay. The composer was Gus Edwards, who also wrote songs such as  “I Can’t Tell You Why I Love You but I Read More

On Moonlight Bay

On Moonlight Bay is a popular song of the 20th Century.  The best known version is the one by Doris Day. The song was first published in 1912.  The lyrics were written by Edward Madden, an American lyricist who wrote songs such as What Could Be Sweeter? And Red Rose Rag. The composer was Percy Read More

Shine On Harvest Moon

Shine On Harvest Moon is another popular song from the early 1900s.  This is a favorite when I go to the nursing home to sing. The song is credited to Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth, a married Vaudeville team.   This was another song that was among the moon-related songs of the Tin Pan Alley era, Read More

Sleepy Time Gal

I became familiar with Sleepy Time Gal from a rerun of Petticoat Junction, in which Steve Elliott sings the song to his baby daughter. Sleepy Time Gal was originally published in 1925. The lyrics were written by Raymond B. Egan and Joseph Alden.  The music was written by Richard A. Whiting and Ange Lorenzo. The Read More