Swanee

By George Gershwin & Irving Caesar
1919

Despite all his later accomplishments, this career-making hit for Gershwin would remain the biggest hit of his entire life. Written on a train ride with Caesar one New York afternoon as a parody of Stephen Foster's "Old Folks at Home", it was introduced in the Broadway revue Demi-Tasse. But it wasn't until the legendary Al Jolson heard it played by Gershwin at a party and incorporated it into his show Sinbad that it really took off. The song wound up selling over a million copies of sheet music, and Jolson's recording was number one for nine weeks. The money Gershwin made from it allowed him to leave Tin Pan Alley and focus on an illustrious Broadway career.

Lyrics:

I've been away from you a long time
I never thought I'd miss 'ya so
Somehow I feel, your love is real
Near you I wanna be.

The Birds are singing it is songtime
The banjos strumming soft and low
I know that you yearn for me too, Swanee you're calling me

Swanee - how I love ya, how I love ya 
My dear old Swanee. 
I'd give the world to be 
Among the folks in D-I-X-I-E-ven though my mammy's waiting for me,
Praying for me down by the Swanee. 
The folks up north will see me no more, when I get to that Swanee shore!

Recorded By:

Al Jolson
Judy Garland
Rufus Wainwright
The Muppets
The Temptations

April Showers

By Louis Silvers & B.G. DeSylva
1921

One of the true signature tunes of the great Al Jolson, this one became a trademark for him after he introduced it in the 1921 stage production, Bombo. It is one of the many songs to contain the "bluebird of happiness" motif in the lyrics. And on a personal note, my great aunt had a music box which played this song, so it will always conjure warm memories for me.

Lyrics:

Life is not a highway strewn with flowers,
Still it holds a goodly share of bliss,
When the sun gives way to April showers,
Here is the point you should never miss.

Though April showers may come your way,
They bring the flowers that bloom in May.
So if it's raining, have no regrets,
Because it isn't raining rain, you know, (It's raining violets,)

And where you see clouds upon the hills,
You soon will see crowds of daffodils,
So keep on looking for a blue bird, And list'ning for his song,
Whenever April showers come along.

And where you see clouds upon the hills,
You soon will see crowds of daffodils,
So keep on looking for a blue bird, And list'ning for his song,
Whenever April showers come along.

Recorded By:

Les Brown
Cab Calloway
Eydie Gorme
Woody Herman
Guy Lombardo

I'm Sitting on Top of the World

By Ray Henderson, Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young
1925

An anthem of the Roaring '20s, this infectious number was also one of the signature tunes of that musical giant of the Jazz Age, Al Jolson. It has since come to represent the heights of the pre-Depression 1920s, and was ironically used to that effect in the opening of Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong, set after the stock market crash. It can also be heard over the closing credits of the 1995 Richard III starring Ian McKellen.

Lyrics:

I'm sitting on top of the world,
Just rolling along
Just rolling along.

I'm quitting the blues of the world
Just singing a song
Just singing a song.

Glory hallelujah, I just phoned the parson
Hey, pa, get ready to call
Just like humpty dumpty,
I'm going to fall.

I'm sitting on top of the world
Just rolling along
Just rolling along.

Some people have diamonds
And beautiful pearls
While others have children
Just kiddies with curls.

Keep all of your fortunes
Keep all of your fame
I just found a sweetie
Who's changing her name.

I'm sitting on top of the world
just rolling along
just rolling along.

Don't want any millions
I'm getting my share
I've only got one suit (one suit)
That's all I can wear
A bundle of money won't make you feel gay
A sweet little honey is making me say.

I'm sitting on top of the world
just rolling along
just rolling along.

Recorded By:

Art Gillham
Les Paul & Mary Ford
Dean Martin
Dizzy Gillespie
Doris Day

You Made Me Love You

By James V. Monaco & Joseph McCarthy
1913

This tune was originally composed for the stage revue The Honeymoon Express, and was immortalized that same year by a famous recording by Al Jolson. Yet it achieved arguably even greater heights in 1938 when a teenaged Judy Garland sang a modified version for Clark Gable at a birthday party for the actor. The rendition was added into the movie Broadway Melody of 1938, and Judy was on her way to being a mega-star.

Lyrics:

You made me love you,
I didn't want to do it, I didn't want to do it.
You made me love you,
And all the time you knew it,
I guess you always knew it.

You made me happy sometimes, you made me glad.
But there were times, Dear, you made me feel so bad.

You made me sigh for,
I didn't want to tell you, I didn't want to tell you.
I want some love that's true,
Yes I do, deed I do, you know I do.

Give me, give me, give me what I cry for,
You know you got the brand of kisses that I'd die for.
You know you made me love you.

Recorded By:

Doris Day
Harry James
Glenn Miller
Rufus Wainwright
Harry Nilsson

Sonny Boy

By Ray Henderson, Bud De Sylva & Lew Brown
1928

A sentimental tear-jerker if ever there was one, this is however a fine example of the powerful work of Al Jolson, a titanic entertainer of the early 20th century. Call it sappy, but I find that a measure of the level of maturity one has attained in life can be taken by whether or not one is moved by this song. Jolson himself introduced it in his second talkie, The Singing Fool, and took it to #1 for 12 weeks, selling over a million copies. The cartoon character Bosko also sings it in Warner Bros.' first animated short, The Talk-Ink Kid.

Lyrics:

Climb up on my knee, Sonny Boy,
Though you're only three, Sonny Boy.
You've no way of knowing,
There's no way of showing
What you mean to me, Sonny Boy.

When there are gray skies,
I don't mind the gray skies,
You make them blue,
Sonny Boy.

Friends may forsake me,
Let 'em all forsake me,
I still have you,
Sonny Boy.

You come from Heaven,
And I know your worth.
You've made a Heaven
For me, here on Earth.

When I'm old and gray, dear,
Promise you won't stray, dear,
For I love you so,
Sonny Boy.

[*sniff sniff*]

Recorded By:

Jimmy Roselli
Paul Robeson
Sonny Rollins
The Andrews Sisters
Mel Torme

Avalon

By Al Jolson, Vincent Rose & B.G. De Sylva
1920

Churned out at the height of Jolson's popularity, it may or not be legit that the singer had a part in its composition--at the time, it was common for stars like him to get a cut of the royalties for songs they introduced. The lyrics referred to the Hollywood resort community of Catalina Island, but the melody was clever lift from Puccini's Tosca--or perhaps not so clever, as Puccini's publishers successfully sued the songwriters in 1921.

Lyrics:

I found my love in Avalon,
Beside the bay.
I left my love in Avalon,
And sailed away.

I dream of her and Avalon,
From dusk 'til dawn.
And so I think I'll travel on
To Avalon.

Recorded By:

Vaughan Monroe
Nat King Cole
Cab Calloway
Coleman Hawkins & Django Reinhardt
Benny Goodman Quartet

You Are Too Beautiful

By Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
1933

This fittingly beautiful tune was written by Rodgers & Hart for the obscure early talkie Hallelujah, I'm a Bum, in which it was sung by the film's star, the great Al Jolson. The picture was an infamous flop for Jolson, and led to his three-picture deal with United Artists being cut short at only one. Nevertheless, the depression-era musical has a great deal of odd charm for those who love pre-code '30s cinema, with this song being a big part of it.

Lyrics:

Like all fools, I believed
What I wanted to believe.
My foolish heart conceived
What foolish hearts conceive.
I thought I found a miracle,
I thought that you'd adore me,
But it was not a miracle,
It was merely a mirage before me.

You are too beautiful, my dear, to be true,
And I'm too drunk with beauty.
Drunk with a feeling that
The arms that possess you
Really caress you, too.
 
You are too beautiful for one man alone,
One lucky fool to be with,
When there are other men
With eyes of their owm to see with.

Love cannot stand sharing,
Not if one cares.
You won't be comparing 
My ev'ry kiss with theirs.

You know I care and
I'll be faithful to you,
And through a sense of duty.
You are too beautiful,
And I am too drunk with beauty. 

["I am too drunk with beauty" later changed to the tamer "I am a fool for beauty"]

Recorded By:

Johnny Hartman & John Coltrane
Frank Sinatra
Oscar Peterson
Sonny Rollins
Thelonious Monk