I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

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"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" is a popular song which debuted in 1918 and was first published in 1919.

The tune is by John Kellette. The lyrics are credited to "Jaan Kenbrovin", actually a collective pseudonym for the writers James Kendis, James Brockman and Nat Vincent. The number was debuted in the Broadway musical "The Passing Show of 1918".

The copyright to I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles was originally registered in 1919, and was owned by the Kendis-Brockman Music Co. Inc. This was transferred later that year to Jerome H. Rernick & Co. of New York and Detroit. When the song was written, James Kendis, James Brockman, and Nat Vincent all had separate contracts with publishers, which led them to use the name Jaan Kenbrovin for credit on this song. James Kendis and James Brockman were partners in the Kendis-Brockman Music Company.

The waltz was a major Tin Pan Alley hit, and was performed and recorded by most major singers and bands of the late 1910s and early 1920s.

The song was a hit for Ben Selvin's Novelty Orchestra in 1919. The Original Dixieland Jass Band recording of the number is an unusual early example of jazz in 3/4 time.

The song also became a hit with the public in British music halls and theatres during the early 1920s. Dorothy Ward was especially renowned for making the song famous with her appearances at these venues. The song was also used by English comedian "Professor" Jimmy Edwards as his signature tune - played on the trombone. Harpo Marx would play the song on clarinet, which would then begin emitting bubbles.

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[edit] West Ham United connection

The song is now better known as the club anthem of West Ham United, a London-based football club.

It was known to have been sung about Billy J. "Bubbles" Murray, a player of schoolboy football with Jim Barrett at the local Park School, so called because of his distinct and almost uncanny resemblance to the boy in the famous painting by Millais entitled "Bubbles". The head at Park School was Cornelius Beal, a football enthusiast and friend of Charlie Paynter, who adapted the lyrics of the song when Park players played well.

These touchline songs were a form of predecessor to the terrace chants that have since become a trademark of the game. It was adopted by West Ham's supporters in the late 1920s and is now one of the most recognisable club anthems in English football.

As a tribute to West Ham, the punk rock band the Cockney Rejects covered the song in 1980. The song is also distinctly heard in the movie Green Street, starring Elijah Wood.

In 2006 at the final match at Arsenal F.C.'s Highbury stadium, Arsenal supporters broke into song to celebrate West Ham's defeat of Tottenham which elevated Arsenal into the Champions League on the last day. Similiarly, Blackburn Rovers were heard singing 'Bubbles' in their dressing room after West Ham assisted them winning the Championship in 1995 having held Manchester United 1-1.

[edit] Notable recordings

Notable recordings of the song include:

[edit] See also

[edit] References and external links

West Ham United F.C.
The Club | Boleyn Ground
History: General | Old Castle Swifts | Thames Ironworks F.C.
Culture: I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles | The Academy of Football | Inter City Firm
Records: Goals | Seasons | Appearances
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