On the Sunny Side of the Street

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"On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a 1930 song composed by Jimmy McHugh, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Having become a jazz standard, it was played (usually as an instrumental) by such greats as Dave Brubeck, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Errol Garner, and Count Basie. The song has also been recorded by many singers including Frankie Laine who had a huge hit with it, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Judy Garland. The children's group Sharon Lois and Bram also recorded a version on their "Sing A to Z" record. Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt recorded their well-known version on their Sonny Side Up album.

It's alleged by Steve Allen in his mystery novel, The Talk Show Murders, that the song refers to "passing," that is, to the possibility of light-skinned blacks passing for white. That's hard to see in the actual lyrics, however.