Happy Days Are Here Again

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"Happy Days Are Here Again" is a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager (music) and Jack Yellen (lyrics). The song was recorded by Leo Reisman and His Orchestra, with Lou Levin, vocal (November 1929), and was used in the 1930 film Chasing Rainbows. Today, the song is probably best remembered as the campaign song for Franklin Delano Roosevelt's (FDR) successful 1932 Presidential campaign. Since FDR's use of the song, it has come to be recognized as the unofficial theme of the Democratic Party. The lyrics suggest optimism and buoyancy.

Matthew Greenwald characterized it, "A true saloon standard, Happy Days Are Here Again is a Tin Pan Alley standard, and had been sung by virtually every interpreter since the 1940s. In a way, it's the pop version of Auld Lang Syne."[1]

The song is #47 on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of "Songs of the Century".

One of the most influential recordings of the song was made 33 years after its first recording; this was Barbra Streisand's version in her 1963 album debut The Barbra Streisand Album. She also sang this song on The Judy Garland Show, in a medley with Judy Garland's Get Happy. While the song is traditionally sung at a brisk pace, her recording is notable for how slowly and expressively she sang it. By 2006, 76 commercially released albums included versions of the song.[2]

Television and nightclub comedian Rip Taylor has used "Happy Days Are Here Again" for years as his theme song. He always makes his entrance, with bag of confetti in hand, to the strains of his song.

In 1930 the Comedian Harmonists recorded their popular German adaptation, Wochenend und Sonnenschein.

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Greenwald, Matthew. "Happy Days Are Here Again". All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on October 26, 2006.
  2. ^ Song Search Results: "Happy Days Are Here Again". All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on November 11, 2006.