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, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Errol Garner, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie.
Frankie Laine had a hit with his recording, and the song also was recorded by other leading vocalists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. Arguably the best known arrangement is found in the 1945 record by Tommy Dorsey and the Sentimentaists. The children's group Sharon Lois and Bram recorded a version for their Sing A to Z recording. Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt recorded their well-known version on their Sonny Side Up album.
The lyrics begin:
- Grab your coat and get your hat
- Leave your worries on the doorstep
- Life can be so sweet
- On the sunny side of the street
- Can't you hear the pitter-pat
- And that happy tune is your step
- Life can be complete
- On the sunny side of the street
- I used to walk in the shade with my blues on parade
- But Im not afraid...this rover? s crossed over
- If I never had a cent
- Id be rich as rockefeller
- Gold dust at my feet
- On the sunny side of the street
- (instrumental break)
- I used to walk in the shade with them blues on parade
- Now Im not afraid... this rover has crossed over
- Now if I never made one cent
- I? ll still be rich as rockefeller
- There will be goldust at my feet
- On the sunny
- On the sunny, sunny side of the street
It's alleged by Steve Allen in his mystery novel, The Talk Show Murders (1982), that the song refers to "passing," that is, to the possibility of light-skinned blacks passing for white.
