Thanks for the Memory
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| “Thanks for the Memory” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross with Shep Fields and His Orchestra from the album The Big Broadcast of 1938 |
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| Recorded | 1938 | |
| Writer(s) | Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger | |
"Thanks for the Memory" is a 1938 song composed by Ralph Rainger, with lyrics by Leo Robin. It was introduced in the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938 by Shep Fields and his orchestra with vocals by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross.
In the film, Hope and Ross' characters are a couple who were married briefly and then divorced, and after other failed marriages, meet and sing poignantly about the good times of their failed relationship.
The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and became Hope's signature tune, with many different lyrics adapted to any situation.
Bing Crosby recorded the song for his 1956 album, Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around.
Frank Sinatra recorded an extended version of the song with altered lyrics for his 1981 album, She Shot Me Down.
It is often regarded as a companion piece to "Two Sleepy People", written in September 1938 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Frank Loesser, also performed by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross.
[edit] Parodies
- Marilyn Monroe's performance of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1962 was followed by an additional verse sung to the tune of "Thanks for the Memory": "Thanks, Mr. President/For all the things you've done/The battles that you've won/The way you deal with U.S. Steel/And our problems by the ton/We thank you so much."
- The song was parodied as "Thanks for the Medicare" on one episode of the 1980s NBC-TV sitcom The Golden Girls. Estelle Getty's character, Sophia Petrillo, sang these lyrics to the melody of the song: "Thanks for the Medicare/For Blue Cross and Blue Shield/For a hip that finally healed/Remember, on prescriptions, generic is a steal/We thank you so much."
- Connie Chung sang a rendition of it with her husband Maury Povich on the final episode of her show Weekends with Maury and Connie in 2006.
- Dame Judi Dench sang her own 'thankyou' version especially for Sir Michael Parkinson on his very final show - The Final Conversation - in December 2007.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by "Sweet Leilani" from Waikiki Wedding |
Academy Award for Best Original Song 1938 |
Succeeded by "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz |
