I Want to Be Happy

"I Want to Be Happy" is a song with music by Vincent Youmans and lyrics by Irving Caesar for the 1925 musical No, No, Nanette.

Musical

The song is used several times throughout the musical, as a running theme of No, No, Nanette is the attempts of various people to please others.

It is first sung by the character Jimmy to his ward Nanette.

“I Want to Be Happy” charted several times over thirteen years:^[1]

Carl Fenton and His Orchestra (1924, Billy Jones, Ernest Hare, Wilfred Glenn, Elliot Shaw, vocal, peaking at #5 over three weeks)
Vincent Lopez and His Orchestra (1925, seven weeks, two of them at #2)
Jan Garber and His Orchestra (1925, 5 weeks, peaking at #5)
Shannon Four composed of Charles Hart, Lewis James, Elliot Shaw, Wilfred Glenn (1925, one week, peaking at #13) In 1926 this group became the Revelers.
Red Nichols (cornet) and Adrian Rollini (baritone sax) (1930, one week, peaking at #19)
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (1937, one week, peaking at #17
Bing Crosby made a recording of the song on 18 November, 1954 at CBS Studio C, Hollywood, California.