Swinging on a Star
Encyclopedia
"Swinging on a Star" is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke
. It was sung by Bing Crosby
in the 1944 film Going My Way
, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song
that year, and has been recorded by numerous artists since then.
. During the meal one of the children began complaining about how he didn’t want to go to school the next day. The singer turned to his son and said to him, “If you don’t go to school, you might grow up to be a mule. Do you wanna do that?”
Van Heusen thought this clever rebuke would make a good song for the movie. He pictured Crosby, who played a priest, talking to a group of children acting much the same way as his own child had acted that night. Van Heusen took the idea to his partner lyricist
Johnny Burke
, who approved. They wrote the song.
on February 7, 1944, released by Decca Records
. The Williams Brothers
quartet, including Andy Williams
, sang backup vocals to Crosby.
It was featured in the Little Lulu
cartoon, Bout with a Trout.
Some additional recordings:
cartoon, which depicted a man-turned-pig saying to his wife, "Hey, so I made the wrong decision! [referring to the part of the song which says "Or would you rather be a pig"] But I wasn't sure I wanted to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar!"
In 1969, Ray Stevens sang "Gitarzan", which featured the wrong notes from "Swinging on a Star". ("Carrying Moonbeams Home in a Jar").
During his 2009 Tour of Refusal, Morrissey
occasionally sang the chorus over the chorus of his 2004 hit "First of the Gang to Die
".
A Prairie Home Companion
guitarist Pat Donohue
wrote "Would You Like to Play Guitar," which wittingly advises aspiring musicians against the practical perils of a full-time music career.
Johnny Burke (lyricist)
Johnny Burke was a lyricist, widely regarded as one of the finest writers of popular songs in America between the 1920s and 1950s.-Biography:...
. It was sung by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
in the 1944 film Going My Way
Going My Way
Going My Way is a 1944 film directed by Leo McCarey. It is a light-hearted musical comedy-drama about a new young priest taking over a parish from an established old veteran . Crosby sings five songs in the film. It was followed the next year by a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's. This picture was...
, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
that year, and has been recorded by numerous artists since then.
Origins
Song writer Jimmy Van Heusen was at Crosby’s house one evening for dinner, and to discuss a song for the movie Going My WayGoing My Way
Going My Way is a 1944 film directed by Leo McCarey. It is a light-hearted musical comedy-drama about a new young priest taking over a parish from an established old veteran . Crosby sings five songs in the film. It was followed the next year by a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's. This picture was...
. During the meal one of the children began complaining about how he didn’t want to go to school the next day. The singer turned to his son and said to him, “If you don’t go to school, you might grow up to be a mule. Do you wanna do that?”
Van Heusen thought this clever rebuke would make a good song for the movie. He pictured Crosby, who played a priest, talking to a group of children acting much the same way as his own child had acted that night. Van Heusen took the idea to his partner lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
Johnny Burke
Johnny Burke (lyricist)
Johnny Burke was a lyricist, widely regarded as one of the finest writers of popular songs in America between the 1920s and 1950s.-Biography:...
, who approved. They wrote the song.
Recordings
The first recording of "Swinging on a Star" took place in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on February 7, 1944, released by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. The Williams Brothers
Williams Brothers
The Williams Brothers were a singing quartet that performed extensively on radio, movies, nightclubs, and television from 1938 through the 1990s.-History:...
quartet, including Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
, sang backup vocals to Crosby.
It was featured in the Little Lulu
Little Lulu
"Little Lulu" is the nickname for Lulu Moppett, a comic strip character created in the mid-1930s by Marjorie Henderson Buell. The character debuted in The Saturday Evening Post on February 23, 1935 in a single panel, appearing as a flower girl at a wedding and strewing the aisle with banana peels...
cartoon, Bout with a Trout.
Some additional recordings:
- 1956: covered by Oscar PetersonOscar PetersonOscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
on his album At the Stratford Shakespearean Festival - 1959: Shari LewisShari LewisShari Lewis was an American ventriloquist, puppeteer, and children's television show host, most popular during the 1960s and 1990s...
and her puppets sang this song on her album Hi Kids - 1960: covered by Mark MurphyMark Murphy (singer)Mark Murphy is an American jazz singer based in New York. He is most noted for his definitive and unique vocalese and vocal improvisations with both melody and lyrics...
on his album Hip Parade - 1963: covered by Big Dee IrwinBig Dee IrwinDiFosco "Dee" T. Ervin Jr. , usually known professionally as Big Dee Irwin, was an American singer and songwriter whose biggest hit was a version of "Swinging On A Star" in 1963, recorded as a duet with Little Eva....
and Little EvaLittle EvaEva Narcissus Boyd , known by the stage name of Little Eva , was an American pop singer.-Biography:... - 1964: covered by Burl IvesBurl IvesBurl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
on his album Chim Chim Cheree and Other Children's Choices - 1964: covered by Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
on his album Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award WinnersSinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award WinnersSinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award Winners is a 1964 album by Frank Sinatra, focusing on songs that won the Academy Award for Best Song.-Track listing:...
. - 1968: covered by Dave van RonkDave Van RonkDave Van Ronk was an American folk singer, born in Brooklyn, New York, who settled in Greenwich Village, New York, and was eventually nicknamed the "Mayor of MacDougal Street" ....
on his album Dave Van Ronk and the Hudson DustersDave Van Ronk and the Hudson Dusters-Van Ronk on the album:"The six Dusters cuts on this disc make me think that we were probably too eclectic for the market we were courting, and that a thinking man's rock and roll is a bit like a white blackbird. Even so, I think they represent one of the high points of my recording career. They... - 1974: covered by Spooky & Sue
- 1975: covered by Maureen McGovernMaureen McGovernMaureen Therese McGovern is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her premier renditions of the Oscar winning songs "The Morning After" from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno in 1974.-Early life:McGovern was...
on her album Academy Award Performance: And the Envelope, PleaseAcademy Award Performance: And the Envelope, Please-Album credits:*Special effects: Perry Botkin, Jr.*Piano: Tom Hensley, Mike Lang, Pete Jolly*Guitar: Lee Ritenour, David Cohen, Neil Levang*Bass: Max Bennett, Reinie Press, Steve LaFever*drums: Joe Correro, Sol Gubin*percussion: Gene Estes... - 1978: covered by Rosemary ClooneyRosemary ClooneyRosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
on her Bing Crosby tribute album Rosie Sings BingRosie Sings BingRosie Sings Bing is a 1978 studio album by the American jazz singer Rosemary Clooney, recorded in tribute to Bing Crosby, who had died the previous year...
. - 1980: covered by Joanie BartelsJoanie BartelsJoan Constance "Joanie" Bartels is an American children's singer. Her 1985 album, Lullaby Magic, was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1992.-Early life:...
on her album Sillytime Magic. - 1981: covered by Franciscus HenriFranciscus HenriFranciscus Henricus Antheunis, professionally known as Franciscus Henri , is an internationally known musician and children's entertainer. He is Dutch born. He has dual Dutch/Australian nationality...
on his children's album Sunshine Rainbows and ViolinsSunshine Rainbows and Violins (Franciscus Henri album)Sunshine Rainbows and Violins by Franciscus Henri was released in 1981 under John Bye Productions on 33 rpm vinyl record.-Track listing:#It's RAINING Albert Music#SINGING IN THE RAIN Albert Music... - 1992: covered by Michael FeinsteinMichael FeinsteinMichael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of, and an anthropologist and archivist for, the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs...
on his album Pure Imagination. - 1993: covered by Dave McKennaDave McKennaDave McKenna was a jazz pianist. He was known for his "three-handed swing" and was a leading proponent of solo piano style.-Biography:...
on his album Handful of Stars. - 1996: covered by Maria MuldaurMaria MuldaurMaria Muldaur is a folk-blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s...
on the album A Child's Celebration Of Folk Music. - 1998: covered by Tony BennettTony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
on his album Tony Bennett: The PlaygroundTony Bennett: The Playground-Track listing:#"The Playground" - 3:36#"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" - 2:37#"Dat Dere" - 3:17#"Little Things" - 3:09...
. - 1999: covered by Ruby BraffRuby BraffReuben "Ruby" Braff was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Gary Moore TV show and described Ruby as "The Ivy League Louis Armstrong."Braff was born in Boston...
on his album In The Wee, Small Hours. - 2002: covered by Susan JohnsonSusan JohnsonSusan Johnson may refer to:*Susan Johnson , film producer*Susan Johnson , also known as Susan Johnson-Kehn , American musical theatre actress*Susan Johnson , National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada...
on her album Previously Unreleased Live Performances. - 2008: covered by Clare TealClare TealClare Teal is an English jazz singer who has become famous not only for her singing, but also for having signed the biggest ever recording contract by a British jazz singer.-Biography:...
as a B-side on the Children in Need album BandAGEd: Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth.
In TV and film
- 1963: sung by the Muppet Rowlf the DogRowlf the DogRowlf the Dog is a Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. He was created by Jim Henson....
(voiced by Jim HensonJim HensonJames Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
) and Jimmy DeanJimmy DeanJimmy Ray Dean was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. Although he may be best known today as the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he became a national television personality starting in 1957, rising to fame for his 1961 country crossover hit "Big Bad...
on the Jimmy Dean Show - 1967: Pinky and PerkyPinky and PerkyPinky and Perky is an animated children's television series first broadcast by the BBC in 1957, revived in 2008 as a CGI animation.-Original series:...
did a version of the song on their Summer Holiday EP - 1969: Jane NormanJane NormanJane Norman is an English clothing company, selling clothing aimed at women. In early 2007, Jane Norman reported a 45% rise in profits over 2006, and released plans to open 100 more stores around the country, having already almost doubled their number from the year before, to 116.The company was...
sang the song on her children's TV show PixannePixannePixanne was a popular children's television program, created and hosted by singer-actress Jane Norman, that ran from 1960 to 1969 on WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
while sitting on a "swinging" star - 1969: Susan (Loretta LongLoretta LongLoretta Long is an American actress best known for playing Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, having starred on the show since its debut in 1969....
) and some Muppets sang the song on Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, episode 10 - 1975: sung by Julie AndrewsJulie AndrewsDame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
on her TV special Julie Andrews: My Favorite Things - 1987: a new adaptation was used as the theme song to the American television series Out of this WorldOut of This World (TV series)Out Of This World is an American fantasy sitcom about a teenage girl who is half alien, which gives her unique supernatural powers. It first aired in U.S. syndication on September 17, 1987 and ended on May 25, 1991. It was first broadcast in the UK on the ITV network on April 9, 1990, usually at...
- 1991: Bruce WillisBruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
and Danny AielloDanny AielloDaniel Louis "Danny" Aiello, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including Once Upon a Time in America, Ruby, The Godfather: Part II, Hudson Hawk, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Moonstruck, Léon, Two Days in the Valley, and Dinner Rush...
sing it in the film Hudson HawkHudson HawkHudson Hawk is a 1991 American action comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann. Bruce Willis stars in the title role and also co-wrote the story. Danny Aiello, Andie MacDowell, James Coburn, David Caruso, Lorraine Toussaint, Frank Stallone, Sandra Bernhard, and Richard E...
Parodies
The song was parodied in a The Far SideThe Far Side
The Far Side is a popular single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 1995. Its surrealistic humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an anthropomorphic view of the world,...
cartoon, which depicted a man-turned-pig saying to his wife, "Hey, so I made the wrong decision! [referring to the part of the song which says "Or would you rather be a pig"] But I wasn't sure I wanted to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar!"
In 1969, Ray Stevens sang "Gitarzan", which featured the wrong notes from "Swinging on a Star". ("Carrying Moonbeams Home in a Jar").
During his 2009 Tour of Refusal, Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
occasionally sang the chorus over the chorus of his 2004 hit "First of the Gang to Die
First of the Gang to Die
"First of the Gang to Die" is the title of a song written by Morrissey from his 2004 album You Are the Quarry. It was released in July 2004 as the second single from the album. It was written by Morrissey along with Alain Whyte, the two being responsible for lyrics and music respectively...
".
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
guitarist Pat Donohue
Pat Donohue
Patrick Donohue is an American fingerstyle guitarist born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a Grammy nominated, National Fingerpicking Guitar Champion and a songwriter. Donohue has several albums to his credit and his songs have been recorded by Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss, and Kenny Rogers...
wrote "Would You Like to Play Guitar," which wittingly advises aspiring musicians against the practical perils of a full-time music career.