Song Lyric Sunday

It’s time once again for Song Lyric Sunday, presented by Jim Adams. This week our topic is an easy one – Pick a song about enjoying the outdoors. I have opted to pick one that not many will know, but has a special place in my heart and an interesting story behind it.

Cruising Down the River is a song that was most popular in the mid-late 1940’s. However, the origin goes back to the 1920’s. It came about by becoming the winner of a public songwriting competition held in the UK. The words had been written by a singer named Eily Beadell in the 1920s. The music was composed by a music hall artist named Ena Dayne. Ena could not read music, so the melody was transcribed by Nell Tollerton.

The contest took place in 1945 and Beadell and Tollerton won £1,000. The songwriting contest had had received about 73,000 entries. According to Wikipedia:

They were both dressmakers from Lavender Hill in south London, and said they wrote the song together in between doing housework. Both had previously been unsuccessful with their compositions. Beadell had written 20 songs in the previous 15 years, all being rejected by publishers, whilst Tollerton had written 60 since she was nine years old, without success. “We never expected to win,” Beadell said, “and now we have got the money we shall invest some of it in war savings and some will provide us with a slap-up holiday cruising down a river, maybe, when the warmer weather comes.”

One of the first versions of the song was by Lou Preager and his Band in January of 1946. Lou said, “The song is of high quality and should be a hit.” The Ames Brothers covered it in 1947. Three years later, in 1949, it was recorded by Blue Barron, Russ Morgan, Jack Smith, Primo Scala, and Frankie Carle. In 1953, Dick Haymes sang it in the movie of the same name. Connie Francis also recorded it in 1966. Of course, there are many other versions too.

I first heard the song while listening to the old Fibber McGee and Molly Radio show. The episode was called “Canoe Trip” from May 31, 1949. McGee and Molly are floating in their canoe and He begins to sing the song. He sings the first line and hums the next. An echo sings the first line and the next one. Molly comments on the beautiful echo and tells him to keep singing. He sings the next line and again hums the following line. The echo then sings the next line and the next one completely. Molly says, “The echo knows more of the words than you do, McGee!”

It is special to me because it is one of the songs that I used to sing to every single one of my children at bed time. It along with songs from Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra would help them drift off to dream land. I always sang it much slower than the recordings.

Lyrically, there isn’t much to it. However, I do feel like it would fit today’s theme.

Cruising down the river on a Sunday afternoon
With one you love, the sun above waiting for the moon
The old accordian playing a sentimental tune
Cruising down the river on a Sunday afternoon
The birds above all sing of love, a gentle sweet refrain
The winds around all make a sound like softly falling rain
Just two of us together, we’ll plan a honeymoon
Cruising down the river on a Sunday afternoon

I’d love to be drifting along in a boat next to my wife just enjoying the sights and sounds out the outdoors.

Here is Russ Morgan’s version:

The Ames Brothers …

How about Frank Sinatra?

Lou Preager’s version –

Blue Barron’s

Connie Francis –

Jack Smith’s version

The Crew Cuts did it, too!

And finally, the Andrew Sisters –

I will spare you a version of me singing the song! Thanks to Jim for hosting the feature and I’ll be back again next Sunday!