Great American Songbook Saturday

Last Sunday the theme for Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday was the Great American Songbook. As I looked through the this of songs that are considered to be a part of the Great American Songbook, I couldn’t help but realize how many amazing songs fall into this category.

Starting today, I’d like to do a trial run of featuring a “standard” song a week. I hope that this exposes readers to songs you may be unfamiliar with or a song that takes you back to a special memory. These songs have been recorded by just about everyone from past to present and they contain some of the most memorable melodies and lyrics.

As I wondered about what song to feature today, I was reminded that it was on this day in 1983 that Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS. Levar Burton was the host. In honor of this, I chose a “Rainbow” song.

In 1928, Al Jolson starred in a “talkie” film called The Singing Fool. The Warner Brothers film was a melodrama with what was referred to as “musical interludes.” It was the follow up to The Jazz Singer and was actually released as a “talkie” and a “silent” film. The film is said to have helped cement the popularity of American films of both sound and the musical genre.

The film featured the songs “Sonny Boy,” “I’m Sitting on Top of the World,” and today’s song, “There’s a Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder.”

The song was written by Al Jolson, Dave Dreyer, and Billy Rose. Jolson recorded it in 1928 and again in 1947 (for Decca Records), but my all time favorite version comes from Bobby Darin. It is featured on his 1962 album, Oh! Look at Me Now!

There’s a rainbow ’round my shoulder
And a sky of blue above
How the sun shines bright
The world’s all right
Cause I’m in love

There’s a rainbow ’round my shoulder
And it fits me like a glove
Let it blow, let it storm
I’ll be warm
Cause I’m in love

Hallelujah, how the folks will stare
When they see the solitaire
That my little sugar baby is gonna wear

There’s a rainbow ’round my shoulder
And a sky of blue above
And, I’m shoutin’ so
The world will know
That I’m in love

Hallelujah, how the folks are gonna stare
When they see that diamond solitaire
That my own true baby’s gonna wear

There’s a rainbow ’round my shoulder
And a sky of blue above
And, I’m shoutin’ so
So the world will know
I’m in love
I’m in love
There’s a rainbow ’round my shoulder
And I’m in love