Sometimes I'm Happy (Sometimes I'm Blue)
"Sometimes I'm Happy" is a popular song. The music was written by Vincent Youmans, the lyrics by Irving Caesar. The song was originally published in 1923 under the title "Come On And Pet Me,"[1] with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and William Cary Duncan.[2] It was originally intended for the Broadway musical Mary Jane McKane, but was cut before the show opened.[3] The music was subsequently used, with new lyrics and title, in the short-lived 1925 musical A Night Out, and in the musical Hit the Deck, starring Stanley Holloway and opening in April 1927.
"Sometimes I'm Happy" | |
---|---|
Song by Charles King & Louise Groody | |
Published | 1927 |
Composer(s) | Vincent Youmans |
Lyricist(s) | Irving Caesar |
The song was performed in Hit the Deck by Charles King and Louise Groody, who also made a recording for Victor Records, catalog number 20609.[4] The best-selling versions were by King and Groody and by Roger Wolfe Kahn (with vocal by Franklyn Baur), also issued by Victor (catalog number 20599).[4] Two other versions, a duet by Baur and Gladys Rice on Columbia Records (catalog number 998-D) and a vocal by Vaughn De Leath on Brunswick Records (catalog number 3608) also had a significant degree of popularity.[4]
A number of other recordings was made in 1927 (see below), and the tune has become a standard, recorded by many artists since that time. It appeared as the B-side of the landmark 1935 recording of "King Porter Stomp" by Benny Goodman and his orchestra (released July 31 as Victor 25090).
Lyrics (Come On And Pet Me version)
There's a girl friend that I know
Has a boy friend who is slow
When they're alone he is shy,
And she has to keep complaining:
Come on and pet me, why don't you pet me?
Why don't you get me to let you pet me?
You never ask me out for a spoon
For all I know, there ain't any moon!
I'd like to bask in your fond caressin'
You do the askin' I'll do the yessin'
Within your arms I'd stay for a year
Come on and pet me, dear, do dear!
Lyrics (Sometimes I'm Happy version)
Sometimes I'm happy, sometimes I'm blue
My disposition depends on you
I never mind the rain from the sky
If I can find the sun in your eyes
Sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you
But when I hate you, it's 'cause I love you
That's how I am
So what can I do?
I'm happy when I'm with you
Sometimes I'm happy, sometimes I'm blue
My disposition depends on you
I never mind the rain from the sky
If I can find the sun in your eyes
Sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you
But when I hate you, it's 'cause I love you
That's how I am
So what can I do?
I'm always happy
So very happy
Im always happy when I'm with you[6]
Recorded versions
- Steve Allen
- Ray Anthony
- Victor Arden and the Phil Ohman Orchestra (recorded April 8, 1927; released by Brunswick Records as catalog number 3527B, with the flip side "Hallelujah";[7] also released by Vocalion Records under the name Jay's Chelsea Orchestra as catalog number 15591, with the flip side "Me and My Shadow"[8])
- Mildred Bailey (recorded March 14, 1941; released by Decca Records as catalog number 3755B;[9] re-released by Decca as catalog number 27918[10] in early 1952, both with the flip side "Rockin' Chair"[9][10])
- Count Basie
- Tony Bennett
- Bunny Berigan
- Les Brown
- Pete Brown (recorded May 5, 1959 on Verve Records album From The Heart)
- Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond
- Ray Bryant
- Betty Carter
- Al Casey's Sextet (recorded January 19, 1945, released by Capitol Records as catalog number 10034, with the flip side "How High the Moon"[11])
- Arnett Cobb
- Nat King Cole
- Eddie Condon
- Ray Conniff
- Jill Corey
- Willie Creager's Rhythm Aces (vocal by the Locust Sisters; recorded April 30, 1927; released by Supertone Records as catalog number 9606;[12] also released under the name Georgia Collegians by Champion Records as catalog numbers CH15325[13] and 15910,[14] by Gennett Records as catalog numbers 6138[15] and 7090,[16] and by Silvertone Records as catalog number 5051[17] all with the flip side "Hallelujah"[12][13][14][15][16])
- Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1956[18] for use on his radio show and it was subsequently included in the box set The Bing Crosby CBS Radio Recordings (1954-56) issued by Mosaic Records (catalog MD7-245) in 2009.[19]
- Vic Damone
- Doris Day with The Mellowmen (recorded May, 1949; released by Columbia Records as catalog number 38545, with the flip side "You Go to My Head"[20])
- Vaughn De Leath (recorded July 1927; released by Brunswick Records as catalog number 3608,[4] with the flip side "Baby Feet Go Pitter Patter ('Cross My Floor)";[7] also released by Vocalion Records as catalog number 15597B,[8] both with the flip side "Me and My Shadow"[7][8])
- Liz Diamond
- The Dinning Sisters
- Eddy Duchin (in a medley with Pretty Baby; recorded July 15, 1942, released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36746, with the flip side "Blue Room"/"Am I Blue?"[21])
- Roy Eldridge
- Seger Ellis and his orchestra (recorded March 11, 1937, released by Decca Records as catalog number 1350, with the flip side "Bee's Knees"[22])
- Gil Evans
- Robert Farnon
- Frances Faye (released by Capitol Records as catalog number 2472, with the flip side "I Was Wrong About You"[23])
- The Four Freshmen - Four Freshmen and Five Saxes
- Erroll Garner (recorded December 5, 1945, released by Mercury Records as catalog number 1002, with the flip side "Always"[24])
- Stan Getz
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Benny Goodman & his orchestra (Instrumental) (recorded July 1, 1935; released by Victor Records as catalog number 25090B, with the flip side "King Porter Stomp"[25]). A recording can also be found on The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert.
- Stéphane Grappelli
- Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra (1939)
- Walter Gross (released by MGM Records as catalog number 30465, with the flip side "Time on My Hands (You in My Arms)"[26] and by Musicraft Records as catalog number 387, with the flip side "More Than You Know"[27])
- Scott Hamilton
- Johnny Hartman
- Ted Heath
- Bill Henderson
- Hildegarde
- Earl Hines
- Milt Hinton
- Nick Holder
- Billie Holiday
- Stanley Holloway - The first artist to sing the song for the play "Hit the Deck" in 1927
- Honeydreamers (released by Capitol Records as catalog number 2857, with the flip side "Perdido"[28])
- Lena Horne with Luther Henderson (recorded 1947; released by MGM Records as catalog number 10246, with the flip side "It's Mad, Mad, Mad",[29] and as catalog number 30398, with the flip side "I've Got the World on a String"[26])
- Alberta Hunter
- Milt Jackson
- Hank Jones
- Louis Jordan
- The Jo-Vals (released by Laurie Records as catalog number 3229, with the flip side "You You My Love"[30])
- Roger Wolfe Kahn & His Orchestra (vocal by Franklyn Baur; recorded April 14, 1927; released by Victor Records as catalog number 20599A,[4] with the flip side "Hallelujah"[31])
- Sammy Kaye & his orchestra (vocal: Tommy Ryan) (recorded September 3, 1937; released by Vocalion Records as catalog number 3909, with the flip side "Indiana";[32] re-released in 1949 by Harmony Records as catalog number Ha1041, with the flip side "Let Me Call You Sweetheart"[33])
- Charles King and Louise Groody (Broadway Production; recorded April 12, 1927; released by Victor Records as catalog number 20609,[4] with the flip side "Hallelujah"[31])
- Kathy Kirby (for her 1965 album Make Someone Happy)
- Lee Konitz
- Andre Kostelanetz
- Gene Krupa
- Cleo Laine
- Frankie Laine
- Peggy Lee
- Jerry Lewis
- Susannah McCorkle
- The McGuire Sisters (1956)
- Carmen McRae (1955)
- Joni Mitchell
- National Music Lover Dance Orchestra (released by National Music Lovers Records as catalog number 1208, with the flip side "How Can a Girl Like You Like a Boy Like Me?"[34])
- Phineas Newborn Jr.
- Jack Oakie & Polly Walker (featured in the film Hit the Deck) (1930)
- Anita O'Day, with the Alvy West Band (released by Signature Records as catalog number 15127B, with the flip side "Ace in the Hole"; also shown as Anita O'Day with the Little Band, released by Signature Records as catalog number 15222B, with the flip side "Bewitched"[35])
- Oscar Peterson
- John Pizzarelli "The John Pizzarelli Trio", (After Hours) (1996)
- The Platters
- King Pleasure
- Bud Powell
- Jane Powell (featured in the film Hit the Deck) (1955; released by MGM Records as catalog number 30879, with the flip side "Hallelujah"[36])
- Della Reese
- Django Reinhardt
- Gladys Rice (shown in[37] as William Rice) and Franklyn Baur (released by Columbia Records as catalog number 998-D[4][37])
- Willard Robison and his orchestra (recorded June 1927, released by Pathé Records as catalog number 32274[38] and by Perfect Records as catalog number 12353,[39] both with the flip side "Lazy Weather"[38][39])
- Shirley Scott
- Don Shirley
- Six Hottentots (recorded March 23, 1927; released by Banner Records as catalog number 6008, with the flip side "Sugar"[40])
- Dinah Shore
- Johnny Smith
- Southampton Society Orchestra (released by Pathé Records as catalog number 36643, with the flip side "I'm in Love Again"[41])
- Jo Stafford (released by Capitol Records as catalog number 993, with the flip side "Why Can't You Behave?"[42] and as catalog number 20051, with the flip side "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"[43]), Autumn in New York (1950)
- Sun Ra
- The SuperJazz Big Band of Birmingham, Alabama recorded the song on the CD, UAB SuperJazz, Featuring Ellis Marsalis
- Claude Thornhill
- The Three Sounds
- Trenier Twins (recorded December 1947, released by Mercury Records as catalog number 8089, with the flip side "Cadillac Convertible"[44])
- Trotta (released by Discovery Records as catalog number 159, with the flip side "Night Must Fall"[45])
- Sarah Vaughan (1955)
- Cy Walter (released by Columbia Records as catalog number 39629, with the flip side "Isn't It Romantic?"[46])
- Dinah Washington (1956)
- Ben Webster
- Margaret Whiting
- Jean Wiener & Clément Doucet (recorded 1928; released by Columbia Records as catalog number D13035, with the flip side "Hallelujah!")
- Lee Wiley (recorded 1951; released by Columbia Records as catalog number 39801, with the flip side "Keepin' Myself For You"[46])
- Joe Williams
- Nancy Wilson (1959)
- Teddy Wilson
- Lester Young Quartet (recorded December 28, 1943, released by Mercury Records as catalog number 1093, with the flip side "Afternoon of a Basie-ite"[24])
- UAB SuperJazz, Featuring Ellis Marsalis, arrangement by Steve Sample Sr.
- Sarah Vaughan on her live album Sassy Swings The Tivoli produced by Quincy Jones(1963)
References
- https://www.kuvo.org/stories-of-standards-sometimes-im-happy/
- http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/497144119
- Bloom, Ken (1996). American Song. New York, New York: Schirmer Books. ISBN 0-02-870484-3.
- Gardner, Edward Foote (2000). Popular Songs of the 20th Century: Chart Detail & Encyclopedia, 1900-1949. St. Paul, Minnesota: Paragon House. ISBN 1-55778-789-1.
- Youmans, Vincent (1923). Come On And Pet Me. New York: Harms Incorporated.
- https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/3005412/Nat+King+Cole/Sometimes+I%27m+Happy
- Brunswick Records in the 3500 to 3999 series
- Vocalion Records in the 15500 to 15999 series
- Decca Records in the 3500 to 3999 series
- Decca Records in the 27500 to 27999 series
- Capitol Records in the 10001 to 10210 series
- Supertone Records in the 9500 to 9778 series
- Champion Records in the 15001 to 15499 series
- Champion Records in the 15501 to 15999 series
- Gennett Records in the 6000 to 6499 series
- Gennett Records in the 7000 to 7323 series
- Silvertone Records in the 5000 to 5237 series
- "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- Columbia Records in the 38500 to 38999 series
- Columbia Records in the 36500 to 36999 series
- Decca Records in the 1000 to 1499 series
- Capitol Records in the 2000 to 2499 series
- Mercury Records in the 1001 to 1442 series
- Victor Records in the 25000 to 25499 series
- MGM Records in the 30001 to 30499 series
- Musicraft Records in the 201 to 597 series
- Capitol Records in the 2500 to 2999 series
- MGM Records in the 10000 to 10499 series
- Laurie Records listing
- Victor Records in the 20500 to 20999 series
- Vocalion Records in the 3500 to 3999 series
- Harmony Records released in 1949
- National Music Lovers Records listing
- Signature Records listing
- MGM Records in the 30500 to 30887 series
- Columbia Records in the 500-D to 999-D series
- Pathé Records in the 32001 to 32508 series
- Perfect Records in the 12000 to 12499 series
- Banner Records in the 6000 series
- Pathé Records in the 36500 to 36999 series
- Capitol Records in the 500 to 999 series
- Capitol Records in the 20001 to 20156 series
- Mercury Records in the 8001 to 8310 series
- Discovery Records listing
- Columbia Records in the 39500 to 39999 series