For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
Encyclopedia
"For He's A Jolly Good Fellow" is a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
which is sung to congratulate a person on a significant event, such as, a promotion
Promotion (rank)
A promotion is the advancement of an employee's rank or position in an organizational hierarchy system. Promotion may be an employee's reward for good performance i.e. positive appraisal...
, a birthday, the birth
Birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. The offspring is brought forth from the mother. The time of human birth is defined as the time at which the fetus comes out of the mother's womb into the world...
of a child, or the winning of a championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
sporting event. The melody originates from that of the French song "Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre
Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre
Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre is one of the most popular folk songs in the French language...
(Marlborough Has Left for the War). The traditional children's song The Bear Went Over the Mountain
The Bear Went Over the Mountain (song)
"The Bear Went Over the Mountain" is a popular children's song often sung to the tune of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow". At one time the lyrics were sung to the tune of "We'll All go Down to Roswer". The public domain lyrics are of unknown origin.-Lyrics:...
is sung to the same tune.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" is the second-most popular song in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, following "Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth...
" and followed by "Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
." It is frequently used instead of "Happy Birthday to You" in films and TV to avoid possible copyright issues.
History
The tune was originally composed the night after the Battle of MalplaquetBattle of Malplaquet
The Battle of Malplaquet, fought on 11 September 1709, was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, which opposed the Bourbons of France and Spain against an alliance whose major members were the Habsburg Monarchy, Great Britain, the United Provinces and the Kingdom of...
in 1709. It became a French folktune and was later popularized by Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
after she heard one of her maids singing it. The melody became so popular in France that it was used to represent the French defeat in Ludwig van Beethoven's composition "Wellington's Victory
Wellington's Victory
Wellington's Victory, or, the Battle of Vitoria, Op. 91 is a minor orchestral work composed by Ludwig van Beethoven to commemorate the Duke of Wellington's victory over Joseph Bonaparte's forces at the Battle of Vitoria in Basqueland on June 21, 1813...
" Opus 91 written in 1813.
The melody also became popular in England, for example as a harpsichord exercise, and by the 19th century it was being sung with the words "For he's a jolly good fellow." British and American versions of the lyrics differ. "And so say all of us" is typically British, while "which nobody can deny" is regarded as the American version. Nevertheless, "which nobody can deny" has also been reported by non-American writers including Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
in Household Words and James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
in Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake is a novel by Irish author James Joyce, significant for its experimental style and resulting reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language. Written in Paris over a period of seventeen years, and published in 1939, two years before the author's...
.
Lyrics
As with many songs that use gender-specific pronouns, the song can be altered to agree with the sex of the intended recipient, "he" being replaced with "she."British Version
(New Zealand)- For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow
- For he's a jolly good fellow (pause), and so say all of us
- And so say all of us, and so say all of us
- For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow
- For he's a jolly good fellow (pause), and so say all of us!
American Version
- For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow
- For he's a jolly good fellow (pause), which nobody can deny
- Which nobody can deny, which nobody can deny
- For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow
- For he's a jolly good fellow (pause), which nobody can deny!
Variations
- The British and American versions can be combined, normally with "and so say all of us" in the middle of the verse, and "which nobody can deny" at the end.
- In SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, it is sometimes sung at birthdays instead of Happy Birthday To YouHappy Birthday to You"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth...
.
In popular culture
- Sung in the 1934 film, "EvergreenEvergreenIn botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
" at Harriet's farewell party. - Sung in the 1939 film, "Gone With the WindGone with the WindThe slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
" at Ashley's birthday party. - Sung in the 1940 film, "A Chump at OxfordA Chump at OxfordA Chump at Oxford, directed by Alfred J. Goulding and released in 1940 by United Artists, was the penultimate Laurel and Hardy film made at the Hal Roach studios. Originally released as a streamliner featurette at forty minutes long, twenty minutes of footage largely unrelated to the main plot...
" when the Oxford graduates sing to Stan and Ollie. - Sung in the 1941 film, "That Hamilton WomanThat Hamilton WomanThat Hamilton Woman, originally titled Lady Hamilton, is a 1941 black-and-white British historical film drama which takes place during the Napoleonic wars, produced and directed by Alexander Korda for Alexander Korda Films.-Production:...
" at Sir William Hamilton's birthday. - Sung in the 1941 film, "The Devil and Miss JonesThe Devil and Miss JonesThe Devil and Miss Jones is a 1941 comedy film starring Jean Arthur and Charles Coburn. Directed by Sam Wood and scripted by Norman Krasna, the film was the product of an independent collaboration between Krasna and producer Frank Ross...
" at the ball at the end of the film. - Sung in the movie The Bridge on the River KwaiThe Bridge on the River KwaiThe Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–43 for its historical setting. It stars William...
. - Played in the beginning of Saint Valentine's Day massacre scene of Some Like It HotSome Like It HotSome Like It Hot is an American comedy film, made in 1958 and released in 1959, which was directed by Billy Wilder and starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and George Raft. The supporting cast includes Joe E. Brown, Pat O'Brien and Nehemiah Persoff. The film is a remake by Wilder and I....
. - Sung in the 1966 film, "Grand Prix" in a celebration, after Brian Bedford's character Scott Stoddard wins an F1 race
- Played in the background when AsraniAsraniGovardhan Asrani , popularly known simply as Asrani, is an actor in Indian films whose Bollywood career has spanned over 35 years. His wife Manju Bansal is an actress.-Early life:...
makes his entrance as police officer in the 1975 Indian movie SholaySholaySholay is a 1975 Indian action-adventure film produced by G.P. Sippy and directed by his son Ramesh Sippy. It is considered among the greatest films in the history of Indian cinema. Released on 15 August 1975, it stars Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri and...
. - The 1977 Disney animated feature film The RescuersThe RescuersThe Rescuers is a 1977 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions and first released on June 22, 1977. The 23rd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film is about the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organization headquartered in New York and shadowing...
featured a variation of the song called "For Penny's a Jolly Good Fellow." - The "People's Front of Judea" sung it to Brian in the ending scene of Monty Python's Life of BrianMonty Python's Life of BrianMonty Python's Life of Brian, also known as Life of Brian, is a 1979 British comedy film written, directed and largely performed by the Monty Python comedy team...
. - The song is sung by officers in the 1954 movie The Caine MutinyThe Caine MutinyThe Caine Mutiny is a 1952 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Herman Wouk. The novel grew out of Wouk's personal experiences aboard a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific in World War II and deals with, among other things, the moral and ethical decisions made at sea by the captains of ships...
. - The song is sung to Mrs. Peacock in the second ending of the 1985 film ClueClue (film)Clue is a 1985 comedy mystery film based on the board game of the same name . The film is a murder mystery set in a Gothic Revival mansion, and is styled after Murder by Death and other various murder/dinner parties of mystery...
. - In the movie GreaseGrease (film)Grease is a 1978 American musical film directed by Randal Kleiser and based on Warren Casey's and Jim Jacobs's 1971 musical of the same name about two lovers in a 1950s high school. The film stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway...
, the T-Birds sing this to Danny Zuko after he wins the race at Thunder Road. - The song is sung to Benjamin SiskoBenjamin SiskoBenjamin Lafayette Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, is the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Early life and career:...
in congratulations of his promotion to captain in the Star Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
episode "The Adversary". - A Klingon version is sung to Lieutenant Worf for his birthday during the Star Trek: Next Generation episode "Parallels".
- Eric Matthews sung the different version in a episode of Boy Meets WorldBoy Meets WorldBoy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the...
. - Fans of Arsenal F.C.Arsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
have a variation called "Jolly Good Vela," named after fan-favorite Carlos VelaCarlos VelaCarlos Alberto Vela Garrido is a Mexican association football player, currently playing as a striker for La Liga club Real Sociedad on loan from Arsenal. He also plays for the Mexico national football team. He started his career at Mexican club C.D...
. - In the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the character ZartanZartanZartan is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, by Hasbro. He is a mercenary who often worked directly for Cobra Commander, and is one of the main villains in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic and animated series. His character was voiced by Zack Hoffman in the 1985 TV...
(played by Arnold VoslooArnold VoslooArnold Vosloo is a South African American actor, best-known for playing Imhotep in The Mummy and its 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns, as well as the role of the superhero Darkman in the sequel Darkman II: The Return of Durant and its 1996 sequel, Darkman III: Die Darkman Die...
) has the habit of whistling the song. - This song Sung to "Toot" in Holly Hobbie's "Toot & Puddle."
- This song is frequently sung on the Nickelodeon television show iCarlyICarlyiCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
. - In the 1975 episode "Disturbing the Peace" in Ronnie BarkerRonnie BarkerRonald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
's famous TV show PorridgePorridge (TV series)Porridge is a British situation comedy broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977, running for three series, two Christmas specials and a feature film. Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it stars Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale as two inmates at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland...
, every inmate sings the song on the return of Mr. Mackay. - In the episode "The Good Sport" on ArthurArthur (TV series)Arthur is an American/Canadian animated educational television series for children, created by Cookie Jar Group and WGBH for the Public Broadcasting Service...
, Francine starts singing the song to Jenna because Jenna won Athlete of the Year Award. The other students in Francine's class uncomfortably join in. - A variation of the song called "For He's a Jolly Good Rookie" is used in the SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
episode called "Fun". - In the 2011 video game Portal 2Portal 2Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game...
, the sinister AI villain, GLaDOSGLaDOSGLaDOS, short for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, is a fictional artificially intelligent computer system in Valve Software's Half-Life video game series and the main antagonist in the video games Portal and Portal 2. She was created by Erik Wolpaw and Kim Swift and is voiced by Ellen...
is sarcastically humming the song for the player after completing a puzzle. - In Boardwalk Empire season 1.
- In Mad Men season 1 episode 3.
- In Gossip Girl Season 2.
- In The Hour Season 1 Episode 4.
See also
See also in the movie "John Rabe", the life-safer for many Chinese people in Nanjing in 1937.From the movie "The Godfather Part II" at the very end of the film it is sung to Don Corleone on his birthday.
See also the TV Show "Glee", Season 1 Episode 3. Football fans sing a version We're gonna win the league