Happy Days Are Here Again
Encyclopedia
"Happy Days Are Here Again" is a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager
(music) and Jack Yellen
(lyrics) and published by EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc./Advanced Music Corp. The song was recorded by Leo Reisman
and His Orchestra, with Lou Levin, vocal (November 1929), and was featured in the 1930 film Chasing Rainbows
. The song concluded the picture, in what film historian Edwin Bradley described as a "pull-out-all-the-stops Technicolor
finale, against a Great War
Armistice show-within-a-show backdrop." This early example of 2-strip Technicolor footage was, along with another Technicolor sequence, later cut from the 1931 re-edited release of the otherwise black-and-white film, and is believed to have been lost in the 1967 MGM Vault 7 fire
.
Today, the song is probably best remembered as the campaign song for Franklin Delano Roosevelt's successful 1932 presidential campaign. Since Roosevelt's use of the song, it has come to be recognized as the unofficial theme of the Democratic Party
. The song is also associated with the Repeal of Prohibition
, which occurred shortly after Roosevelt's election.
Matthew Greenwald described the song as "[a] true saloon standard, [and] a Tin Pan Alley
standard, and had been sung by virtually every interpreter since the 1940s. In a way, it's the pop version of Auld Lang Syne
."
The song is #47 on the Recording Industry Association of America
's list of "Songs of the Century
".
, 76 commercially released albums include versions of the song.
, made 33 years after its first recording. While the song is traditionally sung at a brisk pace, her recording is notable for how slowly and expressively she sings it.
On The Garry Moore Show
, Streisand sang the song during the "That Wonderful Year" skit representing 1929. She performed it ironically as a millionaire who has just lost all of her money and enters a bar, giving the bartender her expensive jewelry in exchange for drinks.
Streisand first recorded the song in October 1962 at Columbia's NYC studio, some months before her first album sessions. This version, arranged and conducted by George Williams became Streisand's first commercial single in November 1962, with "When the Sun Comes Out
" as a B-side. Only 500 copies of this single were pressed for the New York market, and no copies were sent to radio stations. This 1962 version was re-released as a single in March 1965 as part of the "Hall of Fame" series with the 1962 recording of "My Coloring Book
".
Streisand re-recorded the song in January 1963 for her solo album debut "The Barbra Streisand Album
".
Streisand sang this song on The Judy Garland Show
, in a medley with Garland's
"Get Happy
". This live performance was included on the 2002 Streisand compilation album "Duets
".
In June 1968, Streisand performed the song for over 135,000 people at Central Park. A recording of this performance was included on the live album "A Happening in Central Park
", and later appeared on the Streisand compilations "Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits
" and "The Essential Barbra Streisand
".
Streisand included live versions of the song on the following live albums "Live Concert at the Forum" (1972), "One Voice" (1987), "Barbra: The Concert" (1994) "Timeless: Live in Concert
" (2000) and "Streisand: Live in Concert 2006" (2007).
has used "Happy Days Are Here Again" for years as his theme song. He always makes his entrance, with bag of confetti in hand, to the strains of his song.
Also the song was used to open Washington D.C. comedian Mark Russell
's weekly PBS-tv shows ['70s - '90s] that featured topical political humor.
Beauty pageant contestant Vanessa L. Williams
performed the song during the talent competition of the Miss America 1984
pageant. Williams went on to win both a preliminary talent award and the pageant itself.
In 1930 the Comedian Harmonists
recorded their popular German adaptation, Wochenend und Sonnenschein
(Weekend and Sunshine, German lyrics by Charles Amberg). More darkly, the song can be heard in German in the soundtrack of archive documentary films in the 30's showing Adolf Hitler addressing huge rallies urging young people to join the Hitler Youth. The "Happy Days" represented the return of German pride following defeat in the 1st World War.
It was used by the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
of Concord, CA to open their 1988 Program and was used again in 2009 as part of their program entitled "1930".
"Happy Days", in medley with Judy Garland
's "Get Happy
" (as originally performed in duo by Barbra Streisand
and Judy Garland
in 1963), was used in the 2010 episode Duets
of TV show Glee
, performed by actors Lea Michele
and Chris Colfer
.
A harmonica rendition was played early in the Christmas-themed pilot episode of The Waltons
, entitled "The Homecoming", by one of the Walton children until John Boy requested something more Christmas-y.
Milton Ager
Milton Ager was an American composer.Ager was born in Chicago, Illinois, the sixth of nine children. Leaving school with only three years of formal high-school education, he taught himself to play the piano and embarked on a career as a musician. After spending time as an accompanist to silent...
(music) and Jack Yellen
Jack Yellen
Jack Selig Yellen was an American lyricist and screenwriter.-Life and career:Born in Poland, Yellen emigrated with his family to the United States when he was five years old. The oldest of seven children, he was raised in Buffalo, New York and began writing songs in high school...
(lyrics) and published by EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc./Advanced Music Corp. The song was recorded by Leo Reisman
Leo Reisman
Leo Reisman was a violinist and bandleader in the 1920s and 1930s. Born and reared in Boston, Reisman studied violin as a young man, and formed his own band in 1919. He became famous for having over 80 hits on the popular charts during his career. Jerome Kern called Reisman's orchestra "The...
and His Orchestra, with Lou Levin, vocal (November 1929), and was featured in the 1930 film Chasing Rainbows
Chasing Rainbows
Chasing Rainbows is a 1930 American romantic musical film directed by Charles Reisner, starring Bessie Love and Charles King, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.- Film preservation :...
. The song concluded the picture, in what film historian Edwin Bradley described as a "pull-out-all-the-stops Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
finale, against a Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Armistice show-within-a-show backdrop." This early example of 2-strip Technicolor footage was, along with another Technicolor sequence, later cut from the 1931 re-edited release of the otherwise black-and-white film, and is believed to have been lost in the 1967 MGM Vault 7 fire
1967 MGM Vault fire
The 1967 MGM Vault fire was a major fire that erupted on Saturday, May 13, 1967 at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's studio at Vault #7. An electrical fire burned the vault and destroyed hundreds of silent films, including A Blind Bargain, The Big City, The Divine Woman and, more famously, London After Midnight...
.
Today, the song is probably best remembered as the campaign song for Franklin Delano Roosevelt's successful 1932 presidential campaign. Since Roosevelt's use of the song, it has come to be recognized as the unofficial theme of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The song is also associated with the Repeal of Prohibition
Repeal of Prohibition
The Repeal of Prohibition in the United States was accomplished with the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 5, 1933.-Background:...
, which occurred shortly after Roosevelt's election.
Matthew Greenwald described the song as "[a] true saloon standard, [and] a Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
standard, and had been sung by virtually every interpreter since the 1940s. In a way, it's the pop version of 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...
."
The song is #47 on the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
's list of "Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
".
, 76 commercially released albums include versions of the song.
Movies in which the song appears
- Chasing RainbowsChasing RainbowsChasing Rainbows is a 1930 American romantic musical film directed by Charles Reisner, starring Bessie Love and Charles King, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.- Film preservation :...
(1930) - The DivorceeThe DivorceeThe Divorcee is a 1930 American drama film written by Nick Grindé, John Meehan and Zelda Sears, based on the novel Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director...
(1930) - The Lady of ScandalThe Lady of ScandalThe Lady of Scandal is a 1930 American film directed by Sidney Franklin based on a play by Frederick Lonsdale and starring Ruth Chatterton, Basil Rathbone and Ralph Forbes. A British actress becomes involved with a member of an aristocratic family, who try desperately to thwart the match....
(1930) - Rain or Shine (1930)
- PaidPaid (1930 film)Paid is a 1930 American drama film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Armstrong, and Kent Douglass in a story about a wrongly accused ex-convict who seeks revenge, within the law, on those who sent her to prison. The film was adapted by Lucien Hubbard and Charles MacArthur from the play, Within the...
(1930) - Blonde CrazyBlonde CrazyBlonde Crazy is a 1931 film by Roy Del Ruth, starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Louis Calhern, Ray Milland, and Guy Kibbee famous for Cagney's line, "That dirty, double-crossin' rat!"- Plot :...
(1931) - City StreetsCity Streets (film)City Streets is a 1931 Pre-Code crime film based upon a story written by Dashiell Hammett, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, and starring Gary Cooper, Sylvia Sidney, Paul Lukas and Guy Kibbee.-Plot:...
(1931) - Politics (1931)
- George White's Flying HighFlying High (1931 film)Flying High , also known as George White's Flying High, is a musical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by George White with lyrics by B. G. DeSylva and Lew Brown, music by Ray Henderson, with additional songs by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh .The film opened on November 14, 1931...
(1931) - The Christmas Party (1931)
- A Great Big Bunch of You (1932)
- The Musical Doctor (1932)
- Panama Flo (1932)
- Night Court (1932)
- When a Fellow Needs a Friend (1932)
- What Price Hollywood?What Price Hollywood?What Price Hollywood? is a 1932 American drama film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Gene Fowler, Rowland Brown, Ben Markson, and Jane Murfin is based on a story by Adela Rogers St. Johns.-Plot:...
(1932) - Three on a Match (1932)
- Prosperity (1932)
- 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932)
- Grand Slam (1933)
- Inflation (1933)
- Going HollywoodGoing HollywoodGoing Hollywood is an American black-and-white musical film directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Marion Davies and Bing Crosby, written by Donald Ogden Stewart, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film tells the story of Sylvia , a French teacher at an all-girl school, who wants to find love...
(1933) - The Show-Off (1934)
- Twentieth CenturyTwentieth Century (film)Twentieth Century is a 1934 American screwball comedy film. Much of the film is set on the 20th Century Limited train as it travels from Chicago to New York. The film was directed by Howard Hawks, stars John Barrymore and Carole Lombard, and features Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns and Edgar Kennedy...
(1934) - Here Comes the Band (1935)
- Thanks a MillionThanks A MillionThanks a Million is a 1935 musical film produced and released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Roy Del Ruth. It stars Dick Powell, Ann Dvorak and Fred Allen, and features Patsy Kelly, David Rubinoff and Paul Whiteman and his band with singer/pianist Ramona. The script by Nunnally Johnson was...
(1935) - Petticoat Fever (1936)
- Ali Baba Goes to TownAli Baba Goes to TownAli Baba Goes to Town is a 1937 movie starring Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, and Roland Young. Cantor plays a hobo named Aloysius "Al" Babson, who walks into the camp of a movie company that is making the Arabian Nights. He falls asleep and dreams he is in Baghdad as an advisor to the Sultan...
(1937) - Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937)
- The Candid Camera Story (Very Candid) of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures 1937 Convention (1937)
- Git Along Little Dogies (1937)
- Hit Parade of 1937 (1937)
- Married Before Breakfast (1937)
- Captain's Pup, The (1938)
- Hold That Co-ed (1938)
- The Wrong Way Out (1938)
- The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939)
- Bachelor MotherBachelor MotherBachelor Mother is an American comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, and starring Ginger Rogers , David Niven, and Charles Coburn. The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna based on a Academy Award nominated story by Felix Jackson...
(1939) - Another Thin ManAnother Thin ManAnother Thin Man is a 1939 American film that is the third film in the six-volume series, The Thin Man. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, and is based on the writings of Dashiell Hammett. Their son, Nicky Jr., is also introduced in the film. The cast includes...
(1939) - Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a Woman (1940)
- Unexpected Uncle (1941)
- The Feminine Touch (1941)
- Mokey (1942)
- Maisie Gets Her Man (1942)
- One Ham's Family (1943)
- The Lonesome Mouse (1943)
- Happy-Go-Nutty (1944)
- The Million Dollar Cat (1944)
- The Return of Mr. Hook (1945)
- Tokyo Woes (1945)
- Uncle Tom's Cabaña (1947)
- The Truce Hurts (1948)
- Hoaxters, The (1952)
- Heir Bear (1953)
- 1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration (1955)
- 90 Day Wondering (1956)
- Beau James (1957)
- The Night of the IguanaThe Night of the Iguana (film)The Night of the Iguana is a 1964 film based on the 1961 play The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams. Directed by John Huston, it starred Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr. It won the 1964 Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best...
(1964) - How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
- Arturo UI (1972)
- DillingerDillinger (1973 film)Dillinger is a 1973 gangster film about the life and criminal exploits of notorious bank robber John Dillinger.It stars Warren Oates as Dillinger and Ben Johnson as his pursuer, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis. The film, narrated by Purvis, chronicles the last few years of Dillinger's life as the FBI and...
(1973) - Slither (1973)
- The Great GatsbyThe Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922....
(1974) - Heb medelij, Jet! (1975)
- Goliath AwaitsGoliath AwaitsGoliath Awaits is a 1981 American television movie originally broadcast in two parts in November 1981 on various stations as a part of Operation Prime Time's syndicated programming...
(1981) - Vultures (1983)
- Otto - Der Neue Film (1987)
- Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991)
- The Distinguished GentlemanThe Distinguished GentlemanThe Distinguished Gentleman is a comedy starring Eddie Murphy. The film was directed by Jonathan Lynn. In addition to Murphy, the film stars Lane Smith, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Joe Don Baker, Victoria Rowell, Grant Shaud, Kevin McCarthy, Charles S...
(1992) - For Love or Money (1993)
- Dolores ClaiborneDolores Claiborne (film)Dolores Claiborne is a 1995 film based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, starring Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh. It was directed by Taylor Hackford.-Plot:...
(1995) - Nixon (1995)
- Primary Colors (1998)
- Mother (1999)
- 28 Days (2000)
- Cats & Dogs (2001)
- Idlewild (2006)
- Zwartboek (2006)
Barbra Streisand version
One of the most influential recordings of the song was Barbra Streisand'sBarbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, made 33 years after its first recording. While the song is traditionally sung at a brisk pace, her recording is notable for how slowly and expressively she sings it.
On The Garry Moore Show
The Garry Moore Show
The Garry Moore Show is the name for several separate American variety series on the CBS television network in the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted by experienced radio performer, Garry Moore, the series helped launch the careers of many comedic talents, such as Don Adams, George Gobel, Carol Burnett, Don...
, Streisand sang the song during the "That Wonderful Year" skit representing 1929. She performed it ironically as a millionaire who has just lost all of her money and enters a bar, giving the bartender her expensive jewelry in exchange for drinks.
Streisand first recorded the song in October 1962 at Columbia's NYC studio, some months before her first album sessions. This version, arranged and conducted by George Williams became Streisand's first commercial single in November 1962, with "When the Sun Comes Out
When the Sun Comes Out
"When the Sun Comes Out" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler, in 1941. It was introduced in 1941 by Helen O'Connell with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.-Barbra Streisand Recording:...
" as a B-side. Only 500 copies of this single were pressed for the New York market, and no copies were sent to radio stations. This 1962 version was re-released as a single in March 1965 as part of the "Hall of Fame" series with the 1962 recording of "My Coloring Book
My Coloring Book
-Sandy Stewart version:The song was recorded by Sandy Stewart and released as a single with "I Heard You Cry Last Night" as a b-side in 1962.-Other versions:*Dusty Springfield recorded the song for her 1964 debut album "A Girl Called Dusty"....
".
Streisand re-recorded the song in January 1963 for her solo album debut "The Barbra Streisand Album
The Barbra Streisand Album
- Side two :- Personnel :* Barbra Streisand — vocals* Mike Berniker — producer* Peter Matz — arrangements* Fred Plaut and Frank Lacio — recording engineers* John Berg — design* Hank Parker — photography* Harold Arlen — liner notes- Chart performance :...
".
Streisand sang this song on The Judy Garland Show
The Judy Garland Show
The Judy Garland Show is an American musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963-1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found success with several television specials featuring the star...
, in a medley with Garland's
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
"Get Happy
Get Happy (song)
"Get Happy" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler.It was the first song they wrote together, and was introduced by Ruth Etting in The Nine-Fifteen Revue in 1930....
". This live performance was included on the 2002 Streisand compilation album "Duets
Duets (Barbra Streisand album)
Duets is the 42nd album by Barbra Streisand. It is a collection of some of Streisand's duet performances recorded both in the studio and live between 1963 and 2002. The album contains two newly recorded songs, one with Barry Manilow and one with Josh Groban...
".
In June 1968, Streisand performed the song for over 135,000 people at Central Park. A recording of this performance was included on the live album "A Happening in Central Park
A Happening in Central Park
A Happening In Central Park is the first live album by Barbra Streisand. The album was recorded at a live concert in Central Park in New York on 17 June 1967 in front of an audience of 135,000 people.-Track listing:...
", and later appeared on the Streisand compilations "Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits
Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits
Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Barbra Streisand. It was released in January, 1970 . It was her first compilation album and was released on Columbia records Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Barbra Streisand. It was released in January, 1970...
" and "The Essential Barbra Streisand
The Essential Barbra Streisand
The Essential Barbra Streisand is a two-disc compilation album of Barbra Streisand released by Sony BMG as part of their Essentials series. Released in January 2002, and drawing from four decades of her work, it includes all but one of her top-ten hits, and most of her top-forty hits...
".
Streisand included live versions of the song on the following live albums "Live Concert at the Forum" (1972), "One Voice" (1987), "Barbra: The Concert" (1994) "Timeless: Live in Concert
Timeless: Live in Concert
Timeless: Live in Concert is a live album released by Barbra Streisand on September 19, 2000 . It was her fifth live album and was released on Columbia Records...
" (2000) and "Streisand: Live in Concert 2006" (2007).
Official Streisand versions
- "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1962 Version)
- "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1963 Version) (Album Version)
- "Happy Days Are Here Again" (live from "A Happening In Central Park")
- "Sing / Happy Days Are Here Again" (live from "Live Concert at the Forum") - 4:25
- "Happy Days Are Here Again" (live from "One Voice")
- "Happy Days Are Here Again" (live from "Barbra: The Concert")
- "Happy Days Are Here Again" (live from "Timeless: Live in Concert")
- "Happy Days Are Here Again" (live from "Streisand: Live in Concert 2006")
Other versions
Television and nightclub comedian Rip TaylorRip Taylor
Charles Elmer "Rip" Taylor, Jr. is an American actor and comedian.-Early life:Taylor was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Elizabeth, a waitress, and Charles Elmer Taylor, Sr., a musician. As a young man, Taylor served in the Korean War while in the U.S...
has used "Happy Days Are Here Again" for years as his theme song. He always makes his entrance, with bag of confetti in hand, to the strains of his song.
Also the song was used to open Washington D.C. comedian Mark Russell
Mark Russell
Mark Russell is an American political satirist/comedian. He also sings and plays the piano.-Biography:...
's weekly PBS-tv shows ['70s - '90s] that featured topical political humor.
Beauty pageant contestant Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
performed the song during the talent competition of the Miss America 1984
Miss America 1984
Miss America 1984, the 59th Miss America, pageant, was from on the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 17, 1983 on NBC Network.-Placements:-Preliminary Awards:-Controversy:...
pageant. Williams went on to win both a preliminary talent award and the pageant itself.
In 1930 the Comedian Harmonists
Comedian Harmonists
The Comedian Harmonists were an internationally famous, all-male German close harmony ensemble that performed between 1928 and 1934 as one of the most successful musical groups in Europe before World War II...
recorded their popular German adaptation, Wochenend und Sonnenschein
Wochenend und Sonnenschein
"Wochenend und Sonnenschein" is a song with German lyrics that was copyrighted in 1930 by Charles Amberg and Milton Ager . The music is based on the famed American song "Happy Days Are Here Again" that was copyrighted in 1929 by Ager and Jack Yellen...
(Weekend and Sunshine, German lyrics by Charles Amberg). More darkly, the song can be heard in German in the soundtrack of archive documentary films in the 30's showing Adolf Hitler addressing huge rallies urging young people to join the Hitler Youth. The "Happy Days" represented the return of German pride following defeat in the 1st World War.
It was used by the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Concord, California and founded in 1957 as a Drum and Bell corps, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...
of Concord, CA to open their 1988 Program and was used again in 2009 as part of their program entitled "1930".
"Happy Days", in medley with Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
's "Get Happy
Get Happy (song)
"Get Happy" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler.It was the first song they wrote together, and was introduced by Ruth Etting in The Nine-Fifteen Revue in 1930....
" (as originally performed in duo by Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
in 1963), was used in the 2010 episode Duets
Duets (Glee)
"Duets" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 26th episode overall. It was written by series creator Ian Brennan, directed by Eric Stoltz, and premiered on Fox on October 12, 2010...
of TV show Glee
Duets (Glee)
"Duets" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 26th episode overall. It was written by series creator Ian Brennan, directed by Eric Stoltz, and premiered on Fox on October 12, 2010...
, performed by actors Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
and Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
.
A harmonica rendition was played early in the Christmas-themed pilot episode of The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
, entitled "The Homecoming", by one of the Walton children until John Boy requested something more Christmas-y.