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High Hopes (1959 song)
Encyclopedia
"High Hopes" is a popular
song
first popularized by Frank Sinatra
, with music written by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Sammy Cahn
. It was introduced in the 1959 film
A Hole in the Head
, nominated for a Grammy and won an Oscar for Best Original Song
at the 32nd Academy Awards
.
moves an entire rubber tree by itself, while a ram
single-handedly knocks down a dam. The lyrics refer to a "billion kilowatt dam", which would be a terawatt dam. As a comparison, China's Three Gorges Dam
will only produce 2% of that amount (22.5 GW) when all generators are in place.
in 1959
in a hit version, featuring a children's choir, which was included in a 1961
Sinatra album, All the Way
. The tune reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The track peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart
. Frank Sinatra recorded a version of the tune with different lyrics which was used as the theme song for the 1960 Presidential Campaign
of John Kennedy.
recorded the song for the 1964 album With a Smile and a Song
. Her version was used in the 1998 film Antz
.
, who made the song his personal anthem.
Kalas sang "High Hopes" after the Phillies won the 1993 National League Championship
, and again after the 2008 World Series
.
Beginning after his death, after each home Phillies win, the home fans sing the song while the lyrics and a video of Kalas are played on the scoreboard above Harry the K's restaurant in left field.
"High Hopes Fund" was established in 1993 by the estate of Sammy Cahn
. The former Joslin patient and songwriter's goal was to provide hope and encouragement to kids with diabetes while supporting research into the causes of the disease.
Goofy plugs in an 8-track copy of the song and starts
singing along. This annoys his son Max.
Disgusted, Max changes the radio to hard rock music.
The two fight over the music, eventually damaging
the cartridge and the radio.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
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...
first popularized by Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, with music written by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
. It was introduced in the 1959 film
1959 in film
The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....
A Hole in the Head
A Hole in the Head
A Hole in the Head is a comedy film released by United Artists. It was directed by Frank Capra and featured Frank Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson, Eleanor Parker, Keenan Wynn, Carolyn Jones, Thelma Ritter, Dub Taylor and Joi Lansing. The film introduced the song "High Hopes", a Sinatra standard used...
, nominated for a Grammy and won an Oscar for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 32nd Academy Awards
32nd Academy Awards
The 32nd Academy Awards honored film achievements of 1959 on 4 April 1960.MGM's and director William Wyler's three and a half-hour long epic drama Ben-Hur won 11 Oscars in 1959, breaking the previous year's all-time record of nine...
.
Description
The song describes a few impossible scenarios, where animals do seemingly impossible acts. For example, an antAnt
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
moves an entire rubber tree by itself, while a ram
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
single-handedly knocks down a dam. The lyrics refer to a "billion kilowatt dam", which would be a terawatt dam. As a comparison, China's Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
will only produce 2% of that amount (22.5 GW) when all generators are in place.
Frank Sinatra
"High Hopes" was recorded by Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
in 1959
1959 in music
-Events:*January 5 – The first sessions for Ella Fitzgerald's George and Ira Gershwin Songbook are held.*January 12 – Tamla Records is founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in Detroit, Michigan....
in a hit version, featuring a children's choir, which was included in a 1961
1961 in music
-Events:*January 15 – Motown Records signs The Supremes.*January 20 – Francis Poulenc's Gloria receives its premiėre in Boston, USA.*February 12 – The Miracles' "Shop Around" becomes Motown's first million-selling single....
Sinatra album, All the Way
All the Way (Frank Sinatra album)
All the Way is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1961.The fourth Capitol compilation album of singles and B-sides from 1957 to 1960. Capitol released All the Way on Compact Disc briefly in 1988, before discontinuing it in the early 1990s...
. The tune reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The track peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Frank Sinatra recorded a version of the tune with different lyrics which was used as the theme song for the 1960 Presidential Campaign
United States presidential election, 1960
The United States presidential election of 1960 was the 44th American presidential election, held on November 8, 1960, for the term beginning January 20, 1961, and ending January 20, 1965. The incumbent president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not eligible to run again. The Republican Party...
of John Kennedy.
Doris Day
Doris DayDoris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
recorded the song for the 1964 album With a Smile and a Song
With a Smile and a Song (album)
With a Smile and a Song was an album, featuring Doris Day and Jimmy Joyce and the Children's Chorus, recorded from July 7 to 14, 1964 and released by Columbia Records on October 19, 1964...
. Her version was used in the 1998 film Antz
Antz
Antz is a 1998 American computer animated action adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation. It features the voices of well-known actors such as Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Gene Hackman, Christopher Walken, and Danny Glover as...
.
Harry Kalas
The song also was popularized in Philadelphia by Phillies play-by-play announcer Harry KalasHarry Kalas
Harry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
, who made the song his personal anthem.
Kalas sang "High Hopes" after the Phillies won the 1993 National League Championship
1993 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 6, 1993 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaCurt Schilling began the series spectacularly by striking out the first five hitters he faced. The game would be back and forth and low-scoring. A wild-pitch by Atlanta starter Steve Avery allowed Philadelphia to a...
, and again after the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
.
Beginning after his death, after each home Phillies win, the home fans sing the song while the lyrics and a video of Kalas are played on the scoreboard above Harry the K's restaurant in left field.
Sammy Cahn
Taking up the sentiments expressed in the song, the Boston-based Joslin Diabetes CenterJoslin Diabetes Center
Joslin Diabetes Center is the world’s largest diabetes research center, diabetes clinic, and provider of diabetes education. It is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Among the Harvard Medical School Affiliated institutions, Joslin is unique in its sole...
"High Hopes Fund" was established in 1993 by the estate of Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
. The former Joslin patient and songwriter's goal was to provide hope and encouragement to kids with diabetes while supporting research into the causes of the disease.
Popular Culture
- "Captain KangarooCaptain KangarooCaptain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
" (many episodes) - The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(episode 1F01 - "Rosebud") - "A Goofy MovieA Goofy MovieA Goofy Movie is a 1995 American animated musical comedy film, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, Walt Disney Animation France S.A. and Walt Disney Animation Australia , and released in theaters on April 7, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
" At the beginning of their long trip,
Goofy plugs in an 8-track copy of the song and starts
singing along. This annoys his son Max.
Disgusted, Max changes the radio to hard rock music.
The two fight over the music, eventually damaging
the cartridge and the radio.