BIRTH OF THE BLUES
From the Broadway Show "George White's Scandals Of 1926"
(Music: Ray Henderson / Lyrics: Lew Brown / Buddy G. DeSylva)


Paul Whiteman & His Orch. ((vocals: Jack Fulton, 
Charles Gaylord & Austin Young) - 1926
Harry Richman - 1926
The Revelers - 1926
Bing Crosby with Jack Teagarden & His Band 
(feat. in the film "Birth Of The Blues") - 1941
Benny Goodman & His Orch. - 1941
Cab Calloway - 1943
Peggy Lee - 1947
Frank Sinatra - 1952
Chet Atkins (Instr.) - 1954
Sammy Davis Jr. - 1955
Gordon MacRae (feat. in the film "The Best Things 
In Life Are Free") - 1956
Dinah Washington - 1956
Jerry Lewis - 1956
Louis Prima - 1957
Perry Como - 1958
Ray Charles - 1961
Leslie Uggams - 1962
Patti Page - 1964
Chet Atkins & Les Paul - 1977
Randy Travis & Willie Nelson - 1990

Also recorded by: 
Nellie Lutcher; Whispering Jack Smith; Shirley Bassey; 
Ray Henderson; Don Reno & Red Smiley; Coleman Hawkins; 
Paulette Hodney; Ray Anthony; Eddie Condon; King Curtis;
Flip Phillips; Al Hirt; Stéphane Grappelli; Nay Gonella;
The McGuire Sisters; The Hi-Lo's; Della Reese; Hank Snow; 
Gerry Mulligan; Meade "Lux" Lewis.............and others.


 




As recorded by FRANK SINATRA:

These are the blues
Nothin' but blues

Oh, they say some people long ago
Were searching for a diff'rent tune
One that they could croon
As only they can

They only had the rhythm, so
They started swayin' to and fro 
They didn't know just what to use
This is how the blues really began 

They heard the breeze in the trees
Singing weird melodies
And they made that 
The start of the blues

And from a jail came the wail 
Of a downhearted frail
And they played that
As a part of the blues 

>From a whippoorwill
Way up on a hill
They took a new note
Pushed it through a horn
Until it was worn
Into a blue note

And then they nursed it
They rehearsed it
And then sent out that news
That the Southland gave birth to the blues

They nursed it
And they rehearsed it
And they sent out that news
That the Southland, they gave birth to the blues


++++++++++


As recorded by PERRY COMO with the RAY CHARLES SINGERS:


Ooh, they say some people long ago 
Were searchin' for a diff'rent tune 
One that they could croon 
As only they can 
 
They only had the rhythm, so 
They started swayin' to and fro 
They didn't know just what to use 
That is how the blues really began 
  
They heard the breeze in the trees 
Singin' weird melodies, 
And they made that 
The start of the blues 
  
And from a jail came the wail 
Of a downhearted frail 
And they played that 
As part of the blues 
  
>From a whippoorwill out on the hill 
They took a new note
(Whippoorwill, whippoorwill, whippoorwill) 
Pushed it through a horn 'till it was worn 
Into a blue note
(Whippoorwill, whippoorwill, whippoorwill) 
  
An' then they nursed it, and rehearsed it 
And gave out the news 
That the Southland 
Gave birth to the blues 
  
( Shout out the wonderful news! ) 
  
Oh, the breeze from the trees 
A wail from the jail 
A buzz from the cousin of a nightin'gale 
And Southland (Hello, hello) 
Gave birth to the blues 






(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - October 2011)