I'VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING
From the show "Cotton Club Parade" (1933)
(Ted Koehler / Harold Arlen)

Recorded by:
Ray Anthony & his Orch.; Harold Arlen; Louis Armstrong;
Mildred Bailey; Count Basie; Tony Bennett; Teresa Brewer;
Charlie Byrd Trio; Cab Calloway; Benny Carter; Nat King Cole;
Perry Como; Bing Crosby; Xavier Cugat; Billy Daniels;
Celine Dion; The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra; Billy Eckstine;
Roy Eldridge; Duke Ellington; Alice Faye; Ella Fitzgerald;
Erroll Garner; Benny Goodman; Stephane Grappelli; Ted Heath; 
Woody Herman; Earl Hines; Shirley Horn; Lena Horne; 
The Ink Spots; Stan Kenton; Diana Krall; Steve Lawrence; 
Peggy Lee; Jerry Lewis; Barry Manilow; Johnny Mathis; 
Carmen McRae; Glenn Miller; Wayne Newton; Anita O'Day; 
Oscar Peterson; Louis Prima; Dinah Shore; Frank Sinatra; 
Jo Stafford; Kay Starr; Art Tatum; Mel Tormé; 
Sarah Vaughan; ..... and many more.


I've got the world on a string
I'm sitting on a rainbow
Got the string around my finger
What a world, what a life - I'm in love

I've got a song that I sing
I can make the rain go
Any time I move my finger
Lucky me, can't you see - I'm in love

Life's a wonderful thing
As long as I hold the string
I'd be a silly so-and-so
If I should ever let her go


****************
I'VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING
       (Bing Crosby)


as recorded by Bing Crosby 
with 
The Dorsey Bros Orchestra  
January 26th, 1933 
New York


Merry month of May,
Sunny skies of blue,
Clouds have rolled away
And the sun peeps through,
May express
Happiness.

Joy you may define
In a thousand ways,
But a case like mine
Needs a special phrase
To reveal
How I feel.

I've got the world on a string,
Sittin' on a rainbow,
Got the string around my finger.
What a world, what a life, I'm in love!

I've got the song that I sing,
I can make the rain go
Any time I move my finger!
Lucky me,
Can't you see,
I'm in love!

Life is a beautiful thing,
As long as I hold the string.
I'd be a silly so-and-so
If I should ever let go!

I've got the world on a string,
Sittin' on a rainbow,
Got the string around my finger.
What a world, what a life, I'm in love!

Ohat a world, what a life, I'm in love!

Lucky me,
Can't you see
That I'm in love!

Life is a beautiful thing,
As long as I hold that string.
I'd be a silly so-and-so
If I should ever let go!

I've got the world on a string,
Sittin' on a rainbow,
Got the string around my finger.
What a world, what a life, I'm in love!



(Transcribed by Peter Akers - September 2012)