Swanee (song)
| "Swanee" | |
|---|---|
1919 "Swanee" sheet music with Jolson on the cover | |
| Single by Al Jolson, "Incidental whistling by Mr. Jolson" (disc label) | |
| B-side | "My gal" by Frank Crumit |
| Published | October 31, 1919 T. B. Harms & Francis, Day & Hunter, Inc., T.B. Harms, Inc., Warner Bros, Inc. |
| Released | April 1920 |
| Recorded | January 9, 1920 |
| Studio | New York City |
| Venue | Winter Garden Theatre |
| Genre | Popular Music |
| Length | 2.39 |
| Label | Columbia A-2884 Label Printing Code BW (February 1920) |
| Composer | George Gershwin |
| Lyricist | Irving Caesar |
"Swanee" is an American popular song from 1919 composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics written by Irving Caesar. It is most often associated with singer Al Jolson.
The song was written for a New York City revue by Ned Wayburn called Demi Tasse, which opened on 24 October 1919 as part of the inaugural performance of the Capitol Theatre. Demi Tasse opened with "Swanee" and closed with another new song with George Gershwin's music, "Come to the Moon" (lyrics by Wayburn and Lou Paley).
Caesar, who was then aged 24, claimed to have written the song in about ten minutes riding on a bus in Manhattan, finishing it at Gershwin's apartment. It was partly inspired by Stephen Foster's "Old Folks at Home", including that phrase in its lyrics. It was originally used as a big production number, with 60 chorus girls dancing with electric lights in their slippers on an otherwise darkened stage.