Swanee

artist:Al Jolsen

, writer:George Gershwin, Irving Caesar

Song Info

Title: Swanee

Artist: Al Jolsen

Writer: George Gershwin, Irving Caesar

Song Types: Musical, Pop

Key: F

Info: "Swanee" is an American popular song written in 1919 by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Irving Caesar. It is most often associated with singer Al Jolson.

The song was written for a New York City revue called Demi-Tasse, which opened in October 1919 in the Capitol Theater. Caesar and Gershwin, who was then aged 20, claimed to have written the song in about ten minutes riding on a bus in Manhattan, finishing it at Gershwin's apartment. It was written partly as a parody of Stephen Foster's "Old Folks at Home", even filching the title for the Swanee 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.

The song had little impact in its first show, but not long afterwards Gershwin played it at a party where Al Jolson heard it. Jolson then put it into his show Sinbad, already a success at the Winter Garden Theatre, and recorded it for Columbia Records in January 1920. "After that", said Gershwin, "Swanee penetrated the four corners of the earth." The song was charted in 1920 for 18 weeks holding the No. 1 position for nine. It sold a million sheet music copies, and an estimated two million records. It became Gershwin's first hit and the biggest-selling song of his career; the money he earned from it allowed him to concentrate on theatre work and films rather than writing further single pop hits. Arthur Schwartz said: "It's ironic that he never again wrote a number equaling the sales of Swanee, which for all its infectiousness, doesn't match the individuality and subtlety of his later works."

Along with becoming one of the songs most identified with the legendary Jolson, "Swanee"
would also prove to be the prolific Gerswhin's most successful song ever. As a recording, it sold
over two-million copies and, as sheet music, one million copies. Its success allowed Gershwin to
concentrate almost exclusively on his work in the theatre while solidifying Jolson's position as
one of America's most revered entertainers

Use Auto-Formated Version?

Whoa! I didn't find any chords in your song -- it's probably not in ChordPro format. Here's the converted version…

No, Thanks!

Don't perform this check again.

Swanee

artist:Al Jolsen

, writer:George Gershwin, Irving Caesar

Edit Song

Song Info

Alts - Is barre easier?

Use Auto-Formated Version?

Chord Builder