Mockin’ Bird Hill was written by George Vaughn Horton and published in 1951. It was popularized by Patti Page and by Les Paul and Mary Ford in 1951, and for both of them following on to their big hit of “The Tennessee Waltz” the previous year. The music of “Mockin’ Bird Hill” is based closely on a Swedish waltz called “Livet i Finnskogarna” or “Life in the Finnish Woods,” recorded by Carl Jularbo in 1915, which enjoyed some popularity in the U.S.
The Page recording, made on January 17, 1951, was issued by Mercury Records as catalog number 5595, and first reached the Billboard pop music chart on February 24, 1951, lasting 22 weeks and peaking at #2. At the same time Mercury released a recording, catalog number 5552 by Tiny Hill and the Hillsiders.
The Les Paul/Mary Ford recording was issued by Capitol Records as catalog number 1373, and also reached the Billboard top 10.
On the Cash Box best-selling record charts, where all recordings were combined, the song first entered the chart on March 3, 1951, reached #1 on April 21, 1951, and remained #1 through the May 12, 1951 chart. It came back to the #1 position on May 26.
Big Band orchestra leader, Russ Morgan, recorded the song in 1951 featuring the Gay Sisters on backing vocals.
Mockingbird Hill is also mentioned in The Clash song, Spanish Bombs.
The Tanner Sisters with Orchestra recorded their version in London on April 1, 1951. It was released by EMI on the His Master’s Voice label as catalog number B 10071.
The Pinetoppers, featuring vocal chorus by The Beaver Valley Sweethearts, (Coral Records, No. 64061, not dated).
In 1961, Teresa Brewer recorded a version of this song on the album Songs Everybody Knows.
The Migil Five sang a bluebeat tempo version of the song – a UK hit in 1964.
Ray Stevens recorded the song in 1975 for his mostly pop-standards cover album, Misty.
Donna Fargo took a shortened country version to #9 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1977.
In 1993, Dutch group Roots Syndicate (nl:Roots Syndicate) released a reggae cover, which featured on an advertisement for Centraal Beheer in the early 1990s.
The Swedish comedian Povel Ramel wrote a Swedish-language version of the song called Småfoglarne (The little birds), which contained a large number of puns on birds’ names. It was performed and recorded by Ramel and Martin Ljung.
By Patti Page
By The Migil 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICMUy8DQ-n0
Lyrics
Tra-la-la, twiddly-dee-dee It gives me a thrill To wake up in the morning to the mockingbird’s trill Tra-la-la, twiddly-dee-dee There’s peace and goodwill You’re welcome as the flowers on Mockin’ Bird Hill
When the sun in the morning Peeps over the hill, And kisses the roses ’round my windowsill Then my heart fills with gladness When I hear the trill Of the birds in the treetops on Mockin’ Bird Hill
Tra-la-la, twiddly-dee-dee It gives me a thrill To wake up in the morning to the mockingbird’s trill Tra-la-la, twiddly-dee-dee There’s peace and goodwill You’re welcome as the flowers on Mockin’ Bird Hill
When it’s late in the evening, I climb up the hill And survey all my kingdom while everything’s still Only me and the sky — and an old whippoorwill Singin’ songs in the twilight on Mockin’ Bird Hill
Tra-la-la, twiddly-dee-dee It gives me a thrill To wake up in the morning to the mockingbird’s trill Tra-la-la, twiddly-dee-dee There’s peace and goodwill You’re welcome as the flowers on Mockin’ Bird Hill
Tra-la-la, twiddly-dee-dee There’s peace and goodwill You’re welcome as the flowers on Mockin’ Bird Hill