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. Continue reading
“Michelle” is a love ballad by the Beatles, mainly written by Paul McCartney, with the middle eight co-written with John Lennon. It is featured on their Rubber Soul album. The song is unique among The Beatles’ other recordings in that its lyrics are partially in French. “Michelle” won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1967, and has become one of the most famous Beatles songs in France. Continue reading
“Michael, Row the Boat Ashore” (or “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore” or “Michael Row That Gospel Boat”) is an African-American spiritual. It was first noted during the American Civil War at St. Helena Island, one of the Sea Islands of South Carolina. It was sung by former slaves whose owners had abandoned the island before the Union navy would arrive to enforce a blockade. Continue reading
“Mary Ann,” composed by calypsonian Roaring Lion (born name: Hubert Raphael Charles), was popular with steelbands and revelers during a spontaneous Carnival celebration on V-J Day in Trinidad in 1945, at the end of World War II. The song’s lyrics alluded to Mary Ann’s occupation:
Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat recorded a version of “Mary Ann” in the late 1940s. During the 1956-57 American calypso craze, the Easy Riders, Burl Ives and other interpreters of folk music further popularized the calypso, generally under the title of “Marianne”. The song continued to be a favorite with steelbands and calypso entertainers at Caribbean tourist hotels for many years. Continue reading
“Mambo Italiano” is a popular song written by Bob Merrill in 1954 and recorded by Rosemary Clooney. Merrill actually wrote it on deadline, scribbled hastily on a paper napkin in an Italian restaurant in New York, United States using the wall pay-phone to dictate the melody, rhythm and lyrics to the recording studio pianist, under the aegis of conductor Mitch Miller. The song became a hit for Rosemary, reaching #10 on the charts in the United States and number one in the UK Singles Chart early in 1955. Continue reading