ΤΗΕ ΜΟST POPULAR SONG HITS AND PERFORMERS OF 1949

Enzio Pinza Some Enchanted Evening South Pacific is one of Rodger's and Hammerstein's greatest shows. It remains both an entertaining show and a social commentary. The show won several Tony Awards in it's premier year of 1949. It is based on parts of James Michener's Tales Of The South Pacific that was published in 1947. The book is a a number of short stories that take place during WW II in The South Pacific. The show centers on two couples. Nellie Furbush, a nurse who falls in love with a French planter, Emile Debeque, on the island where she has been stationed. She finds out that he had been married before to an island native and has mixed race children. The second couple that consists of Lt. Cable and a Tonkinese Girls whose name is Liat, he also has to overcome his prejudice. Both couples survive their issues but Lt Cable is killed when he and Debeque go to another island to spy on the Japanese. There were many songs that would become known from South Pacific, I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair, Happy Talk and others. Some Enchanted Evening would shine and still does as a beautiful love song that describes a man's feelings when first meeting the woman of his dreams. One interesting fact about South Pacific is that Rodger's and Hammerstein's lives were threatened by The Ku Klux Klan during the Broadway run of the show. There is a song in the show titled "You Have To Be Carefully Taught." The song's message is that you must be taught prejudiced; it is not born in you. The Klan did not like the message and threatened the lives of the composer and lyricist if the song was not removed from theshow. The song was not removed and nothing ever came from the threat. Bing Crosby Galway Bay Music for and about the Irish seems to have had grip on the U.S. in the 1940's. Galway Bay would be a song that would transcend the century and for Irish Catholics would almost become a hymn as it is still is used in Mass around St. Patrick's Day. The song was written by Dr. Arthur Colahan in Leicester in 1947. Crosby revised some of the lyrics and the song became a huge hit with Irish Immigrants around the world. Galway Bay is a real bay in Ireland and the song is a yearning to return to home. Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark Baby It's Cold Outside It can be considered sad that some songs can get so attached to a holiday that we lose track of them the rest of the year. Among those songs is Winter Wonderland, Frosty The Snowman and Suzy Snowflake. None of these even mentions Christmas and yet the songs are relegated to this category. Baby It's Cold Outside is one of these. The words and music for the song were written by Frank Loesser and was first publically performed by the composer and his wife. In 1949, the film,Neptune's Daughter was released and the song was sung twice in the film. The song won Loesser an Academy Award for that year. Baby It's Cold Outside is a conversation between a man and woman. The man is trying to convince the woman to stay at his house as it's too cold and the snow too deep for her to go home. The song got a twist when it was sung by Kurt and Blaine in the 2010 Christmas episode of Glee. Bing Crosby Dear Hearts and Gentle People The Song was written in 1949 with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Bob Hilliard. The song was based on words written on a scrap of paper that was found on the body of Steven Foster when his body was discovered in a New York City Hotel in 1864. The words were simply" Dear friends and gentle hearts." Dinah Shore Lavender Blue Originally a 17th century English nursery rhyme. In the 20th century it crossed the sea and began to hit the charts in 1949. Though Dinah Shore made a hit of the song, it would be Burl Ives who would win an Academy Award for his performance of the song in the 1949 Disney film, So Dear To My Heart Eddie (Piano) Miller Around Her Neck She Wore A Yellow Ribbon The yellow ribbon has been a sign of someone waiting for their loved one to come home since the time of the emperor Nero. She Wore A Yellow Ribbon is an example of this tradition. The version we are aware of today was written in 1907 as a marching song for the army. In1949, the song became the title of a film starring John Wayne. The lyrics were slightly altered for the film but the music stayed the same. The yellow ribbon would remain a symbol of homecoming throughout the years and in 1980 when the American captives were released from Iran the ribbon was put up all over the United States. Frankie Lane Mule Train This song was written by Johnny Lange, Hy Heath, Doc Tommy Scott and Fred Glickman. The song is a Wild West song that relates the idea of a cowboy carrying male and packages across the west to waiting customers. Though Frankie Laineintroduced the song it would be recorded by many other artists. When Burl Ives recorded the song he would add the sound affects of snapping whips and yells.
	Top Artists and Songs of 1949
	Al Morgan Jealous Heart
	Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye Put 'em in a Box Tie 'em With a Ribbon
	Andrews Sisters I Can Dream Can't I?
	Art Mooney Hop-Scotch Polka
	Bing Crosby Dear Hearts and Gentle People Faraway Places Galway Bay Mulr Train Riders in the Sky Some Enchanted Evening
	Blue Barron Orchestra Cruising Down the River
	Buddy Clark A Dreamer's Holiday It's A Big, Wide, Wonderful World You're Breakin' My Heart
	Delmore Brothers Blues Stay Away From Me
	Dick Haymes  Dear Hearts and Gentle People Maybe Its Because The Old Master Painter
	Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark Baby, It's Cold Outside
	Dinah Shore Dear Hearts and Gentle People Lavender Blue
	Doris Day Again Canadian Capers
	Eddie 'Piano' Miller She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
	Eddy Arnold Don't Rob Another Man's Castle I'm Throwing Rice (At the Girl I Love)
	Edith Piaf La Vie En Rose
	Elton Britt Riders in the Sky
	Ernest Tubb Slippin' Around
	Evelyn Night A Little bird Told Me
	Ezio Pinza Some Enchanted Evening
	Frank Sinatra Some Enchanted Evening
	Frankie Laine Mule Train That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All day)
	Freddy Martin I've Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
	Gordon Jenkins Again Don't Cry Joe (Let Her Go)
	Guy Lombardo Hop-Scotch Polka
	Hank Willaims I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry Lovesick Blues
	Ink Spots You're Breakin' My Heart
	Jack Teter Trio Johnson Rag
	Jimmy Witherspoon Ain't Nobody's Business
	Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRea 'A' You're Adorable My Darling My Darling
	Joe Loss Orchestra A Little Bird Told Me Far Away Places Say Something Sweet To Your Sweetheart
	Larry Darnell For You My Love
	Larry Green It's a Big, Wide Wonderful World
	Les Brown I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
	Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five Beans and Corn Bread Saturday Night Fish Fry
	Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely Slippin' Around
	Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer Baby, It's Cold Outside
	Margaret Whiting Far Away Places
	Mel Torme Careless Hands
	Patty Andrews and Bob Crosby The Pussy Cat Song (Nyot Nyow!)
	Paul Williams and His Hucklebuckers The Huckle-Buck
	Perry Como A Dreamer's Holiday Forever and Ever Some Enchanted Evening
	Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters 'A' You're Adorable A Dreamer's Holiday I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore
	Ray Anthony Harbor Lights
	Richard Hayes The Old Master Painter
	Russ Morgan Cruising Down The River Forever and Ever
	Sammy Kaye Four Winds and the Seven Seas Powder Your Face With Sunshine Room Full of Roses
	Sticks McGhee Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
	Ted Heath Orchestra Harlem Nocturne
	Toni Arden I Can Dream, Cant I
	Vaughn Monroe Mule Train Riders in the Sky Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)
	Vic Damone Again My Bolero You're Breakin' My Heart
	Wayne Raney Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me?