Lyr/Chords Req: Pennies From Heaven

Subject: Pennies From Heaven
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 02 May 00 - 08:17 PM

An indulgence please. I haven't been able to track down the complete lyrics for this song. Like so many other pieces from this period it has a rather long verse (maybe 32 bars) which is seldom played these days before the more familiar chorus. Any help appreciated please. Regards, John

Subject: Lyr Add: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (Burke/Johnston)
From:
Date: 02 May 00 - 09:27 PM

Have a look at this site, perhaps this is what you are looking for:

http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/biology/lewis/crosby/pennies.html

---

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
(Burke, Johnston)

Bing introduced "Pennies from Heaven" in his movie of the same name. The movie was okay, the song won an Oscar. Bing recorded "Pennies from Heaven" August 17, 1936 with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. By the end of the year the recording had rocketed to the top of the charts, where it stayed for an incredible 10 weeks. It was Bing's only No. 1 recording of 1936, but for Bing it was megabucks from Heaven!

A long time ago, a million years BC
The best things in life were absolutely free.
But no one appreciated
A sky that was always blue.
And no one congratulated
A moon that was always new.
So it was planned that they would vanish now and then
And you must pay before you get them back again.
That's what storms were made for
And you shouldn't be afraid for...

Every time it rains it rains
Pennies from heaven.
Don't you know each cloud contains
Pennies from heaven.
You'll find your fortune falling all over town.
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down.
Trade them for a package of
Sunshine and flowers.
If you want the things you love
You must have showers.
So when you hear it thunder don't run under a tree.
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me.

---

Lyrics copy-pasted from the link cited above.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 02 May 00 - 11:46 PM

Brilliant George, that's the full version I was chasing. Many Thanks! Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: JennieG
Date: 03 May 00 - 02:11 AM

I have heard a wonderful parody on this song called "Ben is from heaven" - about a woman who has a baby that's not her husband's and when he asks her where the baby came from she said "Ben is from heaven". Done by a jazz singer whose name escapes me at present.

Subject: Chords: Pennies From Heaven
From: Peter T.
Date: 04 Dec 03 - 11:57 AM

Had such good luck with the other ones, thought I might try to lure our chordmeisters out with this request. "Pennies From Heaven" ought to work well on guitar, but I haven't found a good version. Help!

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: Chords: Pennies From Heaven
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 03 - 11:51 PM

did you check this site?

http://www.theguitarguy.com/penniesf.htm

Subject: Chords Add: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (Burke/Johnston)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Dec 03 - 12:02 AM

Just so we're sure we have everything, here are the chords that were linked to above.
http://www.theguitarguy.com/penniesf.htm
-Joe Offer-

---

Pennies From Heaven

Words & Music by John Burke & Arthur Johnston

Recorded by Bing Crosby, 1936; From the movie of the same name

  G     Bm      A7sus4     A7 
  Ev'ry time it rains, it rains 
  
   C            D7
  Pennies from heaven.
  
  G          Bm       A7sus4    A7
  Don't you know each cloud contains 
  
   C             D7
  Pennies from heaven?
  
  G7                                C    G+   C     E7
  You'll find your fortune falling all over town;
  
  A7                         D9    D7      D9   D7  
  Be sure that your umbrella   is upside down.
  
  
     G       Bm    A7sus4  A7
  Trade them for a package of 
  
    C           D7
  Sunshine and flowers;
  
  G      Bm        G9         G7/9    C
  If you want the things you love, 
  
       C/B       Am
  You must have showers.
  
  C   C/B       Am    Em   B+    C         C9    Bm7-5  E7
  So when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree;
  
   Bm7-5      A7                      D7      G   (Gdim   D7)
  There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me.
  

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: Joybell
Date: 05 Dec 03 - 02:07 AM

re Ben is from Heaven, from Joybell's old man. when i was working at a hotel in yellowstone park in the summer of 1957 & 1958, there was a dance band that played in the lounge. they were all students at indiana university, led by a piano player, John Kirkpatrick, and they were all into jazz, especially west coast stuff like Shorty Rogers. they used to do this song, of which i can only remember snatches, to wit:
I'm a travelling man named Sears, been out of town for a couple of years / when i returned, my wife said, see, the stork brought a surprise for you & me (or something to that effect)
TWO YEARS!!!!
But every time i asked she said, "Bennie's from heaven"
she turned red, but still she said "Bennie's from heaven"
i asked the neighbors all over town (or from all around, or something)
they dont seem to remember Bennie's coming down.
so bla bla bla bla bla bla something still bothers
if there is one thing i know, it's babies must have fathers.
and every time i look in his eyes, it's plain to see
he must be from heaven, cause he sure aint from me.

and i dont remember them ever saying where they learned it.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: JennieG
Date: 05 Dec 03 - 02:11 AM

Joy,
That's pretty much the words I remember, except I can't fill in the gaps either! I remember thinking it was quite funny, I have no idea how old it is or who wrote it. I think it may have been Janet Seidel (Oz jazz singer/pianist).
Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Dec 03 - 02:31 AM

Oy, you guys. Why do I work so hard to put crosslinks at the top of threads? Click for Benny.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: GUEST,Paul M
Date: 12 Jan 09 - 08:48 PM

Does anyone have the chords to the FIRST part of Pennies from Heaven?

Begins with "A long time ago, a million years BC" or, in Benny's from Heaven (on an Ostrushko album) Benny's from Heaven: "A long time ago, a second lieutenant named Spears."   The song is in G- got half way through the intro and can't seem to get to the end

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Dec 10 - 03:46 AM

Yes, I have the chords from this first part if you're still looking for them. Email me at [e-mail] if you're still interested (I note the post is from a year ago) and I'll send them to you. It was a real challenge working them out and I'm sure they are the correct ones. I've seen some "cheats" on Youtube, but these are the real deal, I believe.

LB

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 02:13 PM

YouTube has literally hundreds of recordings of PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (many by unknowns and amateurs of course). Here are a few notable ones. The first seems to be a scene from the movie. That and the second one both have the verse ("A long time ago...") as well as the chorus.

Bing Crosby

Arthur Tracy

Billie Holiday

Louis Prima

Louis Armstrong & Frances Langford

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Pennies From Heaven
From: GUEST,Mcguire
Date: 09 Aug 13 - 01:28 PM

I know this is an old post but if anyone is still interested, "Bennie's from Heaven", the parody was performed by jazz singer Eddie Jefferson and it was written by either him or Jon Hendricks