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Lyr Req: I Love to Sing-a (Harburg, Arlen)

11 May 01 - 06:37 PM (#460713)
Subject: Help: What is this song?
From: GUEST,LtheJ7@aol.com

Can anyone tell me more about the origins of this song? All anyone can tell me is that it was used in an old cartoon. It goes something like "I wanna sing-a about the sun-a and the moon-a and the spring-a. I like to sing-a." Thanks.

11 May 01 - 07:56 PM (#460756)
Subject: Lyr Add: I LOVE TO SING-A (Harburg, Arlen)
From: Joe Offer

Interesting question. I stole the answer from here: (click), the Mechanical Music Digest Archives. There's a sound file here (click)
-Joe Offer (e-mail sent)-
The cartoon is called "I Love to Singa," and was directed by Tex Avery in 1936. There is a character in the cartoon called "Owl Jolson." As far as I know, Al Jolson had nothing to do with the recording in the cartoon.
The music was written by Harold Arlen, the words are by E. Y. Harburg, and the copyright date on the song is also 1936.


VERSE: Ah!—Oh! ain't it grand
To live and breathe and let your chest expand.
Ah!—The skies are blue,
The world's a song, When life is notes to you,
I've got eternal youth because
I've got my heart where it belongs,
Don't care who makes the nation's laws,
Long as I can sing its songs;

REFRAIN: I love to sing-a
About the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a.
I love to sing-a
'Bout the sky of blue-a, or a tea for two-a,
Anything-a with a swing-a to an I love you-a.
I love-a to, I love-a to sing.

Give me a song-a,
About the son-a-gun, who went and done her wrong-a,
But keep it clean-a;
With a cottage small-a by the waterfall-a,
Any sob-a that'll throb-a to a bluebird's call-a.
I love-a to, I love-a to sing.

I was born a singin' fool-a,
La-de-da, {Major Bowes/Hollywood} is gonna spot me,
Got thru Yale, with Boola Boola,
La-de-da, Ole microphone's got me!

I love to sing-a
I love to wake up with the South-a in my mouth-a,
And wave the flag-a,
With a cheer for Uncle Sammy and another for my mammy,
I love to sing!


Some notes I have from a film series that included this cartoon indicate the song was an earlier Warner tune. Perhaps someone can shed some light on the film it appeared in or who sang it there.

[See Dan Shinn's report. -- Robbie]

If you want piano music for a lot of great songs old songs that Carl Stalling worked into the Warner Brothers cartoons, look for a book called "The Great Looney Tunes Collection." One of my favorites from the book is "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down." I heard it at the end of each of the Warner cartoons (as did most of you), but I never knew the real words until I got this book.

Bob Fitterman

11 May 01 - 10:43 PM (#460832)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song?
From: Mark Cohen

I never knew there were any words to that! Of course, we all know the tune...now I gotta get that book and find out if the song really ends "Th-th-th-th-that's all folks!" ;)

Aloha,
Mark

11 May 01 - 11:03 PM (#460842)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song?
From: Sorcha

See what happens when I'm off doing "stuff"? Joe has to do my job........(*BG*)

01 Jun 05 - 08:39 AM (#1497306)
Subject: chord request - I love to singa
From: GutBucketeer

Does anyone have the Chords and/or music to this great song ?
The version I have is a duet by Cab Calloway and Al Jolson. I don't know if it is the same recording that is in the cartoon.

The owner of Ukulele Boogaloo wants to make it the 200th song in his song book of ukulele tunes with chords.

JAB

01 Jun 05 - 08:50 AM (#1497312)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: GUEST,MMario

evidently Al Jolson did go on and record this song...

see here

01 Jun 05 - 09:14 AM (#1497330)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: wysiwyg

I could try chords for you later today.

~S~

01 Jun 05 - 06:34 PM (#1497674)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: reggie miles

What I remember of the cartoon went like this. It was about a young owl that wanted to sing popular music of the day. His father did not want him to follow that desire. Father owl wanted his son to sing older styled song selections. His son found these uninteresting (boring). The young owl wouldn't pay heed to his father's words and followed his heart. His father was angry at first until the young owl became popular on the radio.

01 Jun 05 - 06:47 PM (#1497683)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: Azizi

I remember that cartoon!!

But I wasn't born in 1936, and my daughter who is 32 years old also remembers seeing it too. So some stations must be showing it loooong
after 1936.

We consider it a great story. And we love to singa that song!


Ms. Azizi

02 Jun 05 - 12:57 AM (#1497912)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: GUEST

The song his dad wanted him to sing was, "Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes".

02 Jun 05 - 09:44 AM (#1498163)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: GutBucketeer

You Betcha.

I love to Singa, Bout the Moona and the Junea and the Springa
But now I wanna' playa with my little ukulela
'neath the moona in the Junea at the springa
So I need the chordsa to the songa so I can playa
with my little ukulela.......

03 Aug 05 - 02:34 PM (#1534107)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: I LOVE TO SING-A (Harburg, Arlen)
From: GutBucketeer

Here are the Chords:

JAB

I Love to Sing
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Music by Harold Arlen

From the book: "The Great Looney Tunes Collection" Warner Brothers Publications, 1990

Performed by Cab Calloway & Al Jolson

INTRO:

  C        G7       C               F                   Fm                   C     Dm7  C
  Ah!                 Oh! ain't it  grand to live and   breathe and let your chest ex - pand,
  
  D        A7       D               G                   Gm                   D     Em7  D
  Ah!                 The skies are blue, The world's a song, When life is   notes to   you,
  
  Bm         Bm(maj7)         Bm7 E7    A7           A+                 D7
  I've got e-ternal youth be -c...ause, .I've got my heart where it be -longs, 
  
  Am         Am(maj7)               Am7  D7                        
  Don't care who makes the nation's la...ws,
  
  Dm7           F    Fm  Fm6  G7
  Long as I can sing its so...ngs;

REFRAIN:

            C(maj7)   C        Ab7    G7      Ddim   Am      C7
  I love to sing-a  a-bout the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a,
  
            F         Fm       C      Am7          Dm7
  I love to sing-a  a-bout a   sky of blue-a, or a tea for two-a,
  
  G7   C              Em      Am     Dm C#dim  G7  Ab7
  An-y-thing-a with a swing-a to an "I  love   you-a,"
  
  C   Am7        Dm7 G7        C6   C#dim  Dm7  G7  
  I   love-a to, I   love-a to s.....i.....n......g!
  
  
            C(maj7)   C      Ab7   G7      Ddim     Am       C7
  Give me a song-a a -bout a son-a gun who went and done her wrong-a.
  
              F        Fm      C        Am7          Dm7
  But keep it clean-a; .With a cot-tage small-a by a waterfall-a,
  
  G7   C             Em      Am   Dm    C#dim  G7    Ab7
  An-y sob-a that'll throb-a to a blue -bird's call -a,
  
  C   Am7        Dm7        G7 C  F6 C    
  I   love-a to, I   love-a to s..i..ng!
  
  
  F7      E7(sus4) E7   F7       E7
  I was bo.........rn a sing-in' fool-a, Lah-de-dah!
  
  E7(sus4)             E7             Eb7         D7(sus4) D7   Eb7   D7
  Ol' Ma -jor Bowes is gonna spot me, Got through Y....ale with boula-boula,Lah-de-dah!
      Hol-ly -wood
  
  G7                   G+
  Old microphone's got me!
  
  
            C(maj7)   C       Ab7     G7       Ddim    Am    C7
  I love to sing-a, I love to wake up with the South-a in my mouth-a,
  
             F       Fm     C               Am7           Dm7          Ddim  Am
  And wave a flag-a, With a cheer for Uncle Sammy and an -other for my mam  -my,
  
  Dm  G7(sus4) G7  C  C#dim  Dm7  G7
  I   love     to  s..i......ng!...   (First ending)
  
  Dm  G7(sus4) G7  C  
  I   love     to  s..i......ng!      (Second ending)
  
  Added in the Cab-Calloway & Al Jolson performance
  
  The swingin'est,
  Hot singin'est,
  Bell-ringin'est,
  Song singin'est
  High tootin'est,
  Sky tootin'est,
  I love to sing!

03 Aug 05 - 03:50 PM (#1534152)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: Le Scaramouche

I vaguely remeber seeing that cartoon when I was very little at my grandparents house. Guess about 89 or so.
It was on the only station they had reception for and didn't the song include the bouncing ball?

04 Aug 05 - 12:49 AM (#1534594)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: Kaleea

I loved that cartoon! Owl Jolson was real funny. I once had a show choir do a take off on it.
"Hands clasped together in front of you, children:"
"Dri------nk to me on-------ly. . .blechhh!
I wanna hear some of that Rock & Roll Music . . . "

21 Oct 07 - 12:49 AM (#2175712)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: GUEST,N lee

I'm looking for the same thing but I recall the words as "I love to sing-a about the moon-a and the june-a and the spring-a.... I'm trying to find the cartoon.

15 Nov 07 - 08:35 AM (#2194314)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: GUEST

i believe on i love lucy ( the one with mr. mooney) a very young (maybe 7 to 9 years old) Wayne newton sang this tune in her living room, also south park had the same version being sung out of cartmans balloon knot on the alien abduction episode from the 1st season

15 Nov 07 - 11:08 AM (#2194456)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: Desert Dancer

This was among the extras on a DVD we had recently -- the animated film "Happy Feet". Undoubtedly available at a Blockbuster near you.

~ Becky in Tucson

16 Jan 08 - 02:24 PM (#2237853)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: GUEST

Thank you all so much for the info on this song. My husband sings it to me all the time but only knows the chorus. I printed to words so that he can sing me the whole song now!!!

17 Jan 08 - 10:34 AM (#2238418)
Subject: RE: Help: What is this song? -I love to singa
From: Stilly River Sage

I was a great fan of cartoons but I don't remember seeing this one. Or remember the song, but I can see how it would be adapted for a cartoon. I downloaded the song from the link MMario provided. I had kicked Real out of my computer some time back so had to download a copy to play it. I must say, it SOUNDS like they're not being as pushy as before (asking to be associated with files that aren't already associated with something else--it used to glom on to everything in the computer and was like a leech to get rid of). None of the stuff it wanted to do was a permanent "yes" when I loaded it, and no registry changes or quick load icons were allowed. You gotta be tough with these "free" programs!

SRS

22 Aug 08 - 11:22 AM (#2420101)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Love to Sing (Harburg, Arlen)
From: GUEST

The video is available to watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Itckz7kNk

12 Oct 09 - 10:43 AM (#2744135)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Love to Sing-a (Harburg, Arlen)
From: GUEST,guester

I remember seeing this when I was about 8-7 and at 24 I'll always keep this little song in my mind... thanks for any info I couldn't find.

18 Mar 10 - 11:47 PM (#2867373)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Love to Sing-a (Harburg, Arlen)
From: GUEST

thanks for the chords. watched looney tunes cartoons recently and that little ditty got stuck in my head. since i play the ukulele, i will learn! thanks again!

04 May 10 - 05:12 PM (#2900055)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Love to Sing-a (Harburg, Arlen)
From: open mike

phooey! This video is no longer available due to a
copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

06 May 10 - 02:24 PM (#2901421)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Love to Sing-a (Harburg, Arlen)
From: Jim Dixon

Actually, there are lots of copies on the Internet of various video versions of I LOVE TO SING-A, including the Warner-Brothers "Owl Jolson" cartoon.

I also like this version by Al Jolson, from the film "The Singing Kid" (1936)

Here's another version featuring Al Jolson and Cab Calloway.

Try this Google search for more versions and excerpts.

06 May 10 - 11:23 PM (#2901770)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Love to Sing-a (Harburg, Arlen)
From: GUEST,itoldjaso

The song was sung in the cartoon by Tommy Bond, known more popularly as Butch the Bully in the "Our Gang" movies.   

Surprised? You shouldn't be - after all, in his pre-Butch days with the Hal Roach studio, he was just "Tommy", and perhaps his most well-known moment came in the short "Mush and Milk", when he sang the torch song, "Friends, Lovers No More".

Not only did Tommy do the singing, he provided all of the dialogue of the character.

07 May 10 - 09:16 AM (#2902000)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Love to Sing-a (Harburg, Arlen)
From: JJ

The plot of this cartoon starring "Owl Jolson," is, of course, the same as that of Jolson's smash hit picture, THE JAZZ SINGER.