The Band Played On
Encyclopedia
The Band Played On, also known (by its refrain) as Casey would waltz with a strawberry blonde, was a popular
song, with lyrics by John F. Palmer and music by Charles B. Ward (1865–1917), written in 1895
.
The lyrics of the refrain:
The song has become a pop standard with many recordings made. It was also featured in many films, including Raoul Walsh's
The Strawberry Blonde
(1941) and Alfred Hitchcock's
Strangers on a Train
(1951).
Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered the song for their 1962 album The Chipmunk Songbook
.
One of the most famous recordings, by Guy Lombardo
's orchestra, was made on February 26, 1941 and issued by Decca Records
as catalog number
3675 (reissued as number 25341). It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on May 9, 1941 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #6.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song, with lyrics by John F. Palmer and music by Charles B. Ward (1865–1917), written in 1895
1895 in music
- Events :* August 10 - The first ever Promenade Concert is held at the Queen's Hall in London.* December 13 - The first complete performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No...
.
- Casey would waltzWaltzThe waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
with a strawberry blondeStrawberry blondeStrawberry blonde or blond may refer to:* Venetian blonde, a light reddish-blond* The Strawberry Blonde, a 1941 film based on a play of the same name by James Hagan.* "Strawberry Blonde", a 2008 track on All or Nothing... - As the band played on;
- He'd glide 'cross the floor with the girl he adored
- As the band played on;
- Well, his brain was so loaded
- It nearly exploded
- The poor girl would shake with alarm;
- He'd ne'er leave the girl with the strawberry curl
- As the band played on.
The song has become a pop standard with many recordings made. It was also featured in many films, including Raoul Walsh's
Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh...
The Strawberry Blonde
The Strawberry Blonde
-Cast:* James Cagney as T. L. 'Biff' Grimes* Olivia de Havilland as Amy Lind* Rita Hayworth as Virginia Brush* Alan Hale as William 'Old Man' Grimes* Jack Carson as Hugo Barnstead* George Tobias as Nicholas Pappalas* Una O'Connor as Mrs...
(1941) and Alfred Hitchcock's
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
Strangers on a Train
Strangers on a Train (film)
Strangers on a Train is an American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. It was shot in the autumn of 1950 and released by Warner Bros. on June 30, 1951. The film stars Farley Granger, Ruth Roman,...
(1951).
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the song for their 1962 album The Chipmunk Songbook
The Chipmunk Songbook
The Chipmunk Songbook is an album by Alvin and the Chipmunks with David Seville. It was released in January 1, 1962 by Liberty Records.In 1986, a two-record compilation album was released by Capitol-EMI America, also titled The Chipmunk Songbook, and featuring an entirely different track listing,...
.
One of the most famous recordings, by Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
's orchestra, was made on February 26, 1941 and issued by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
3675 (reissued as number 25341). It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on May 9, 1941 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #6.
External links
- The song's appearances in film, on IMDb
- Lyrics and Music
- Lyrics of the song on (Public Domain) pdmusic.org