Happy Days Are Here Again (song)
"Happy Days Are Here Again" is a popular song written in 1929 by lyricist Jack Yellen and composer Milton Ager. The song was first recorded by Ben Selvin and His Orchestra in 1930 and has since been performed by numerous well-known artists. It gained early prominence when it was featured as the finale in the film "Chasing Rainbows" and later appeared in thirty-eight additional films during the 1930s. Musically, it is characterized as a mostly strophic song in a 4/4 time signature, beginning in a minor key before transitioning to a major key. The upbeat rhythm and lively lyrics often evoke feelings of joy and optimism, resonating with themes associated with political and social renewal during its era, particularly in relation to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. Recognized for its cultural significance, the song ranks forty-seventh on the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts' Songs of the Century list. Its enduring popularity reflects a sense of exuberant hope that continues to resonate with audiences today.
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Happy Days Are Here Again (song)
Identification Popular song identified with President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Composers Jack Yellen and Milton Ager
Date Copyrighted in 1929
“Happy Days Are Here Again” became synonymous with the hope inspired by the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. First used early in his 1932 presidential campaign, the song represented the optimism of Roosevelt’s unique ideas and active stance in combating the Great Depression. The song became a standard after 1932 at the quadrennial Democratic National Convention until replaced by Bill Clinton in 1992.
“Happy Days Are Here Again” was a collaboration between lyricist Jack Yellen and composer Milton Ager written and published in 1929. Ben Selvin and His Orchestra first recorded it February 3, 1930, for Columbia-American Records; however, it was recorded by many of the best-known artists of the era. In was first featured in film as the finale in Charles Reisner’s Chasing Rainbows (1930) and was subsequently used in thirty-eight additional films throughout the decade. The refrain of the song was also the theme to radio shows sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes.
Typical of a Tin Pan Alley popular song, “Happy Days Are Here Again” is a mostly strophic song in a 4/4 time signature. Although the introduction starts in minor, the song quickly progresses to major. The bouncy rhythm and upbeat lyrics, as well as the accompaniment, reminiscent of those typically used in polka and drinking songs, contribute to the mood of the song.
Impact
Listed forty-seventh on the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts Songs of the Century list, “Happy Days Are Here Again” is one of the most popular songs to originate in the twentieth century. It has been recorded many times and continues to invoke the feelings of exuberant hope exemplified by Roosevelt, the New Deal, and the return of good times.
Bibliography
Brylawski, Samuel S. “Ager, Milton.” In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Neal, Steve. Happy Days Are Here Again: The 1932 Democratic Convention, the Emergence of FDR—and How America Was Changed Forever. Waterville, Maine: Thorndike Press, 2004.