Happy Birthday SongHappy birthday song is one of the 3 most popular songs in the English language. Here are some fun facts. Here's a fun video where everyone sings the happy birthday song to Harrison on his 3rd birthday.
3 songs are considered to be the most popular in the English language including the one we all sing at birthday parties. The other two are, For He's a Jolly Good Fellow, and Auld Lang Syne.
Every time you sing happy birthday to someone, you're celebrating with a song that was written way back in the late 1800's in Louisville, Kentucky. The song actually got it's start in 1893. Two sisters, Mildred J. Hill and Dr, Patti Smith Hill wrote a song called "Good Morning To All." Both sisters were teachers. Dr. Patti Smith Hill became professor emeritus of education at Columbia University. The song Good Morning To All was first used by teachers to greet their kindergarten students. The words were "Good morning to you, good morning to you, good morning dear children, good morning to all." Interestingly, that song was then used as a greeting students would sing to their teachers with these words. "Good morning to you, good morning to you, good morning dear teacher, good morning to you." This morning classroom greeting grew in popularity and was sung in schools all over the united stated.
The melody and lyric wasn't copyrighted until 1935 and it was renewed in 1963. In around 1924, it is believed that the lyrics "happy birthday to you" were first put to this now famous melody. In 1988, this very simple song was owned by a company called Birch Tree Group who sold the rights to Warner Communications for around $25 million dollars. Back in the 1980's, Happy Birthday to You generated around $1 million dollars in royalties.
Now some people think that every time you sing the song you are supposed to pay royalties. But the truth is you do not have to pay royalties if you sing the birthday song at your child's birthday party. But every time it's sung for commercial purposes on the radio, in a TV show or in a movie, royalties are paid to the copyright holder. Just for fun, the next time you see a movie where they sing Happy Birthday to You -- read the movie's closing credits where they list all the songs used in the movie. You'll see Mildred Hill and Patti Hill's credits.
Today, Happy Birthday to You brings in about $2 million dollars each year in royalties. And to think, it all started as a very short, very simple melody that has become a part of our everyday life and culture here in the United States. Now I bet you'll have a whole new appreciation and respect for Happy Birthday to You the next time you help celebrate a birthday. Have Fun
Return To Fun-Kid-Birthday-Parties From Happy Birthday Song
|
