Jody Rosen - White Christmas - The Story of a Song

Copyright Copyright Dedication 1. Introduction: The Hit of Hits 2. The Best Song Anybody Ever Wrote 3. Beverly Hills, L.A. 4. No Strings 5. Good Jewish Music 6. The Voice of Christmas 7. A War Tonic 8. Let It Snow 9. Old Songs Notes Index Acknowledgments About the Author About the Publisher

Fourth Estate

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

This paperback edition published in 2003

First published in Great Britain in 2002

Copyright © Jody Rosen 2002

The right of Jody Rosen to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins ebooks

HarperCollins Publishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication

Source ISBN: 9781841156323

Ebook Edition © FEBRUARY 2017 ISBN: 9780008245917

Version: 2017–02-17

Permissions Acknowledgments

“Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” Copyright © 1911 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“An Old-Fashioned Tune Is Always New,” copyright © 1939 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. “Be Careful, It’s My Heart,” copyright © 1941, 1942 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. “God Bless America,” copyright © 1938, 1939 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed 1965, 1966 by Irving Berlin. Copyright assigned to the Trustees of the God Bless America Fund. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. “I’ve Written Another Song,” copyright © 2001 by The Estate of Irving Berlin. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“It’s in Three Acts Instead of the Usual Two,” copyright © 2001 by The Estate of Irving Berlin. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy,” copyright © 1928, 1929 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. “Let’s All Be Americans Now,” copyright © 1917 by Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co. Copyright renewed and assigned to Irving Berlin. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” copyright © 1935, 1936 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. “Marie from Sunny Italy” by Irving Berlin. Copyright © 1907 Jos. W. Stern & Company. Copyright renewed and assigned to Irving Berlin. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“No Strings (I’m Fancy Free),” copyright © 1935 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“Of All the Tin Pan Alley Greats,” copyright © 2001 by The Estate of Irving Berlin. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning,” copyright © 1918 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. Copyright assigned to the Trustees of the God Bless America Fund. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“Old Men,” copyright © 2001 by The Estate of Irving Berlin. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“Old Songs,” copyright © 2001 by The Estate of Irving Berlin. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“Santa Claus—A Syncopated Christmas Song,” copyright © 2001 by The Estate of Irving Berlin. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“Top Hat, White Tie and Tails,” copyright © 1935 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“What Is a War Song?” copyright © 2001 by the Trustees of the God Bless America Fund. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

“When This Crazy World Is Sane Again,” copyright © 1941 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. “White Christmas,” copyright © 1940, 1942 by Irving Berlin. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

Dedication Dedication 1. Introduction: The Hit of Hits 2. The Best Song Anybody Ever Wrote 3. Beverly Hills, L.A. 4. No Strings 5. Good Jewish Music 6. The Voice of Christmas 7. A War Tonic 8. Let It Snow 9. Old Songs Notes Index Acknowledgments About the Author About the Publisher

To my parents

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know,

Where the treetops glisten

And children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

With ev’ry Christmas card I write:

“May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white.”

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Copyright Copyright Dedication 1. Introduction: The Hit of Hits 2. The Best Song Anybody Ever Wrote 3. Beverly Hills, L.A. 4. No Strings 5. Good Jewish Music 6. The Voice of Christmas 7. A War Tonic 8. Let It Snow 9. Old Songs Notes Index Acknowledgments About the Author About the Publisher Fourth Estate An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk This paperback edition published in 2003 First published in Great Britain in 2002 Copyright © Jody Rosen 2002 The right of Jody Rosen to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins ebooks HarperCollins Publishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication Source ISBN: 9781841156323 Ebook Edition © FEBRUARY 2017 ISBN: 9780008245917 Version: 2017–02-17