Love Me Tender: The Stories Behind the World's Favourite SongsSome of the world’s best-loved songs have had remarkable origins. Had Robert Burns not heard an old man sing a quavering version of an ancient Scottish country song, we would never have had ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Miss Jane Ross wrote down the tune she heard played by a piper at an Irish village fair in 1855. Had she not done so, the rest of the world would not have heard ‘Danny Boy’. Marie Antoinette heard a peasant nurse sing an obscure lullaby to her princely son. The empress’s unexpected promotion of the song resulted in its now being listed by The Guinness Book of Records as one of the three most familiar songs in the world.Love Me Tender tells the remarkable stories behind 40 popular and traditional songs. Some evolved from folksongs, some are from musical theatre, while others hit the mark because a particular recording appeared at just the right time. In some cases, one word made all the difference: Paul McCartney composed a tune but could only think of the words ‘scrambled eggs’ to fit it, but fortunately he later came up with the perfect solution – ‘Yesterday’. In a book full of surprises and curiosities, Max Cryer reveals stories from all around the world, and from artists as diverse as Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Elton John. This truly fascinating book makes enthralling reading. |
Contents
| 9 | |
For Hes a Jolly Good Fellow | 25 |
Hello Dolly | 43 |
Yesterday | 57 |
Moon River | 78 |
Beyond the Blue Horizon | 129 |
Mad Dogs and Englishmen | 146 |
Waltzing Matilda | 162 |
The Loveliest Night of the Year | 177 |
| 191 | |
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album American Andrew Lloyd Webber audience Auld Lang Syne Aura Lee Australia Ave Maria Bali Ha'i Ball band Beatles became began Begin the Beguine Blue Moon Britain British Broadway called cats character choir Chorus Christina Macpherson composed Crosby dance Danny Boy Dolly Dorian Leigh Edelweiss Elton John Elvis Presley English eventually famous film French Glynis Johns Greensleeves Grizabella Gruber guitar Hammerstein Happy Birthday Harris heard Hello hymn included Irish Jeanette MacDonald Jesus Judy Garland Julie Andrews King known Lady later legend Lerner Love Mad Dogs Maori Mary McCartney melody movie musician national anthem never opera original performance piano played poem popular published recording reindeer Richard Rodgers sang sheet music Silent Night singer solo Sondheim song song's sound stage star story success sung Superstar theatre Tim Rice Tipperary took Trapp tune Twinkle verse Waltzing Matilda White Christmas words write wrote York young