Posts Tagged ‘Birthdays’

Happy Birthday To “Happy Birthday” (Limerick)

Friday, June 27th, 2014

Okay, this isn’t a major holiday, but still…

Happy Birthday To “Happy Birthday” (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane

“Happy Birthday To You” has a birthday.
Yes, today is its notable mirth day.
But “Good Morning To All”
Was its lyric. Don’t bawl!
I’ll concede it’s less key than, say, “Earth Day.”

The song “Happy Birthday To You” has a strange and complicated history. Its melody was first published on June 27, 1893 as “Good Morning to All,” with lyrics that have nothing to do with birthdays. And its copyright ownership has been the subject of numerous lawsuits. Despite its advanced age, it somehow remains under copyright protection.