Easter Parade (song)

"Easter Parade"
Song
from the album Easter Parade
Language	English
Written	Irving Berlin
Released	1933 (1933)

"Easter Parade" is a popular song, written by Irving Berlin and published in 1933. Berlin originally wrote the melody in 1917, under the title "Smile and Show Your Dimple", as a "cheer up" song for a girl whose man has gone off to fight in World War I. A recording of "Smile and Show Your Dimple" by Sam Ash enjoyed modest success in 1918. ^[1]

Berlin resurrected the tune, with modifications, and gave it the now-familiar Easter lyrics for the 1933 Broadway musical revue As Thousands Cheer , in which musical numbers were strung together on the thematic thread of newspaper headlines; it was first sung by Marilyn Miller and Clifton Webb. ^{[2] [3]} Like many of Berlin's songs, it later appeared in films. It was performed by Don Ameche in the 1938 film Alexander's Ragtime Band , ^[4] which was loosely based on Irving Berlin's life. In 1942, it was featured in the musical film Holiday Inn , in which it was performed by Bing Crosby. In 1948, it was performed by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in the musical film Easter Parade . The musical was constructed around the song, but with unconventional-for-the-time gender dynamics: Garland's character, after sending Astaire flowers and a new hat, sings the male role with gender-flipped lyrics ("fella" for "lady" and so forth) ^[5] . The song was also featured in the Rankin/Bass special The First Easter Rabbit in 1976.

Artists who had a hit record with the song include Leo Reisman & Clifton Webb (1933), ^[6] Bing Crosby (recorded June 1, 1942), ^[7] Harry James (1942), Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (1947), and Liberace (1954). ^[4]

Notes

1. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 . Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p.  36. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
2. Furia, Philip; Lasser, Michael L. (2006). America's Songs: The Stories Behind the Songs of Broadway, Hollywood, and Tin Pan Alley. Taylor & Francis. p. 108. ISBN   978-0-415-97246-8.
3. Bergreen, Laurence (1996). As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin. Da Capo Press. pp. 316–317, 385. ISBN   0-7867-5252-1.
4. Paymer, Marvin E.; Post, Don E. (1999). Sentimental Journey: Intimate Portraits of America's Great Popular Songs, 1920–1945. Noble House. pp. 253–254. ISBN   978-1-881907-09-1.
5. "Running Away with Gender in "The Easter Parade"" . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
6. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 . Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p.  495. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
7. "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved August 6, 2017.