Look for the Silver Lining

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"Look for the Silver Lining"
Look for the Silver Lining cover.jpg
Sheet music cover, 1919
Song
Published1919 (1919)
Genre Popular
Composer(s) Jerome Kern
Lyricist(s) Buddy DeSylva
Audio sample
Recording of Look for the Silver Lining, (1921)

"Look for the Silver Lining" is a 1919 popular song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by B.G. DeSylva.

Contents

Background

The song was written in 1919 for the unsuccessful musical Zip, Goes a Million. In 1920, it was published [1] and reused in the musical Sally whence it was popularized by Marilyn Miller. Among others, it was later covered several times by Judy Garland, whose version also became, and remains, well-known.

A 1949 biopic was released with the same title as the song is about Marilyn Miller.

Marion Harris' recording of the song is (anachronistically) featured in a memorable dance scene between Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley in the popular Masterpiece Classic series Downton Abbey . The scene can be viewed in Episode 8 of Series 2 where the plot-line reached early-to-mid 1919; however, the recording was not made until 29 December 1920.

The song was used as the opening theme of CBS Radio's The Billie Burke Show (1943–1946). [2]

The strikingly similar "Look for the Union Label" seems based on the song. [3]

Celeste Holm, portraying Florence Harding, sang a portion of the song in "Backstairs at the White House."

Notable recordings

Judy Garland as Marilyn Miller performing the song in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), a biographical film loosely based on the life and work of Jerome Kern Till the clouds roll by-judy garland.jpg
Judy Garland as Marilyn Miller performing the song in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), a biographical film loosely based on the life and work of Jerome Kern

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Sally</i> (musical) Musical by Jerome Kern, Clifford Grey and Guy Bolton

Sally is a musical comedy with music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Clifford Grey and book by Guy Bolton, with additional lyrics by Buddy De Sylva, Anne Caldwell and P. G. Wodehouse. The plot hinges on a mistaken identity: Sally, a waif, is a dishwasher at the Alley Inn in New York City. She poses as a famous foreign ballerina and rises to fame through joining the Ziegfeld Follies. There is a rags to riches story, a ballet as a centrepiece, and a wedding as a finale. "Look for the Silver Lining" continues to be one of Kern's most familiar songs. The song is lampooned by another song, "Look for a Sky of Blue," in Rick Besoyan's satirical 1959 musical Little Mary Sunshine.

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References

  1. Suskin, Steven. Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers. Oxford University Press: 2000.
  2. Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 89. ISBN   978-0-19-507678-3 . Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  3. https://everything2.com/title/Look+for+the+Union+Label [ bare URL ]
  4. Andrews, Frank; Hayes, Jim; Smith, Michael (2010). Columbia Graphophone Company Ltd., 'DB' prefixed catalogue series. and 'LB' clef series. of 10 inch 78 rpm records. City Of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society.
  5. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  6. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 7, 2024.