Life and Works of Johnny Mercer

AN ACTIVITIY GUIDE FOR KIDS
TM
LyricNOTES
Johnny
Mercer
© 2002, Camp Broadway LLC
All rights reserved
This publication is based on the life and work of lyricist Johnny Mercer. The content of The
Life and Works of Johnny Mercer edition of LyricNOTES™ is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and all other countries with which the United States
has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights regarding publishing, reprint permissions, public
readings, and mechanical or electronic reproduction, including but not limited to, CD-ROM,
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foreign languages are strictly reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
First printing, June 2002
For more information on Johnny Mercer and The Great American Songbook, contact:
The Johnny Mercer Foundation
(212) 835-2299
http://www.johnnymercerfoundation.org
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AN ACTIVITIY GUIDE FOR KIDS
TM
LyricNOTES
Johnny
Mercer
Table of Contents
Namely You: Who Is Johnny Mercer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
A short life story of Johnny Mercer, from Savannah to Hollywood
Too Marvelous For Words: Johnny Mercer's Collaborators . . . . . . . . . .8
Johnny’s thoughts on songwriting, inspiration and teamwork –
and which comes first, the words or the music
Hooray For Hollywood: Mercer’s Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
High points of Johnny Mercer’s career, his Oscars, and his take on Hollywood
It’s A Great Big World: Growing Up: A Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
What was going on in the world during Mercer’s lifetime
I Thought About You: Mercer’s World and Ours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
What was “hep” in the 30s, 40s, and 50s? Compare then to now.
2
Come Rain or Come Shine: Mercer Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Johnny Mercer’s songs in TV and movies -- and rap
Spring, Spring, Spring: Nature Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Johnny Mercer wrote about nature and the seasons – now you can too.
I’m An Old Cowhand: Character Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Capturing a character in song
Let That Be A Lesson To You: Mercer Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Everything you always wanted to know about Johnny Mercer
A CrossLyric Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
A crossword all about Johnny Mercer — test your solving skills!
More Mercer Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Accentuate the Positive: Music and Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
How to learn more about Johnny Mercer and the Great American Songbook
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this book.
The next time you’re listening to your favorite
song on a CD or on the radio, imagine a boy in Savannah, Georgia, listening to his
own favorite music, dreaming of being a singer and songwriter. That boy did more
than dream — he grew up, traveled to New York, sang on the radio, wrote songs for
Broadway and for the movies, founded a record company, won Academy Awards, and
published hundreds of songs (one of his favorites was called “Dream.”) He was
named Johnny Mercer.
I first met Johnny Mercer when I was seven years old. He'd come out to Hollywood
to write songs with my father, Richard Whiting, and my mother wanted me to sing
for him. Well, I did. And when I was finished he called me over to him and he said,
“Kid, I want to give you two words of advice. ‘Grow up!’” So I did. And later on,
Johnny became my mentor and best friend. He signed me to my first record contract
at Capitol Records, because he was the boss. That's the way I remember Johnny.
To the rest of the world he was a poet. A spinner of dreams. Johnny's love affair with
music didn't come from the glitter of Broadway or Hollywood, but from growing up
in Savannah near a small park, where on Sundays he would go listen in wonder to a
local band play ragtime. His lyrics came naturally from the colorful way people
talked. “You Gotta Accentuate the Positive,” “Anyplace I Hang My Hat is
Home,” and the sounds -- the clickety clack of the railroad track, the wind
whistling through the Spanish Moss, and the rain, like silver slivers racing
across the horizon.
When Johnny Mercer came on the scene, with his distinctive brand of impish Southern charm, he
made an impact just as strong as any of today’s MTV favorites. But, musical tastes change. Styles
change. Hits come and go. So why do we still sing Johnny Mercer’s songs and listen to his words? He
was able to do what only a small number of songwriters can: with his words, he tapped into something
deep, universal, and timeless. Singers keep singing his songs because the words hit home as strongly
today as they did the day he wrote them. Song lyrics are the poetry of the people – and Johnny Mercer
spoke for us all.
Johnny Mercer
with Margaret
Whiting
We hope this book helps to introduce you to Johnny Mercer and the Great American Songbook. You
can take the next step, and write lyrics of your own – just like Johnny Mercer did, you can put words
to a dream.
Margaret Whiting
The Johnny Mercer Foundation
3
Savannah, GA
Award winning lyricist John Herndon
Mercer was born in Savannah, Georgia,
November 18, 1909.
By the time he was three,
Johnny already loved to
sing. As a teenager, he fell
in love with jazz. He was
also drawn to gospel
music and other AfricanAmerican folk music he
heard when he was growing up.
Johnny was sent to the Woodberry
Forest School in Virginia. He took piano
and trumpet lessons, and sang in the chapel
choir. When he was 15, he wrote his first
song, “Sister Susie Strut
Your Stuff.”
“I think the three
greatest moments in a
When he was 17, his father’s real estate
business failed. The family couldn't afford
to send Johnny to college, so he headed to New York City to try his
luck in the theater.
N e w Yo r k , N Y
In New York, Johnny wrote
songs and tried out for shows.
He auditioned for “The
Garrick Gaieties,” a popular
music and comedy revue.
yg
oe
s fi
shin
'
Namely You
4
Who is Johnny Mercer?
The producers told him they
didn't need any more actors, but
n
n
they did need more songs. He gave
Joh
old
r
a
e
8y
them one called “Out of Breath.”
Mine’s a hopeless case
But there’s one saving grace,
Anyone would feel as I do;
Out of breath and scared to death of you.
songwriter’s life are when he writes
his first song, even when he’s
fifteen, in my case. The second
time is when he gets his first song
published. And then the third
time is when he gets his first hit, a
real hit song that you hear – you
go down the street and people are
singing it that don’t know who
you are, they just love the song –
and that’s really a thrill.”
Johnny (far left) at Woodberry Forest School.
Johnny also met a
dancer in the
show, Ginger
Meehan, who
became his wife.
Later, they had a
daughter,
Amanda, and a
son, John
Jefferson. Johnny wrote a
lyric about his little girl, nicknamed “Mandy.”
(left) Johnny
and Ginger on
their honeymoon. (below,
from left) John
Jefferson,
Ginger, Johnny,
and Amanda.
Mandy is Two
You ought to see her eyes
of cornflower blue;
They really look as if they
actually knew
That she’s a big girl now.
5
Johnny won a singing contest, and was noticed by his idol Paul Whiteman, “The
King of Jazz.” Johnny was hired to write songs and sing with Whiteman’s band, using
his Southern drawl in sings like “Pardon My Southern Accent.”
Try This
Who Wrote It?
Pick your most
FAVORITE song
EVER! Do you
know who wrote
it? Who is the ly
ricist and
who is the comp
oser? Once you
know for sure,
bring a recordin
g of your favorite
song into
your class and p
lay it for your cl
assmates.
Now, you can qu
iz them! Do they
realize that
the artist who is
singing or playin
g your favorite
song may not be
the same person
who wrote
the lyrics and th
e music? It’s YOU
R turn to
teach them!
Johnny with band leader Paul Whiteman
Namely You
6
Who is Johnny Mercer? (cont’d)
Hollywood, CA
In 1934 Johnny headed to Hollywood to write
songs for movie musicals (and even appear in a
few!). His song “I’m An Old Cowhand from
the Rio Grande” was a hit in the movie
Rhythm on the Range. Four years later, his
song “Jeepers Creepers” was nominated for
an Academy Award.
He won an Oscar on
his ninth nomination,
for the song “On The
Atchison, Topeka and
the Santa Fe,” sung
by Judy Garland in the
movie The Harvey
Girls in 1946.
He wrote lyrics for many different composers,
but sometimes wrote his own music for his
lyrics – like the 1942 song “Dream.”
Dream when you’re feelin’ blue
Dream, that’s the thing to do
Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air
You’ll find your share
Of memories there
Besides being a songwriter and singer, Johnny
Mercer was also a businessman. He helped
found Capitol Records in 1942 (the name
was suggested by his wife, Ginger). He was
always on the lookout for new singing and
writing talent.
My Huckleberry Friend
One of Johnny’s most famous lines
is in the song “Moon River”: my
huckleberry friend. Johnny
wrote those words thinking of his
cousin, Walter Rivers. When they
were kids, on lazy summer days
they would pick huckleberries
together, facing brambles, briars
and sometimes snakes to fill their
buckets with berries. For people
who knew Johnny Mercer, my
huckleberry friend describes him
perfectly. (You can find the lyrics to
“Moon River” on page 10.)
Johnny (right) with Buddy Desylva, co-founder of Capitol Records
From the Thirties to the Seventies (over forty
years!), Johnny Mercer wrote many popular songs that went to the top of the
charts. He contributed songs to
more than 90 movies, and wrote
seven Broadway musicals.
Johnny Mercer died on June 25,
1976, in Beverly Hills, California, but
his words and music live on. His unforgettable personality comes through in his lyrics, the
laid-back Savannah boy with the jazzy rhythms
of New York.
Now you know...
Composer: Someone who writes the music to a song.
Lyricist: Someone who writes the words to a song.
Revue: a variety show of humorous songs and sketches.
Savannah: The oldest city in Georgia, founded in
1773 near the mouth of the Savannah River.
Oscar®: The award given by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences for achievement in movies.
So you sing your song, I'll sing my song,
We may even share a touch of
Auld Lang Syne,
Then you go your way, through your
golden doorway,
And wish me luck as I go mine.
Snapshot Lyric
Just as Johnny w
rote a song abou
t his little girl,
“Mandy,” you ca
n write a song ab
out someone
you love too, lik
e a "snapshot" in
words.
1. Choose a fam
ily member or re
ally close
friend. Close yo
ur eyes and pictu
re them as
clearly as you can
in your mind. D
etails are
VERY importan
t when writing ly
ri
cs. Do you
see the color of h
is/her hair and ey
es? Are they
short or tall? Do
they make you la
u
gh? Can
you picture them
in a certain color
shirt or pair
of pants that they
may wear often?
7
Try This
2. Write all the de
tails you can thin
k of about
this person down
on a piece of pape
r.
3. Now choose th
ree interesting w
ords that
describe this pers
on’s personality.
4. Now, take all
the words you've
written down
so far, and use as
many as you can
in a short
lyric about that pe
rson.
This is the way gr
eat lyricists begin
to gather the
best words they
can find to descri
be what they’re
trying to write ab
out! It involves
a lot of
thought and har
d work, but once
you’ve got it
down, anyone w
ho listens to you
r lyrics will be
able to imagine ju
st what you inten
ded them to!
Too Marvelous for Words
8
Johnny Mercer’s Collaborators
You hear songs every day, on TV, on the radio,
but you don’t always know who wrote them.
Sometimes the same person writes both words
and music – Johnny Mercer wrote music for a
few of his lyrics. But most of the time, a composer and a lyricist collaborate to write a
song.
Some of Johnny Mercer’s
Which Comes First, Words or Music?
Every songwriting team works differently, but
Johnny Mercer liked to fit his words to a
melody. The lyrics of his first big success,
“Lazybones,” were written to go with the tune
of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Washboard Blues.”
Johnny Mercer on What Makes a
Good Collaborator
“First of all, great talent and integrity, that’s
what I like. I like a guy who writes his way
and his way is so high that it starts where
other guys leave off. They’re all different.
Every one is different.”
Why He Likes to Write Words to go
with the Music
“I feel music like a composer ... I understand
the music. I know where the accents should
come. I don’t mean to sound conceited when
I say this, but I’ve often had a lot of good
lyrics loused up by writing them first because
the guy doesn’t understand the meter that I
wrote. I’d rather try and catch the mood of
his tune.”
Johnny with Harold Arlen (left)
Collaborators
Harold Arlen
(February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986)
Born in Buffalo, Harold Arlen began performing
ragtime piano at age 15. He moved to New York
City in the mid-Twenties, and had a hit with the
song “Get Happy” in 1930, around the same time
that Johnny Mercer was becoming known. Johnny
Mercer introduced Harold Arlen to E.Y. “Yip”
Harburg, another lyricist. Together Arlen and
Harburg wrote the songs for the 1939 movie “The
Wizard of Oz.” Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer
began writing songs together in 1941, including
“Blues in the Night.”
Now you know...
Collaborate: To work together
Integrity: Keeping to a strong moral code of behavior:
honesty
Johnny with Hoagy Carmichael (right)
from
Blues in the Night
music by Harold Arlen
The evening breeze’ll start
The trees to cryin’
And the moon’ll hide its light
When you get the blues in the night
Take my word, the mocking bird’ll
Sing the saddest kind of song
He knows things are wrong
And he’s right
In the Cool, Cool,
Cool of the Evening
from
music by Hoagy Carmichael
In the cool, cool, cool of the evenin’,
Tell ‘em I’ll be there.
In the cool. cool, cool of the evenin’,
Better save a chair.
When the party’s gettin’ a glow on
‘N singin’ fills the air
In the shank o’ the night
When the doin’s are right
You can tell ‘em I’ll be there.
Meter: A rhythmic pattern
Ragtime: An early style of jazz music popular at the
beginning of the 20th century
Shank: The main or early part. The shank of the evening.
Hoagy Carmichael
(November 22, 1899 – December 28, 1981)
Hoagy Carmichael’s mother played piano in silent-movie theaters.
Hoagy was playing piano at age six. In his twenties, he was playing
and writing jazz. After getting his law degree from Indiana
University, he moved to New York. He had a hit song, “Lazybones”
with Johnny Mercer in 1933. In 1936, he moved to Hollywood to
write songs for the movies. He was very popular through the Forties,
even appearing in films (usually as a piano player.) He won an Oscar
with Johnny Mercer in 1951 for their song “In The Cool, Cool,
Cool of the Evening.”
Try This
Silent Collabor
ation
Yo
u need one pen,
one piece of pap
er
and one friend.
Pass the pen back
and forth, and ta
ke turns drawing
shape at a time on
one
the piece of pap
er, each adding on
different shape to
a
the one previousl
y drawn. The ke
is ‘NO TALKIN
y
here
G’. Let the pictu
re you create grow
out telling each
w
ithother what to dra
w. Keep in mind
trying to create on
,
yo
u’re
e picture, not tw
o separate things
.
You'll notice that
after a while, it’s
like you’re both
“thinking with on
e brain” — that’s
collaboration!
9
Too Marvelous for Words
10
Mercer’s Collaborators
Duke Ellington
(cont’d)
from
Satin Doll
(April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974)
music by Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. He
had piano lessons at age seven, but at that age was more interestCigarette holder
ed in playing baseball. When he was in his teens, he was fasciWhich wigs me
nated by ragtime music and took up the piano again, playing
Over her shoulder
professionally by 17. Nicknamed “Duke,” he moved to New
She digs me
York in 1923. Along with his band, The Washingtonians, Duke
Out cattin'
was heard “Live from the Cotton Club” on radio across the
That satin doll
nation. He became one of the world’s greatest jazz composers
Baby, shall we go
and performers, writing hundreds of songs, and playing with jazz
Out skippin'
greats all over the world. Johnny Mercer wrote words to several
Careful, amigo
of Duke Ellington’s jazz compositions, including “Satin Doll.”
You're flippin'
Speaks latin
Henry Mancini
That satin doll
(April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994)
Born Enrico Nicola Mancini in Cleveland, Ohio, he was raised
in the mill town of West Aliquippa, PA. He studied flute and
piccolo, and eventually went to the Juilliard School in New York. music by Henry Mancini
While in the Army during World War II, he played in military
Moon River,
bands. After the war, he worked as a freelance musician, eventuWider than a mile
ally getting hired at Universal writing background music. He
I'm crossin' you in style
became known for
Some day.
writing jazz-inspired
Old dream maker,
movie and TV
You heart breaker,
themes, including
Wherever you're goin',
the famous “Pink
I'm goin' your way:
Panther” theme.
Two drifters,
The songs “Moon
Off to see the world
River” and “Days of
There's such a lot of world
Wine and Roses,”
To see.
written with Johnny
We're after the same
Mercer, won the
Rainbow's end
Oscar for Best Song
Waitin' round the bend
two years in a row,
My huckleberry friend,
1961 and 1962.
Henry Mancini (left) and Johnny Mercer pose with
Moon River
Debbie Reynolds and their “Moon River” Oscars
And me.
Moon River
Harry Warren
(December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981)
Harry Warren was born Salvatore Guaragna, but his parents changed
their last name (as most immigrants to America did then), and he chose
the new first name “Harry.” He dropped out of school at 16 to become
a drummer. He began working at a silent-movie studio in Brooklyn,
playing “mood music” for the actors. Later, he moved to Hollywood to
write for movie musicals. He wrote “Jeepers Creepers” with Johnny
Mercer, which was nominated for an Oscar. They won an Oscar for
“On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” in 1946.
On the Atchison, Topeka
and the Santa Fe
from
Now you know...
Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like
what they mean: buzz, fizz, pop, murmur
music by Harry Warren
Do yuh hear that whistle down the line?
I figure that it’s engine number forty nine
She’s the only one that’ll sound that way
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
11
Harry Warren (at piano) with another collaborator, Al Dubin
See the ol' smoke risin' round the bend,
I reckon that she knows she's gonna meet a friend,
Folks around these parts get the time o'day
From the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
Johnny shows
off the justpressed record
of the Oscarwinning “On
the Atchison,
Topeka and
the Santa Fe”
T
r
y This
Lyrics in Motion
Johnny Mercer w
rote great lyrics ab
out a train in "O
Atchison, Topek
n the
a and the Santa
Fe." Now you ca
up where he left
n
pick
off.
Choose your favo
rite form of tran
sportation. For
a car, a bike, a sk
example
ateboard, a hot-a
ir balloon, a jets
rollerblades or ev
ki,
en the subway. C
hoose three wor
‘sound like’ the ve
ds that
hicle you have ch
osen. Does it wh
buzz or chugga ch
irl,
ugga? These wor
ds that ‘sound lik
thing you are des
e’ the
cribing are exam
ples of onomato
The more specif
poeia.
ic your words ar
e, the better!
Read your list of
words to a friend
— can they gues
kind of transpor
s what
tation you picke
d.
Now use that lis
t of words to wri
te a lyric. Put th
transportation yo
e form of
u picked in the ti
tle, and go from
there!
Horray for Hollywood
12
Mercer’s Point of View
This song, written in 1936 with composer Richard A. Whiting, has become the unofficial theme
song of Hollywood. To match the feel of this jazzy, energetic song, Johnny Mercer wrote a snappy,
witty lyric. He mentions people and places that were in the headlines in 1936. Read the lyric out
loud. What is Johnny Mercer saying about Hollywood? Does Hollywood have the same kind of
reputation today?
Hooray for Hollywood!
a panic
exciting, see p. 16;
Slang of the Thirties
Aimee Semple
McPherson
Glamorous Hollywood
evangelist known for her
theatrical personality
Coney Island
New York resort district
famous for its amusement
park
Paducah
City in western Kentucky
near Illinois border
Max Factor
Polish-born Hollywood
makeup artist who started
his own salon and line of
cosmetics
That screwy bally hooey Hollywood,
Where any office boy or young mechanic
Can be a panic,
With just a good looking pan,
And any bar maid
Can be a star maid,
If she dances with or without a fan.
Hooray for Hollywood!
Where you’re terrific if you’re even good,
Where anyone at all from Shirley Temple
To Aimee Semple
Is equally understood,
Go out and try your luck,
You might be Donald Duck!
Hooray for Hollywood!
Hooray for Hollywood!
That phony super Coney Hollywood,
They come from Chillicothes and Paducahs
With their bazookas
To get their names up in lights,
All armed with photos from local rotos,
With their hair in ribbons and legs in tights.
Hooray for Hollywood!
You may be homely in your neighborhood,
But if you think that you can be an actor,
See Mister Factor,
He’d make a monkey look good,
Within half an hour,
You’ll look like Tyrone Power!
Hooray for Hollywood!
ballyhoo
noisy shouting, an uproar
Shirley Temple
Child star of the 30s. Became a
US Ambassador as an adult.
Donald Duck
Walt Disney character first introduced in 1934, voiced by
Clarence Nash
Chillicothe
City in southern Ohio. Formerly
Ohio capital in early 1800s.
rotos
Short for rotogravure, an early
technique for printing newspaper photographs using an etched
copper cylinder
Tyrone Power
Dashing Hollywood leading
man, most famous for “The
Mark of Zorro”
(1940)
The World According to Mercer
E a s i e s t lyric to write
Days of Wine and Roses
9 minutes
Word Collage
The Days of Wine and Roses
music by Henry Mancini
Johnny wrote on
e of America’s fa
vorite songs of al
about Hollywoo
l time
d. Could you w
rite a similar song
New York City?
about
Flip through page
s of magazines an
d newspapers an
out words and im
d cut
ages that you thin
k represent New
City today. The
York
pictures could be
of buildings, peop
fashion, culture,
le,
art, music, anythi
ng! Choose wor
go along with th
ds to
e photos.
Now make a colla
ge on a piece of
heavy paper or ca
board with all of
rdthese images. T
he
re you have it! Yo
own view of New
ur
York City today,
just like Johnny's
"word collage" of
1936 Hollywoo
d.
An extra tip: If
you paste everyt
hing on an empt
box, you’ll have
y shoea great container
to put all your sp
things in or a co
ecial
ol gift to give to
someone else!
The days of wine and roses
Laugh and run away
Like a child at play,
Through a meadowland
Toward a closing door,
A door marked "Nevermore,"
That wasn’t there before.
The lonely night discloses
Just a passing breeze
Filled with memories
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses and you.
Johnny’s
Try This
(in Johnny’s opinion)
H a r d e s t lyric to write
Skylark
Over a year
Skylark
music by Hoagy Carmichael
Now you know...
Stanza: A division or section of a lyric or
poem. A stanza is usually four to eight lines long.
Chorus: A stanza that is repeated throughout
Skylark,
Have you anything to say to me?
Won’t you tell me where my love can be?
Is there a meadow in the mist,
Where someone’s waiting to be kissed?
And in your lonely flight,
Haven’t you heard the music in the night,
Wonderful music,
Faint as a "will-o-the-wisp",
Crazy as a loon,
Sad as a gypsy serenading the moon (Oh)
Skylark,
Have you seen a valley green with Spring
Where my heart can go a-journeying,
Over the shadows and the rain
To a blossom covered lane?
Skylark,
I don’t know if you can find these things,
But my heart is riding on your wings,
So if you see them anywhere,
Won’t you lead me there?
a song. Usually the title of a song is in the cho. In “Jingle Bells,” the chorus is the part that
begins “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the
way...”
rus
Verse: Sometimes used as another word for
. A verse also means the stanzas that
come in between the choruses. In “Jingle
Bells,” the verse begins “Dashing through the
snow, in a one horse open sleigh...”
stanza
13
14
It’s a Great Big World
1909 1919 1929 193
Growing Up: A Timeline
In the Life of Johnny...
November 18, 1909
Johnny Mercer born in Savannah, GA
In the U.S.A....
1909
1911 Irving Berlin writes "Alexander’s
Ragtime Band"
1914 World War I begins
1915 New Orleans jazz thrives
1917 First jazz recordings made
1918 Armistice signed, ending World
War I
Johnny Mercer turns 10.
1919
1919 The 18th Amendment outlaws
the sale of alcohol (Prohibition)
1920 Paul Whiteman, “The King of
Jazz” tours Europe
Buys jazz recordings, including Paul
Whiteman
1921 The radio era begins
1922 Enters Woodberry Forest School
in Orange, VA
1924 2.5 million radios in U.S. homes
1927 Leaves Woodberry Forest
1927 First “talkie” (movie with sound),
“The Jazz Singer”
1929 Johnny Mercer turns 20.
Family business fails. Johnny moves to
NYC
1930 Writes “Out of Breath” for
Garrick Gaieties
1931 Marries Ginger Meehan, June 8
1933 Has first hit, "Lazybones"
1934 Moves to Hollywood
1938 First Oscar nomination for Best
Song, “Jeepers Creepers”
1939 Johnny Mercer turns 30
1929
1929 Stock market crashes, Great
Depression begins
1930 U.S. population 122 million.
115 million attend movies weekly.
1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt elected
President
1933 Adolf Hitler comes to power in
Germany
39 1949 1959 1969
In the Life of Johnny...
In the U.S.A...
1939
1939 World War II begins
1942 Magnetic recording tape invented
1942 Co-founds Capitol Records, serves as
the first president
1944 Writes “G.I. Jive”
1945 End of World War II
1945 Has three records at #1
1946 End of “Big Band Era” as many groups
dissolve
1946 Wins first Oscar on ninth
nomination, for “On The Atchison,
Topeka and the Santa Fe”
1949 Johnny Mercer turns 40
1948 Long-playing record (LP) invented
1949
1950 1.5 million TV sets in U.S.
1951 15 million TVs in U.S.
1951 Wins second Oscar for
“In the Cool, Cool, Cool
of the Evening”
1956 Elvis Presley and rock-and-roll become
popular
1958 Stereo recordings introduced
1959 Johnny Mercer turns 50
1959
1961 Wins third Oscar for “Moon River”
1961 Alan Shepard makes first U.S. spaceflight
1962 Back River in Savannah renamed
“Moon River”
1963 President John F. Kennedy assassinated
1962 Wins fourth Oscar for “The Days of
Wine and Roses”
1969 Johnny Mercer turns 60
1976 Dies July 25
1966 Color TV becomes popular; 78 million
TV sets in U.S.
1969
1969 U.S. astronauts land on moon
1976 U.S. celebrates Bicentennial
15
I Thought About You
16
Mercer’s World and Ours
Johnny Mercer’s career lasted for more than forty years. Fads and fashions change from year to
year, but Johnny Mercer kept writing hit after hit, always staying up with the times.
Here is a sampling of what was "in" during the decades when Johnny Mercer was most popular.
30s 40s 50s
Stars
Slang
Thirties
Shirley Temple
Clark Gable
Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers
Forties
Bing Crosby
Betty Grable
Humphrey Bogart
Fifties
Jimmy Stewart
Marilyn Monroe
John Wayne
All wet: wrong
Amscray!: leave!
Bash: a good party
Clam: a dollar
Canary: a female
jazz singer
Bread: money
Cat: a jazz musician
Cool it: relax
Hep: hip, in the
know
Chatterbox: a car
radio
Flick: a movie
Hepcat: a stylish person
Crab patch: a strict
parent
Jeepers Creepers!:
Wow!
Cut a rug: to dance
or jitterbug
A panic: exciting
Dig: to understand
A scream: hilarious
Ginger: energy, spirit
Pile up Z’s: get some
sleep
Sore: angry
Jive: nonsense
Sides: vinyl records
Swell: great
Pepper shaker: a
good dancer
Drip: boring or
annoying person
Cool: very good
Hang out: lay
around
Kick: a fun thing
No sweat: no problem
All wet • A panic • Sore Swell • Chatterbox • Cut a rug • Ginge
30s 40s 50s
Fads and Games
Fill in your own chart: who are the stars you
admire? What slang do you and your friends
use? What games and fads are popular? Draw or
paste in pictures.
Stars
Flying saucer watching, stamp collecting,
Silly Putty, Scrabble,
Hula Hoops,
Hawaiian shirts
Roller rinks, slumber
parties, the lindy hop,
soda shops, pep rallies, pizza
Backgammon, Sorry,
the Jitterbug,
Monopoly, bingo,
dance marathons,
roller skating. The
word “teenager” is
invented.
S
E
G A M
2
1
3
1
1
Try This
Time Capsule
Imagine you and
your class were go
ing to create a ti
capsule for this ye
me
ar.
Pick ten items th
at surround you
that represent lif
know it today. W
e as you
ere these items ar
ound or availabl
twenty or even th
e ten,
irty years ago?
Slang
You’ll be surprise
d how many thin
gs were created an
developed not m
d
uch more before
you were born, if
after!
not
Fads and Games
Compare today’s slang with the slang of the past.
Are there words you still use today?
What fads and games from the past are still around? What
do you think makes some things last?
er • Pepper shaker • Bash • Bread • Cool it • Hang out • No sweat
17
18
Come Rain or Come Shine
8 8 8 8
Mercer Today
Johnny's songs “Too Marvelous for Words” and “Hit the Road to Dreamland” both had something
called a patter section. In a patter section, the singer would riff on the lyrics of the song the way a
rap artist does today. Check out these “raps.”
Too Marvelous
for Words
Too Marvelous
for Words
I search for phrases,
To sing your praises,
But there aren't any magic adjectives
To tell you all you are.
Adorable and amorous and glorious and glamorous
Are insufficient when applied to you/
To be euphemistical To be eulogistical
I 'riginate a million words that no one ever knew/
I-try-to-be logical and sensible but I'm incomprehensible
Whenever I begin to find a phrase/
For they never say enough and they never tell enough
I've all -- ready told you no vocabulary's swell enough
What'll-I-do to say// the things I have in mind?/
It's really absurd// there isn't a word to fit you/
No matter where I look// I always seem to find/
Delectable, delicious, magnificently mysterious
You're simply too spectacular to be in my vernacular
And so you see I'm forced to-go-to-the-birds/
The reason must be quite apparent that you are just too/
Absolutely wonderful and marvelous for words!
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting
You're just too marvelous,
Too marvelous for words,
Like glorious, glamorous
And that old standby, amorous,
It's all too wonderful,
I'll never find the words,
That say enough,
Tell enough,
I mean, they just aren't swell enough,
You're much too much,
And just too very very!
To ever be in Webster's Dictionary,
And so I'm borrowing
A love song from the birds,
To tell you that you're marvelous,
Too marvelous for words.
Johnny’s songs
have been heard
in the movies:
Pearl Harbor, What Women
Want, You've Got Mail, Devil's
Advocate, For the Love of the
Game, Michael, and Midnight in
the Garden of Good and Evil
RAP
You can hear Johnny Mercer
songs almost everywhere you
turn these days.
Mercer songs have also been used
in TV shows such as:
ER, The Sopranos, The X-Files, JAG, Ed,
Third Watch, Gilmore Girls, Saturday
Night Live, As The World Turns, and The
Young and the Restless
18
8 8 8 8
Hit the Road to
Dreamland
Hit the Road to
Dreamland
Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle goes the star,
Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, there you are.
Time for all good children to hit the hay.
Cock-a-doodle, doodle, doodle, brother,
It's another day,
We should be on our way!
King Solomon once in his wisdom said,
“There’s nothin’ quite like a good feather bed”
That may not be just the written word,
So don’t quote me cause I only heard,
And then — I coulda misunderstood,
But if he didn't say that, then he certainly should.
Cause in this world with its killin’ pace,
A man's got to find a good restin’ place.
It's early to bed, early to rise —
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
(1942)
Music by Harold Arlen
Bye bye, baby
Time to hit the road to dreamland,
You're my baby
Dig you in the land of Nod.
Hold tight, baby,
We'll be swinging up in dreamland,
All night, baby,
Where the little cherubs trod.
Look at that knocked-out moon,
Been a-blowin' his top in the blue,
Never saw the likes of you;
(What an angel)
Bye, bye, baby,
Time to hit the road to dreamland,
Don't cry, baby,
It was divine
But the rooster has finally crowed,
Time to hit the road.
Johnny in a
recording session.
RAP
YES, YES, GOOD CHILDREN
TIME TO HIT THE ROAD
With everything connected and mechanized.
If you do get nervous I ain't surprised,
But listen, good people, you can't cure ills —
With capsules, tablets, and vitamin pills.
And the only thing to rest your head,
Is a good nights sleep in a quilted bed,
So just resolve to be good and firm,
Cause the early bird is gonna catch the worm.
YES, YES, GOOD CHILDREN,
TIME TO HIT THE ROAD!
Try This
Commercial Break
Pick one of
your favorite songs.
As you listen to the
lyrics, try to
think of a product (a
favorite game, food
or
pi
ec
e
of
clothing)
that the lyrics of the
song could also desc
ribe.
For example, Johnny
Mercer’s song, “Sprin
g, Spring, Spring” is
about the season, bu
t the word ‘spring’ co
uld remind you of
jumping. The song co
uld be used in a TV
commercial about
your favorite brand of
sneakers.
Using that idea, writ
e a commercial with
members of your cla
or your friends at ho
ss
me.
19
20
Spring, Sprng, Spring
7
7
7
7
Nature Lyrics
Johnny Mercer was described as an “outdoor writer” because many of his lyrics use images from
nature (places, plants, animals, etc.). He used these images to describe a particular mood or
feeling in each song. Here are samples from lyrics Johnny Mercer wrote using three of the seasons:
from
Spring, Spring, Spring
from
Early Autumn
music by Gene de Paul
music by Ralph Burns and Woody Herman
Oh, the barnyard is busy
In a regular tizzy,
And the obvious reason
Is because of the season.
Ma Nature’s lyrical
With her yearly miracle,
Spring, Spring, Spring!
When an early autumn walks the land
And chills the breeze
And touches with her hand
The summer trees,
Perhaps you’ll understand
What memories I own.
All the henfolk are hatchin’
While their menfolk are scratchin’
To insure the survival
Of each brand new arrival.
Each nest is twittering,
They’re all baby sittering,
Spring, Spring, Spring!
from
There’s a dance pavilion in the rain
All shuttered down,
A winding country lane all russet brown,
A frosty window pane shows me a town
grown lonely
Summer Wind
music by Henry Mayer
The summer wind came blowing in across
the sea,
It lingered there to touch your hair and walk
with me.
All summer long we sang a song and strolled
the golden sand.
Two sweethearts and the summer wind.
Like painted kites the days and nights went
flying by.
The world was new beneath a blue umbrella
sky.
Then, softer than a piper man
One day it called to you.
7
7
7
7
A Lyrical Miracle
Why do so many song lyrics rhyme? Rhymes
make lyrics easier to understand and remember
when you hear them. Rhymes also give words a
musical quality. Try reading "Spring, Spring,
Spring!" out loud. Even if you don’t know the
melody of the song, you can hear how the words
have a "tune" of their own.
Johnny Mercer paints “word pictures”:
a blue umbrella sky, a dance pavilion in the rain all shuttered
down.
He also uses words that sound like the
subject: busy, tizzy, twittering, baby-sittering all have the
sound of spring’s energy and life.
There are single rhymes (sea/me, sky/by),
double rhymes (busy/tizzy, reason/season)
and triple rhymes (lyrical/miracle).
Rhyming words don’t need to be spelled alike:
true/do/new. Can you add more rhymes to
this list that spell the "oo" sound in a different
way?
"All summer long we sang a song and strolled the golden
sand" – all the "s" sounds make the sound of the summer
wind.
He even turns a season into a person –
autumn “walks the land” and “touches the trees.”
21
Try This
Some words that are spelled alike don’t rhyme:
Bough/enough, pant/want. Can you think
of other examples?
Outdoor Lyrics
Imagine Johnny
Mercer sitting ou
tside, listening to
roundings as he
his surwrote lyrics abou
t the seasons. Yo
the same thing.
u can do
Sit outside for 3
minutes without
saying a word.
Now, write dow
n all the things yo
u see. What do
hear? What do
you
you smell? How
do you feel?
Now try writing
a lyric using all of
the things you
described in you
r three minute ex
perience.
If you’re feeling
brave, try singin
g a melody with
you just wrote.
the words
Don’t think abou
t the notes, just
comes naturally
what
to you. You may
have just written
hit song!
a smash
I’m an Old Cowhand
22
Character Lyrics
Some of Johnny Mercer’s lyrics describe a
particular character – a “photograph
in words”:
I’m An Old Cowhand
(From the Rio Grande)”
from
Music by Johnny Mercer
I’m an old cowhand
From the Rio Grande
But my legs ain’t bowed
And my cheeks ain’t tanned
I’m a cowboy who never saw a cow
Never roped a steer ‘cause I don’t know how,
And I sho’ ain’t fixin’ to start in now.
Yippy I O Ki Ay.
Yippy I O Ki Ay.
from
Laura
Music by David Raksin
Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall
from
Lazy Bones
Music by Hoagy Carmichael
Long as there is chicken gravy on your rice,
Ev’rything is nice.
Long as there’s watermelon on the vine,
Ev’rything is fine.
You got no time to work
You got no time to play
Busy doin’ nothin’ all the live long day
You won’t ever change no matter what I say,
You’re just made that way
Try This
Character Lyric
s
Write a lyric abou
t your favorite ch
aracter from a bo
show or movie.
ok, TV
First step:
1
Make three wor
ds lists:
• Adjectives th
at describe the ch
aracter.
• Nouns that ar
e connected with
him or her (objec
pieces of clothin
ts, places,
g, etc.)
• Verbs that des
cribe what he or
she likes to do
Second step:
Make a list of w
ords that he or sh
e uses all the tim
she have a favori
e. Does he or
te saying or phra
se? Try to captu
or she speaks.
re the way he
Third step:
2
3
Write your lyric.
Some possible id
eas to start with
• a lyric that is
are:
in the person’s ow
n
w
or
d
s,
lik
Cowhand.” How
e “I’m An Old
does he or she d
escribe him/herse
• a lyric that d
lf?
escribes the perso
n
u
si
n
g
a
lis
t
hear down the h
(“footsteps you
all”/”laugh that
floats on a summ
• a lyric that gi
er night”)
ves that person ad
vice, like “Lazyb
ones.”
23
x
Let That Be a a Lesson to You
x
Mercer Facts
Johnny Mercer wrote more than
1,500 songs. If you listened to a
different Johnny Mercer song every
day, it would take you more than
four years to listen to them all.
Johnny Mercer
liked to paint with
watercolors to
relax.
24
In the 1940s, he
had his own radio
show, Johnny
Mercer's Music
Shop
Johnny Mercer never
learned to read music,
and played the piano
with one finger.
x
And the Academy Award
Goes to...
Johnny was nominated for the Oscar® eighteen times,
and won four times
Jeepers, Creepers, 1938
I’d Know You Anywhere, 1940
Love Of My Life, 1940
Blues In The Night, 1941
Dearly Beloved, 1943
My Shining Hour, 1943
That Old Black Magic, 1943
Accentuate the Positive, 1946
*On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, 1946
*In The Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening, 1951
Something’s Gotta Give, 1955
The Facts of Life, 1960
*Moon River, 1961
*Days of Wine and Roses, 1962
Charade, 1963
The Sweetheart Tree, 1965
Whistling Away The Dark, 1970
Life Is What You Make It, 1971
Mercer liked to tell the story
that when his kids were
young, Ginger would tell
them to be quiet because
“Daddy's working” -- and
he would be lying down on
the couch , with his eyes shut
and a legal pad on his chest.
Mercer at work.
x
When he first
moved to New
York, Johnny
worked as a
messenger on
Wall Street.
x
x
20 of Johnny’s
Biggest Hits...
Accentuate the Positive
Blues in the Night
Come Rain or Come Shine
Days of Wine and Roses
Dream
Fools Rush In
Goody Goody
Hooray for Hollywood
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening
Jeepers Creepers
Laura
Moon River
My Shining Hour
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)
Satin Doll
Skylark
Something's Gotta Give
That Old Black Magic
Too Marvelous For Words
What is a Hit?
A GOLD RECORD is one that sells
500,000 copies. If it sells a million
copies, it is PLATINUM. (Platinum is a
silvery precious metal used in jewelry.)
Johnny Mercer liked
to write in the
morning, after a
good night's
sleep
Capitol Records was
founded during World
War II, and shellac (the
material that records
were made out of) was
scarce. So, the company
recycled scrap
records.
Say “Ah”
x
x
Try This
The doctor tells
you to say “ah” w
hen he or she w
look down your
ants to
throat because th
e
“ah” vowel makes
throat open wid
your
e. Look in a mir
ror and make th
ing sounds: ah
e followee oh oo
Notice how you
r mouth is open
wider when you
and “oh” than w
say “ah”
hen you say “ee”
or “oo.” Most of
time, “open” vow
the
els are easier to si
ng than “closed”
Lyricists try to u
vowels.
se as many open
vowels as they ca
can be hard to d
n. This
o, because a lot
of songs use the
“me” and “you”
words
– and “ee” and “o
o” are “closed” vo
wels.
Johnny Mercer on What It’s Like to
Write Lyrics
“There’s something funny about songs – it’s like you’re going out
looking for something that you’ve never heard of. You don’t
know where it is, it’s just up there somewhere and you
can tune in on it. You get a little glimmer – it’s like you’re tuning in to a musical instrument that’s miles away, and you say, oh,
there’s something there, if I just dig hard enough, I know it’ll
come.”
“Usually a title or simple idea comes first, and then the rest
of the words just seem to fall into place.”
“It's all as easy as chopping up ten cords of wood per day!”
25
2.
1.
3.
4.
6.
5.
7.
8.
10.
9.
11.
13.
12.
15.
14.
16.
26
17.
18.
19.
22.
21.
23.
24.
26.
25.
27.
28.
29.
30.
20.
Cross Lyric Puzzle
Now that you've had a chance to read through and participate in all of the exercises in the book, review all of your glossary
term bubbles and try to complete the puzzle! Have fun!
ACROSS
1. An early style of jazz music, well known in the 1920s
3. When one word sounds the same as another because they share the same vowel sound
4. A building where you go to see great performances like plays, musicals and dance
8. Words that sound like the object they describe (ie, fizz, whirr, buzz)
9. Honesty. When you do the right thing you have _________________.
10. Thirties slang for “exciting.” Any “young mechanic can be a ___________.”
12. Someone who writes the words to a song
13. Johnny Mercer's middle name
14. Another word for stanza, or the part of a song that comes before the chorus
15. _________ for Hollywood (backwards)
18. Johnny Mercer worked with many different _____________ (plural, people who write music)
19. The nickname for Johnny Mercer's daughter. “___________ Is Two.”
22. Section of a lyric or poem, usually 4 to 8 lines long
23. “Just watch the smoke rings rise in the _____” (from “Dream”)
24. Mercer collaborator _____________ Whiting
27. A variety show
28. “A blossom covered ______” (from “Skylark”) (backwards)
29. The main or early part. “The ______ o' the night” (backwards)
30. Mrs. Mercer
DOWN
1. A rhythmic pattern (backwards)
2. “It’s a _______ Big World”
5. The famous lyricist and composer who this book is about
6. Where 5 Down was born
7. Record company founded in 1942
11. A repeated section of a song
16. The nickname for the Academy Award
17. To work with someone else is to ___________
20. Thirties star __________ Temple (backwards)
21 Composer Harry ________
25. Composer Harold ___________
26 Donald __________
27
28
More Mercer Lyrics
Little Johnny Mercer
You Must Have
Been a Beautiful
Baby (1938)
Music by Harry Warren
Does your mother realize,
The stork delivered quite a prize,
The day he left you on the fam’ly tree,
Does your dad appreciate
That you are merely super great,
The miracle of any century,
If they don't, just send them both to me.
You must have been a beautiful baby,
You must have been a wonderful child,
When you were only startin’
To go to kindergarten,
I bet you drove the little boys wild.
And when it came to winning blue ribbons,
You must have shown the other kids how.
I can see the judges’ eyes
As they handed you the prize,
I bet you made the cutest bow.
Oh! You must have been a beautiful baby,
‘Cause baby, look at you now.
Dream (1944)
Music by Johnny Mercer
Get in touch with that sundown fellow,
As he tiptoes across the sand.
He's got a million kinds of stardust,
Pick your fav'rite brand, and:
Dream when you’re feelin’ blue,
Dream, that's the thing to do.
Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air,
You'll find your share
Of memories there.
So dream when the day is thru,
Dream and they might come true,
Things never are as bad as they seem,
So dream, dream, dream.
That Old Black
Magic (1942)
Music by Harold Arlen
That old black magic has me in its spell.
That old black magic that you weave so well.
Those icy fingers up and down my spine.
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine.
The same old tingle that I feel inside
And then that elevator starts its ride
And down and down I go,
‘Round and ‘round I go
Like a leaf that's caught in the tide.
I should stay away,
But what can I do?
I hear your name
And I'm aflame,
Aflame with such a burning desire
That only your kiss
Can put out the fire.
For you're the lover I have waited for,
The mate that fate had me created for,
And ev'ry time your lips meet mine
Darling, down and down I go,
‘Round and ‘round I go
In a spin,
Loving the spin I'm in
Under that old black magic called love!
I'm Old Fashioned (1942)
Music by Jerome Kern
I am not such a clever one
About the latest fads.
I admit I was never one
Adored by local lads;
Not that I ever try to be a saint,
I'm the type that they classify as quaint.
I'm old fashioned,
I love the moonlight,
I love the old fashioned things —
The sound of rain
Upon a window pane,
The starry song that April sings.
This year's fancies
Are passing fancies,
But sighing sighs, holding hands
These my heart understands.
I'm old fashioned,
But I don't mind it,
That's how I want to be,
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned with me.
I Remember You (1942)
Music by Victor Schertzinger
Was it in Tahiti?
Were we on the Nile?
Long, long ago, say an hour or so,
I recall that I saw your smile.
I remember you.
You're the one who made my dream come true
A few kisses ago.
I remember you
You're the one who said: "I love you, too."
I do. Didn't you know?
I remember too a distant bell
And stars that fell like rain,
Out of the blue.
x
When my life is through
And the angels ask me to recall
The thrill of them all,
Then I shall tell them
I remember you.
Fools Rush In (1940)
Music by Rube Bloom
"Romance is a game for fools,"
I used to say.
A game I thought I'd never play.
"Romance is a game for fools,"
I said and grinned;
Then you passed by,
And here am I
Throwing caution to the wind.
Fools rush in
Where angels fear to tread,
And so I come to you, my love,
My heart above my head.
Though I see
The danger there,
If there's a chance for me,
Then I don't care.
Fools rush in
Where wise men never go,
But wise men never fall in love
So how are they to know?
When we met
I felt my life begin;
So open up your heart,
And let this fool rush in.
29
Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive
Words by Johnny Mercer
Music by Harold Arlen
Fm
3
& bc
bm
& bˇ
6
30
while
C7
The
Dm
hear my
Gath - er
B
b
3
ˇbˇ nˇ
ˇˇˇ ˇ ˇ œ
will
be
sin
and
B
7
sto - ry
bm
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mark
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ter
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ˇ
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ˇ
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j
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ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ
48
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ˇ ˇ
&b ˇ ˇˇˇˇˇ ˇ ˛ ˇ ˛
44
ˇˇˇ
C9
w
B
C+
F
ˇ
faith
ˇˇ ˇ ˇ ˛
F
dark?
F7
ˇ
nˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ œ
whale,
F+
Have
F
scene.
C9
& b ˇ ˛ ˇ ˇ bˇ ˇ œ
joy
F
down to the min - i - mum
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li' - ble
spread
ˇ ˇ ˇ bˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ nˇ ˛ ˇ ˛
G m7
or pan - de - mo - ni - um
You've got to
b9
G +(
) C9
j j
& b ˇˇ ˇˇˇˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇˇˇ œ
32
F+
F
j
j
ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇˇˇ œ
& b ˇˇˇ ˇ ˇˇ
24
F
-
be
œ
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tween.
ˇ
˛
Resources
Books:
32
Bach, Bob and Ginger Mercer, eds.
Our Huckleberry Friend: The Life,
Times, and Lyrics of Johnny Mercer.
Lyle Stuart, 1982.
Furia, Philip. The Poets of Tin Pan
Alley. Oxford University Press, 1990.
Gavin, James. Intimate Nights: The
Golden Age of New York Cabaret. Grove
Weidenfeld, 1991.
Gordon, Lois and Alan Gordon. The
Columbia Chronicles of American Life,
1910-1992. Columbia University
Press, 1995.
Lewine, Richard and Alfred Simon.
Songs of the American Theater. Dodd,
Mead and Company, 1973.
Mancini, Henry with Gene Lees. Did
They Mention The Music?
Contemporary Books, Inc., 1989
Mercer, Johnny with Carol Cuellar, editor. Too Marvelous for Words: The Magic
of Johnny Mercer. Warner Bros., 1999.
Thomas, Tony. Harry Warren and the
Hollywood Musical. Citadel Press, 1975.
Two of a Kind, Bobby Darin and
Johnny Mercer – Atlantic, 1990 (original release date 1961.)
Capitol Collectors Series: Johnny Mercer –
Capitol, 1989.
Videos Featuring the Music
of Johnny Mercer:
Pearl Harbor starring Ben Affleck and
directed by Michael Bay, 2001.
Released by Walt Disney Home Video.
(Rated R)
What Women Want starring Mel Gibson
and Helen Hunt and directed by
Nancy Meyers, 2000. Released by
Paramount Studio. (Rated PG-13)
For Love of the Game starring Kevin
Costner and directed by Sam Raimi,
1999. Released by Universal Studios.
(Rated PG-13)
You’ve Got Mail starring Tom Hanks
and Meg Ryan and directed by Nora
Ephron, 1998. Released by Warner
Studios. (Rated PG)
The Harvey Girls starring Judy Garland
and directed by George Sidney II,
1946. Released by Warner Home
Video. (Not rated)
Rhythm on the Range starring Bing
Crosby and directed by Norman
Taurog, 1936. Released by Universal
Studios. (Not rated)
Web Sites:
www.johnnymercerfoundation.org
The official site to learn more about the
life and work of Johnny Mercer
www.johnnymercer.com
An educational archive site for Johnny
Mercer
www.library.gsu.edu/spcoll/music
The site for the Johnny Mercer
Collection, Special Collections
Department at the Pullen Library at
Georgia State University
www.amazon.com
To purchase any of the merchandise
listed
Devil’s Advocate starring Al Pacino and
directed by Taylor Hackford, 1997.
Released by Warner Studios. (Rated R)
Answers to the crossword on page 26
Music Featuring Johnny
Mercer:
Midnight in the Garden of Good and
Evil: Music from and Inspired by The
Motion Picture, Various Artists –
Warner Brothers, 1997.
Ella Fitzgerald Sings Johnny Mercer –
Polygram Records, 1997 (original
release date 1964.)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and
Evil starring John Cusack and Kevin
Spacey and directed by Clint
Eastwood, 1997. Released by Warner
Studios. (Rated R)
1.
R
3.
R
H
8.
O
A
H
E
N
O
2.
G
T
I
M
E
A
T
E
R
R
E
4.
T
E
A
M
A
T
O
P
O
E
I
Michael starring John Travolta and
directed by Nora Ephron, 1996.
Released by Tuner Home Video.
(Rated PG)
9.
I
N
The Days of Wine and Roses starring
Jack Lemmon and directed by Blake
Edwards, 1962. Released by Warner
Studios. (Not rated)
T
E
G
R
I
T
Y
11.
C
R
I
C
I
S
13.
H
T
E
R
S
O
M
P
O
E
L
R
L
22.
S
I
A
N
30.
G
T
E
A
I
A
S
E
R
P
N
Z
R
N
16.
O
D
A
C
E
T
29.
K
E
R
V
U
O
N
L
H
C
A
N
D
20.
Y
E
L
I
C
H
26.
D
27.
R
C
S
S
24.
R
L
I
T
A
R
E
N
R
O
G
O
19.
M
25.
A
N
R
A
A
U
B
R
R
N
A
17.
C
21.
W
28.
E
15.
Y
E
R
23.
A
7.
C
A
N
O
M
14.
V
10.
P
Y
N
12.
L
6.
S
V
H
R
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Various
Artists - Rhino Records, 1996.
M
5.
J
18.
C
Blues in the Night: The Johnny Mercer
Songbook, Various Artists – Polygram
Records, 1997.
Y
A
R
I
H
E
S
N
A
H
S
D
LyricNOTES
™
AN ACTIVITY GUIDE FOR KIDS
A Camp Broadway LLC Publication
Editor:
Associate Editor:
Art Director:
Jodi Simon Stewart
Lesley Mazzotta, Roseanne Saraceno
Joseph M. Pisarchick
Contributors:
Robert Hartmann: composer/lyricist and Assistant Professor, New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program
Eden White: composer/lyricist/Master’s candidate in Music, Education and Marketing at New York University
Nancy Valentino: editor specializing in theater, film and fashion
Printed by: Royal Fireworks Press, Unionville, NY
Special Thanks:
The Johnny Mercer Collection
Pullen Library - Special Collections Department
Georgia State University
100 Decatur Street, SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3202
http://www.library.gsu.edu/spcoll/
Photo Credits
Page 3:
Page 4:
Page 5:
Page 6:
Page 8:
Page 9:
Page 10:
Page 11:
Page 19:
Page 24:
Page 27:
Page 28:
Front Cover:
Johnny with Margaret Whiting – courtesy of Margaret Whiting
Johnny at 8 years old - family photograph
Johnny at Woodberry Forest School, VA – Woodberry Forest yearbook
Johnny and Ginger on their honeymoon – G. Dobkin Studio, Atlantic City, NJ
Family photo – Hebe Stackpole, 1948
Johnny with Paul Whiteman – NBC Studios
Johnny with Evelyn Poe – Radio Pictures, publicity still from RKO production
Johnny with Buddy Desylva – Gene Lester, Capitol Records
Johnny with Harold Arlen – no information
Johnny with Hoagy Carmichael – no information
Johnny with Henry Mancini and Debbie Reynolds – Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences
Johnny with record – Capitol Records
Harry Warren and Al Dubin – no information
Johnny in recording session – Charlie Mihn
Johnny at work – Robert S. Hanah
Johnny with pencil – Capitol Records
Little Johnny Mercer – family photograph
Individual photos credited above
www.johnnymercerfoundation.org