Harbour Lights (song)

"Harbour Lights", also "Harbor Lights", is a popular song with music by Hugh Williams (the pseudonym of exiled Austrian composer Will Grosz) and lyrics by Northern Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy. The song was originally sung by American singer Frances Langford in 1937,[1] and was published again in 1950.

"Harbour Lights"
Song by Frances Langford
Published1937
Composer(s)Hugh Williams
Lyricist(s)Jimmy Kennedy

Lyrics

Kennedy's lyrics describe the sight of harbour lights in the darkness, which signal that the ship carrying the singer's sweetheart is sailing away. The lonely singer hopes that the lights will someday signal the sweetheart's return.[2]

Versions

The song has been recorded by many artists; charting versions were recorded by Sammy Kaye, Guy Lombardo, Bing Crosby, Ray Anthony, Ralph Flanagan, Elvis Presley, The Platters (peaking at #8 on the Billboard charts in 1960), and Ken Griffin. Other versions were recorded by The Ink Spots, Lawrence Welk, LaVern Baker, Engelbert Humperdinck, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Vera Lynn, Clyde McPhatter, Arthur Tracy and Jon Rauhouse. A Polish version titled "Portowe światła", with lyrics by Herold (pseudonym for Henryk Szpilman), was recorded in 1938 by Mieczysław Fogg (released as Syrena Electro 2035),[3] shortly after World War II by Tadeusz Miller (released as Melodje 118),[4] and by Irena Santor in 1966 (released as Muza XL0311).[5]

The biggest-selling version was recorded by the Sammy Kaye orchestra. The recording was released by Columbia Records as a 78 rpm single and a 45 rpm single. The record first reached the Billboard charts on September 1, 1950 and lasted 25 weeks, peaking at #1.[6]

The Guy Lombardo orchestra recording of August 24, 1950 was released by Decca Records. The record first reached the Billboard charts on October 6, 1950 and lasted 20 weeks, peaking at #2.[6]

The Bing Crosby recording of September 5, 1950 with Lyn Murray and his Orchestra and Chorus[7] was released by Decca Records. The record first reached the Billboard charts on November 3, 1950 and lasted 11 weeks, peaking at #10.[6]

The Ray Anthony orchestra recording was released by Capitol Records. The flip side was "Nevertheless". The record first reached the Billboard charts on October 20, 1950 and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, peaking at #15.[6]

The Ralph Flanagan orchestra recording was released by RCA Victor Records. The record first reached the Billboard charts on October 27, 1950 and lasted 5 weeks, peaking at #27.[6]

The Ken Griffin recording was released by Columbia Records. The record reached the Billboard charts on October 20, 1950 and lasted only one week, charting at #27.[6]

The Marco T. y Los Gatos Montañeros recording was released by Tulsan Records Private on September 14, 1987.

The song was also recorded by Pat Boone on the 1957 album Howdy!

Rudy Vallée recorded his rendition in 1937.

In later years, Ace Cannon recorded an instrumental version for his 1994 album Entertainer.

In an episode of M*A*S*H ("Your Retention, Please"), Klinger (Jamie Farr), while nursing a broken heart, plays the song over and over again on a jukebox. In the final scene, he smashes the record.

gollark: Yes, it's *two* 68ks.
gollark: Not enough 68000s, but otherwise yes.
gollark: I see. It may be more suitable for inference applications.
gollark: Does it have floating point numbers?
gollark: You mean "yes".

References
  1. Billboard Top singles of 1937
  2. Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era 0786429461 Don Tyler - 2007 -" Words: Jimmy Kennedy; Music: Hugh Williams Although this song was written by English tunesmiths Will Grosz (under the pen name Hugh ... The lyrics say the “harbour lights” that once brought his girl to him are now taking her away because she was on a ship and he was on the shore."
  3. Lerski, Tomasz M. (2007). Encyklopedia kultury polskiej XX wieku. Muzyka - teatr - film. T.1: Muzyka mechaniczna - pierwsze 40-lecie. Warszawa: Polskie Wydawnictwo Naukowo-Encyklopedyczne. p. 277. ISBN 83-917189-9-9.
  4. Żyliński, Jacek. "Katalog Polskich Płyt Gramofonowych". Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  5. Żyliński, Jacek. "Katalog Polskich Płyt Gramofonowych". Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
  7. "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved September 19, 2016.


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