1926© Music by Ray Henderson and Lyrics by Buddy de Sylva & Lew Brown

Ray Henderson                             * Buffalo, NY Dec 1, 1896 
                                                          † Greenwich, CT Dec 31, 1970
George Gard "Buddy" de Sylva * New York City, NY Jan 27, 1895       
                                                          † Hollywood, CA Jul 11,1950
Lew Brown                                     * Odessa, Russia Dec 10,1893 
                                                          † New York City, NY Feb 5,1958

Birth of the Blues featured in the 1956 film musical "The Best Things In Life Are Free" but was original from the show: George White's Scandals of 1924.

Lyrics:

Oh they say some people long ago
Were searching for a different tune
One that they could croon as only they can

They heard the breeze in the trees
Singing weird melodies,
And they made that
The start of the blues.

And from a jail
came the wail
Of a downhearted frail,
And they played that
As part of the blues.

From a whippoorwill
out on a hill,
They took a new note;
Pushed it through a horn
‘Til it was worn
Into a blue note!

And then they nursed it,
rehearsed it,
And gave out the news
That the Southland
gave birth to the blues!

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