The song of the day for Monday, July 27, 2021, is “Swinging on a Star.”

About This Song

“Swinging on a Star” was written in 1944 by the songwriting team of Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. It was written for the movie Going My Way, starring Bing Crosby, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for that year. Crosby recorded a very successful version of the song in 1944. Other recordings include those by Rosemary Clooney, Burl Ives, and Ruby Braff, among many others.

This was my favorite song when I was 5 years old. I have a distinct memory of singing it, loudly, in the kitchen while my Mom was making dinner. I don’t remember how my performance was received, though I suspect I was lucky to not have been told to shut up.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Swinging on a Star” in 1998 for his album of music for children The Playground. There’s some nice work from bassist Paul Langosch on this recording.

“Swinging on a Star,” as well as The Playground is available on Apple Music.