I'm Always Chasing Rainbows

"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" is a popular Vaudeville song. The music is credited to Harry Carroll, but the melody is adapted from Fantaisie-Impromptu by Frédéric Chopin. The lyrics were written by Joseph McCarthy, and the song was published in 1917. It was introduced in the Broadway show Oh, Look! which opened in March 1918.[1] The song was sung in the show by the Dolly Sisters.[1] Judy Garland sang it in the 1941 film Ziegfeld Girl. It was subsequently sung by Jack Oakie in the 1944 film The Merry Monahans and was again featured in the 1945 film The Dolly Sisters (1945 in film), where it was sung by John Payne.[1] It was also included for part of the run (and in the cast album) of the 1973 revival of Irene.

"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows"
Sheet music (1918)
Song by the Dolly Sisters
Published1917
Composer(s)Harry Carroll
Lyricist(s)Joseph McCarthy

The song is a true popular standard, recorded by many artists over the years.

Lyrics

At the end of the rainbow there’s happiness
And to find it how often I’ve tried
But my life is a race just a wild goose chase
And my dreams have all been denied
Why have I always been a failure?
What can the reason be?
I wonder if the world’s to blame
I wonder if it could be me?

Chorus
I'm always chasing rainbows
Watching clouds drifting by
My schemes are just like all my dreams
Ending in the sky
Some fellows look and find the sunshine
I always look and find the rain
Some fellows make a winning some time
I never even make a gain, believe me
I'm always chasing rainbows
Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain[2]

I’ve looked to the west as the sun goes down
And I’ve followed its glorious rays
But the faster I’d run I would miss the sun
My life’s full of wasted days
I’ve always been a natural loser
Each thing I touch must fail
If good luck ever came to me it would never seem right at all

Chorus[3]

Recorded versions

Hit versions in 1918

The biggest hit version in 1918 was recorded by Charles W. Harrison on July 26, 1918, and released by Victor Records as catalog number 18496A,[1][4]} with the flip side “I Miss That Mississippi Miss That Misses Me”[5])

There were also very popular versions recorded by Harry Fox and by Prince's Orchestra (Columbia catalog number A-6064) in the same year.[1]

Harry Fox's version was recorded April 16, 1918, and released by Columbia Records as catalog number A-2557,[1] with the flip side “I Wonder What They're Doing Tonight”[6])

The Prince's Orchestra (referred to as Prince's Band on [7]) version was recorded July, 1918, and released by Columbia Records as catalog number A-6064, with the flip side “Oh, Frenchy”)

Hit versions in 1946

The biggest hit versions in the 1946 revival were by Perry Como, by Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes, and by Harry James's Orchestra with a vocal by Buddy DeVito.[1] There was also a recording by Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians, with a vocal by Erno Rapee, which had a degree of popularity that year.[1]

Perry Como's recording was made October 17, 1945,[8] and released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-1788,[1] with the flip side “You Won't Be Satisfied”.[9] It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on January 24, 1946 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #7;[10] it was re-released by RCA Victor as catalog number 20-2663, with the flip side “If We Can't Be the Same Old Sweethearts”[11]

The recording by Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes was made on November 1, 1945, and released by Decca Records as catalog number 23472,[1] with the flip side “Tomorrow Is Forever”.[12] It reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on January 31, 1946 at #10, its only week on the chart.[10]

The recording by Harry James and his orchestra was made on November 7, 1945, released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36899,[1] with the flip side “Baby What You Do to Me”[13] and as catalog number 38434, with the flip side “I'm Beginning to See the Light”[14]

The recording by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians was released by Decca Records as catalog number 3586, with the flip side “Tea for Two”[15] and as catalog number 18789A,[1] with the flip side “Make Believe”[16])

Other recorded versions

References
  1. Gardner, Edward Foote (2000). Popular Songs of the 20th Century: Chart Detail & Encyclopedia, 1900-1949. St. Paul, Minnesota: Paragon House. ISBN 1-55778-789-1.
  2. Gilliland, John. (197X). "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #18 - All Tracks UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  3. Lyrics from the original 1918 sheet music published by McCarthy and Fisher Inc., New York
  4. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Joel Whitburn Presents a Century of Pop Music. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-135-7.
  5. "VICTOR 78rpm numerical listing discography: 18000 - 18500". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  6. "Columbia A Series 78rpm numerical listing discography: A2500 - A3000". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  7. "Columbia A Series numerical listing discography: A6000 - A6300". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  8. "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows". www.kokomo.ca. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  9. "RCA Victor 78rpm numerical listing discography: 20-1500 - 20-2000". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research.
  11. "RCA Victor 20-prefix 78rpm numerical listing discography: 2500 - 3000". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  12. "DECCA (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discographyL 23000 - 23500". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  13. "COLUMBIA 78rpm numerical listing discography: 36500 - 37000". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  14. "COLUMBIA 78rpm numerical listing discography: 38000 - 38500". www.78discography.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  15. "DECCA (USA) numerical listing discography: 3500 - 3599". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  16. "DECCA (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 18500 - 19000". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  17. "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (1972) - Julie Andrews on YouTube
  18. "PATHE numerical listing discography: 22000 series". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  19. "MEDALLION 78rpm numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  20. "EMERSON 900/9000 series numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  21. "OKEH numerical listing discography: 1000 series". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  22. "BLUEBIRD 78rpm numerical listing discography: 10500 - 11000". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  23. "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" sung by Alice Faye for Rose of Washington Square (1939) - audio only, on YouTube
  24. Judy Garland singing "I'm Aways Chasing Rainbows" in Ziegfeld Girl (1941) on YouTube
  25. "COLUMBIA (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 36000 - 36500". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  26. "COLUMBIA 78rpm numerical listing discography 35500 to 36000". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  27. "COLUMBIA Records (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 40500 - 41000". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  28. "Capitol 100 - 499, 78rpm numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  29. "Capitol 1000 - 1500, 78rpm numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  30. "Capitol 15000 series numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  31. "OKEH 78rpm numerical listing discography: 41000 - 41499". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  32. "KEYSTONE TRANSCRIPTION SERVICE 16-inch numerical listing discography: 300 - End". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  33. Productions, Global Dog. "45 discography for Colpix Records". www.globaldogproductions.info. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  34. "MERCURY 2000-series 78rpm numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  35. "VICTOR 78rpm numerical listing discography: 27000 - 27500". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  36. "Capitol 1500 - 2000, 78rpm numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  37. Productions, Global Dog. "78 Discography for Capitol Records - UK - CL 13000 series". www.globaldogproductions.info. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  38. "Barbra Streisand Archives - Just for the Record (box set 1991)". barbra-archives.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  39. Productions, Global Dog. "45 discography for Everest Records". www.globaldogproductions.info. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  40. Cosmo Records listings
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