I Want to Go Back to Michigan is a song by Irving Berlin composed in 1914. It was a moderate commercial success when it was first released with popular versions by Elida Morris and by Morton Harvey.[1] Afterwards it became a staple in vaudeville. Its most famous performance was by Judy Garland in the film Easter Parade.[2]
The ballad's lyrics employ imagery of an idyllic rural childhood juxtaposed against less appealing city life, which was a theme among some popular songs during this period of rapid urban growth in the United States.[3]
According to Charles Hamm in a biography of Irving Berlin, the songwriter composed "I Want to Go Back to Michigan" at a time when his ambitions were aiming past vaudeville toward musical theater and he was exercising new styles. The nostalgic reminiscence here, along with "Happy Little Country Girl" composed during the same period, was previously unknown in his work.[6]Billy Murray, a popular singer during the period when the song was first composed, recorded it for Edison Records in 1914.[2]
Judy Garland performed the song in the 1948 film Easter Parade, which was written around a mixture of ten older and eight newly composed Irving Berlin songs.[10] Berlin's deal with MGM for the package of songs that included "I Want to Go Back to Michigan" was $500,000 plus a percentage of box office receipts, which was an unusually advantageous contract for a songwriter and amounted to twenty percent of the film's total budget of $2.5 million.[11] The film won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Musical Score.[12]
Referencesedit
^Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 519. ISBN0-89820-083-0.
^ ab"The American Variety Stage, 1870 - 1920". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
^Timothy E. Scheurer (1989). American Popular Music: Readings from the Popular Press. Popular Press. pp. 107–110. ISBN9780879724665. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
^""I Want to Go Back to Michigan" (sheet music) page 2". Watson Berlin & Snyder Co. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
^""I Want to Go Back to Michigan" (sheet music) page 3". Watson Berlin & Snyder Co. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
^S. Charles Hamm (1997). Irving Berlin. Oxford University Press US. pp. 170–172. Retrieved 2008-09-17. I Want to go back to Michigan Irving Berlin.
^Sforza, John (1999). Swing It!. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 233. ISBN0-8131-2136-1.
^"Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
^Tyler, Don (2016). Music of the First World War. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 102. ISBN978-1-4408-3996-2.
^Stanley Green, Elaine Schmidt (1999). Hollywood Musicals Year by Year. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 149. ISBN9780634007651. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
^Laurence Bergreen (1996). As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin. Da Capo Press. pp. 474–479. ISBN9780786752522. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
Media related to I Want to Go Back to Michigan at Wikimedia Commons
April 12, 2024
want, back, michigan, song, irving, berlin, composed, 1914, moderate, commercial, success, when, first, released, with, popular, versions, elida, morris, morton, harvey, afterwards, became, staple, vaudeville, most, famous, performance, judy, garland, film, ea. I Want to Go Back to Michigan is a song by Irving Berlin composed in 1914 It was a moderate commercial success when it was first released with popular versions by Elida Morris and by Morton Harvey 1 Afterwards it became a staple in vaudeville Its most famous performance was by Judy Garland in the film Easter Parade 2 Cover page to the first edition printing Wikisource has full lyrics and sheet music I Want to Go Back to Michigan Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Composition 3 Other recordings 4 Movies 5 References 6 External linksLyrics editThe ballad s lyrics employ imagery of an idyllic rural childhood juxtaposed against less appealing city life which was a theme among some popular songs during this period of rapid urban growth in the United States 3 You can keep your cabarets Where they turn nights into days I d rather be where they go to bed at nine I ve been gone for seven weeks And I ve lost my rosy cheeks 4 5 nbsp I Want to Go Back to Michigan source source Performed by Billy Murray for Edison Records in 1914 Problems playing this file See media help Composition editAccording to Charles Hamm in a biography of Irving Berlin the songwriter composed I Want to Go Back to Michigan at a time when his ambitions were aiming past vaudeville toward musical theater and he was exercising new styles The nostalgic reminiscence here along with Happy Little Country Girl composed during the same period was previously unknown in his work 6 Billy Murray a popular singer during the period when the song was first composed recorded it for Edison Records in 1914 2 Other recordings editThe Andrews Sisters recorded it on December 3 1947 Decca 9 24424 7 Burl Ives included the song in his album Burl Ives Sings Irving Berlin 1960 8 Movies editThe Avalon Boys performed an a cappella version of the song in the 1931 Laurel amp Hardy film Pardon Us 9 Judy Garland performed the song in the 1948 film Easter Parade which was written around a mixture of ten older and eight newly composed Irving Berlin songs 10 Berlin s deal with MGM for the package of songs that included I Want to Go Back to Michigan was 500 000 plus a percentage of box office receipts which was an unusually advantageous contract for a songwriter and amounted to twenty percent of the film s total budget of 2 5 million 11 The film won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Musical Score 12 References edit Whitburn Joel 1986 Joel Whitburn s Pop Memories 1890 1954 Menomonee Falls Wisconsin Record Research Inc p 519 ISBN 0 89820 083 0 a b The American Variety Stage 1870 1920 Library of Congress Retrieved 2008 09 17 Timothy E Scheurer 1989 American Popular Music Readings from the Popular Press Popular Press pp 107 110 ISBN 9780879724665 Retrieved 2008 09 17 I Want to Go Back to Michigan sheet music page 2 Watson Berlin amp Snyder Co Retrieved 2008 09 17 I Want to Go Back to Michigan sheet music page 3 Watson Berlin amp Snyder Co Retrieved 2008 09 17 S Charles Hamm 1997 Irving Berlin Oxford University Press US pp 170 172 Retrieved 2008 09 17 I Want to go back to Michigan Irving Berlin Sforza John 1999 Swing It Lexington Kentucky University Press of Kentucky p 233 ISBN 0 8131 2136 1 Discogs com Discogs com Retrieved March 29 2020 Tyler Don 2016 Music of the First World War Santa Barbara California ABC CLIO p 102 ISBN 978 1 4408 3996 2 Stanley Green Elaine Schmidt 1999 Hollywood Musicals Year by Year Hal Leonard Corporation p 149 ISBN 9780634007651 Retrieved 2008 09 17 Laurence Bergreen 1996 As Thousands Cheer The Life of Irving Berlin Da Capo Press pp 474 479 ISBN 9780786752522 Retrieved 2008 09 17 Results page Easter Parade Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Retrieved 2008 09 21 External links edit nbsp Media related to I Want to Go Back to Michigan at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title I Want to Go Back to Michigan amp oldid 1163602644, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
