My Melancholy Baby

"My Melancholy Baby" is a popular song published in 1912 and first sung publicly by William Frawley. The music was written by Ernie Burnett (1884-1959), the lyrics by George A. Norton (1880–1923).

William Frawley, who later played Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy, claimed to be the first person to perform the song publicly, in 1912 in the Mozart Cafe at 1647 Curtis Street in Denver, Colorado. Frawley told that story during a May 3, 1965, appearance on the TV game show I've Got a Secret.

Ernie Burnett, who composed the music, was wounded fighting in the First World War, and he lost his memory together with his identity dog tags. While recuperating in hospital, a pianist entertained the patients with popular tunes including "Melancholy Baby". Burnett rose from his sickbed and exclaimed: "That's my song!" He had regained his memory.

Early successes with the song were had by Walter Van Brunt (1915), Gene Austin (1928) and Al Bowlly (1935). Teddy Wilson also achieved chart success in 1936. The song can be heard often throughout the 1939 Warner Brothers gangster movie The Roaring Twenties, where a vocal rendition of the song is performed by costar Priscilla Lane.

Bing Crosby recorded the song for Decca Records on December 12, 1938 and it reached No. 14 in the charts of the day. Crosby also sang the song in the 1941 Oscar-nominated movie Birth of the Blues.Harry James recorded a version in 1941 on Columbia 36434.

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