"The Lamplighter's Serenade" is a song written by

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor, author and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s and 1940s, a ...

(music) and

Paul Francis Webster Paul Francis Webster (December 20, 1907 – March 18, 1984) was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and was nominated sixteen times for the award. Life and career Webster was born in New York City, United S ...

(lyrics). The construction of the song was unusual and did not conform to the normal AABA pattern. Instead, Carmichael used an

ABA ABA may refer to: Aviation * AB Aerotransport, former Scandinavian airline * IATA airport code for Abakan International Airport in Republic of Khakassia, Russia Businesses and organizations Broadcasting * Alabama Broadcasters Association, Uni ...

format that proved most effective.

Notable recordings

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

- recorded during his first session as a solo artist, on January 19, 1942 with

Axel Stordahl Axel Stordahl (August 8, 1913 – August 30, 1963) was an American arranger and composer who was active from the late 1930s through the 1950s. He is perhaps best known for his work with Frank Sinatra in the 1940s at Columbia Records. With his ...

and his Orchestra. ( Frank Sinatra discography). *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

also recorded a version of the song on January 26, 1942 with

Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Young was posthumously awarded the ...

and his Orchestra, and this briefly charted reaching the No. 23 spot in the Billboard charts. *

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roo ...

and His Orchestra, recorded January 28, 1942 for Decca Records, (catalog No. 4253A). *

Horace Heidt Horace Heidt (May 21, 1901 – December 1, 1986) was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television during the 19 ...

's Musical Knights, recorded on January 28, 1942 for Columbia Records (catalog No. 36536). *

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

and His Orchestra (vocals by

Ray Eberle Raymond Eberle (January 19, 1919 – August 25, 1979) was a vocalist during the Big Band Era, making his name with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. His elder brother, Bob Eberly, sang with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Career Eberle was born in Me ...

and

The Modernaires The Modernaires were an American vocal group, best known for performing in the 1940s with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Career The Modernaires began in 1934 as "Don Juan, Two and Three," a trio of schoolmates from Lafayette High School in Buffa ...

), recorded February 18, 1942 for Bluebird Records (catalog No. 11474A). *

Michael Holliday Norman Alexander Milne (26 November 1924 – 29 October 1963), known professionally as Michael Holliday, was an English singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He had a number of chart hits in the UK, including two number o ...

- for his album ''Mike'' (1962).

References

;Sources * 1942 songs Frank Sinatra songs Bing Crosby songs Bluebird Records singles Songs with music by Hoagy Carmichael {{1940s-song-stub