"There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" is a 1928 song sung by

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...

in the early

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

talking picture ''

The Singing Fool ''The Singing Fool'' is a 1928 American sound part-talkie musical drama motion picture directed by Lloyd Bacon which was released by Warner Bros. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchr ...

'' the same year. The song, along with " Sonny Boy" and " I'm Sitting on Top of the World", which were also in ''The Singing Fool'', were big hits for Jolson. The song was written by Al Jolson,

Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman, lyricist and columnist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainm ...

and Dave Dreyer. According to John A. Lomax in his "American Ballads and Folk Songs" published in 1934, from the song "Goin' Home". The line "Got a rainbow tied all 'round my shoulder" refers to the "Rainbow" as "the arc of a swinging pick, probably going so fast it becomes red hot." This song is in the section entitled "Songs from Southern Chain Gangs". The original lyrics and music of the song entered the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

in the United States in 2024.

Other notable recordings

McKinney's Cotton Pickers McKinney's Cotton Pickers were an American jazz band, founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1926, and led by Bill McKinney (drummer), Bill McKinney, who expanded his Synco Septet to ten players. Cuba Austin took over for McKinney on drum ...

– recorded November 23, 1928 for Victor Records (catalog No. V-38013-B). *Al Jolson recorded the song again on November 21, 1947, for Decca Records (catalog No. 24400). *

Donald Peers Donald Rhys Hubert Peers (10 July 1908 – 9 August 1973) was a Welsh people, Welsh singer of traditional pop. His best remembered rendition and signature song was "In a Shady Nook by a Babbling Brook". Biography Early life Donald Peers was b ...

with two pianos recorded it at Royal Albert Hall, London on June 13, 1949, along with " Blue Skies" and "

If You Were the Only Girl (in the World) "If You Were the Only Girl (In the World)" is a popular song, composed by Nat D. Ayer with lyrics by Clifford Grey. It was written for the musical revue ''The Bing Boys Are Here'', which premièred on 19 April 1916 at the Alhambra Theatre in L ...

". The medley was released by

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

on the

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

label as catalog number B 9792. *

Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer and songwriter whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performa ...

– recorded for Columbia Records (catalog No. 39798) in 1952. *

and

Charlotte Austin Charlotte Austin (born Jean Charlotte Austin; November 2, 1933) is an American retired actress. She appeared in leading and supporting roles in the 1950s, mostly active in B-films. Early years Charlotte Austin was born on November 2, 1933, in ...

(dubbed by

Jo Ann Greer Katherine Joan Greer "New Jersey, Reclaim the Records, Geographic Birth Index, 1901-1929", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6N35-48NY : Mon Mar 11 00:28:14 UTC 2024), Entry for Katherine Greer, 3 Apr 1927. (April 3, 19 ...

) - from the film ''Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder'' (1952). *

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...

also recorded this song and it was included in his album ''

Oh! Look at Me Now "Oh! Look at Me Now" is a 1941 song composed by Joe Bushkin, with lyrics by John DeVries. It is strongly associated with Frank Sinatra, who first recorded it with Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra, in an arrangement by Sy Oliver. Sinatra re-recorded ...

'' (1962) *

Pasadena Roof Orchestra The Pasadena Roof Orchestra (PRO) is a contemporary band from England that specialises in the jazz and Swing music, swing genres of music of the 1920s and 1930s, although their full repertoire is considerably wider. The orchestra has existed s ...

– ''Night Out'' (1979). *

Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals '' Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' ( ...

– ''Rainbow Round My Shoulder'' (2008).

References

{{Authority control 1928 songs Al Jolson songs Songs with lyrics by Billy Rose Songs written by Al Jolson Songs with music by Dave Dreyer