Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Baline, May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.

Born in Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five. He published his first song, “Marie from Sunny Italy”, in 1907, for which he received 33 cents for the publishing rights. He had his first major international hit in 1911 with “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”: a song that sparked an international dance craze as far away as Russia.

During his sixty-year career, he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores for 19 Broadway shows and 18 Hollywood films, and was nominated eight times for Academy Awards. Many artists have recorded his songs (we’ve linked their names below)

Backing Tracks

 All By Myself

 Always

Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better – Annie Get Your Gun

A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody – There’s No Business Like Show Business

Be Careful It’s My Heart – Holiday Inn (Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby)

Best Thing For You – Call Me Madam (Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Diana Krall)

Blue Skies – Betsy (Ella Fitzgerald)

Cheek To Cheek – Top Hat (Ella Fitzgerald, Fred Astaire)

Couple Of Swells – Easter Parade (Judy Garland)

Easter Parade – Alexanders Ragtime Band / Easter Parade (Judy Garland, Fred Astaire)

Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor – Top Hat

God Bless America – This Is The Army

Having A Heat Wave – Holiday Inn (Bing Crosby)

How Deep Is The Ocean – (Nat King Cole)

I Get Lost In His Arms – Annie Get Your Gun

Isn’t This A Lovely Day –

Let’s Face The Music And Dance – Love’s Labour’s Lost (Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole)

 Puttin’ On The Ritz

Say It Isn’t So – (Bing Crosby, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Julie London, Dinah Washington, Andy Williams

Shaking The Blues Away

 Sisters

 Stepping Out With My Baby

 The Girl That I Marry

There’s No Business Like Show Business – Annie Get Your Gun

 They Say It’s Wonderful

 This Is The Army Mr Jones

 Top Hat White Tie And Tails

 What’ll I Do

White Christmas

Who Do You Love

You’re Just In Love

 You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun

 

This Is The Army Mr Jones

A bunch of frightened rookies were list’ning filled with awe
They listened while a sergeant was laying down the law
They stood there at attention, their faces turning red
The sergeant looked them over and this is what he said

This is the army, Mister Jones
No private rooms or telephones
You had your breakfast in bed before
But you won’t have it there any more
This is the army, Mister Green

We like the barracks nice and clean
You had a housemaid to clean your floor
But she won’t help you out any more
Do what the buglers command

They’re in the army and not in a band
This is the army, Mister Brown
You and your baby went to town
She had you worried but this is war
And she won’t worry you anymore