“Singin’ in the Rain” [To listen to the song, click here.]
My first reaction was one of excitement when I discovered this song on the list. It is possible that I have seen the movie Singin’ in the Rain more than fifty times in my life, so the song “Singin’ in the Rain” possesses a lot of personal significance. The song has meaning for me because it is a piece of unadulterated nostalgia; I have fond memories of watching the film as a child and anticipating the iconic scene where Gene Kelly sings the carefree title song while sloshing through puddles and rivulets of rain water. Because I associate the song directly with this scene in the film, I was pleased when in the audio clip one of the commentators mentioned that this particular scene in the movie was what solidified the song as an American classic, and it remains one of the most familiar and historic scenes in the history of filmmaking.
However, I was surprised to learn that the historic nature of the song “Singin’ in the Rain” didn’t start with the Gene Kelly film rendition. The song had been used in numerous films before the making of the film Singin’ in the Rain, a fact that I hadn’t known. Although the song’s date of origin is imprecise, “Singin’ in the Rain” made its movie debut in The Hollywood Revue in 1929 and reached its peak of popularity in Singin’ in the Rain. As I listened to the commentators relay the historical background of the song, I realized that several reasons exist for why the song is so important. Aside from the song’s lighthearted spirit and long-lived popularity, “Singin’ in the Rain” traces, through its many movie appearances, the history and progression of Hollywood film in the 20th century. The song thus serves not only as a timeless pop culture classic but also as an important cultural indicator that helps measure how American cinema developed during the film industry’s early years. “Crazy” [To listen to the song, click here.]
I have always enjoyed listening to the song “Crazy” recorded by Patsy Cline. I remember listening to it as a young teenager and being impressed with Patsy’s rich voice and the way she masterfully sang the simple lyrics and melody. But as I listened to “Crazy” with the commentary, I received new insight into the emotional power of the recording. The commentary mentioned how Patsy Cline actually disliked brokenhearted, slow songs like “Crazy,” and she didn’t initially want to record the song. The producer had to do a lot of persuading to get her to record the song; even after Patsy agreed to sing “Crazy,” there remained a great deal of artistic tension between her and the production team. With this background knowledge, I was able to understand how this archetypal recording of “Crazy” reflects the dynamic of the country music industry at the time: the song demonstrates how artistic license was widely undermined during this time period of country music.
Despite the careful and detailed, and at times tense, production behind the song, “Crazy” endures as one of the most popular and beloved American recordings. The commentary said that Patsy Cline’s rendition remains the most popular jukebox hit of all time, and I think it maintains this status because of its level of complexity and sophistication that is missing in many contemporary country music songs. As I listened to “Crazy,” I realized that the melody and chord structure of the song possess a jazzy influence that adds an extra layer of intricacy. Although the song contains a more collective complexity, I think the real power of Patsy Cline’s recording comes from the emotional intensity of her voice that almost acts as a window into her soul. When I learned that her vocals in the song were recorded in one take, the rawness of the emotions in the song and the magic in Patsy’s voice were amplified in my view. I believe that the virtuosity and unprocessed quality of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” qualify the song to be a benchmark for other American songs.
“White Christmas” [To listen to the song, click here.]
I was thrilled to see “White Christmas” on the list. From my first memories of this song, I have identified a certain magic in its idyllic simplicity. When I would watch the film White Christmas as a child, I remember being mesmerized, right along with the soldiers in the movie, during the opening scene as Bing Crosby sang the title song.
As I listened to the commentary and discovered that the film White Christmas was a sort of regeneration of real events that Bing Crosby and others experienced while singing “White Christmas” to overseas American troops. This background information confirmed to me the universal appeal that “White Christmas” holds for people from all kinds of backgrounds, whether their Christmases past were white or not.
The concreteness of the song’s significance was amplified when I discovered the history of songwriter, Irving Berlin. For Berlin, who was Jewish, Christmas must have been much like other American holidays that are of a more secular nature. Instead of being founded upon specific religious sentiments, “White Christmas” is based on bedrock American values and contains evocative, nostalgic images that appeal to a wide variety of people; it is a song that transcends social classes and religions.
Upon closer listening, I also realized that the song is more complicated than it at first appears. In spirit, “White Christmas” is a blues song; the tune is rather melancholy and full of longing, and yet most people that listen to it as a way to amplify their Christmas cheer. I think the song conveys some of the ambivalent feelings that many people experience during the Holiday season, which is another aspect of the song’s power that allows so many to connect with it. The ambivalence and complexity of the song’s meaning seems reflexive of America’s own ambivalent and multi-layered nature. It is little wonder to me that “White Christmas” is the most recorded popular song of all time and remains one of the most recognized and adored Christmas songs.
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