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© 2002, Camp Broadway LLCAll rights reserved

This publication is based on the life and work of lyricist Johnny Mercer. The content of TheLife and Works of Johnny Mercer edition of LyricNOTES™ is fully protected under the copy-right laws of the United States of America and all other countries with which the United Stateshas reciprocal copyright relations. All rights regarding publishing, reprint permissions, publicreadings, and mechanical or electronic reproduction, including but not limited to, CD-ROM,information storage and retrieval systems and photocopying, and the rights of translation intoforeign languages are strictly reserved.

Printed in the United States of AmericaFirst printing, June 2002

For more information on Johnny Mercer and The Great American Songbook, contact:The Johnny Mercer Foundation(212) 835-2299http://www.johnnymercerfoundation.org

For more information on LyricNOTES™ and other arts related programs for students, contact:Camp Broadway LLC145 West 45th Street, 7th Floor New York, NY 10036Telephone: (212) 575-2929Facsimile: (212) 575-3125Email: tocampbway@aol.comwww.campbroadway.com

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Namely You: Who Is Johnny Mercer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4A short life story of Johnny Mercer, from Savannah to Hollywood

Too Marvelous For Words: Johnny Mercer's Collaborators . . . . . . . . . .8Johnny’s thoughts on songwriting, inspiration and teamwork –and which comes first, the words or the music

Hooray For Hollywood: Mercer’s Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12High points of Johnny Mercer’s career, his Oscars, and his take on Hollywood

It’s A Great Big World: Growing Up: A Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14What was going on in the world during Mercer’s lifetime

I Thought About You: Mercer’s World and Ours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16What was “hep” in the 30s, 40s, and 50s? Compare then to now.

Come Rain or Come Shine: Mercer Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Johnny Mercer’s songs in TV and movies -- and rap

Spring, Spring, Spring: Nature Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Johnny Mercer wrote about nature and the seasons – now you can too.

I’m An Old Cowhand: Character Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Capturing a character in song

Let That Be A Lesson To You: Mercer Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Everything you always wanted to know about Johnny Mercer

A CrossLyric Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26A crossword all about Johnny Mercer — test your solving skills!

More Mercer Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Accentuate the Positive: Music and Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32How to learn more about Johnny Mercer and the Great American Songbook

Table of Contents

Log on to

www.johnnymercerfoundation.org

to listen to all of the great

Mercer songs throughout

this book.

The next time you’re listening to your favoritesong on a CD or on the radio, imagine a boy in Savannah, Georgia, listening to hisown favorite music, dreaming of being a singer and songwriter. That boy did morethan dream — he grew up, traveled to New York, sang on the radio, wrote songs forBroadway and for the movies, founded a record company, won Academy Awards, andpublished hundreds of songs (one of his favorites was called “Dream.”) He wasnamed Johnny Mercer.

I first met Johnny Mercer when I was seven years old. He'd come out to Hollywoodto write songs with my father, Richard Whiting, and my mother wanted me to singfor him. Well, I did. And when I was finished he called me over to him and he said,“Kid, I want to give you two words of advice. ‘Grow up!’” So I did. And later on,Johnny became my mentor and best friend. He signed me to my first record contractat Capitol Records, because he was the boss. That's the way I remember Johnny.

To the rest of the world he was a poet. A spinner of dreams. Johnny's love affair withmusic didn't come from the glitter of Broadway or Hollywood, but from growing up

in Savannah near a small park, where on Sundays he would go listen in wonder to alocal band play ragtime. His lyrics came naturally from the colorful way people

talked. “You Gotta Accentuate the Positive,” “Anyplace I Hang My Hat isHome,” and the sounds -- the clickety clack of the railroad track, the windwhistling through the Spanish Moss, and the rain, like silver slivers racing

across the horizon.

When Johnny Mercer came on the scene, with his distinctive brand of impish Southern charm, hemade an impact just as strong as any of today’s MTV favorites. But, musical tastes change. Styleschange. Hits come and go. So why do we still sing Johnny Mercer’s songs and listen to his words? Hewas able to do what only a small number of songwriters can: with his words, he tapped into somethingdeep, universal, and timeless. Singers keep singing his songs because the words hit home as stronglytoday as they did the day he wrote them. Song lyrics are the poetry of the people – and Johnny Mercerspoke for us all.

We hope this book helps to introduce you to Johnny Mercer and the Great American Songbook. Youcan take the next step, and write lyrics of your own – just like Johnny Mercer did, you can put wordsto a dream.

Margaret WhitingThe Johnny Mercer Foundation

3Drea

m

Johnny Mercer

with Margaret

Whiting

4

Johnny (far left) at Woodberry Forest School.

When he was 17, his father’s real estatebusiness failed. The family couldn't afford

to send Johnny to college, so he head-ed to New York City to try his

luck in the theater.

N e w Yo r k , N YIn New York, Johnny wrotesongs and tried out for shows.He auditioned for “TheGarrick Gaieties,” a popularmusic and comedy revue.

The producers told him theydidn't need any more actors, but

they did need more songs. He gavethem one called “Out of Breath.”

Mine’s a hopeless caseBut there’s one saving grace,Anyone would feel as I do;Out of breath and scared to death of you.

S a v a n n a h , G AAward winning lyricist John HerndonMercer was born in Savannah, Georgia,November 18, 1909.

By the time he was three,Johnny already loved tosing. As a teenager, he fellin love with jazz. He wasalso drawn to gospelmusic and other African-American folk music heheard when he was grow-ing up.

Johnny was sent to the WoodberryForest School in Virginia. He took pianoand trumpet lessons, and sang in the chapelchoir. When he was 15, he wrote his first

song, “Sister Susie StrutYour Stuff.”

Who is Johnny Mercer?

8 year old Johnnygo

esfis

hin'Nam

ely Y

ou

“I think the threegreatest moments in a

songwriter’s life are when he writes

his first song, even when he’s

fifteen, in my case. The secondtime is when he gets his first song

published. And then the thirdtime is when he gets his first hit, a

real hit song that you hear – you

go down the street and people are

singing it that don’t know who

you are, they just love the song –

and that’s really a thrill.”

5

Johnny also met adancer in theshow, GingerMeehan, whobecame his wife.Later, they had adaughter,Amanda, and ason, JohnJefferson. Johnny wrote alyric about his little girl, nick-named “Mandy.”

Mandy is TwoYou ought to see her eyes

of cornflower blue;They really look as if they

actually knewThat she’s a big girl now.

(left) Johnny

and Ginger on

their honey-

moon. (below,

from left) John

Jefferson,

Ginger, Johnny,

and Amanda.

Try ThisWho Wrote It?Pick your most FAVORITE song EVER! Do youknow who wrote it? Who is the lyricist andwho is the composer? Once you know for sure,bring a recording of your favorite song intoyour class and play it for your classmates.

Now, you can quiz them! Do they realize thatthe artist who is singing or playing your favoritesong may not be the same person who wrotethe lyrics and the music? It’s YOUR turn toteach them!Johnny with band leader Paul Whiteman

Johnny won a singing contest, and was noticed by his idol Paul Whiteman, “TheKing of Jazz.” Johnny was hired to write songs and sing with Whiteman’s band, usinghis Southern drawl in sings like “Pardon My Southern Accent.”

6

He wrote lyrics for many different composers,but sometimes wrote his own music for hislyrics – like the 1942 song “Dream.”

Dream when you’re feelin’ blueDream, that’s the thing to doJust watch the smoke rings rise in the airYou’ll find your shareOf memories there

Besides being a songwriter and singer, JohnnyMercer was also a businessman. He helpedfound Capitol Records in 1942 (the namewas suggested by his wife, Ginger). He wasalways on the lookout for new singing andwriting talent.

H o l l y w o o d , C AIn 1934 Johnny headed to Hollywood to writesongs for movie musicals (and even appear in afew!). His song “I’m An Old Cowhand fromthe Rio Grande” was a hit in the movieRhythm on the Range. Four years later, hissong “Jeepers Creepers” was nominated foran Academy Award.He won an Oscar onhis ninth nomination,for the song “On TheAtchison, Topeka andthe Santa Fe,” sungby Judy Garland in themovie The HarveyGirls in 1946.

Nam

ely Y

ou

Johnny (right) with Buddy Desylva, co-founder of Capitol Records

Who is Johnny Mercer? (cont’d)

My Huckleberry FriendOne of Johnny’s most famous linesis in the song “Moon River”: myhuckleberry friend. Johnnywrote those words thinking of hiscousin, Walter Rivers. When theywere kids, on lazy summer daysthey would pick huckleberriestogether, facing brambles, briarsand sometimes snakes to fill theirbuckets with berries. For peoplewho knew Johnny Mercer, myhuckleberry friend describes himperfectly. (You can find the lyrics to

“Moon River” on page 10.)

7

Snapshot LyricJust as Johnny wrote a song about his little girl,“Mandy,” you can write a song about someoneyou love too, like a "snapshot" in words.

1. Choose a family member or really closefriend. Close your eyes and picture them asclearly as you can in your mind. Details areVERY important when writing lyrics. Do yousee the color of his/her hair and eyes? Are theyshort or tall? Do they make you laugh? Canyou picture them in a certain color shirt or pairof pants that they may wear often?

2. Write all the details you can think of aboutthis person down on a piece of paper.3. Now choose three interesting words thatdescribe this person’s personality.4. Now, take all the words you've written downso far, and use as many as you can in a shortlyric about that person.

This is the way great lyricists begin to gather thebest words they can find to describe what they’retrying to write about! It involves a lot ofthought and hard work, but once you’ve got itdown, anyone who listens to your lyrics will beable to imagine just what you intended them to!

From the Thirties to the Seventies (over fortyyears!), Johnny Mercer wrote many pop-ular songs that went to the top of thecharts. He contributed songs tomore than 90 movies, and wroteseven Broadway musicals.

Johnny Mercer died on June 25,1976, in Beverly Hills, California, buthis words and music live on. His unforget-table personality comes through in his lyrics, thelaid-back Savannah boy with the jazzy rhythmsof New York.

So you sing your song, I'll sing my song, We may even share a touch of

Auld Lang Syne, Then you go your way, through your

golden doorway, And wish me luck as I go mine.

Now you know...Composer: Someone who writes the music to a song.

Lyricist: Someone who writes the words to a song.

Revue: a variety show of humorous songs and sketches.

Savannah: The oldest city in Georgia, founded in 1773 near the mouth of the Savannah River.

Oscar®: The award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievement in movies.

Try This

8

Johnny Mercer’s CollaboratorsTo

o Mar

velou

s for

Wor

dsSome of Johnny Mercer’s

Collaborators

Harold Arlen (February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986)Born in Buffalo, Harold Arlen began performingragtime piano at age 15. He moved to New YorkCity in the mid-Twenties, and had a hit with thesong “Get Happy” in 1930, around the same timethat Johnny Mercer was becoming known. JohnnyMercer introduced Harold Arlen to E.Y. “Yip”Harburg, another lyricist. Together Arlen andHarburg wrote the songs for the 1939 movie “TheWizard of Oz.” Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercerbegan writing songs together in 1941, including“Blues in the Night.”

Johnny with Harold Arlen (left)

Collaborate: To work together

Integrity: Keeping to a strong moral code of behavior:honesty

Now you know...

You hear songs every day, on TV, on the radio,but you don’t always know who wrote them.Sometimes the same person writes both wordsand music – Johnny Mercer wrote music for afew of his lyrics. But most of the time, a com-poser and a lyricist collaborate to write asong.

Which Comes First, Words or Music?Every songwriting team works differently, butJohnny Mercer liked to fit his words to amelody. The lyrics of his first big success,“Lazybones,” were written to go with the tuneof Hoagy Carmichael’s “Washboard Blues.”

Johnny Mercer on What Makes aGood Collaborator“First of all, great talent and integrity, that’swhat I like. I like a guy who writes his wayand his way is so high that it starts whereother guys leave off. They’re all different.Every one is different.”

Why He Likes to Write Words to gowith the Music“I feel music like a composer ... I understandthe music. I know where the accents shouldcome. I don’t mean to sound conceited whenI say this, but I’ve often had a lot of goodlyrics loused up by writing them first becausethe guy doesn’t understand the meter that Iwrote. I’d rather try and catch the mood ofhis tune.”

9

from Blues in the Nightmusic by Harold Arlen

The evening breeze’ll startThe trees to cryin’And the moon’ll hide its lightWhen you get the blues in the night

Take my word, the mocking bird’llSing the saddest kind of songHe knows things are wrongAnd he’s right

Hoagy Carmichael(November 22, 1899 – December 28, 1981)Hoagy Carmichael’s mother played piano in silent-movie theaters.Hoagy was playing piano at age six. In his twenties, he was playingand writing jazz. After getting his law degree from IndianaUniversity, he moved to New York. He had a hit song, “Lazybones”with Johnny Mercer in 1933. In 1936, he moved to Hollywood towrite songs for the movies. He was very popular through the Forties,even appearing in films (usually as a piano player.) He won an Oscarwith Johnny Mercer in 1951 for their song “In The Cool, Cool,Cool of the Evening.”

from In the Cool, Cool,Cool of the Eveningmusic by Hoagy Carmichael

In the cool, cool, cool of the evenin’,Tell ‘em I’ll be there.In the cool. cool, cool of the evenin’,Better save a chair.When the party’s gettin’ a glow on‘N singin’ fills the airIn the shank o’ the nightWhen the doin’s are rightYou can tell ‘em I’ll be there.

Silent CollaborationYou need one pen, one piece of paper and one friend.Pass the pen back and forth, and take turns drawing oneshape at a time on the piece of paper, each adding on adifferent shape to the one previously drawn. The key hereis ‘NO TALKING’. Let the picture you create grow with-out telling each other what to draw. Keep in mind, you’retrying to create one picture, not two separate things. You'll notice that after a while, it’s like you’re both“thinking with one brain” — that’s collaboration!

Meter: A rhythmic pattern

Ragtime: An early style of jazz music popular at thebeginning of the 20th century

Shank: The main or early part. The shank of the evening.

Try This

Johnny with Hoagy Carmichael (right)

10

Mercer’s Collaborators (cont’d)

Too M

arve

lous f

or W

ords

Duke Ellington(April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974)Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. Hehad piano lessons at age seven, but at that age was more interest-ed in playing baseball. When he was in his teens, he was fasci-nated by ragtime music and took up the piano again, playingprofessionally by 17. Nicknamed “Duke,” he moved to NewYork in 1923. Along with his band, The Washingtonians, Dukewas heard “Live from the Cotton Club” on radio across thenation. He became one of the world’s greatest jazz composersand performers, writing hundreds of songs, and playing with jazzgreats all over the world. Johnny Mercer wrote words to severalof Duke Ellington’s jazz compositions, including “Satin Doll.”

from Satin Dollmusic by Duke Ellington

Cigarette holderWhich wigs meOver her shoulderShe digs meOut cattin'That satin doll

Baby, shall we goOut skippin'Careful, amigoYou're flippin'Speaks latinThat satin dollHenry Mancini

(April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994)Born Enrico Nicola Mancini in Cleveland, Ohio, he was raisedin the mill town of West Aliquippa, PA. He studied flute andpiccolo, and eventually went to the Juilliard School in New York.While in the Army during World War II, he played in militarybands. After the war, he worked as a freelance musician, eventu-ally getting hired at Universal writing background music. Hebecame known forwriting jazz-inspiredmovie and TVthemes, includingthe famous “PinkPanther” theme.The songs “MoonRiver” and “Days ofWine and Roses,”written with JohnnyMercer, won theOscar for Best Songtwo years in a row,1961 and 1962.

Henry Mancini (left) and Johnny Mercer pose withDebbie Reynolds and their “Moon River” Oscars

Moon Rivermusic by Henry Mancini

Moon River,Wider than a mileI'm crossin' you in styleSome day.Old dream maker,You heart breaker,Wherever you're goin',I'm goin' your way:

Two drifters,Off to see the worldThere's such a lot of worldTo see.We're after the same Rainbow's endWaitin' round the bendMy huckleberry friend,Moon RiverAnd me.

11Harry Warren (at piano) with another collaborator, Al Dubin

Johnny showsoff the just-pressed recordof the Oscar-winning “Onthe Atchison,Topeka andthe Santa Fe”

Try ThisLyrics in MotionJohnny Mercer wrote great lyrics about a train in "On theAtchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe." Now you can pickup where he left off.Choose your favorite form of transportation. For examplea car, a bike, a skateboard, a hot-air balloon, a jetski,rollerblades or even the subway. Choose three words that‘sound like’ the vehicle you have chosen. Does it whirl,buzz or chugga chugga? These words that ‘sound like’ thething you are describing are examples of onomatopoeia.The more specific your words are, the better!

Read your list of words to a friend — can they guess whatkind of transportation you picked.Now use that list of words to write a lyric. Put the form oftransportation you picked in the title, and go from there!

Harry Warren(December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981)Harry Warren was born Salvatore Guaragna, but his parents changedtheir last name (as most immigrants to America did then), and he chosethe new first name “Harry.” He dropped out of school at 16 to becomea drummer. He began working at a silent-movie studio in Brooklyn,playing “mood music” for the actors. Later, he moved to Hollywood towrite for movie musicals. He wrote “Jeepers Creepers” with JohnnyMercer, which was nominated for an Oscar. They won an Oscar for“On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” in 1946.

from On the Atchison, Topekaand the Santa Femusic by Harry Warren

Do yuh hear that whistle down the line?I figure that it’s engine number forty nineShe’s the only one that’ll sound that wayOn the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe

See the ol' smoke risin' round the bend,I reckon that she knows she's gonna meet a friend,Folks around these parts get the time o'dayFrom the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe

Now you know...Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like

what they mean: buzz, fizz, pop, murmur

12

Mercer’s Point of ViewHo

rray

for H

ollyw

ood

This song, written in 1936 with composer Richard A. Whiting, has become the unofficial themesong of Hollywood. To match the feel of this jazzy, energetic song, Johnny Mercer wrote a snappy,witty lyric. He mentions people and places that were in the headlines in 1936. Read the lyric outloud. What is Johnny Mercer saying about Hollywood? Does Hollywood have the same kind ofreputation today?

Hooray for Hollywood!That screwy bally hooey Hollywood,Where any office boy or young mechanicCan be a panic,With just a good looking pan,And any bar maidCan be a star maid,If she dances with or without a fan.

Hooray for Hollywood!Where you’re terrific if you’re even good,Where anyone at all from Shirley TempleTo Aimee SempleIs equally understood,Go out and try your luck,You might be Donald Duck!Hooray for Hollywood!

Hooray for Hollywood!That phony super Coney Hollywood,They come from Chillicothes and PaducahsWith their bazookasTo get their names up in lights,All armed with photos from local rotos,With their hair in ribbons and legs in tights.

Hooray for Hollywood!You may be homely in your neighborhood,But if you think that you can be an actor,See Mister Factor,He’d make a monkey look good,Within half an hour,You’ll look like Tyrone Power!Hooray for Hollywood!

a panicexciting, see p. 16;Slang of the Thirties

Aimee SempleMcPhersonGlamorous Hollywoodevangelist known for hertheatrical personality

Coney IslandNew York resort districtfamous for its amusementpark

PaducahCity in western Kentuckynear Illinois border

Max FactorPolish-born Hollywoodmakeup artist who startedhis own salon and line ofcosmetics

ballyhoo noisy shouting, an uproar

Shirley Temple Child star of the 30s. Became aUS Ambassador as an adult.

Donald DuckWalt Disney character first intro-duced in 1934, voiced byClarence Nash

ChillicotheCity in southern Ohio. FormerlyOhio capital in early 1800s.

rotosShort for rotogravure, an earlytechnique for printing newspa-per photographs using an etchedcopper cylinder

Tyrone PowerDashing Hollywood leadingman, most famous for “TheMark of Zorro”(1940)

13

The World According to MercerEas i est lyric to write (in Johnny’s opinion)

Days of Wine and Roses9 m inutes

Johnny’s Hardest lyric to writeSkylark

Over a year

The Days of Wine and Rosesmusic by Henry Mancini

The days of wine and rosesLaugh and run awayLike a child at play,Through a meadowlandToward a closing door,A door marked "Nevermore,"That wasn’t there before.

The lonely night disclosesJust a passing breezeFilled with memoriesOf the golden smile that introduced me toThe days of wine and roses and you.

Skylarkmusic by Hoagy Carmichael

Skylark,Have you anything to say to me?Won’t you tell me where my love can be?Is there a meadow in the mist,Where someone’s waiting to be kissed?

Skylark,Have you seen a valley green with SpringWhere my heart can go a-journeying,Over the shadows and the rainTo a blossom covered lane?

Word CollageJohnny wrote one of America’s favorite songs of all timeabout Hollywood. Could you write a similar song aboutNew York City?

Flip through pages of magazines and newspapers and cutout words and images that you think represent New YorkCity today. The pictures could be of buildings, people,fashion, culture, art, music, anything! Choose words togo along with the photos.

Now make a collage on a piece of heavy paper or card-board with all of these images. There you have it! Yourown view of New York City today, just like Johnny's"word collage" of 1936 Hollywood.An extra tip: If you paste everything on an empty shoe-box, you’ll have a great container to put all your specialthings in or a cool gift to give to someone else!

Try This

And in your lonely flight,Haven’t you heard the music in the night,Wonderful music,Faint as a "will-o-the-wisp",Crazy as a loon,Sad as a gypsy serenading the moon (Oh)

Skylark,I don’t know if you can find these things,But my heart is riding on your wings,So if you see them anywhere,Won’t you lead me there?

Now you know...Stanza: A division or section of a lyric orpoem. A stanza is usually four to eight lines long.

Chorus: A stanza that is repeated throughouta song. Usually the title of a song is in the cho-rus. In “Jingle Bells,” the chorus is the part thatbegins “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all theway...”

Verse: Sometimes used as another word forstanza. A verse also means the stanzas thatcome in between the choruses. In “JingleBells,” the verse begins “Dashing through thesnow, in a one horse open sleigh...”

1909 1919 1929 1939 1949 1959 1969

14

Growing Up: A Timeline

November 18, 1909 Johnny Mercer born in Savannah, GA

Johnny Mercer turns 10.

Buys jazz recordings, including PaulWhiteman

1922 Enters Woodberry Forest Schoolin Orange, VA

1927 Leaves Woodberry Forest

1929 Johnny Mercer turns 20.Family business fails. Johnny moves toNYC

1930 Writes “Out of Breath” forGarrick Gaieties

1931 Marries Ginger Meehan, June 8

1933 Has first hit, "Lazybones"

1934 Moves to Hollywood

1938 First Oscar nomination for BestSong, “Jeepers Creepers”

1939 Johnny Mercer turns 30

1911 Irving Berlin writes "Alexander’sRagtime Band"

1914 World War I begins

1915 New Orleans jazz thrives

1917 First jazz recordings made

1918 Armistice signed, ending WorldWar I

1919 The 18th Amendment outlawsthe sale of alcohol (Prohibition)

1920 Paul Whiteman, “The King ofJazz” tours Europe

1921 The radio era begins

1924 2.5 million radios in U.S. homes

1927 First “talkie” (movie with sound),“The Jazz Singer”

1929 Stock market crashes, GreatDepression begins

1930 U.S. population 122 million.115 million attend movies weekly.

1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt electedPresident

1933 Adolf Hitler comes to power inGermany

1909

1919

1929

In the Life of Johnny... In the U.S.A....

1909 1919 1929 1939 1949 1959 1969It’s

a G

reat

Big

Wor

ld

1909 1919 1929 1939 1949 1959 1969

15

In the Life of Johnny... In the U.S.A...

1939

1949

1959

1969

1942 Co-founds Capitol Records, serves asthe first president

1944 Writes “G.I. Jive”

1945 Has three records at #1

1946 Wins first Oscar on ninthnomination, for “On The Atchison,Topeka and the Santa Fe”

1949 Johnny Mercer turns 40

1951 Wins second Oscar for“In the Cool, Cool, Coolof the Evening”

1959 Johnny Mercer turns 50

1961 Wins third Oscar for “Moon River”

1962 Back River in Savannah renamed“Moon River”

1962 Wins fourth Oscar for “The Days ofWine and Roses”

1969 Johnny Mercer turns 60

1976 Dies July 25

1939 World War II begins

1942 Magnetic recording tape invented

1945 End of World War II

1946 End of “Big Band Era” as many groupsdissolve

1948 Long-playing record (LP) invented

1950 1.5 million TV sets in U.S.

1951 15 million TVs in U.S.

1956 Elvis Presley and rock-and-roll becomepopular

1958 Stereo recordings introduced

1961 Alan Shepard makes first U.S. spaceflight

1963 President John F. Kennedy assassinated

1966 Color TV becomes popular; 78 millionTV sets in U.S.

1969 U.S. astronauts land on moon

1976 U.S. celebrates Bicentennial

1909 1919 1929 1939 1949 1959 1969

16

Mercer’s World and OursI T

houg

ht A

bout

You Johnny Mercer’s career lasted for more than forty years. Fads and fashions change from year to

year, but Johnny Mercer kept writing hit after hit, always staying up with the times.

Here is a sampling of what was "in" during the decades when Johnny Mercer was most popular.

Stars

Slang

30sThirtiesShirley TempleClark GableFred Astaire andGinger Rogers

All wet: wrong

Clam: a dollar

Drip: boring orannoying person

Hep: hip, in theknow

Hepcat: a stylish per-son

Jeepers Creepers!:Wow!

A panic: exciting

A scream: hilarious

Sore: angry

Swell: great

40sFortiesBing CrosbyBetty GrableHumphrey Bogart

Amscray!: leave!

Canary: a femalejazz singer

Cat: a jazz musician

Chatterbox: a carradio

Crab patch: a strictparent

Cut a rug: to danceor jitterbug

Dig: to understand

Ginger: energy, spirit

Jive: nonsense

Pepper shaker: agood dancer

50sFifties Jimmy StewartMarilyn MonroeJohn Wayne

Bash: a good party

Bread: money

Cool: very good

Cool it: relax

Flick: a movie

Hang out: layaround

Kick: a fun thing

No sweat: no prob-lem

Pile up Z’s: get somesleep

Sides: vinyl records

All wet • A panic • Sore Swell • Chatterbox • Cut a rug • Ginger • Pepper shaker • Bash • Bread • Cool it • Hang out • No sweat

G A M E S22 11 33 11 11

17

30s 40s 50sFlying saucer watch-ing, stamp collecting,Silly Putty, Scrabble,Hula Hoops,Hawaiian shirts

Fill in your own chart: who are the stars youadmire? What slang do you and your friendsuse? What games and fads are popular? Draw orpaste in pictures.

Stars

Slang

Fads and Games

Fads and Games

Time CapsuleImagine you and your class were going to create a timecapsule for this year.

Pick ten items that surround you that represent life as youknow it today. Were these items around or available ten,twenty or even thirty years ago?

You’ll be surprised how many things were created anddeveloped not much more before you were born, if notafter!

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Compare today’s slang with the slang of the past. Are there words you still use today?

What fads and games from the past are still around? Whatdo you think makes some things last?

Roller rinks, slumberparties, the lindy hop,soda shops, pep ral-lies, pizza

Backgammon, Sorry,the Jitterbug,Monopoly, bingo,dance marathons,roller skating. Theword “teenager” isinvented.

ger • Pepper shaker • Bash • Bread • Cool it • Hang out • No sweat

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Mercer Today

You can hear Johnny Mercersongs almost everywhere youturn these days.

Johnny’s songshave been heardin the movies:Pearl Harbor, What WomenWant, You've Got Mail, Devil'sAdvocate, For the Love of theGame, Michael, and Midnight inthe Garden of Good and Evil

Johnny's songs “Too Marvelous for Words” and “Hit the Road to Dreamland” both had somethingcalled a patter section. In a patter section, the singer would riff on the lyrics of the song the way arap artist does today. Check out these “raps.”

I search for phrases,To sing your praises,But there aren't any magic adjectivesTo tell you all you are.

You're just too marvelous,Too marvelous for words,Like glorious, glamorousAnd that old standby, amorous,

It's all too wonderful,I'll never find the words,That say enough,Tell enough,I mean, they just aren't swell enough,You're much too much,And just too very very!To ever be in Webster's Dictionary,

And so I'm borrowingA love song from the birds,To tell you that you're marvelous,Too marvelous for words.

Too Marvelous for WordsAdorable and amorous and glorious and glamorousAre insufficient when applied to you/To be euphemistical To be eulogisticalI 'riginate a million words that no one ever knew/I-try-to-be logical and sensible but I'm incomprehensibleWhenever I begin to find a phrase/For they never say enough and they never tell enoughI've all -- ready told you no vocabulary's swell enoughWhat'll-I-do to say// the things I have in mind?/It's really absurd// there isn't a word to fit you/No matter where I look// I always seem to find/Delectable, delicious, magnificently mysteriousYou're simply too spectacular to be in my vernacularAnd so you see I'm forced to-go-to-the-birds/The reason must be quite apparent that you are just too/Absolutely wonderful and marvelous for words!

Too Marvelous for Words (1937) Music by Richard A. Whiting

RAP

Mercer songs have also been usedin TV shows such as:ER, The Sopranos, The X-Files, JAG, Ed,Third Watch, Gilmore Girls, SaturdayNight Live, As The World Turns, and TheYoung and the Restless

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Rain

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ome S

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Hit the Road toDreamland (1942)Music by Harold Arlen

Hit the Road toDreamlandKing Solomon once in his wisdom said,“There’s nothin’ quite like a good feather bed”That may not be just the written word,So don’t quote me cause I only heard,And then — I coulda misunderstood,But if he didn't say that, then he certainly should.Cause in this world with its killin’ pace,A man's got to find a good restin’ place.It's early to bed, early to rise —Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

YES, YES, GOOD CHILDRENTIME TO HIT THE ROAD

With everything connected and mechanized.If you do get nervous I ain't surprised,But listen, good people, you can't cure ills —With capsules, tablets, and vitamin pills.And the only thing to rest your head,Is a good nights sleep in a quilted bed,So just resolve to be good and firm,Cause the early bird is gonna catch the worm.

YES, YES, GOOD CHILDREN,TIME TO HIT THE ROAD!

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Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle goes the star,Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, there you are.Time for all good children to hit the hay.Cock-a-doodle, doodle, doodle, brother,It's another day,We should be on our way!

Bye bye, babyTime to hit the road to dreamland,You're my babyDig you in the land of Nod.Hold tight, baby,We'll be swinging up in dreamland,All night, baby,Where the little cherubs trod.Look at that knocked-out moon,Been a-blowin' his top in the blue,Never saw the likes of you;

(What an angel)

Bye, bye, baby,Time to hit the road to dreamland,Don't cry, baby,It was divineBut the rooster has finally crowed,Time to hit the road.

Johnny in a recording session.

Commercial BreakPick one of your favorite songs. As you listen to the lyrics, try tothink of a product (a favorite game, food or piece of clothing)that the lyrics of the song could also describe.For example, Johnny Mercer’s song, “Spring, Spring, Spring” isabout the season, but the word ‘spring’ could remind you ofjumping. The song could be used in a TV commercial aboutyour favorite brand of sneakers.

Using that idea, write a commercial with members of your classor your friends at home.

RAP

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Nature LyricsSp

ring,

Sprn

g, Sp

ring

Johnny Mercer was described as an “outdoor writer” because many of his lyrics use images fromnature (places, plants, animals, etc.). He used these images to describe a particular mood orfeeling in each song. Here are samples from lyrics Johnny Mercer wrote using three of the seasons:

from Spring, Spring, Springmusic by Gene de Paul

Oh, the barnyard is busyIn a regular tizzy,And the obvious reasonIs because of the season.Ma Nature’s lyricalWith her yearly miracle,Spring, Spring, Spring!

All the henfolk are hatchin’While their menfolk are scratchin’To insure the survivalOf each brand new arrival.Each nest is twittering,They’re all baby sittering,Spring, Spring, Spring!

The summer wind came blowing in acrossthe sea,

It lingered there to touch your hair and walkwith me.

All summer long we sang a song and strolledthe golden sand.

Two sweethearts and the summer wind.Like painted kites the days and nights went

flying by.The world was new beneath a blue umbrella

sky.Then, softer than a piper manOne day it called to you.

from Early Autumnmusic by Ralph Burns and Woody Herman

When an early autumn walks the landAnd chills the breezeAnd touches with her handThe summer trees,Perhaps you’ll understandWhat memories I own.

There’s a dance pavilion in the rainAll shuttered down,A winding country lane all russet brown,A frosty window pane shows me a town

grown lonely

from Summer Windmusic by Henry Mayer

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A Lyrical Miracle

Outdoor LyricsImagine Johnny Mercer sitting outside, listening to his sur-roundings as he wrote lyrics about the seasons. You can dothe same thing.

Sit outside for 3 minutes without saying a word.Now, write down all the things you see. What do youhear? What do you smell? How do you feel? Now try writing a lyric using all of the things youdescribed in your three minute experience.If you’re feeling brave, try singing a melody with the wordsyou just wrote. Don’t think about the notes, just whatcomes naturally to you. You may have just written a smashhit song!

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Why do so many song lyrics rhyme? Rhymesmake lyrics easier to understand and rememberwhen you hear them. Rhymes also give words amusical quality. Try reading "Spring, Spring,Spring!" out loud. Even if you don’t know themelody of the song, you can hear how the wordshave a "tune" of their own.

There are single rhymes (sea/me, sky/by), double rhymes (busy/tizzy, reason/season) and triple rhymes (lyrical/miracle).

Rhyming words don’t need to be spelled alike:true/do/new. Can you add more rhymes tothis list that spell the "oo" sound in a differentway?

Some words that are spelled alike don’t rhyme:Bough/enough, pant/want. Can you thinkof other examples?

Johnny Mercer paints “word pictures”:a blue umbrella sky, a dance pavilion in the rain all shuttereddown.

He also uses words that sound like thesubject: busy, tizzy, twittering, baby-sittering all have thesound of spring’s energy and life.

"All summer long we sang a song and strolled the goldensand" – all the "s" sounds make the sound of the summerwind.

He even turns a season into a person –autumn “walks the land” and “touches the trees.”

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I’m an

Old

Cow

hand Character Lyrics

Some of Johnny Mercer’s lyrics describe aparticular character – a “photograph in words”:

from I’m An Old Cowhand(From the Rio Grande)” Music by Johnny Mercer

I’m an old cowhandFrom the Rio GrandeBut my legs ain’t bowedAnd my cheeks ain’t tannedI’m a cowboy who never saw a cowNever roped a steer ‘cause I don’t know how,And I sho’ ain’t fixin’ to start in now.Yippy I O Ki Ay.Yippy I O Ki Ay.

from LauraMusic by David Raksin

Laura is the face in the misty lightFootsteps that you hear down the hallThe laugh that floats on a summer nightThat you can never quite recall

from Lazy BonesMusic by Hoagy Carmichael

Long as there is chicken gravy on your rice,Ev’rything is nice.Long as there’s watermelon on the vine,Ev’rything is fine.You got no time to workYou got no time to playBusy doin’ nothin’ all the live long dayYou won’t ever change no matter what I say,You’re just made that way

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Character LyricsWrite a lyric about your favorite character from a book, TVshow or movie.

First step:Make three words lists: • Adjectives that describe the character.• Nouns that are connected with him or her (objects, places, pieces of clothing, etc.)• Verbs that describe what he or she likes to do

Second step:Make a list of words that he or she uses all the time. Does he orshe have a favorite saying or phrase? Try to capture the way heor she speaks.

Third step:Write your lyric. Some possible ideas to start with are:• a lyric that is in the person’s own words, like “I’m An Old Cowhand.” How does he or she describe him/herself?• a lyric that describes the person using a list (“footsteps you hear down the hall”/”laugh that floats on a summer night”)

• a lyric that gives that person advice, like “Lazybones.”

Try This

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Let T

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n to Y

ou Mercer FactsJohnny Mercer wrote more than1,500 songs. If you listened to adifferent Johnny Mercer song everyday, it would take you more thanfour years to listen to them all.

And the Academy AwardGoes to...Johnny was nominated for the Oscar® eighteen times,and won four times

Jeepers, Creepers, 1938

I’d Know You Anywhere, 1940

Love Of My Life, 1940

Blues In The Night, 1941

Dearly Beloved, 1943

My Shining Hour, 1943

That Old Black Magic, 1943

Accentuate the Positive, 1946

*On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, 1946

*In The Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening, 1951

Something’s Gotta Give, 1955

The Facts of Life, 1960

*Moon River, 1961

*Days of Wine and Roses, 1962

Charade, 1963

The Sweetheart Tree, 1965

Whistling Away The Dark, 1970

Life Is What You Make It, 1971

In the 1940s, hehad his own radioshow, JohnnyMercer's MusicShop

Johnny Mercerliked to paint withwatercolors torelax.

Johnny Mercer neverlearned to read music,and played the pianowith one finger.

x x x x

Mercer liked to tell the storythat when his kids wereyoung, Ginger would tellthem to be quiet because“Daddy's working” -- andhe would be lying down onthe couch , with his eyes shutand a legal pad on his chest.

When he firstmoved to NewYork, Johnnyworked as a messenger onWall Street.

Mercer at work.

25

Capitol Records wasfounded during WorldWar II, and shellac (thematerial that recordswere made out of) wasscarce. So, the companyrecycled scraprecords.

Say “Ah”The doctor tells you to say “ah” when he or she wants tolook down your throat because the “ah” vowel makes yourthroat open wide. Look in a mirror and make the follow-ing sounds: ah ee oh oo

Notice how your mouth is open wider when you say “ah”and “oh” than when you say “ee” or “oo.” Most of thetime, “open” vowels are easier to sing than “closed” vowels.Lyricists try to use as many open vowels as they can. Thiscan be hard to do, because a lot of songs use the words“me” and “you” – and “ee” and “oo” are “closed” vowels.

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Johnny Mercer on What It’s Like toWrite Lyrics

“There’s something funny about songs – it’s like you’re going outlooking for something that you’ve never heard of. You don’tknow where it is, it’s just up there somewhere and youcan tune in on it. You get a little glimmer – it’s like you’re tun-ing in to a musical instrument that’s miles away, and you say, oh,there’s something there, if I just dig hard enough, I know it’llcome.”

“Usually a title or simple idea comes first, and then the restof the words just seem to fall into place.”

“It's all as easy as chopping up ten cords of wood per day!”

Accentuate the PositiveBlues in the NightCome Rain or Come ShineDays of Wine and RosesDreamFools Rush InGoody GoodyHooray for HollywoodIn the Cool, Cool, Cool of the EveningJeepers CreepersLauraMoon RiverMy Shining HourOn the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa FeOne For My Baby (And One More For the Road)Satin DollSkylarkSomething's Gotta GiveThat Old Black MagicToo Marvelous For Words

x x x x

Johnny Mercer likedto write in themorning, after agood night'ssleep

A GOLD RECORD is one that sells500,000 copies. If it sells a millioncopies, it is PLATINUM. (Platinum is asilvery precious metal used in jewelry.)

20 of Johnny’sBiggest Hits...

What is a Hit?

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A C R O S S1. An early style of jazz music, well known in the 1920s3. When one word sounds the same as another because they share the same vowel sound4. A building where you go to see great performances like plays, musicals and dance8. Words that sound like the object they describe (ie, fizz, whirr, buzz)9. Honesty. When you do the right thing you have _________________.10. Thirties slang for “exciting.” Any “young mechanic can be a ___________.”12. Someone who writes the words to a song13. Johnny Mercer's middle name14. Another word for stanza, or the part of a song that comes before the chorus15. _________ for Hollywood (backwards)18. Johnny Mercer worked with many different _____________ (plural, people who write music)19. The nickname for Johnny Mercer's daughter. “___________ Is Two.”22. Section of a lyric or poem, usually 4 to 8 lines long23. “Just watch the smoke rings rise in the _____” (from “Dream”)24. Mercer collaborator _____________ Whiting27. A variety show28. “A blossom covered ______” (from “Skylark”) (backwards)29. The main or early part. “The ______ o' the night” (backwards)30. Mrs. Mercer

D O W N1. A rhythmic pattern (backwards)2. “It’s a _______ Big World”5. The famous lyricist and composer who this book is about6. Where 5 Down was born7. Record company founded in 194211. A repeated section of a song16. The nickname for the Academy Award17. To work with someone else is to ___________20. Thirties star __________ Temple (backwards)21 Composer Harry ________25. Composer Harold ___________26 Donald __________

Cross Lyric PuzzleNow that you've had a chance to read through and participate in all of the exercises in the book, review all of your glossaryterm bubbles and try to complete the puzzle! Have fun!

x28

You Must HaveBeen a BeautifulBaby (1938)Music by Harry Warren

Does your mother realize,The stork delivered quite a prize,The day he left you on the fam’ly tree,

Does your dad appreciateThat you are merely super great,The miracle of any century,

If they don't, just send them both to me.

You must have been a beautiful baby,You must have been a wonderful child,

When you were only startin’To go to kindergarten,I bet you drove the little boys wild.

And when it came to winning blue ribbons,You must have shown the other kids how.I can see the judges’ eyesAs they handed you the prize,I bet you made the cutest bow.

Oh! You must have been a beautiful baby,‘Cause baby, look at you now.

Dream (1944)Music by Johnny Mercer

Get in touch with that sundown fellow,As he tiptoes across the sand.He's got a million kinds of stardust,Pick your fav'rite brand, and:

Dream when you’re feelin’ blue,Dream, that's the thing to do.

Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air,You'll find your shareOf memories there.

So dream when the day is thru,Dream and they might come true,

Things never are as bad as they seem,So dream, dream, dream.

That Old Black Magic (1942)Music by Harold Arlen

That old black magic has me in its spell.That old black magic that you weave so well.Those icy fingers up and down my spine.The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine.

The same old tingle that I feel insideAnd then that elevator starts its rideAnd down and down I go,‘Round and ‘round I goLike a leaf that's caught in the tide.

I should stay away,But what can I do?I hear your nameAnd I'm aflame,Aflame with such a burning desireThat only your kissCan put out the fire.

For you're the lover I have waited for,The mate that fate had me created for,And ev'ry time your lips meet mineDarling, down and down I go,‘Round and ‘round I goIn a spin,Loving the spin I'm inUnder that old black magic called love!

Mor

e Mer

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Little Johnny Mercer

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I'm Old Fashioned (1942)Music by Jerome Kern

I am not such a clever oneAbout the latest fads.I admit I was never oneAdored by local lads;Not that I ever try to be a saint,I'm the type that they classify as quaint.

I'm old fashioned,I love the moonlight,I love the old fashioned things —The sound of rainUpon a window pane,The starry song that April sings.This year's fanciesAre passing fancies,But sighing sighs, holding handsThese my heart understands.I'm old fashioned,But I don't mind it,That's how I want to be,As long as you agreeTo stay old fashioned with me.

I Remember You (1942)Music by Victor Schertzinger

Was it in Tahiti? Were we on the Nile?Long, long ago, say an hour or so,I recall that I saw your smile.

I remember you.You're the one who made my dream come trueA few kisses ago.I remember youYou're the one who said: "I love you, too."I do. Didn't you know?

I remember too a distant bellAnd stars that fell like rain,Out of the blue.

When my life is throughAnd the angels ask me to recallThe thrill of them all,Then I shall tell themI remember you.

Fools Rush In (1940)Music by Rube Bloom

"Romance is a game for fools,"I used to say.A game I thought I'd never play."Romance is a game for fools,"I said and grinned;Then you passed by,And here am IThrowing caution to the wind.

Fools rush inWhere angels fear to tread,And so I come to you, my love,My heart above my head.Though I seeThe danger there,If there's a chance for me,Then I don't care.Fools rush inWhere wise men never go,But wise men never fall in loveSo how are they to know?When we metI felt my life begin;So open up your heart,And let this fool rush in.

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Answers to the crossword on page 26

Books:Bach, Bob and Ginger Mercer, eds.Our Huckleberry Friend: The Life,Times, and Lyrics of Johnny Mercer.Lyle Stuart, 1982.

Furia, Philip. The Poets of Tin PanAlley. Oxford University Press, 1990.

Gavin, James. Intimate Nights: TheGolden Age of New York Cabaret. GroveWeidenfeld, 1991.

Gordon, Lois and Alan Gordon. TheColumbia Chronicles of American Life,1910-1992. Columbia UniversityPress, 1995.

Lewine, Richard and Alfred Simon.Songs of the American Theater. Dodd,Mead and Company, 1973.

Mancini, Henry with Gene Lees. DidThey Mention The Music?Contemporary Books, Inc., 1989

Mercer, Johnny with Carol Cuellar, edi-tor. Too Marvelous for Words: The Magicof Johnny Mercer. Warner Bros., 1999.

Thomas, Tony. Harry Warren and theHollywood Musical. Citadel Press, 1975.

Music Featuring JohnnyMercer:Midnight in the Garden of Good andEvil: Music from and Inspired by TheMotion Picture, Various Artists –Warner Brothers, 1997.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings Johnny Mercer –Polygram Records, 1997 (originalrelease date 1964.)

Blues in the Night: The Johnny MercerSongbook, Various Artists – PolygramRecords, 1997.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, VariousArtists - Rhino Records, 1996.

Two of a Kind, Bobby Darin andJohnny Mercer – Atlantic, 1990 (origi-nal release date 1961.)

Capitol Collectors Series: Johnny Mercer –Capitol, 1989.

Videos Featuring the Musicof Johnny Mercer:Pearl Harbor starring Ben Affleck anddirected by Michael Bay, 2001.Released by Walt Disney Home Video.(Rated R)

What Women Want starring Mel Gibsonand Helen Hunt and directed byNancy Meyers, 2000. Released byParamount Studio. (Rated PG-13)

For Love of the Game starring KevinCostner and directed by Sam Raimi,1999. Released by Universal Studios.(Rated PG-13)

You’ve Got Mail starring Tom Hanksand Meg Ryan and directed by NoraEphron, 1998. Released by WarnerStudios. (Rated PG)

Devil’s Advocate starring Al Pacino anddirected by Taylor Hackford, 1997.Released by Warner Studios. (Rated R)

Midnight in the Garden of Good andEvil starring John Cusack and KevinSpacey and directed by ClintEastwood, 1997. Released by WarnerStudios. (Rated R)

Michael starring John Travolta anddirected by Nora Ephron, 1996.Released by Tuner Home Video.(Rated PG)

The Days of Wine and Roses starringJack Lemmon and directed by BlakeEdwards, 1962. Released by WarnerStudios. (Not rated)

The Harvey Girls starring Judy Garlandand directed by George Sidney II,1946. Released by Warner HomeVideo. (Not rated)

Rhythm on the Range starring BingCrosby and directed by NormanTaurog, 1936. Released by UniversalStudios. (Not rated)

Web Sites:www.johnnymercerfoundation.orgThe official site to learn more about thelife and work of Johnny Mercer

www.johnnymercer.comAn educational archive site for JohnnyMercer

www.library.gsu.edu/spcoll/musicThe site for the Johnny MercerCollection, Special CollectionsDepartment at the Pullen Library atGeorgia State University

www.amazon.comTo purchase any of the merchandiselisted

LyricNOTES™

AN ACTIVITY GUIDE FOR KIDS

A Camp Broadway LLC Publication

Editor: Jodi Simon StewartAssociate Editor: Lesley Mazzotta, Roseanne SaracenoArt Director: Joseph M. Pisarchick

Contributors:

Robert Hartmann: composer/lyricist and Assistant Professor, New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program

Eden White: composer/lyricist/Master’s candidate in Music, Education and Marketing at New York University

Nancy Valentino: editor specializing in theater, film and fashion

Printed by: Royal Fireworks Press, Unionville, NY

Special Thanks:The Johnny Mercer CollectionPullen Library - Special Collections DepartmentGeorgia State University100 Decatur Street, SEAtlanta, Georgia 30303-3202http://www.library.gsu.edu/spcoll/

Photo CreditsPage 3: Johnny with Margaret Whiting – courtesy of Margaret WhitingPage 4: Johnny at 8 years old - family photograph

Johnny at Woodberry Forest School, VA – Woodberry Forest yearbookPage 5: Johnny and Ginger on their honeymoon – G. Dobkin Studio, Atlantic City, NJ

Family photo – Hebe Stackpole, 1948Johnny with Paul Whiteman – NBC Studios

Page 6: Johnny with Evelyn Poe – Radio Pictures, publicity still from RKO productionJohnny with Buddy Desylva – Gene Lester, Capitol Records

Page 8: Johnny with Harold Arlen – no informationPage 9: Johnny with Hoagy Carmichael – no informationPage 10: Johnny with Henry Mancini and Debbie Reynolds – Academy of Motion Picture Arts

and SciencesPage 11: Johnny with record – Capitol Records

Harry Warren and Al Dubin – no informationPage 19: Johnny in recording session – Charlie MihnPage 24: Johnny at work – Robert S. HanahPage 27: Johnny with pencil – Capitol RecordsPage 28: Little Johnny Mercer – family photographFront Cover: Individual photos credited above

www.johnnymercerfoundation.org