Oh Happy Day (1952) is not the famous Gospel song. It’s the story of a young man in love – one of the first tunes showing the power of teenagers’ tastes in the music industry.

The song was originally recorded — and copyrighted — by Don Howard, a high school student who had learned the song secondhand, and modified it. The song’s originator, Nancy Binns Reed, heard his version of the song, and within weeks of its release sued to claim songwriter credit. Reed and Howard eventually settled, with each receiving co-writer credits

Song lyrics to I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate (1922), up-tempo jazz dance song, written by Armand J. Piron

Went to a dance with my sister Kate
Everyone there said she danced so great.
I realized a thing or two
Then I got wise to something new.
I looked at Kate, she was in a trance
And then I knew it was in her dance.
All the boys are going wild
Just over Katie’s dancing style

Song lyrics to Goodnight Wherever You Are

Goodnight wherever you are
May your dreams be pleasant dreams wherever you are
If only one little wish that I wish comes true
I know that the angels will watch over you

Song lyrics to Blues In The Night (My Mama Done Tol’ Me), music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for the 1941 film Blues in the Night

My momma done tol’ me
When I was in knee-pants
My momma done tol’ me, “Son,
A woman gon sweet-talk!
And give you the glad-eyes,
But when that sweet-talk is done:
A woman’s a two-faced
A worrisome thing
That’ll leave you to sing the blues…
In the night.”