In response to the question of the song "I Love to Sing," which appears
in a Warner Brothers cartoon, here's what I know.

The cartoon is called "I Love to Singa," and was directed by Tex Avery in
1936.  There is a character in the cartoon called "Owl Jolson."  As far
as I know, Al Jolson had nothing to do with the recording in the cartoon.
The music was written by Harold Arlen, the words are by E. Y. Harburg,
and the copyright date on the song is also 1936.

VERSE

Ah! Oh! ain't it grand
to live and breathe
and let your chest expand.

Ah! The skies are blue,
The World's a song,
When life is notes to you,

I've got eternal youth because
I've got my heart where it belongs,
Don't care who makes the nation's laws

Long as I can sing its songs;

REFRAIN

I love to sing-a
about the moon-a
and the June-a
and the spring-a,

I love to sing-a
'bout the sky of blue-a,
or a tea for two-a,
anything-a with a swing-a
to an I love you-a,

I love-a to, I love-a to sing,

Give me a song-a,
about the son-a-gun,
who went and done her wrong-a
but keep it clean-a;
With a cottage small-a
by the water fall-a
any sob-a that'll throb-a
to a bluebird's call-a
I love-a to, I love-a to sing;

I was born a sing-in' fool-a,
La-de-da,
Major Bowes {Hollywood} is gonna spot me,
Got thru Yale,
with Boola Boola,
La-de-da,
Ole microphone's got me!

I love to sing-a
I love to wake up with the South-a
in my mouth-a,
and wave the flag-a,

With a cheer for Uncle Sammy
and another for my mammy,
I love to sing!

Some notes I have from a film series that included this cartoon indicate
the song was an earlier Warner tune.  Perhaps someone can shed some light
on the film it appeared in or who sang it there.

 [ See Dan Shinn's report. -- Robbie ]

If you want piano music for a lot of great songs old songs that Carl
Stalling worked into the Warner Brothers cartoons, look for a book called
"The Great Looney Tunes Collection."  One of my favorites from the book is
"The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down." I heard it at the end of each of the
Warner cartoons (as did most of you), but I never knew the real words
until I got this book.

Bob Fitterman
bobf@ilx.com