List of songs written by Blanche Merrill explained

This is a list of songs by Blanche Merrill. In all cases she wrote the lyrics, so there is no separate column for lyricist. In a handful of cases she also composed the music although most of the time music was composed by others, often by Leo Edwards. In some cases the credit is listed as "words and music by Blanche Merrill and ..." this phraseology has been incorporated into the appropriate cell.

For published songs, the source of information is the publication itself. For unpublished songs, the source of information the song's mention in reviews, or the Library of Congress's Catalog of Copyright Entries.

The majority of Merrill's unpublished songs are probably lost, although copies could exist in the archives of the various performers for whom she wrote. The Library of Congress's copyright deposit would also have copies of songs which she copyrighted but never published.[1]

Title Show or vaudeville act Music composed by Written for Publisher Year of publication (or first mention) Source
Ain't That Always the Way 1939 First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs[2]
Becky is Back in the Ballet Leo Edwards Fanny Brice New York: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. 1922 First performed in 1915.[3]
Best That You Get When You Get It is Only an Even Break, The An Even Break Mollie Fuller 1925 [4]
Bootlegger's Bride, The Belle Baker? 1927 [5]
Boots, Boots, Boots New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1918
Breaking Home Ties 1923 [6]
Broadway Sam Passing Show of 1915 Leo Edwards 1915 [7] [8]
Buckwheat Cake Tosser in Child's, The ("The Buckwheat Tosser") Ziegfeld Follies of 1924 1924 [9] [10]
Bye and Bye Leo Edwards Horace Wright and Rene Dietrich New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912
Coat of Mine M.K. Jerome New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1919
Dance of the Rake, The Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1939 First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
Dancing Mad Ziegfeld Follies of 1923 Leo Edwards Edna Leedom, Fanny Brice 1923 IBDB,[11]
Dippy Doodle-Um (The Crazy Quilt Song) M.K. Jerome New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1919
Dog's Tale of Love, A Anna Chandler 1921 [12]
Dying Swan, The Ziegfeld Follies of 1916 Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1916 [13]
Egotistical Eva Blanche Merrill Eva Tanguay New York: Chas. K. Harris 1910 [14]
Egyptian Ziegfeld Follies of 1917 Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1917 [15] First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
Every Little Heart That's Lonely Leo Edwards New York: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. 1923 Arr. By Ed. Morbach Jr.
Getting Mad Was Never Made For Us Blanche Merrill John Hyams and Leila McIntyre New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1914 Cover
Girl I Used To Be, The Life Mable McCane 1924
Give an Imitation of Me Blanche Merrill Eva Tanguay New York: Chas. K. Harris 1910
Good Night Blue Eyes Leo Edwards New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1918
Hat, The Ziegfeld Follies of 1916 Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1916
Here's To You, My Sparkling Wine Leo Edwards New York: G. Schirmer 1915
Hocus Pocus 1923
Humpty Dumpty The Trained Nurses Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912
I am a Thief The Burglar Maurice Burkhardt 1916 [16]
I Can't Be True To One Little Girl When Another Little Girl Comes 'Round The Trained Nurses Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912
I Can't Do This I can't Do That Page Mister Cupid Jean Schwartz New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. 1920 Alternative titles: Don't ever wear that tie again it's so loud it makes me start
Why I can't do this and I can't do that
I Can't Help It Blanche Merrill Eva Tanguay New York: Chas. K. Harris 1910 Cover
I Don't Care Any More Than I Used To Eva Tanguay 1923 [17]
I Don't Know Whether to Do It or Not Blanche Merrill Fanny Brice 1915 Known from recording.
I Got a Rock Blanche Merrill Lillian Shaw New York: Chas. K. Harris 1911 cover
I Look Like the Last Rose of Summer Blanche Merrill? Lillian Shaw 1917 [18]
I Want To Dance, Dance, Dance Leo Edwards Edith Cliford, Harry Tighe / Mae West New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912 Cover Cover
I Was All Right When Things Were All Wrong So This Is LoveAnn Butler 1925[19]
If Anything Happens, It Happens To Me Ziegfeld Follies of 1924 Edna Leedom 1924
If You Love Me Like I Love You Gus Edwards 1934
Ike Don't Make No Strike Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1913
I'll Get Along Somehow Life Mable McCane 1924
I'm a Harmony Baby Blanche Merrill, Harry De Costa, M.K. Jerome, Fred Rich New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1923 Lyrics by Blanche Merrill, Harry De Costa, M. K. Jerome and Fred Rich
I'm a Hieland Lassie Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1921 Originally titled "Bony hei'land lassie"; "melody by L. Edwards, arr. By Ed. Marbach"; First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
I'm a Little Butterfly Edwin Weber Fanny Brice 1939 First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
I'm an Indian Leo Edwards Fanny Brice New York: Mills Music 1922 First mentioned in 1918;[20] Reprinted in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
I'm Bad Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1939 First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
I'm From Chicago Leo Edwards New York : Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1917
I'll Goin' To Be Bad Life Mable McCane 1924
I'm Going to Build a Theatre of My Own Sonia Meroff 1921 [21]
I'm Looking for a Blue Bird (to Chase My Blues Away) Fred Rich New York: Maurice Richmond 1921
I'm Lucky To Get By Leo Edwards Eva Tanguay New York: Chas. K. Harris 1913 Cover
I've Dug All I Could, But See What I'm Getting Anna Chandler 1921
If We Could Only Take Their Word Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1939 Performed in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1916[22]
If You Want a Little Doggie, Whistle and I'll Come To You Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1915
If You Want to Know Them Yes Them Bobby Folsom 1926 [23]
In a Little Cottage By the Railroad Track Davey's Troubles Blanche Merrill Herman Timberg New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1913
In a Pretty Little White House of Our Own Ziegfeld Follies Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912
In My Streamlined Trailer Words and music by the Duncan Sisters & Blanche Merrill Duncan Sisters 1947 Catalog of Copyright Entries, p. 4793
In the Corner of My Heart Words and music by the Duncan Sisters & Blanche Merrill Duncan Sisters 1947 Catalog of Copyright Entries, p. 4844
In the Days of Girls and Boys Leo Edwards 1911 [24]
It's a Dog's Life Life Mable McCane 1924 [25]
It's All a High Hat 1923 Song satirizing Henry Ford's ambition to be president. Lyric published in Variety[26]
Jake! JakeThe Yiddisha Ball-Player Irving Berlin New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1913
M.K. Jerome New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1919
Jumping Into Something George A. Whiting and Sadie Burt 1926 [27] Possibly the same as "We're Jumping Into Something"
Just 'Round the Corner from Broadway Gus Edwards Gus Edwards New York: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. 1914 Cover
K-I-S-S Kiss The Trained Nurses Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912
Let's Pretend We're Kids Again Gus Edwards 1934
Little Jazz Band of Our Own, A Eva Tanguay 1921 [28]
Little Wigwam For Two, A Page Mister Cupid Jean Schwartz New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. 1920
Love is an Old Fashion'd Feeling Page Mister Cupid Jean Schwartz New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. 1920
Low Heel Shoes Hazel Flynn Lulu McConnell 1939 [29]
Make 'Em Laugh Around the World Edwin Weber Fanny Brice 1922[30] First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs (New York: Mills Music, 1939).
May Walk Blanche Merrill [31]
Melodious Jazz M.K. Jerome New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1920
Moll, The Jack Stanley 1933
Money Blanche Merrill Eva Tanguay New York: Chas. K. Harris 1911 Cover
Moving Picture Baby Music Box Revue (1925) Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1925 Billboard, August 15, 1925, p. 90.
My Bill 1923
My Little Dancing Heart Page Mister Cupid Jean Schwartz New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. 1920
My Syncopated Melody Man Blanche Merrill and Eddie Cox New York: Meyer Cohen Music Publishing 1918 Lyrics by Blanche Merrill and Eddie Cox
'Neath the Light of the Twinkling Star Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1913
Nosie Rosie Posie Leo Edwards Trixie Friganza New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912 Cover
Oh! GodLet My Dream Come True! Al Piantadosi Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. 1916
Oh, That Heavenly Man Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1913
Old Established Firm Puzzles of 1925 Jimmy Hussey 1925 Variety[32]
Page Mister Cupid Page Mister Cupid Jean Schwartz New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. 1920
Painted Rose Blanche Merrill & James Hanley 1930 Unpublished; "Words and melody by Blanche Merrill and James Hanley"
Pavlowa Greenwich Village Follies of 1921 Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1921 [33] First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
Poor Little Cinderella Dance and Grow Thin Blanche Merrill New York: Irving Berlin Inc. 1917
Poor Little Moving Picture Baby Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1939? First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
(Poor Little) Wall Flower Jack and Jill 1923 [34]
Pretty Birdie Dance and Grow Thin Blanche Merrill New York: Irving Berlin Inc. 1917
Put a Little Letter in My Letter Box Dance and Grow Thin Blanche Merrill New York: Irving Berlin Inc. 1917
Quack, Quack Arthur Freed Marie Callahan and Billy Hanson 1927 [35]
Queen of the May Blanche Merrill Rosetta Duncan 1932 [36]
Ragtime Drama, A Blanche Merrill 1917 A Ragtime Drama with Ada Jones and Billy Murray, recorded by the Victor Talking Machine Company on January 23, 1917, matrix B-19114 and issued as Victor 18288-B.[37]
Result of Going to Dancing School, The Arthur Freed? Fanny Brice 1927
Rolling Down the River Blanche Merrill ? Dora Maugham 1930 [38]
Russian Art Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1939 First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs
Shadowland Gus Edwards Gus Edwards New York : Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. 1914 Cover
Society Debutante Fanny Brice Before 1926 [39]
Spring Leo Edwards Fanny Brice 1922 First published in Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs (New York: Mills Music, 1939).
Strawberries in January Duncan Sisters Duncan Sisters 1947 Catalog of Copyright Entries, p. 4793
Tanguay Rag Blanche Merrill Eva Tanguay New York: Chas. K. Harris 1910 Cover [40]
Tanguay Tangle Leo Edwards Eva Tanguay New York: Chas. K. Harris 1913 Cover
That's Why I'm Back Again Blanche Merrill ? Dora Maugham 1930
There is Life in the Old Boy Yet Page Mister Cupid Jean Schwartz New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. 1920
There's Dirty Work Down in Denmark Ziegfeld Follies of 1924 Edna Leedom 1924
They Think I'm Nutty On and off Blanche Merrill Eva Tanguay New York: Chas. K. Harris 1911
This is the Day M.K. Jerome New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1919
Those Bad, Bad Women of History Blanche Merrill ? Dora Maugham 1930
Toodle-Oodle-oo M.K. Jerome New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1919 At some point interpolated into the Greenwich Village Follies of 1921[41]
Toothache Arnold New 1933
Trailing Along in a Trailer Leo Edwards Fanny Brice[42] New York: Mills Music 1936
Twit, Twit, Twit Jean Schwartz New York: Waterson, Berlin & Snyder 1918
We Take Our Hats off to You, Mr. Wilson! Blanche Merrill New York: Leo Feist Inc. 1914
Welcome Stranger Belle Baker 1921 [43]
Welcome Stranger Duncan Sisters 1947 Catalog of Copyright Entries, p. 4793
We're Jumping Into Something Puzzles of 1925 Blanche Merrill Jimmy Hussey, (Helen Broderick) 1925 Variety Possibly the same as "Jumping Into Something"
We've had a lovely time, so long, good bye The Trained Nurses Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912
What Is it Happened To Me? Life Mable McCane 1924
What Price Love George Whiting and Sadie Burt 1926
When the Cat's Away Puzzles of 1925 Dorothy Appleby 1925 [44]
While They Were Dancing Around Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912
Whistle and Help me Along The Trained Nurses Leo Edwards New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912
Whose Little Girl is the Girl You're With Tonight Leo Edwards New York: Edward B. Marks Music 1925
Why Didn't I Meet You Long Ago Page Mister Cupid Jean Schwartz New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. 1920
Will You Bring Back My Bonnie To Me Leo Edwards Emma Carus New York: Chas. K. Harris 1912 Cover
You Can't Believe Them Ann Ford and George Goodridge 1921 [45]
Zulu Zo Anna Chandler 1921

Notes and References

  1. On Bill Edwards' biography of Merrill at Rag Piano, he lists four songs which have been unable to be located or identified. They are: "The Antique Girl" from 1912 with music by Leo Edwards (this might have been confused with a concurrent Broadway musical of the same title), "Back Talk" from 1938 (no composer listed), "Telegraph a Song," an unpublished song from 1939, and "Loose Ankles" another song from 1939 composed by Arthur Freed.
  2. Blanche Merrill, Leo Edwards, Edwin Weber, Fanny Brice's Comedy Songs (New York: Mills Music, 1939).
  3. Barbara Wallace Grossman, Funny Woman: The Life and Times of Fanny Brice (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1991), p. 86.
  4. R.C. "Moller Fuller and Company in 'An Even Break'", Billboard (December 5, 1925), p. 20.
  5. Ung., "New Acts This week: Belle Baker, Songs," Variety (April 13, 1927), p . 26.
  6. Con., "New Shows This Week: Palace," Variety (January 12, 1923), p. 19.
  7. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-passing-show-of-1915-7043/#songs "Passing Show of 1915," Internet Broadway Database, accessed July 13, 2018.
  8. Sime, "Passing Show of 1915," Variety (June 4, 1915), p. 14.
  9. "Blanche Merrill Called In," Variety July 30, 1924), p. 16.
  10. "Inside Stuff on Vaudeville," Variety (August 13, 1924), p. 9.
  11. "Ziegfeld Follies (1923)," Billboard (August 16, 1924), p. 89.
  12. Abel., "New Acts This Week: Anna Chandler: Songs," Variety (September 9, 1921), p. 19.
  13. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/ziegfeld-follies-of-1916-6469/#songs "Ziegfeld Follies of 1916," Internet Broadway Database accessed July 13, 2018.
  14. notice in Billboard (September 10, 1910), p. 56.
  15. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/ziegfeld-follies-of-1917-8558/#songs "Ziegfeld Follies of 1917," Internet Broadway Database accessed July 3, 2018.
  16. "Maurice Burkhardt, 'The Burglar'," Variety (October 29, 1915), p. 16.
  17. Con., "New Acts This Week: Eva Tanguay," Variety (January 17, 1924), p. 30.
  18. Mary B. Mullett, "Still in Her Twenties She Has Won Fame and Fortune as Songwriter" The Sun (February 11, 1917), p. 7.
  19. G.J.H., "Ann Butler and Company," Billboard (October 3, 1925), p. 19.
  20. "Why Worry Reopening," Variety (August 16, 1918), p. 13.
  21. Abe., "New Acts This Week: Sonia Meroff," Variety (December 9, 1921), p. 20.
  22. full-page advertisement, Variety (June 16, 1916), p. 29.
  23. "Vaudeville House Reviews: Broadway," Variety (September 22, 1926), p. 21.
  24. Renewal: Library of Congress Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 3: Musical Compositions (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1939), p. 888.
  25. Con., "New Acts This Week: Mabel McCane," Variety (August 12, 1925), p. 12.
  26. Blanche Merrill, "First Presidential Lyric," Variety (August 9, 1923), p. 11.
  27. Ung., "New Acts This Week: Whiting and Burt, Songs and Talk," Variety (November 10, 1926), p. 17.
  28. "New Acts This week: Cabaret," Variety (December 16, 1921), p. 20.
  29. "Chatter: Broadway," Variety (April 26, 1939), p. 45.
  30. Most likely this is the song alluded to in "Fanny Brice: Around the World," Variety (June 16, 1922), p. 18.
  31. https://www.ascap.com/ace#ace/search/workID/430039586
  32. Ibee., "New Plays Produced Within Week on B'way: Puzzles of 1925," Variety (February 4, 1925), p. 20.
  33. http://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-greenwich-village-follies-1921-12619/#songs "Greenwich Village Follies of 1921," Internet Broadway Database accessed June 28, 1921.
  34. Gordon Whyte, "Jack and Jill," Billboard (March 31, 1923), p. 10.
  35. "Hollywood Music Box," Variety (February 9, 1927), p. 43.
  36. Rush., "Palace, N.Y.," Variety (May 10, 1932), p. 39.
  37. https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/700004172/B-19114-Ragtime_drama "Victor matrix B-19114," Discography of American Historical Recordings Santa Barbara Library, University of California, accessed July 15, 2018.
  38. E.S.S., "Dora Maughan," Billboard (August 9, 1930), p. 51.
  39. "Los Angeles," Variety (April 28, 1926), p. 92.
  40. Copyright renewal: Library of Congress Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 3: Musical Compositions (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1939), p. 1872.
  41. http://ovrtur.com/show/119735 Based on list of songs at Ovrtur.com.
  42. "Blanche Merrill Back," Variety (September 16, 1936), p. 45.
  43. Jack Lait, "Vaudeville Reviews: Brighton," Variety (July 1, 1921), p. 15.
  44. "Fulton: Puzzles of 1925," Billboard (August 15, 1925), p. 92.
  45. "New Shows This Week: Riverside," Variety (July 22, 1921), p. 19.

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