The Real American Folk Song (is a Rag) explained

"The Real American Folk Song (is a Rag)" is a 1918 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.

It was the first song by the Gershwin brothers to be performed on Broadway, where it was introduced by Nora Bayes in the 1918 musical Ladies First.^[1]

Notable recordings

• Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959) (first recording)

Notes and References

1. Richard C. Norton. A Chronology of American Musical Theater. Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2002. pp. 161-162.