| "Singing in the Bathtub" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1929 |
| Songwriter(s) | Herb Magidson Ned Washington |
| Composer(s) | Michael Cleary |
"Singing in the Bathtub" is a song written in 1929 by Michael H. Cleary, with lyrics by Herb Magidson and Ned Washington for the film The Show of Shows.[1] The Show of Shows was Warner Bros.' answer to MGM's The Hollywood Revue of 1929, and "Singing in the Bathtub" spoofs Hollywood Revue's song "Singin' in the Rain".[2] In Show of Shows, the number features an enormous bathtub and is performed by Winnie Lightner and a chorus of male performers (some dressed as women) wearing antiquated bathing suits.[3]
The song was recorded by many performers of the time, including Guy Lombardo,[4] Dorothy Provine,[5] Dick Robertson,[6] King Ben Nawahi,[7] Gracie Fields,[8] Vaughn De Leath,[9] The Georgians,[10] and Danny Kaye, and more recently by Robert Crumb, John Lithgow, Mic Conway and Mandy Patinkin.[11] In Vaughn DeLeath's rendition of the song, she sings the line "the ring around the bathtub is a rainbow to me" as "a rainbow from me", substantially changing its meaning.[12]
The lyrics often include a quotation of the title air from "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles".