Bye Bye Blackbird is a jazz standard published in 1926 with music by Ray Henderson and lyrics by Mort Dixon. It was first recorded by Sam Lanin’s Dance Orchestra in March 1926 and quickly became popular in 1926 through Nick Lucas, Gene Austin, Benny Krueger, and Leo Reisman - today the chorus is the part most often heard, while the verses are less familiar. The song’s story is a bittersweet traveler's tale, with lines about packing up cares and heading toward sunshine and someone waiting for the singer.
Notable versions and appearances:
- Joe Cocker on the 1969 album With a Little Help From My Friends
- Ringo Starr on the 1970 album Sentimental Journey (arranged by Maurice Gibb)
- Liza Minnelli in the 1972 TV special Liza with a Z
- Miles Davis Quintet recordings from the mid-1950s
- Peggy Lee in the 1955 film Pete Kelly’s Blues and later used in King Kong (2005)
- Paul McCartney on the 2012 album Kisses on the Bottom
- John Coltrane won a Grammy in 1982 for Best Jazz Solo Performance on the album Bye Bye Blackbird
Genre: Jazz standard with enduring popularity in jazz and pop vocal repertoire.
