Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' is the opening song from the 1943 Broadway musical Oklahoma!, composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is sung by the character Curly McLain at the start of the first scene, and its buoyant melody and pastoral lyrics celebrate a bright morning in rural Oklahoma. The tune helped launch Rodgers and Hammerstein’s collaboration to audiences and became one of their most famous numbers, fueling a wartime era shift of show tunes from Broadway to radio and recordings. The song sits in the show tune / musical theatre genre, and its original Broadway cast recording (1943) is the primary album, with the 1955 film soundtrack also featuring it. Notable later recordings span multiple genres and artists, reflecting its enduring popularity.
Notable recordings
- Bing Crosby and Trudy Erwin (Decca, 1943) - reached No. 4 on US charts
- Frank Sinatra (Columbia, 1943) - reached No. 12 on US charts
- Ray Charles - multiple versions, including a live recording with the Count Basie Orchestra
- Gordon MacRae - from the 1955 Oklahoma! film soundtrack
- Eels - live album Oh What a Beautiful Morning (2000)
- James Taylor - bonus track on Covers (2008) and Other Covers (2009)
