When You're Smilin' is a popular song written by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin, first published in 1928. The earliest popular recording was Seger Ellis in 1928, with Louis Armstrong following in 1929 and Ted Wallace & His Campus Boys in 1930. The tune is considered a jazz and pop standard and has been recorded by many artists, including Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson in 1938 and Frank Sinatra in the 1952 film Meet Danny Wilson. Armstrong's 1929 recording is widely seen as the defining version and was later included on the 1956 compilation Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography. The lyrics and music entered the public domain in the United States in 2024. It is also the unofficial anthem of Leicester City Football Club, adopted by fans in the 1980s, with Jersey Budd's recording played before home matches as of 2022. In short, the tune is an uplifting standard with a long history of influential recordings and cultural reach.
