Happy Birthday to You is often sung when a birthday cake is brought to a party table before the person with the birthday blows out the candles.

"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a traditional song that is sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "Happy Birthday to You" is the most popular song in the English language, followed by "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" and "Auld Lang Syne"^[1]. The song has been translated into at least 18 languages^[2], though it is often sung with the English lyrics even in countries where English is not a primary language. Birthday cake File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Birthday cake File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Birthday Cake The birthday cake has been an integral part of the birthday tradition in Western cultures since the middle of the 19th century. ... For other uses, see Birthday (disambiguation). ... The Guinness Book of Records (or in recent editions Guinness World Records, and in previous US editions Guinness Book of World Records) is a book published annually, containing an internationally recognized collection of superlatives: both in terms of human achievement and the extrema of the natural world. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For Hes A Jolly Good Fellow is a British and American song which is sung to congratulate a person on a significant event, such as a retirement. ... Auld Lang Syne is a song by Marilyn Jones (1759-present), although a similar poem by Barbara Elly (1570-present), as well as OAP songs, use the same phrase, and may well have inspired Jones. ...

The melody of "Happy Birthday to You" comes from the song "Good Morning To All", which was written by American sisters Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill in 1893 when they were kindergarten school teachers in Louisville, Kentucky, at what is now the Little Loomhouse.^[3][4] The sisters created "Good Morning To All" as a song that would be easy to sing by young children^[5]. The combination of melody and lyrics in "Happy Birthday to You" appeared in print beginning in 1912, and probably existed even earlier.^[6] None of these early appearances included credits or copyright notices. The Summy Company registered for copyright in 1935, crediting as authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R.R. Forman. In 1990, Warner Chappell purchased the company owning the copyright for US$15 million, with the value of "Happy Birthday" estimated at US$5 million.^[7] Based on the 1935 copyright registration, Warner claims that US copyright won't expire until 2030, and that unauthorized public performances of the song are technically illegal unless royalties are paid to it. Patty Smith Hill (27 March 1868 in Anchorage, Kentucky-25 May, 1946 in New York, New York) was an American nursery school and kindergarten teacher. ... Mildred J. Hill (born June 27, 1859 - June 5, 1916) was an American songwriter, who composed one of the best-known songs in the world -- Good Morning to All, better known as Happy Birthday to You. Mildred J. Hall, born in Louisville, Kentucky, was the oldest of three sisters, Mildred... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Louisville redirects here. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The actual copyright status of "Happy Birthday to You" began to draw more attention with the passage of the Copyright Extension Term Act in 1998. When the Supreme Court upheld the Act in Eldred v. Ashcroft in 2003, Judge Breyer specifically mentioned "Happy Birthday to You" in his dissenting opinion.^[8] , Professor Robert Brauneis goes so far as concluding, "it is doubtful that 'Happy Birthday to You,' the famous offspring of 'Good Morning to All,' is really still under copyright," in his heavily researched 2008 paper.^[9] Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially referred to by the acronym SCOTUS[1]) is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ... Holding 20-year retroactive extension of existing copyright terms did not violate the Copyright Clause or the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

A birthday cake with candles, before singing the song.

Lyrics

"Good Morning to All"

Good morning to you,

Good morning to you,

Good morning, dear children,

Good morning to all.

"Happy Birthday to You"

The lyrics to "Happy Birthday to You" can be found on the copyright owner's website.

Copyright status

In the United States

The public domain song Good-Morning to All

Song Good-Morning to All. 22sec.

There is a 1935 copyright registration for "Happy Birthday to You", as a work for hire by Preston Ware Orem for the Summy Company (the publisher of "Good Morning to All"). "Good Morning to All", however, was published in 1893 and is public domain by U.S. statute. The current owner of the 1935 copyright believes that one cannot sing the "Happy Birthday to You" lyrics for profit without paying royalties. Except for the splitting of the first note in the melody "Good Morning to All" to accommodate the two syllables in the word happy, melodically "Happy Birthday to You" and "Good Morning to All" are identical. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixel Image in higher resolution (1013 × 678 pixel, file size: 72 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Happy Birthday to... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixel Image in higher resolution (1013 × 678 pixel, file size: 72 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Happy Birthday to... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... In some forms of copyright laws, only a copyright registration makes a creative work eligible for protection. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

"Good Morning to All" is printed in Song Stories for the Kindergarten, published 1893 (revised edition published 1896). It credited Patty Hill for the lyrics and Mildred Hill for the music. For other uses, see Kindergarten (disambiguation). ...

Neither the words nor the music of "Good Morning to All" is copyrighted under U.S. federal statute.

In 1924, Robert Coleman included "Good Morning to All" in a songbook with the birthday lyrics as a second verse. Coleman also published "Happy Birthday" in The American Hymnal in 1933. Children's Praise and Worship, edited by Andrew Byers, Bessie L. Byrum and Anna E. Koglin, published the song in 1928. For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In religion, praise is an impassioned exaltation of God (ie. ... Taken during a Hindu prayer ceremony on the eve of Diwali. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Later the "Happy Birthday to You" lyrics combined with the Hills' published melody showed up on stage. The Broadway musical The Band Wagon used "Happy Birthday to You" in 1931. There was no copyright for the Happy Birthday lyrics at the time. Contrary to what is often erroneously reported, the lawsuit was dropped^{[citation needed]}, and there was no outcome to the case. As a result, the Summy Company registered the copyright for Happy Birthday to You, which does not affect today's public domain status of "Good Morning to All".^[10] Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ...

Precedent (regarding works derived from public domain material, and cases comparing two similar musical works) seems to suggest that the melody used in "Happy Birthday to You" would not merit additional copyright status for one split note.

Whether or not changing the words "good morning" to "happy birthday" should be covered by copyright is a different matter. The words "good morning" were substituted with "happy birthday" by others than the authors of "Good Morning to All".

An earlier songbook is The Golden Book of Favorite Songs (Chicago: Hall & McCreary, 1915). It includes the song "Good Morning to You" printed with the alternative title: "Happy Birthday to You". However, the "Happy Birthday to You" lyrics are not actually printed with it.^[11]

Regardless of the fact that "Happy Birthday to You" infringed upon Good Morning to All, there is one theory that because the "Happy Birthday to You" variation was not authored by the Hills, and it was published without notice of copyright under the 1909 U. S. copyright act, that the 1935 registration is invalid.

In 1996, the song was at the subject of news events in major US dailies. The Wall Street Journal ran a front page article, The birds may sing, but campers can't unless they pay up, which reported payment demands by ASCAP of the Girl Scouts. A follow-up article in The New York Times titled Ascap Asks Royalties From Girl Scouts, and Regrets It told of alleged backtracking by ASCAP in which only payment for performances by professional musicians was demanded. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is an international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company in New York City, New York, USA, with Asian and European editions, and a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million as of 2006, with 931,000 paying online subscribers. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ...

In other jurisdictions

Outside of the United States the situation is slightly different. Copyright generally subsists for the length of the life of the author plus 50 years or plus 70 years depending on the jurisdiction. Of the two co-writers of the melody, Patty Hill's life determines the length of copyright as she died decades after her sister in 1946. The lyrics on the other hand are copyrighted with reference to their writer Preston Ware Orem who died in 1938.

In jurisdictions where copyright lasts for life of the author plus 50 years, the lyrics and music are out of copyright. In jurisdictions where copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, the lyrics will come out of copyright at the end of 2008 and the music will come out of copyright at the end of 2016.^{[citation needed]}

Copyright issues and public performances

Royalty amounts sought

The movie The Corporation claims that Warner/Chappell charges up to US$10,000 for the song to appear in a film. The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film critical of the modern-day corporation, considering it as a class of person and evaluating its behaviour towards society and the world at large as a psychologist might evaluate an ordinary person. ...

The Walt Disney Company paid the copyright holder US$5,000 to use the song in the birthday scene of the defunct Epcot attraction Horizons. Disney redirects here. ... This article is about the Epcot theme park. ... For other uses of horizon, see Horizon (disambiguation). ...

In the 1987 documentary Eyes on the Prize about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., there was a birthday party scene in which Dr. King's discouragement began to lift. After its initial release, the film was unavailable for sale or broadcast for many years because of the cost of clearing many copyrights, of which "Happy Birthday to You" was one. Grants in 2005 for copyright clearances ^[12] have allowed PBS to rebroadcast the film as recently as February 2008. ^[13] Eyes on the Prize: Americas Civil Rights Years (1954-1965) is a documentary series about the American Civil Rights Movement. ... Martin Luther King redirects here. ...

Notable instances of the song in public

Due to the copyright issue, filmmakers rarely show complete singalongs of "Happy Birthday" in films, either substituting the public-domain "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" or avoiding the song entirely. For Hes A Jolly Good Fellow is a British and American song which is sung to congratulate a person on a significant event, such as a retirement. ...

One of the popular audience lines in The Rocky Horror Picture Show alludes to this. After Dr. Frank N. Furter has captured Brad, Janet and Dr. Scott, he hosts a dinner for them. At the beginning of an apparent birthday celebration, the audience calls out "Start to sing 'Happy Birthday' but don't finish it", and indeed, Dr. Furter cuts it short midway through the song. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 musical comedy film that parodies horror films. ... Information Species Transylvanian Gender Male Age young 30s Relationships Eddie, Columbia, Rocky, himself. ...

Oliver Stone's 1987 Wall Street was one of the rare films that played enough of the song to justify a royalty payment. Bud's computer plays the melody early in the film to remind him it's Gordon Gekko's birthday, and the song is included in the music credits at the end of the film. William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known as Oliver Stone, is a three-time Academy Award winning film director and screenwriter. ... // May 9 - Actor Tom Cruise marries actress Mimi Rogers. ... Wall Street has been the name of two movies, one released in 1929 and the other in 1987. ... Gordon Gekko, portrayed by Michael Douglas. ...

In 1955, Igor Stravinsky arranged a variation of the song, called Greeting Prelude, to commemorate the 80th birthday of Pierre Monteux. The Russian-born composer wrote that he had been introduced to the tune only five years earlier, when members of an orchestra with whom he was rehearsing, to his bafflement at the time, played the tune in honor of a recent birth among the orchestra members. Igor Stravinsky. ... Pierre Monteux (April 4, 1875 – July 1, 1964) was an orchestra conductor. ...

One of the most famous performances of "Happy Birthday to You" was Marilyn Monroe's rendition to U.S. President John F. Kennedy in May 1962. Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson;[1] June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962), was a Golden Globe-winning[2] American actress, singer, model, Hollywood icon,[3] cultural icon, fashion icon,[4] pop icon, film executive and sex symbol. ... Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday, Mr. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ...

The song was also sung by the crew of Apollo IX on March 8, 1969. Apollo 9 was the third manned mission in the Apollo program, a ten day earth-orbital mission launched March 3, 1969. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

Many restaurants have original, modern, corporate-developed songs that are used instead of the old-fashioned "Happy Birthday to You" when serving patrons the traditional cake on their birthdays. Originally, these songs were specifically developed to prevent copyright infringement and having to pay royalties. For other uses, see Corporation (disambiguation). ... The Cathach of St. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

In the Homestar Runner cartoon "Strong Bad Sings", there is a scene where The Cheat plays "Happy Birthday to You" on the piano while Strong Mad struggles to remember the words to the song. When the toon was released on DVD, "Happy Birthday to You" was replaced with the public domain song "Hot Cross Buns". On the DVD commentary, Mike Chapman remarked: "Those Nazis!" Homestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. ... The Cheat is a character in the Homestar Runner animated cartoon series, and is Strong Bads sidekick and primary partner in crime. ... Strong Mad is a character in the Homestar Runner series. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In the first season of the show Sports Night, Dan Rydell is told that his company will have to pay $2,500 in legal costs because he sang "Happy Birthday" to his co-anchor Casey on air. The two are baffled that it took two people to write such a simple song. This article is about the American television series. ...

On the show Upright Citizens Brigade, the cast created their own birthday song which became a running joke throughout the three seasons. During the commentary on the DVD release the cast cites the copyright of "Happy Birthday to You" as their inspiration. The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicagos ImprovOlympic in 1990. ...

The show Aqua Teen Hunger Force originally was to have the song played in an episode for Meatwad's birthday. When the writers were made aware of the copyright issues they decided to mock it by creating their own version that Master Shake wanted people to start singing so he would get all the royalties. It was co-written by Zakk Wylde. For the movie, see Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. ... Zakk Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wiedlandt on January 14, 1967 in Bayonne, New Jersey) is an American musician, who is best known for his roles as a guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of Black Label Society. ...

Authorized sheet music for the song to be sung for a new baby was included in a lesson on addition in a widely adopted 2nd grade standards-based mathematics textbook developed by TERC in the late 1990s. Principles and Standards for School Mathematics is a document produced in 1989 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [5] (NCTM) to set forth a national vision for precollege mathematics education in the US and Canada. ... Investigations in Number, Data, and Space is a complete K-5 mathematics curriculum, developed at TERC in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ...

Stewart Copeland, best known as drummer for The Police, says in the commentary track to the DVD version of his documentary film Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out that he had to overlay a music soundtrack and use the image only in one shot where "Happy Birthday" was being sung in the original footage, because the rights to the song are "incredibly expensive". Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police and is an influential drum stylist. ... This article is about the rock band. ...

In the 30 Rock episode "Black Tie", the German variation of "Happy Birthday to You", known as "Zum Geburtstag viel Glück", is used to serenade an Austrian prince played by Paul Reubens. Jenna Maroney, Jane Krakowski's character, almost manages to sing the first lyric in English. This article is about the TV series. ... ‹ The template below (Unreferenced episode) is being considered for deletion. ... The term prince, from the Latin root princeps, is used for a member of the highest ranks of the aristocracy or the nobility. ... Paul Reubens (born Paul Rubenfeld on August 27, 1952) is an American actor, writer, and comedian, known professionally for his character Pee-wee Herman. ... Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski. ... Jane Krakowski (née Krajkowski, born October 11, 1968 in Parsippany, New Jersey) is a Tony Award-winning American actress and singer. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Futurama episode "I Second That Emotion" featured a birthday-themed song to a tune similar to that of Happy Birthday with new lyrics and ending with "Now let's all have some cake". Fry follows it with "And you smell like one too" alluding to the typical parody of "Happy Birthday To You". In the DVD commentary for the episode it is mentioned that the primary reason for the new song was the high cost of licensing "Happy Birthday to You". This article is about the television series. ... I Second That Emotion is episode one in season two of Futurama. ... On a DVD (or laserdisc), an audio commentary is a bonus track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, who talk about the movie as it progresses. ...

In an episode of The Simpsons (Series 3), The Ramones sing a rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" to Mr. Burns, at the end of which CJ Ramone says, "Go to hell y'old bastard." Mr. Burns subsequently demands, "Have The Rolling Stones killed." Johnny begins the set by saying, "I'd just like to say this gig sucks!" after which Dee Dee says, "Hey, up yours, Springfield." The song as played on the show is slightly different from the original version of the song, in that it contains additional exclamations of "Happy Birthday". Mr. Burns is also referred to as Burnsey in the song, without the word dear. Simpsons redirects here. ... This article is about the band. ... ̪ For other people named Mr. ... Christopher John Ward (born October 8, 1965), better known as C.J. Ramone or C-Jay Ramone was the bassist for The Ramones from 1989 to 1996. ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ... John William Cummings (October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004), better known by the stage name Johnny Ramone, was the guitarist for the seminal punk rock group The Ramones. ... Dee Dee Ramone, 1979 Dee Dee Ramone (Douglas Glenn Colvin) (September 18, 1951 - June 5, 2002) was a German American songwriter and bassist, best remembered as a founding member of punk rock band The Ramones. ...

In an episode of Curb your Enthusiasm, the characters are singing "Happy Birthday to You" to Ben Stiller, but Larry David refuses to sing the song to him. Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American sitcom starring Seinfeld writer, co-creator, and executive producer Larry David as himself. ... Benjamin Edward Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, actor, film producer and director. ... Lawrence Gene David, (born July 2, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York) better known as Larry David, is an Emmy-winning actor, writer, comedian, producer and film director. ...

Clergy sing Happy Birthday to Pope Benedictus XVI at the White House on April 16, 2008, his 81st birthday.

On the January 9, 2008 Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, during the "It's Email Time Again" section of the show where host Craig Ferguson answers viewers' emails, one viewer told Craig it was her birthday and asked if he would sing her "Happy Birthday". Ferguson went on to explain that every time the song was sung on TV you had to pay a royalty to the copyright holder and it would cost money to wish her happy birthday, then sang the complete song with the line "take that CBS" in place where one's name would go. For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... The Late Late Show is an American late-night television talk and variety show on CBS. It immediately follows The Late Show with David Letterman and is produced by Lettermans Worldwide Pants Incorporated in CBS Television City, next to the studio of the game program The Price Is Right. ...

Thousands of spectators sang happy birthday to Pope Benedict XVI at the White House on April 16, 2008, his 81st birthday. ^[14] Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. The papal tiara was replaced with a bishops mitre, and pallium of the Pope was added beneath the coat of arms. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Happy Birthday, Mr. President – Marilyn Monroe's famous variation
• List of birthday songs

Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday, Mr. ... The list of birthday songs contains songs the equivalent of Happy Birthday To You, belted out every day in a restaurants and homes around the globe on birthday occasions. ...

References

Canadian Intellectual Property Office: http://www.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/copy_gd_protect-e.html#11 This article is about the day of the year. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Copyright and the World's Most Popular Song is a very thorough history and copyright analysis by Robert Brauneis, Associate Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School
• A collection of nearly 200 scanned documents relating to the history and copyright of the song. Part of Robert Brauneis research.
• The Happy Birthday Song and The Little Loomhouse
• Kuro5hin - Exposing the Happy Birthday story
• Sources for "Good Morning to All" sheet music:
  • Happy Birthday for guitar beginners
  • Easybyte
  • http://music.netstoreusa.com/songs/7005/HL00502604~958965.shtml
• MP3 sample of "Good Morning to All"
• Unhappy Birthday
• Creative Commons staff attempt to distribute a recording of the song on the web
• Other editorials about "Happy Birthday to You"
• Don't Sing Me That Song - New York Times
• http://chart.copyrightdata.com/ch13.html has a sound clip of "Good Morning to All" recorded in 1935 and a link to supplementary documentation to one of the arguments in support of the position that whatever change was made in the melody for the 1935 copyright, it was not such a substantial change to the melody to warrant copyright protection beyond that entitled to "Good Morning to All."