1949 Popular Music, Songs and Artists

Ezio Pinza

Some Enchanted Evening
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific (1949) remains one of their most celebrated musicals, combining entertainment with a strong social commentary on prejudice. Based on James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific (1947), the show won multiple Tony Awards during its Broadway run. It follows two couples: Nurse Nellie Forbush and French planter Emile de Becque, and Lt. Cable with Tonkinese girl Liat. Both relationships face cultural and racial barriers, and while Nellie and Emile reconcile, Lt. Cable dies on a dangerous mission.

Some Enchanted Evening, performed by Ezio Pinza, captures Emile’s romantic longing upon meeting Nellie. Other memorable songs include I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair and Happy Talk. The show also gained notoriety for its song You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught, which criticizes learned prejudice. The Ku Klux Klan threatened Rodgers and Hammerstein over the song, but they refused to remove it.

Bing Crosby

Galway Bay
Written by Dr. Arthur Colahan in 1947, Galway Bay became a hit for Bing Crosby, who revised some of the lyrics. The song resonated deeply with Irish immigrants worldwide and is often used during St. Patrick’s Day Masses. It captures the yearning for a homeland, with Galway Bay—a real bay in Ireland—serving as a poignant symbol.

Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark

Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Written by Frank Loesser, Baby, It’s Cold Outside was originally performed by Loesser and his wife at a private party before being featured in the 1949 film Neptune’s Daughter. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year. The playful duet depicts a man persuading a woman to stay indoors due to the weather. Numerous artists have since recorded it and even received a modern twist when performed by Kurt and Blaine in the 2010 Christmas episode of Glee.

Bing Crosby

Dear Hearts and Gentle People
Composed in 1949 by Sammy Fain with lyrics by Bob Hilliard, Dear Hearts and Gentle People was inspired by a scrap of paper found on Stephen Foster’s body in 1864. The phrase “Dear friends and gentle hearts” served as the song’s foundation, and Bing Crosby’s warm recording became a popular hit.

Dinah Shore

Lavender Blue
Originally a 17th-century English nursery rhyme, Lavender Blue became a hit in 1949, with Dinah Shore popularizing the tune. Burl Ives performed the song in the Disney film So Dear to My Heart (1949), winning an Academy Award for his rendition.

Eddie “Piano” Miller

Around Her Neck She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
A yellow ribbon has symbolized waiting for a loved one’s return since ancient Rome. The modern song She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was adapted in 1907 as a military marching tune. In 1949, it was used as the title song for the John Wayne film She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, with altered lyrics. The yellow ribbon remains a symbol of homecoming, as seen during the 1980 Iranian hostage crisis.

Frankie Laine

Mule Train
Written by Johnny Lange, Hy Heath, Doc Tommy Scott, and Fred Glickman, Mule Train is a Wild West-themed song about a cowboy delivering mail and packages. Introduced by Frankie Laine, it was later recorded by Burl Ives, who added whip-cracking sound effects. The song became a Western music classic.