Pick Yourself Up facts for kids
Pick Yourself Up is a famous song written in 1936. The music was composed by Jerome Kern, and the words (lyrics) were written by Dorothy Fields. It's a classic song that has been loved for many years!
The song was created for the movie Swing Time, which came out in 1936. In the film, the song was performed by the amazing dancers and actors Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In the movie, Ginger Rogers plays a dance teacher. Fred Astaire pretends he can't dance well to get her to teach him. He sings the first part of the song to her, and she sings the main part back. Then, they perform a wonderful dance together!
Fred Astaire also recorded the song by himself in 1936 for the Brunswick record company.
The song was used as the main theme for a TV show called The Johnny Carson Show in the mid-1950s. It was also the theme song for a British TV comedy called "French Fields" from 1989 to 1991. Sometimes, you could even hear it on Late Night with David Letterman during special video clips.
The talented actress Nancy Walker sang this song on an episode of The Muppet Show alongside Fozzie Bear!
Famous Versions of the Song
Many different artists have recorded their own versions of "Pick Yourself Up" over the years. Here are some of them:
- Nat King Cole (1944)
- George Shearing (1950)
- Anita O’Day (1957)
- Dakota Staton (1961)
- Ella Fitzgerald and Nelson Riddle (1962)
- Frank Sinatra (1962)
- Mel Tormé (1988)
- Natalie Cole (1996)
- Diana Krall (1999)
- Molly Ringwald (2013)
- Wilford Brimley with The Jeff Hamilton Trio (2013)
- Gregory Porter (2017)
A Quote from a President
On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. In his speech when he became president, he used words from the song! He said, "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."
A writer named Frank Rich wrote in The New York Times that this quote from the song reminded people of the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a very difficult time in history when many people faced economic hardship. The song's message of "picking yourself up" was very fitting for that time.
In Popular Culture
The version of the song sung by Nat King Cole was featured in an episode of the TV show Breaking Bad called "Gliding Over All."
