Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (song) facts for kids

"Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" is a popular song from 1952. It was written by Bob Merrill. The song is also known by longer names like "There's a Pawn Shop on the Corner" because of its lyrics.

The Story in the Song

The song tells a funny and a bit sad story. It's about a man who falls in love with a beautiful woman. He wants to impress her and make her think he is rich. To do this, he takes her to fancy places and pays for everything.

But there's a secret: he doesn't have much money. He pays for their dates by pawning (selling temporarily) his belongings. He takes his watch, his suit, and other items to a pawn shop. The song starts when he has run out of things to pawn. He has nothing left to sell to pay for their next date!

Famous Versions of the Song

The most well-known recording of "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" was made by Guy Mitchell. He recorded it on January 15, 1952. This version was released by Columbia Records.

Guy Mitchell's song became very popular. It first appeared on the Billboard music chart on March 7, 1952. It stayed on the chart for 17 weeks and reached number 6.

Other famous singers also performed the song. Bing Crosby sang it on his radio show in 1952. One of his performances was later released on a CD. In 1973, a Danish singer named Keld Heick released his own version. It was called "Der' En Gammel Marskandiser På Hjørnet Af Ranunkelvej." This version was later improved in 2005.

A comedian named Mickey Katz even made a funny version of the song. He called his parody "Schvitzburgh, Pennsylvania."

Where Else Has It Appeared?

The song "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" was mentioned in a science fiction book. It appeared in Robert A. Heinlein's novel Time Enough for Love. In the story, a character called "The Senior" sings a part of the song. This happens while he is going through a special process to make him young again.