FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW
“For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” is a popular song that is sung to congratulate a person on a significant event, such as a promotion, a birthday, a wedding (or playing a major part in a wedding), a wedding anniversary, the birth of a child, or the winning of a championship sporting event. The melody originates from the French song “Marlborough s’en va-t-en guerre” (“Marlborough Has Left for the War”). The traditional children’s song “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” is sung to the same tune. (More from Wikipedia)
That bit of doggerel is something that nearly everyone hears at least once a year. This song too has songwriting credits. As explained by Wikipedia: “According to the 1998 Guinness World Records, ‘Happy Birthday to You’ is the most recognized song in the English language, followed by ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’.”
(April 2015/1)
