Sam M. Lewis

Sam M. Lewis (* Samuel M. Levine, October 25, 1885 in New York City; † November 22, 1959 ) was an American song writer, known for several contributions to the Great American Songbook.

Lewis went to New York for school and then sang in coffee shops in the city, where he occasionally used his own lyrics. Then he began to write material for vaudeville artist Van and Schenk and Minstrelsänger Lew Dockstadter. Lewis' first song was 1906 Beside the Old Oak Tree to the music of Ted. S. Brown. From 1910, he wrote more lyrics, with Joe Young from 1916 was his chief assistant until the 1930s. Of his songs were The Laugh Parade and other Hollywood musicals from the early 1920s in the Hollywood musical.

In 1912 he wrote the words to Hit That Mellow Melody. In 1918 he authored with Joe Young the text of Rock-a- Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody for the composition of Jean Schwartz. 1925 formed a team with Ray Henderson and wrote the lyrics to Has Anybody Seen My Girl? and (together with Joe Young to I'm Sitting on Top of the World ). Laugh Clown Laugh to the text for the same silent film by Herbert Brenon he wrote in 1928 (the song was played at the funeral of the leading actor Lon Chaney senior). He also worked with Victor Young; with him came the songs In a Little Spanish Town (1926, Music Mabel Wayne, words with Victor Young) and Street of Dreams (1932, Music Victor Young).

He also wrote the lyrics of jazz standards Dinah ( 1925 Harry Akst Music, Text with Joe Young), Just Friends (1931, Music by John Klenner ) and For All We Know (1934, J. Fred Coots music ). Even comes from him, the English text to Gloomy Sunday (recording of Hal Kemp 1936).

Lewis, who finished his career in 1955, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.