Thanks for the Memory

1938

Thanks for the Memory is an American song by Ralph Rainger (music) and Leo Robin ( text).

Background

Thanks for the Memory was written by Rainger and Robin for the film The Big Broadcast of 1938. The film version was recorded by Shep Fields and His Orchestra and sung by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross.

The two played in the film, a married couple is on the verge of divorce. Towards the end of the movie they sing this song, which is about the ups and downs of their relationship. The two describe common holidays, dispute, gifts they have made to each other, the respective fault of the other, but also beautiful moments. Each enumeration of these moments and hence almost every stanza is introduced (Eng. " Thanks for the Memory" ) by the phrase " Thanks for the Memory". This will reinsure mutually that ultimately every memory whether good or bad, important and right and we now go as a couple stood by without dispute apart. In fact, the couple in the film, however, remains together thereafter.

The song won an Academy Award for Best Song at the Academy Awards 1939. Then Hope used the song as Signature Tune, which he attached with an altered text in many different situations.

The song is often compared to Two Sleepy People, which is also sung by Hope and Ross. The title comes from the movie Thanks for the Memory, who named themselves after the song, to build on its success. Two Sleepy People, however, was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser.

Cover versions

The song was at the end of the 1940s 1930er/Anfang very popular. A first cover came from Dorothy Lamour, who also starred in The Big Broadcast of 1938. Many thought then that it would have been Hope's duet partner. Other cover versions were:

In the field of jazz song by Mildred Bailey, Ray Brown, Serge Chaloff, Erroll Garner, Rebecca Kilgore, Lee Konitz, Dave McKenna and Anita O'Day / Cal Tjader was interpreted.

Parodies

• Marilyn Monroe ended her serenade Happy Birthday, Mr. President sang for U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1962 with a verse to the tune of Thanks for the Memory, " Thanks, Mr. President / For all the things you've done / The battles you've won did / The way you deal with U.S. Steel / And our problems by the ton / We thank you so much. "
• In an episode of the sitcom The Golden Girls Estelle Getty sings a verse on Medicare
• Connie Chung and her husband Maury Povich sing the song in the last episode of the talk show, Weekends with Maury and Connie.
• Judi Dench sang the song for Michael Parkinson in his last show The Final Conversation.