“White Christmas” stood at the apex of this transition, the pinnacle of an American moment that was, like a glowing yule log, slowly burning away. The postwar era saw a shift away from the melodic keyboards of Tin Pan Alley toward the rebellious guitars of rock-and-roll. Hundreds of musicians, from Elvis Presley to Destiny’s Child, have recorded the song since, but Crosby’s version is still the gold standard. Berlin, a Jewish man, had a personal tradition that may have contributed to the yearning melancholy of the song: his infant son had died on Christmas Day 1928, and every year, Berlin spent the holiday visiting Irving Berlin, Jr.’s grave. The song is also notable for being relatively secular, a fact which music scholars have pointed to as an engine for its universality. Crooner Bing Crosby’s iconic rendition of the tune became the best-selling song of all time by the end of World War II, and “White Christmas” has maintained that distinction in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The wistful tone of “White Christmas” took on a particularly poignant significance as American soldiers found themselves fighting overseas in the years that followed. Here is a glimpse at the stories behind two of his most legendary songs.īerlin’s song was first broadcast on December 25, 1941, less than three weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His influence on American music is undeniable his presence, ubiquitous. Hundreds of artists have recorded his work, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Ethel Merman, Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Diana Ross, Patsy Cline, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson, Cher, and the Muppets. Berlin’s song catalog contains nearly 1,500 tunes, more than two dozen of which topped the charts before his death in 1989. After years of literally singing for his supper as a busker, he leapt to international success with his 1911 hit “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” Throughout his lengthy career, he explored a variety of styles, from the ragtime, jazz and balladeering of Tin Pan Alley to Broadway showstoppers like “There’s No Business Like Show Business” from his musical Annie Get Your Gun to Hollywood hits including Easter Parade, Holiday Inn and Blue Skies. He was born Israel Berlin in 1888 and immigrated to New York from Belarus at the age of five.
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Have you ever seen a fiend cook crack on the spoon? Have you ever seen a nigga that was black on the moon? Have you ever seen your brother go to prison as you cry? Have you ever seen a motherfuckin' ribbon in the sky? Nope, all I see is that C.R.E.A.“Not for Just a Year, but Always” The Immortal Irving BerlinĬomposer Jerome Kern once famously remarked that “Irving Berlin has no place in American music - he is American music.” Such an enviable distinction could only be bestowed upon a musician with far-reaching success and a diverse body of work, and Berlin certainly fits the bill. Real niggas don't die Forward with the plot One-Seven-Forty-Five Form at the plot Real niggas don't die Form on the block Real niggas don't lie Form in the plot My niggas don't die Form on the block Real niggas don't die Form on the block Real niggas don't die Real niggas don't die
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Now I was barely seventeen with a pocket full of hope Screamin' dollar and a dream with my closet lookin' broke And my nigga's lookin' clean, gettin' caught up with that dope Have you ever served a fiend with a pocket full of soap? Nigga I can tell you things that you probably shouldn't know Have you ever heard the screams when the body hit the floor? Flashbacks to the pain, wakin' up, cold sweats Six o'clock in the mornin', gotta hit the BowFlex Get my weight up on the block, keep watch for the cops God they love to serve a nigga three hots and a cot Nowadays crime pays like a part time job And the drought got me prayin' for a Carl Thom vibe Summer Rain come again Numb the pain 'cause it's hard for a felon In my mind I been cryin', know it's wrong but I'm sellin' Eyes wellin' up with tears Thinkin' 'bout my niggas dead in the dirt Immortalized on this shirt
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