Tuesday, May 27, 2008

It's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library!

Who knew the library had a rally song? "The Library Song" was published in 1967 by Joleron Music Corp., and written by Fred Hertz and Joel Herron. This duo wrote and recorded five LPs as Frankie Stein and His Ghouls, issued on Power Records in the late 1950s. Hertz also co-wrote a couple of tunes on Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy, while Herron was best known for penning the songs "I'm a Fool to Want You" and "Sierra Nevada".

Here are the lyrics to "The Library Song":

"Oh, the place for you and the place for me is the local public library / They have books and things they lend for free, it's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library / They have histories, they have mysteries, and for mother books of recipes / See a movie show, hear a symphony, it's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library / Educational, informational, entertainment that's sensational / It's a way of life, it's for you and me, it's the latest, it's the greatest, it's the library."

Two things that popped out: 1) Seems the prevailing idea in 1967 was that only mom took the kids to the library, and then just to pick up the latest chicken casserole recipe; 2) The library is "a way of life"?!? Zowie! The cult of bibliography begins young...

9 comments:

Saints and Spinners said...

I remember stumbling across that song! Still, when you say "The Library Song," Cursor Miner's "Library" will always be the one that pops into my head: http://youtube.com/watch?v=pFMnXsL1Ri8

(Warning: like it or not, the song is a veritable earworm.)

Anonymous said...

Except when I heard the New York Public Library commercial sung by juveniles in the 60's I swear they said "its the liBARy," just like lots of little kids said. Not "liBRARy."

Anonymous said...

This song was used as early as the 1950's as an early morning television public service announcement, typically just before "The Modern Farmer" or "The Big Picture".

Fusco said...

Yes about the pronunciation. The little kids singing said "liberry". The adult voice at the end had to catch himself and say it correctly

David Andrews said...

Where can we find a Youtube copy of this long-running library commercial?

Also looking for the very similar YMCA PSA of this period: "Learn to swim well at the Y-M-C-A," went the lyrics.

I think the same ad agency produced both PSAs. They were everywhere on New York State TV.

F said...

I have a recording of the Tokens doing that song.

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Mother Goose on the Loose said...

I found the music to it and the lyrics here: https://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/songs/childrens/library-song/index.htm
From another librarian!