Tom Chapin's Happy Birthday Song (R.U.S. Bonus)

[hannahsmith1108]

can you find me the sign language to this song for me? in my elementary school we used to sing this in our gym class for anyone with a birthday & we used the sign language with it..

[KourtneyBrooke]

I found this while looking for The Elephant Show(my favorite show as a kid) version of this song and when you said Eric Nagler I remembered that the guy on the show who sang it was named Eric and sure enough it's him :) Beautiful song. Kind of a bittersweet birthday song. and nice playing and singing by you also.

[mlooshka]

We sing this in our family too :) I've been trying to figure out the chords for a while - thanks for this. Tom is the brother of Harry, who died in 1981.

[uwemommens]

What's the matter with me? I play the smart a... and don't even mention how much I loved your interpretation here. It's my favorite waltz, and you've played it really well., Matthew. Thanks!

[uwemommens]

The music was in fact written by Franz Lehar (1870 - 1948). It's the waltz out of "Die Lustige Witwe /The Merry Widow". A very famous tune. And my favourite waltz. Bob Hornett and Hector Awol made a fine recording, too. It's on their channel bertosvids.

[matthewvaughan]

@uwemommens Thanks, Uwe!

[wideeyewonder]

Great rendition....using this as the music in my Nieces Bday video I'm making her - hopefully you wont mind =)

[nerakdon]

Tom Chapin will always be the only Chapin to me. I don't even know what Harry Chapin sounds like. This is beautiful.

[matthewvaughan]

@nerakdon It is, isn't it? The song, that is. I hope I did it some justice. Thanks for watching.

[yayme]

happy birthday happy birthday we love you happy birthday and may all your dreams come true you blow out the candles one light stays a glow i'ts the love light in your heart here you go .

[matthewvaughan]

@yayme "Here you go" huh? That's new to me. Thanks for sharing it.

[laxgod83]

dude your a duster and Quinn the eskimo doesn't like you because you have a combover

[matthewvaughan]

@laxgod83 You've lost me.

[DrummerBoy922]

The lyrics to this song are actually traditional. The music is Franz Lehar's "Merry Widow Waltz".

[matthewvaughan]

Huh, so not written by Tom Chapin, huh? That's cool. How do you know? Where does it come from?

[DrummerBoy922]

I was told by Eric Nagler that it's traditional. Also, I have a Tom Chapin songbook that has this song in it and each song has a blurb explaining what the song is about. It says, "we don't know who wrote these lyrics".

[matthewvaughan]

Cool, thanks for letting me know. It's pretty neat that you know or have met Eric Nagler. I think he's the cat's pyjamas.

[DrummerBoy922]

I don't actually know Eric personally, but I've emailed with him many times. You can email him through his website.

[elazarn2]

i "know" Mary from the John Lennon tribute album, "Working Class Hero," on which she sang "Grow Old (Along) With Me."

[marcoacca]

... :)! Bravo!

[beshem]

You're a really great and funny person ^^. Great rendition as well! ^^

[matthewvaughan]

Thank you! I can't believe I haven't said thank you until now. Thank you, really :)

[matthewvaughan]

You deserve a plug.

[zeitkoenig]

...oh, very nice :)

[matthewvaughan]

Thank you!

[elazarn2]

you're not the only one who gets the Chapins confused. the late Harry Chapin (of "Cat's in the Cradle" fame) was Tom's older brother. don't quote me on this, but i think the other one i confuse, Mary Chapin Carpenter, isn't related.

[matthewvaughan]

I know Mary Chapin Carpenter! Not personally, but how do I know her? I'm thinking... was she just in The Carpenters? Is that it? No... how do I know her? I'm not going to use Google on this one, now that I've asked someone. How do you know her?