Song: You've Got to Be a Football Hero (or You've Gotta etc)

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  • I'm interested in the history/background of this song from 1933. It was written by Al Lewis, Al Sherman and Buddy Fields. The sheet music has a photograph of a now-obscure female singer. I had assumed that it either was written for a Broadway show or a movie, but I can't find it in a movie until it surfaced as the title song of a Popeye cartoon in 1935. I've heard that it was popularized by Rudy Vallee but if so, he didn't seem to record it. I have a 1933 recording by Irving Aaronson & the Commanders with Harmon Nelson doing the vocal.


  • I wonder if they've been playing it on NFL Sports and we just haven't been paying attention. And here's another bit o' trivia. Al Sherman was the songwriting father of the songwriting Sherman Brothers. They wrote "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," among other hits. Not that I care, but how often does one get to type Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious twice in one paragraph?!


  • Grandvenise -- The correct title is "You Gotta Be a Football Hero (To Get Along With the Beautiful Girls). There's a copy of the 1933 sheet music with Jeanie Lang on the cover selling for $481.95 on Barnes & Noble.com! But here's another cheaper version. Check out the photo of the sheet music --different cover -- for only $15.00 -- and the a blurb that says, "ed in 1933, this little number advised that "You Gotta Be A Football Hero (To Get Along With The Beautiful Girls)." At the time of this release, professional football was embryonic, and it was the college gridiron that reigned supreme. For that matter, lyricist, Al Lewis, provided extra choruses that could be substituted to cheer 26 favorite schools. So, sing along for the local eleven of Michigan, Pitt, the Chicago Maroons, Alabama...!" http://americanmemorabilia.com/Auction_Item.asp?auction_id=17982 If you look up the song on ASCAP's website, it lists other "performers:" YOU GOTTA BE A FOOTBALL HERO (Title Code: 550018854) Writers: FIELDS BUDDY LEWIS AL SHERMAN AL (US 1) Performers: NATIONAL LAMPOON SHERMAN FIELDS & LEWIS W TUXEDO JUNCTION UNIVER OF MICH BAND UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BAND/RE Variations: YOU GOTTA BE YOUVE GOT TO BE A CRICKET HERO FEIST FOOTBALL MEDLEY YOU GOTTA BE A FOOTBALL HERO YOUVE GOT TO BE YOU VE GOTTA BE A FOOTBA Publishers/Administrators: EMI FEIST CATALOG INC % EMI APRIL MUSIC INC C/O EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING 810 SEVENTH AVE NEW YORK , NY, 10019 Tel. (212) 830-2036 QUARTET MUSIC INC % WINDSWEPT HOLDINGS LLC ATTN: KAREN RODRIGUEZ 9320 WILSHIRE BLVD, SUITE 200 BEVERLY HILLS , CA, 90212 Tel. (310) 550-1500 RANGE ROAD MUSIC INC C/O CARLIN AMERICA INC 126 E 38TH STREET NEW YORK , NY, 10016 Tel. (212) 779-7977 SOVEREIGN MUSIC COMPANY % MARY ANN SIUSHANSIAN MITCHELL B DE GROOT JR TRUST 3717 GLEN EAGLE DRIVE SILVER SPRING, MD, 20906 Tel. (301) 871-4055 It also showed up in the 1974 version of "The Longest Yard." Performed by The Soul Touchers Band & Chorus. There was a 1979 DISCO version by Tuxedo Junction. And it's in the soundtrack for "The Cat in the Hat" in 2003.


  • Thank you, cryptica, for the comments and links. It's a fun song that should have been in a Jack Oakie movie!







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