Paducah Song

Click here for a Flash version of the song!

Since publishing this article, we've had two people send in more information!

--- Here's an update ---

Jerry Jarrett of Paducah, has part of the movie on a VCR tape and was kind enough to send in a clip containing the song. Thanks to Jerry, we also know that "it is a number done by Benny Goodman and Carmen Marenda".

Lisa Summers had this to contribute: "This is an old song that I used to hear sung by a friend's father. Recently, I saw it for sale on ebay but I didn't get the bid on it. (It sold for $125!) However, I was recently in Bouland Bookcellar's on Broadway & they have a framed copy of this music. It is highly collectible to people in the area obviously....check it out!"

Here's an old song sent to us by Cliff Morris. Cliff's father ran the Columbia Theater downtown sometime during the 1930's. Our sincere thanks goes out to Cliff for contributing this interesting bit of nostalgia about Paducah!

We don't have much information about this song other than that it was in a film. The lyrics are straight from the original sheet music, obtained through Inter-library Loan from the Ann Arbor District Library. Only two (university) libraries listed the sheet music as part of their collections; one was in Arizona, the other in Kentucky. Does anyone know anymore? If so, drop us an email and we'll put the additional information here, along with your name as a contributor.

Pa Pa Paducah
****************

If you could see a certain town down south
I'll bet you fifteen cents you'd holler "Shut my mouth!"

I'm not exaggeratin' when I say
There's not a sweeter town in the U.S.A.

I know an awful lot of people claim
It has a funny name. But brother just the same

They can't frown on my home town

Paducah, Paducah
If you wanna you can rhyme it with bazooka
But you can't pooh-pooh Paducah
That's another name for Paradise.

Paducah, Paducah
Just a pretty little city in Kentucky
But to me it rhymes with lucky
When I look into two blue eyes.

Tulip time, they get excited over tulip time But I'm delighted over
julep time Because I happen to love A resident of...

Paducah, Paducah
If you wanna you can rhyme it with bazooka
But you can't pooh-pooh Paducah
That's another name for Paradise.

--Leo Robin, lyrics
--Harry Warren, music