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Elmers Tune Lyrics

Artist: Glenn Miller

ELMER'S TUNE
Glenn Miller
- words and music by Elmer Albrecht, Sammy Gallop and Dick Jurgens

Why are the stars always winkin' and blinkin' above?
What makes a fellow start thinkin' of fallin' in love?
It's not the season, the reason is plain as the moon
It's just Elmer's Tune

What makes a lady of eighty go out on the loose?
Why does a gander meander in search of a goose?
What puts the kick in a chicken, the magic in June?
It's just Elmer's Tune

Listen
Listen
There's a lot you're liable to be missin'
Sing it
Swing it
Any old way and any old time

The hurdy-gurdies, the birdies, the cop on the beat
The candy maker, the baker, the man on the street
The city charmer, the farmer, the man in the moon
All sing Elmer's Tune

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Comments/Interpretations

by juan on 10/25/2008 11:04pm
far fuckin' out!
by Robin on 11/21/2008 1:39pm
My mom used to sing this when I was little. Loved it then. Love it now.
by Peggy on 12/17/2008 1:47pm
My mom used to sing it too, but she only knew the last 2 verses.
by Rob on 12/22/2008 5:28pm
My mother always played this on the piano while I was growing up. Till the end of time this song will always make me smile
by Becky on 12/31/2008 11:42am
My Mom played this on the piano and taught it to my sister and I. She would play and the three of us would sing along. It brings back great memories!
by Alex on 4/26/2009 3:54am
the comment by juan on 10/25/2008
should never have been posted on this site.
by Rosie on 7/3/2009 11:27pm
I agree 1,000 percent with you Alex
by Patty on 7/18/2009 11:16am
I've always remembered the lyrics.
I learned this as a piano lesson when it was a hit. Now, I'm almost a "lady of 80" (77) and, by golly, I AM on the loose.
by Eppy on 12/10/2009 4:52pm
This was my all time favorite Glenn Miller Tune. I do a real swing version on the harmonica!
by Michčle on 12/28/2009 7:57am
First time I heard that song I was 16, i think. It was during WW 11. I still love it.
by by Betty on 1/2/2010 7:01pm
I have the original sheet music for Elmer's Tune and still play it occasionally when no one is around!
by Sharyn on 1/11/2010 1:52pm
My dad said the first time he heard the song was on the ship coming back to America October 16, 1945 after WWII, His name is Elmer
by vincent c pitt on 3/27/2010 3:25pm
I remembered this song from the 40's when I was a boy of 6 or 7 years old. I would whistle or sing it all the time.The thing that brought it back to mind was a old movie I watched today(Capt.Courageous, 1937 vintage) Spencer Tracy, played a HURDY-GURDIE, in the film, I did not know what it was ,but I remembered that HURDY-GURDIE was in the lyrics of the song.I found the instrument, and heard it play on the internet via 'BING'
by Knud on 8/29/2010 5:33pm
One of my grandsons got married July 31 this year and since his last name is Elmer he surprised all of us by playing the good old Elmer's Tune at the reception It was an instant hit. Thank you Glenn Miller, and thank you Alex for your comment
by ruth on 3/17/2011 10:30pm
my surname is Elmer - this song has always been a favourite with our family and we played it recently at my husbands 90th birthday party
by Nancie 20,3,2011 on 3/19/2011 10:23am

Great lyrics - great tune - great memories but I am nearly 80.
by Joan on 5/3/2011 10:59pm
People like Juan just show their lack of manners. Elmer's Tune always reminds me of WWII because that's when it was popular. I am now that old lady of 80.
by Paul on 5/13/2011 8:15am
I agree Joan. I'm only in my 20s but I was raised better than that.
by Tootsie Noble on 7/23/2011 11:20pm
Yes, I'm vintage also (88) and at the moment I'm in the process of putting together some tap steps to teach after we finish with Mack the Knife and Beyond the Sea. Except for a youngster of 74, the rest of us are in our 80's. During WW-2 I dated Elmer Bott and Mom dated Elmer Richardson. Great memories memories.
by Bob on 8/17/2011 12:00am
88 yrs old and used to sing this at least once a night. Sang with big band and combos. Had a lot of fun. Brings back lots of memories.Still sing it now and then at nursing homes and retirement centers. Great song!
by Nathan on 10/30/2011 2:08pm
I was speaking to my parents long distance on the phone and something they said reminded me of these lyrics. I started telling them the lyrics, and ended up sing to them on the phone. "Where are you getting this from?!", said my mother. I was suprised they had missed out on that one since they are certainly familiar with the Glenn Miller band.
by CJ on 11/21/2011 10:19pm
I first heard this song sung by the sinister alien parasite "Elmer" in Frank Henenlotter's cult classic "Brain Damage". Very, very, very strange movie, but it introduced me to a timelessly catchy tune.
by Aileen White on 2/8/2012 9:24pm
I remember this song from WWII and in my 20's. The lyrics were "catchy" and I did pretty good at remembering them, even tho not exactly. How nice to be able to get on track by means of the computer !! I also remember "Mairsy Dotes" from the same time period.
by Justise on 4/12/2012 6:53pm
My friend and I are singing this song at her grandmothers 90th birthay April 20, 2012
by jacurtis on 7/16/2012 6:25pm
You have it right, it is a TUNE and Juan doesn't know tunes. They just open their mouth and start screeming OFF KEY. I belong to a senior musical group from TMCC in Reno, and we perform for anyone who will listen, senior homes, hospitals, gambler who spend a lot of money in casios can request our group. They pay big tips for having fun and singing along, remembering some of them of times gone bye.
by PopĆ³. on 10/22/2012 3:50am
Cuando hago popĆ³ y no hay papel me limpio con la mano.
by PATRICIA on 10/28/2012 10:13pm
I am now a lady in my 80's (89)and just love this song still and it brings back such great memories hearing it.
by Debbie on 11/29/2012 1:42am
My dear dad is 94 years 'young' and his name is Elmer. I visited with him the other night and out of the blue he said, "Have you ever heard 'my song....Elmer's Tune"? I thought he was joking....so I googled it! Ha...was I ever surprised. FUN!!
by Renee on 12/3/2012 3:41am
I remember this song so well...I just turned 80 yrs. old in September and happened to recall the lyrics...way back in the 40's and 50's the song was very popular...it makes one feel good, no matter the age!
by Robert on 12/23/2012 7:41am
My Granny used to sing and play this song on the piano. It was one of many I can remember her singing and playing from the Big Band era. I'm 50 now and have very fond memories of a GREAT Lady and the songs that were sung and played from the greatest generation.
by Rich: on 2/5/2013 3:56am
I sing this tune to all of my grand kids. They will never forget me.
by Don (3/30/13) on 3/30/2013 3:22pm
Don't be too tough on poor Juan (10/25/2008). He was trying in his pitiful way to express enthusiasm for good old Elmer's song, but English is apparently not his first(or even second) language. He speaks:
1. Juvenile Potty Mouth
2. Trash Talk
3. Gutter slang
4. 5th grade cursing

I think he means well, however.
by Cal H on 12/4/2013 3:49pm
The only song my girlfriend could play without the sheet music we dated in 1942 were married on my furlough from army in 1945 and are still married 2013 - 68 years
by Dennis Ansell on 5/24/2014 1:34pm
This tune got into my head as a child in the '40s. 68 years later its still there, I wish it would go away !!
by Mark on 7/12/2014 4:21pm
My mom was 18 when the song was popular in 1941. When she was in the last few days of her life in 2011 she asked to hear Elmer's Tune. My sister found in on her iphone and we played it for mom. 2 days later she was gone.
by Gabs on 8/21/2014 12:26am
This song is amazing.

PS: Y'all need to chill
by Tim on 8/24/2014 9:24am
I entertain senior citizens for a living. ELMER'S TUNE is always a big hit. This is the story I was told: Elmer Albrecht worked at a funeral home on Chicago's North Side and had a friend at The Aragon Ballroom who let him come in and play the piano on his lunch hour. Dick Jurgens, whose band was playing there at the time, happened to hear Elmer play a tune he'd written and ELMER'S TUNE was the result. I hope this story is true--I've heard it from several people.
by john on 1/30/2015 4:24am
my uncle ed was a great whistler, at work or in the garden, elmer was his favourite
by Jack on 6/20/2015 3:00pm
Tim (see above) is pretty much correct.
Jurgens arranged as an instrumental for his band and it was mildly successful.
Then Sammy Gallop put words to it,
Glenn Miller recorded it with Ray Eberle on the vocal and WHAM! It took off, became #1 in the country and spent fifteen weeks on the Hit Parade.
by Florence on 9/21/2015 6:47am
I'm one of the older crowd too (82) and I find it most refreshing to remember some of these happy old songs that you can sing with a clear conscience !
by Anon on 5/13/2016 12:19pm
Amazed by the lack of Brain Damage references.

Shame on you, internet.
by Bruce on 5/27/2016 1:46pm
My fathers "b" day is today and his name was Elmer. He would have been 100 today and "Elmers Tune" was like his theme song (and a few other people liked it to, I see). He made it through WWII, got a Purple Heart and was a great father, brother, son and grandpa.
by S on 4/11/2017 7:05pm
C. Sea zest we
We s
I s
by mark on 9/19/2017 7:21pm
This was my fathers favorite song. I wish he was still around and we could sing it together!
by David on 8/11/2018 3:53pm
My dad loved this tune, popular during WW2 when he served in the Pacific with the Navy. He'd sing or hum it to us as small kids and up until his last days at 92. His name - Elmer.
by pat mash, 92 on 12/11/2020 10:10am
Tim and Jack are both correct on how the song srarted, A great song from ww11,
There were were several big bands that recorded it, but glenn had the biggest hit.
by big dick from battle crick on 9/13/2023 6:51am
juans comment should not have been used. some people are so mentally challenged that they can't converse without the filth








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