Harbour Lights (song)

Kennedy's lyrics describe the sight of harbour lights in the darkness, which signal that the ship carrying the singer's sweetheart is sailing away. The lonely singer hopes that the lights will someday signal the sweetheart's return. Apparently the lyricist Jimmy Kennedy was driving from London (UK) down to Southampton on the South coast along the A3 road which led south to Portsmouth. As he neared the coast a fog descended and he was confused about the direction. He saw some lights on a pub and decided to stop. The pub was called The Harbour Lights. Some time later he wrote the lyric and music was added. The song Harbour Lights was recorded by the Platters and many others. A blue plaque is today fixed to the wall of the pub. http://www.michaelcooper.org.uk/C/harbourl.htm ==Versions==

The song has been recorded by many artists; charting versions were recorded by Sammy Kaye, Guy Lombardo, Bing Crosby, Ray Anthony, Ralph Flanagan and Ken Griffin. Other versions were recorded by The Ink Spots, Lawrence Welk, Elvis Presley, LaVern Baker, The Platters, Engelbert Humperdinck, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Vera Lynn, Clyde McPhatter, Arthur Tracy and Jon Rauhouse. A Polish version titled "Portowe światła", with lyrics by Herold (pseudonym for Henryk Szpilman), was recorded in 1938 by Mieczysław Fogg (released as Syrena Electro 2035), shortly after World War II by Tadeusz Miller (released as Melodje 118), and by Irena Santor in 1966 (released as Muza XL0311). The biggest-selling version was recorded by the Sammy Kaye orchestra. The recording was released by Columbia Records as a 78 rpm single and a 45 rpm single. The record first reached the Billboard charts on 1 September 1950 and lasted 25 weeks, peaking at #1. The Guy Lombardo orchestra recording of 24 August 1950 was released by Decca Records. The record first reached the Billboard charts on 6 October 1950 and lasted 20 weeks, peaking at #2. was released by Decca Records. The record first reached the Billboard charts on 3 November 1950 and spent 11 weeks there, peaking at #10. Overseas, this version peaked at #11 in the UK. One of the Platters' versions featured the recorded sound of a ship bell ringing, sea birds and a fog horn, plus the sounds of ocean waters splashing, which is heard at both the beginning and the ending of the song, before it fades out. In later years, Ace Cannon recorded an instrumental version for his 1994 album Entertainer. ==In popular culture==

In an episode of M*A*S*H ("Your Retention, Please"), Klinger (Jamie Farr), while nursing a broken heart, plays the song over and over again on a jukebox. In the final scene, he smashes the record. ==References==