Cliff Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), also known as "Ukelele Ike", was an American singer and voice actor who enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes. He had a number-one hit with "Singin' in the Rain" in 1929. He also did voices for animated cartoons later in his career, and is best known as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney's Pinocchio (1940).
Edwards was born Clifton A. Edwards in Hannibal, Missouri. He left school at age 14 and soon moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he entertained as a singer in saloons. As many places had pianos in bad shape or none at all, Edwards taught himself to play ukulele (then often spelled "ukelele") to serve as his own accompanist (selecting that instrument as it was the cheapest in the music store). He got the nickname "Ukelele Ike" from a club owner who could not remember his name. He got his first break in 1918 at the Arsonia Cafe in Chicago, Illinois, where he performed a tune called "Ja-Da", written by the club's pianist, Bob Carleton. Edwards and Carleton made the tune a hit on the vaudeville circuit. Vaudeville headliner Joe Frisco hired Edwards as part of his act, which was featured at the Palace in New York City, the most prestigious theater in vaudeville, and then in the Ziegfeld Follies.
Find a man's treasure and you've found his heart
The girl of my dreams is the sweetest girl
Of all the girls I know
Each sweet co-ed like a rainbow trail
Fades in the afterglow
The blue of her eye and the gold of her hair
Are a blend of the western sky
And the moonlight beams on the girl of my dreams
She's the sweetheart of Sigma Chi
Oh the blue of her eye and the gold of her hair
Are a blend of the western sky
And the moonlight beams on the girl of my dreams
(Ha-ha-ha-ha)
(Did you ever see an elephant fly?)
(Well, I seen a horsefly)
(And I seen a dragonfly)
(Yeah, I seen a housefly)
(Ha-ha-ha-ha)
Yeah, I seen all that too...
I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band
I seen a needle that winked its eye
But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see a elephant fly
(What d'you say, boy?)
I said when I see a elephant fly
I seen a front porch swing, heard a diamond ring
I seen a polka-dot railroad tie
But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see a elephant fly
(I saw a clothes horse, he r'ar up and buck)
(And they tell me that a man made a vegetable truck)
(I didn't see that, I only heard)
(But just to be sociable, I'll take your word)
(I heard a fireside chat, I saw a baseball bat)
(And I just laughed till I thought I'd die)
But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see a elephant fly
Well I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see a elephant fly
(With the wings)
I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain
Dancin' in the rain
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I'm happy again!
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!
I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain...
[ADDITIONAL VERSE]
Why am I smiling
And why do I sing?
Why does September
Seem sunny as spring?
Why do I get up
Each morning and start?
Happy and head up
With joy in my heart
Why is each new task
A trifle to do?
Because I am living
(Ha-ha-ha-ha)
(Did you ever see an elephant fly?)
(Well, I seen a horsefly)
(And I seen a dragonfly)
(Yeah, I seen a housefly)
(Ha-ha-ha-ha)
Yeah, I seen all that too...
I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band
I seen a needle that winked its eye
But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see a elephant fly
(What d'you say, boy?)
I said when I see a elephant fly
I seen a front porch swing, heard a diamond ring
I seen a polka-dot railroad tie
But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see a elephant fly
(I saw a clothes horse, he r'ar up and buck)
(And they tell me that a man made a vegetable truck)
(I didn't see that, I only heard)
(But just to be sociable, I'll take your word)
(I heard a fireside chat, I saw a baseball bat)
(And I just laughed till I thought I'd die)
But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see a elephant fly
Well I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I see a elephant fly
(With the wings)
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
If your heart is in your dreams
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfilment of
Their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain
Dancin' in the rain
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I'm happy again!
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!
I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain...
[ADDITIONAL VERSE]
Why am I smiling
And why do I sing?
Why does September
Seem sunny as spring?
Why do I get up
Each morning and start?
Happy and head up
With joy in my heart
Why is each new task
A trifle to do?
Because I am living
A life full of you.