The Sidewalks Of New York
- james w. Blake / charles b. lawlor

THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK
THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK   (SONG CAR-TUNES)   1925
THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK
MUSICAL MEMORIES   (COLOR CLASSICS)   1935
The popular and timeless classic The Sidewalks Of New York was the basis for two early Fleischer "Follow The Bouncing Ball" animated shorts - first in a 1925 Song Car-toons film, and then again in 1929 for the first installment of the Screen Songs series. The song also appears in Fleischer's 1935 Color Classics animated short film Musical Memories. In the later the song is played when a husband and wife reminisce about the past as they listen to the radio. As the song Sidewalks Of New York plays the film flashes back to a scene of children playing on the streets of yesteryear. One of the kids on the street is a caricature of New York Governor Al Smith who sings along with the tune. Smith had famously used the song for his campaign in his failed presidential run in 1920, 1924 and 1928. The popular nostalgic song was considered a New York theme song by many. It was originally written in 1894 by vaudeville composer and actor Charles Lawlor and lyricist James W. Blake, and it tells the story of life on the streets of the city the 1890's. The song became popular shortly after it's release, and Lawlor and Blake sold the copyright for $5,000. Despite the song's popularity, Lawlor, who had immigrated from Ireland in 1869, was penniless when he died in 1925.
NEW YORK CITY - 1911  (WITH ADDED SOUND)
THE STORY OF THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK
1895

GEORGE
​J. GASKIN
1924

THE
SHANNON
​QUARTET
1925

VERNON
​DALHART
1928

WILLIE
WALKER
AND HIS
​GANG
1928

NAT
SHILKRET
AND THE
VICTORIA
​ORCHESTRA
1928

WILLIE
WALKER
AND HIS
GANG
1928

played on a
HURDY
GURDY
STREET
ORGAN
1928

NEW YORK
STREET
​BAND
1933

FUMIKO
​KAWAHATA
1941

SOUNDIE
with
MICHAEL
​BARTLETT
1941

DUKE
​ELLINGTON
1945

THE
DOLLY
SISTERS

(BETTY GRABLE
​& JUNE HAVER)
1946

HILDEGARDE
WITH GUY
LOMBARDO
1947

​CHARLIE
BARNET
AND HIS
ORCHESTRA
1954

ARTHUR
GODFREY
AND ALL
THE LITTLE
GODFREY'S
1954

PETE
​FOUNTAIN
1956

SOMETHING
SMITH
AND THE
​REDHEADS
1958

CANNONBALL
ADDERLEY
WITH MILT
JACKSON
1960

THE
INK
SPOTS
1963

​NAT
KING
COLE
196?

HAPPY
TIME
CHORUS &
​ORCHESTRA
1966

THE
SIX
FAT
​DUTCHMEN
1966

OLIVER
​NELSON
1972

GRATEFUL
​DEAD
1995

BOBBY
​SHORT
2006

ROY
MERIWETHER
2012

THE
ROBERT
DE CORMIER
​SINGERS
2016

THE
WIGGLES


PLAYER
PIANO
THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK  -  THE DOCUMENTARY
THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK

Down in front of Casey's old brown wooden stoop 
On a summer's evening we formed a merry group 
Boys and girls together we would sing and waltz 
While Jay played the organ on the sidewalks of New York
East Side, West Side, all around the town 
The tots sang "ring-a-rosie," "London Bridge is falling down" 
Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke 
Tripped the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York
That's where Johnny Casey, little Jimmy Crowe 
Jakey Krause, the baker, who always had the dough 
Pretty Nellie Shannon with a dude as light as cork 
She first picked up the waltz step on the sidewalks of New York
Things have changed since those times, some are up in "G" 
Others they are wand'rers but they all feel just like me 
They'd part with all they've got, could they once more walk 
With their best girl and have a twirl on the sidewalks of New York

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