J. Will Callahan (March 17, 1874 – November 15, 1946) was an American lyricist. He was also partially blind. He wrote lyrics for songs including "

Gasoline Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organi ...

" (1913), "Smiles" (used in ''

The Passing Show of 1918 ''The Passing Show of 1918'' is a Broadway musical revue featuring music of Sigmund Romberg and Jean Schwartz (and other songwriters), with book and lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge. The show introduced the hit songs "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles ...

''), and more notoriously to modern ears, the 1917 song "

Ching Chong "Ching chong" and "ching chang chong" are ethnic slurs and racial pejorative terms sometimes used in English to mock the Chinese language, people of Chinese ancestry, or other people of East Asian descent perceived to be Chinese. The term is a ...

". "Smiles", for which he is best known, became a hit and earned Callahan and composer

Lee S. Roberts Leland Stanford Roberts (1884–1949), commonly known as Lee S. Roberts, was an American composer and pianist. He is best known for his composition 'Smiles' with lyricist J. Will Callahan, written in 1917, but was a prolific composer across many ...

about $500,000.Lasser, Michael
America's Songs II: Songs from the 1890s to the Post-War Years
p. 64 (2014) Callahan's primary collaborator was Max Kortlander.Tyler, Don. ''Hit Songs 1900-1955'', p. 363 (2007)

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1874 births 1946 deaths American male songwriters {{US-songwriter-stub