"Smile" is a song based on the theme song used in the soundtrack for Charlie Chaplin's 1936 film ''Modern Times''.

Background

Chaplin, who composed the song, was inspired by

Puccini Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...

's ''

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language drama ...

''.

John Turner John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and leader of t ...

and Geoffrey Parsons added the lyrics and title in 1954. In the lyrics, based on lines and themes from the film, the singer is telling the listener to cheer up and that there is always a bright tomorrow, just as long as they smile. "Smile" has become a popular standard since its original use in Chaplin's film and has been recorded by numerous artists.

Cover versions

Nat King Cole version

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

recorded the first version with lyrics. It charted in 1954, reaching number 10 on the ''Billboard'' charts and number 2 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. This version was also used at the beginning of the 1975 movie ''

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

''.

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

recorded a cover version of the Cole original, as part of his tribute album ''

The Nat King Cole Songbook ''The Nat King Cole Songbook'' is a 1965 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., recorded in tribute to singer and pianist Nat King Cole, who had recently died. Track listing # " Rambling Rose" ( Joe Sherman, Noel Sherman) – 2:27 # "Unforgettable" ...

'' in 1965.

Charts

Michael Jackson version

Singer

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

often cited "Smile" as his favourite song and recorded it for his 1995 double album '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I''. It was scheduled to be released as the seventh and final single from the album in 1997. However, it was cancelled at the last minute and only a few copies, mostly promos, went into circulation in the UK, South Africa and the Netherlands, making it one of the rarest and most collectible of all Jackson's releases. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' called this version of the song a "destined-for-

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

rendition." In 2009 at Jackson's memorial, his brother

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackso ...

sang a version of the song in Michael's honor. This song is performed in the '' Michael Jackson: One'' Las Vegas production.

Track listing

CD maxi single # "Smile" (short version) – 4:10 # "

Is It Scary "Is It Scary" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. The song was originally written to have been featured in the 1993 film ''Addams Family Values'', but the plans were canceled after contract conflicts. The song was later relea ...

" (radio edit) – 4:11 # "Is It Scary" (Eddie's Love Mix Edit) – 3:50 # "Is It Scary" (Downtempo Groove Mix) – 4:50 # "Is It Scary" (Deep Dish Dark and Scary Radio Edit) – 4:34 12" maxi single * A1. "Smile" – 4:55 * A2. "

" (Deep Dish Dark and Scary Remix) – 12:07 * B1. "Is It Scary" (Eddie's Rub-a-Dub Mix) – 5:00 * B2. "Is It Scary" (Eddie's Love Mix) – 8:00 * B3. " Off the Wall" (Junior Vasquez Remix) – 4:57 Promotional single # "Smile" (short version) – 4:10 Promotional CD single # "Smile" (short version) – 4:10 # "Is It Scary" (radio edit) – 4:11

Charts

Other charting versions

*September 1954:

Sunny Gale Sunny Gale (born Selma Segal, February 20, 1927) is a retired American pop singer who was popular in the 1950s. Gale reached the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 several times throughout the earlier half of the decade, scoring her biggest R&B hit with "Wh ...

(with Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra) - RCA Victor 5836 (#19) *October 1954:

David Whitfield David Whitfield (2 February 1925 – 15 January 1980) was a popular British male tenor vocalist from Hull. He became the first British artist to have a UK No.1 single in the UK and in the United States with " Cara Mia", featuring Mantovani an ...

- Decca F.10355 (#25) *In 1959,

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

recorded the song which in the US, peaked at #73 on the Hot 100. *In late 1964,

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (born December 8, 1939) is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

Betty Everett Betty Jean Everett (November 23, 1939 – August 19, 2001) was an American soul singer and pianist, best known for her biggest hit single, the million-selling " Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", and her duet " Let It Be Me" with Jerry Butle ...

recorded and charted with the song as a duet.

Other notable recordings

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

sang a version of Nat King Cole's song on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...

'' in 1963. * The song was also recorded by Jimmy Durante as part of his album '' Jackie Barnett Presents Hello Young Lovers'' in 1965. * Eric Clapton's performance of the song in 1972 at the Hammersmith Odeon was included on the 2004 version of his album

461 Ocean Boulevard ''461 Ocean Boulevard'' is the second studio album by English musician Eric Clapton. The album was released in late July 1974 for RSO Records, shortly after the record company released the hit single "I Shot the Sheriff" in early July the same y ...

. * The song was included in the soundtrack of Chaplin's 1992

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

film, as covered by its lead actor

Robert Downey Jr. Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

recorded her own version for ''The Movie Album in 2003. * Steven Tyler sang that song on

Chris Botti Christopher Stephen Botti ( ; born October 12, 1962) is an award-winning American trumpeter and composer. In 2013, Botti won the Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, for the album ''Impressions''. He was also nominated in ...

's 2005 album To Love Again: The Duets. * In 2006,

did his own version of the song in his album '' Duets: An American Classic'' with singer Barbra Streisand. *

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Mon� ...

recorded a version for the 2008 special edition of her EP Metropolis: The Chase Suite. *

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

performed the song for One World: Together at Home in April of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Popular culture

*The Jimmy Durante recording is part of the soundtrack to the 2019 film '' Joker'', starring

Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (; né Bottom; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for playing dark and unconventional characters in independent films. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academ ...

and Robert De Niro. The lead character also watched scenes from ''Modern Times'', the film from which the instrumental track that would become "Smile" originated, during a scene in which he sneaks into a movie theatre. *The song was used in the Season 4 episode of '' The Middle'' titled ''"The Smile."'' *A version of "Smile" was used in a

public information film Public information films (PIFs) are a series of government-commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the United Kingdom. The name is sometimes also applied, ''faute de mieux'', to similar films from other countries, ...

from the

British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection Cruelty Free International is an animal protection and advocacy group that campaigns for the abolition of all animal experiments. They organise certification of cruelty-free products which are marked with the symbol of a leaping bunny. It wa ...

in 1989, before another version of the PIF was shot using The Thinner The Air by Cocteau Twins. *A recording by

Frank Chacksfield Francis Charles Chacksfield (9 May 1914 – 9 June 1995) was an English pianist, organist, composer, arranger, and conductor of popular light orchestral easy listening music, who had great success in Britain and internationally in the 1950s and e ...

and his orchestra was used over the closing titles of the last episode of the original run of "

Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given gene ...

" on Jan. 3, 1975. *"Smile" was also used as the opening for Jerry Lewis' live Labor Day MDA telethon. *Sung by

Scarlett Estevez Scarlett Estevez (born December 4, 2007) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress playing Megan in the films '' Daddy's Home'' (2015) and its sequel ''Daddy's Home 2'' (2017). Estevez went on to play Trixie on the televisi ...

in the 10th episode of the 5th season of

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...

. *"Smile" was in the 1994 film ''

My Girl 2 ''My Girl 2'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film starring Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anna Chlumsky and Austin O'Brien. A sequel to '' My Girl'' (1991), its plot follows a now-teenaged Vada Sultenfuss, who travels from her home in suburban ...

''. *The American musical comedy-drama television series

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

featured "Smile" in "Mattress", the 12th episode of the first season. In the episode the song is performed by the New Directions and features solos from Lea Michele,

Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series '' Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series bef ...

, Amber Riley, and Kevin McHale. *The title of

The Pillows are a Japanese alternative rock band formed in 1989. The group has released 22 studio albums, several EPs and compilations, and over 40 singles. Outside Japan, they are best known as the group responsible for the soundtrack to the '' FLCL'' ani ...

album ''

'' is a reference to "Smile".

References

External links

Lyrics to "Smile"
on CharlieChaplin.com (accessed 4/21/2018) {{DEFAULTSORT:Smile (Charlie Chaplin Song) 1936 songs Compositions by Charlie Chaplin Nat King Cole songs Michael Jackson songs La India songs British pop songs Jazz compositions in D minor Songs with lyrics by Geoffrey Parsons (lyricist) Songs with lyrics by John Turner (lyricist) Song recordings produced by Michael Jackson Music published by Bourne Co. Music Publishers Epic Records singles Pop standards