"When You Were Sweet Sixteen" is a

popular song Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Funk ...

, written by James Thornton and published in

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

. Inspired and sung by the composer's wife, the ballad quickly became a hit song in vaudeville. It has a long recording history that includes numerous popular singers, has been heard on film, and is considered a standard for

barbershop quartets A barbershop quartet is a group of four singers who sing music in the barbershop style, characterized by four-part harmony without instrumental accompaniment, or a cappella. The four voices are: the lead, the vocal part which typically carries ...

Origin

James Thornton was a

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

best-known during his life for his comedy monologues; however, he composed numerous popular songs, especially in 1880s and 1890s. "When You Were Sweet Sixteen", published in 1898, was inspired by Thornton's wife, Bonnie, when she asked her husband if he still loved her. Thornton replied, "I love you like I did when you were sweet sixteen." Bonnie Thornton, a popular vaudeville singer who sang many of her husband's compositions, introduced the song in her act. "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" sold over a million copies of sheet music. Thornton had sold it to two publishers, M. Witmark & Sons and Joseph W. Stern and Co., and it consequently became the subject of a lawsuit.

Lyrics

The lyrics of "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" are typical of the sentimental ballads of the 1890s. The form is

strophic Strophic form – also called verse-repeating form, chorus form, AAA song form, or one-part song form – is a song structure in which all verses or stanzas of the text are sung to the same music. Contrasting song forms include through-composed, ...

, two verses with a chorus. Chorus: :I love you as I never lov'd before, :Since first I met you on the village green :Come to me, or my dream of love is o'er. :I love you as I lov'd you :When you were sweet, when you were sweet sixteen.

Recording history

The song has been recorded by many artists in many styles, and over a period of more than a century.

Early recordings

"When You Were Sweet Sixteen" was the number one record in

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

. First recorded by Jere Mahoney on

Edison Records Edison Records was one of the early record labels that pioneered sound recording and reproduction, and was an important player in the early recording industry. The first phonograph cylinders were manufactured in 1888, followed by Edison's found ...

, it became the number one record in April and held the spot for five weeks; it was also recorded by George J. Gaskin on

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

and in November this record rose to number one as well, remaining so for eight weeks. Other artists followed quickly including J. W. Myers (

1901 Events January * January 1 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton becomes the first Prime Minist ...

, Victor 1145) and

Harry Macdonough John Scantlebury Macdonald (May 30, 1871 – September 26, 1931) was a Canadian-born singer of Irish and Scottish descent, and recording executive. Under the pseudonym Harry Macdonough, he was one of the most prolific and popular tenors during ...

(1901, Victor 1769).

After 1946

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signin ...

's recording of April 10,

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

was released by

RCA Victor Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ari ...

as catalog number 20-2259. The record first charted in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' on August 16, 1947 and lasted 12 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 2. The song was one side of a two-sided hit; the flip side, " Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)", reached No. 1. The record was also released, with the same flip side, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

, by HMV with catalog number BD-1180. It was re-released in the USA in

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

as a 78rpm single (catalog number 20-3300-A) and a 45rpm single (catalog number 47-2888), with the flip side "Song of Songs". The 1947 revival of the song led to a number of artists recording it that year: *

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

with Vocal Chorus and Orchestra directed by

Morris Stoloff Morris W. Stoloff (August 1, 1898 – April 16, 1980) was a musical composer. Stoloff worked with Sammy Davis Jr., Dinah Shore, Al Jolson and Frank Sinatra. Life and career Stoloff worked as music director at Columbia Pictures from 1936 to 1962. ...

(June 18, 1947,

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...

24106) *

Dick Jurgens Richard Henry Jurgens (January 9, 1910 – October 5, 1995) was an American swing music bandleader and composer who enjoyed great popularity in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Life and early career Dick Jurgens was born in Sacramento, Californ ...

and his Orchestra (vocal:

Jimmy Castle ''Dirty Dancing'' is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman, ...

) (1947) * Steve Conway (April 5,

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

UK Columbia Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd. was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1917 as an offshoot of the American Columbia Phonograph Company, it became an independent British-owned company in 1922 in a managem ...

F.B. 3398) * Josef Locke (April 16, 1948, UK Columbia D.B. 2409) *

Joe Loss Sir Joshua Alexander "Joe" Loss (22 June 1909 – 6 June 1990) was a British dance band leader and musician who founded his own eponymous orchestra. Life Loss was born in Spitalfields, London, the youngest of four children. His parents, Isr ...

and his Orchestra (vocal by Howard Jones) (Recorded in London, March 11, 1948; released by EMI on the

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...

label BD 6007) *

The Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed the Four Mills Brothers, and originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies an ...

(January

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 crashes in a snowstorm. All 19 ...

, Decca 24764) *

The Chordettes The Chordettes were an American female vocal quartet, specializing in traditional pop music. They are best known for their 1950s hit songs " Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop". Career The group organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in 1946. The origin ...

(1950) *

The Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American pop vocal group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style presaged the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ac ...

(1959) * Etta Jones (1975,on Westbound Records album) *

The Fureys The Fureys are an Irish folk band originally formed in 1974. The group consisted initially of four brothers who grew up in Ballyfermot, Dublin. Brothers Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George Furey are of Irish Traveller heritage. Two of the band's s ...

with

Davey Arthur Davey Pat Arthur (born 24 September 1954 in County Donegal) is an Irish folk singer. Originally from Donegal, Arthur moved to Scotland at the age of two. He started to play music at the age of eight, and returned to Ireland aged 18. Known fo ...

, who took it to number 14 in the UK in October

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

(1985, on '' It's Just a Matter of Time'') * Tommy Fleming (2009, on ''Live at Saint Patrick's Cathedral'' VD *

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include " Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", " I Write the Songs", " C ...

(

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, on ''

The Greatest Love Songs of All Time ''The Greatest Love Songs of All Time'' is a studio album by American singer Barry Manilow, released on January 26, 2010 through Arista. Commercial and chart performance The album debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart at #5, but dropped ...

'') *Jim Whitman (

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

, on ''A Little Bit of Country'') *

Chris Doran Christopher Doran (born 22 November 1979) is an Irish singer from Waterford. He was the winner of Ireland's ''You're a Star'' 2003-2004 talent search competition to find Ireland's Eurovision Song Contest entry. The competition held auditions thr ...

(2011, on ''Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You'') *

Daniel O'Donnell Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...

(2011, on ''

Moon Over Ireland ''Moon Over Ireland'' is the 31st studio album released by Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell in 2011. It contained original songs and newly recorded versions of well-known Irish songs. Track listing # "Moon Over Ireland" - 4:09 # "Maggie" - 3:28 # "T ...

'') * Emmet Cahill (2017, on ''Emmet Cahill's Ireland'')

Other influence

"When You Were Sweet Sixteen" is a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

. The song has been used in films a number of times. In the 1930 military comedy ''High C's'', starring

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

, it was sung by the soldiers while they are being bombed.

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

sang it in 1938 in the movie ''

Little Miss Broadway ''Little Miss Broadway'' is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. The film stars Shirley Temple in a story about a theatrical boarding house and its occupants ...

''. In the

1946 Events January * January 6 - The first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into four occupation zones. * January 10 ** The ...

film ''

The Jolson Story ''The Jolson Story'' is a 1946 American musical biography film which purports to tell the life story of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as Julie Benson (approximating Jolson's wife, Ruby Keeler), William Demares ...

'', it was sung by Rudy Wissler dubbing for Scotty Beckett who was portraying the young Al Jolson. This song also appears in the 1987 film "Ironweed" starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. A mustachioed barkeep sings this song behind his bar. The song was sung by

Steve Coogan Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is most known for creating original characters such as Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, whi ...

in 2019 for the comedy series This Time With Alan Partridge.

Notes

References

External links

Lyrics with guitar chords
at Irish-Folk-Songs.com
"When You Were Sweet Sixteen" sung by J. W. Myers
1901 recording at Library of Congress National Jukebox {{Authority control Songs about teenagers Songs written by James Thornton (songwriter) Al Jolson songs 1898 songs Shirley Temple songs