"Wand'rin' Star" is a song that was originally written by

Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...

(lyrics) and

Frederick Loewe Frederick Loewe ( ; born Friedrich "Fritz" Löwe, ; June 10, 1901 – February 14, 1988

(music) for the stage musical '' Paint Your Wagon'' in 1951.

Lee Marvin recording

"Wand'rin' Star" was a number one single in the UK for three weeks and in Ireland for two weeks for

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and prematurely white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Although initially typecast as th ...

in March 1970. The song also peaked at number 10 in Australia.

Background

When the

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

of the musical was made in 1969,

took the role of prospector Ben Rumson. Not a natural singer, Marvin nevertheless sang all of his songs in the film, rejecting the idea of miming to another singer's voice. Despite the film being a box office flop, the soundtrack became a success. Orchestrated and arranged by

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many vocalists at Capitol Records, including ...

, Marvin's version of the song "Wand'rin Star" became a number 1 single in Ireland and the UK, keeping

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

at number 2 in the UK with their single "

Let It Be Let It Be most commonly refers to: * ''Let It Be'' (album), the Beatles' final studio album, released in 1970 * "Let It Be" (song), the title song from the album Let It Be may also refer to: Film and television * ''Let It Be'' (1970 film), ...

". Marvin never released a follow-up single, so he is considered a

one-hit wonder A one-hit wonder is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music performers with ...

Cover versions

*A sound-alike cover appeared on the 1970 album ''

Top of the Pops, Volume 10 ''Top of the Pops'' is the name of a series of records issued by Pickwick Records on their Hallmark label, which contain anonymous cover versions of recent and current hit singles. The recordings were intended to replicate the sound of the origi ...

'', with one reviewer using terms like "laryngitic croak" and "gargling gargoyles" to describe how he felt about the cover. *"Wand'rin' Star" was covered by English comedian and novelist

Julian Clary Julian Peter McDonald Clary (born 25 May 1959) is an English actor, comedian, novelist and presenter. He began appearing on television in the mid-1980s. Since then, he has also acted in films, on television and in stage productions, including n ...

; his version was released as a single in the United Kingdom in 1990, backed with the self-penned track "Uncanny and Unnatural". * Shane MacGowan and The Popes rendering was included on their 1997 album '' The Crock of Gold''. *German

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

group Scooter covered the song on their 2021 album '' God Save the Rave''.

Popular culture

*In 2002, the song was played at the end of

Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...

's funeral. *The song was mentioned in the words of " Build a Fire" by

the KLF The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) are a British electronic band who originated in Liverpool and London in the late 1980s. Scottish people, Scottish musician Bill Drummond (alias Ki ...

. The last lines are, "We'll stop for lunch, in some taco bar./Lee Marvin on the jukebox, 'Wand'rin' Star.'"

Sample

References

UK singles chart number-one singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles 1970 singles Songs from musicals Songs with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Songs with music by Frederick Loewe Paramount Records singles 1951 songs Novelty songs Songs about parting Country music songs {{1970s-pop-song-stub