The Band Played On


"The Band Played On", also known as "Casey Would Waltz with a Strawberry Blonde", was a popular song written in 1895 with lyrics by John F. Palmer and music by Charles B. Ward.
Unusually, as originally published the verses are in time, while the chorus is in time. The chorus is much better known than the verses to later generations.
The lyrics of the refrain:
The song has become a pop standard with many recordings made. One of the first was made by Dan W. Quinn for Berliner Gramophone in 1895, which is the same year the song was first published.
The song was later featured in many films, including Raoul Walsh's The Strawberry Blonde, the title of which was inspired by the lyrics, and Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.

Cover versions

One of the most famous recordings, by Guy Lombardo's orchestra, was made on February 26, 1941 and issued by Decca Records as catalog number 3675, coinciding with the release of the film The Strawberry Blonde, in which the song appeared. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on May 9, 1941 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #6.
The Guy Lombardo version included only the famous chorus, omitting the 2/4-time verses.
The numerous other recordings of the number include:
Frank D'Rone - a single release as "The Strawberry Blonde" ; Connie Francis - for her album Sing Along with Connie Francis ; Alvin and the Chipmunks in the 1962 album The Chipmunk Songbook; Bing Crosby who included the song in a medley on his album On the Sentimental Side ; Alice Faye - for the album Alice Faye Sings Her Greatest Movie Hits ; and Mandy Patinkin - for his album Mandy Patinkin.