Edwards was born Clifton A. Edwards in Hannibal, Missouri. He left school at age 14 and soon moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he entertained as a singer in saloons. As many places had pianos in bad shape or none at all, Edwards taught himself to play ukulele (then often spelled "ukelele") to serve as his own accompanist (selecting that instrument as it was the cheapest in the music store). He got the nickname "Ukelele Ike" from a club owner who could not remember his name. He got his first break in 1918 at the Arsonia Cafe in Chicago, Illinois, where he performed a tune called "Ja Da", written by the club's pianist, Bob Carleton. Edwards and Carleton made the tune a hit on the vaudeville circuit. Vaudeville headliner Joe Frisco hired Edwards as part of his act, which was featured at the Palace in New York City, the most prestigious theater in vaudeville, and then in the Ziegfeld Follies.
Edwards made his first phonograph records in 1919. He recorded early examples of jazz scat singing in 1922. The following year he signed a contract with Pathé Records. He became one of the most popular singers of the decade, and appeared in several Broadway shows. He recorded, in his distinctive style, many of the pop and novelty hits of the day, such as "California, Here I Come", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", and "I'll See You in My Dreams".
In 1925, his recording of "Paddlin’ Madeleine Home" would reach number three on the pop charts. In 1928, his recording of "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" was number one for one week on the U.S. pop singles chart. In 1929, his recording of "Singin' in the Rain" was number one for three weeks. Edwards's own compositions included "(I'm Cryin' 'Cause I Know I'm) Losing You", "You're So Cute (Mama O' Mine)", "Stack O' Lee", "Little Somebody of Mine", and "I Want to Call You 'Sweet Mama'". He also recorded a few "off-color" novelty numbers for under-the-counter sales, including "I'm a Bear in a Lady's Boudoir".
More than any other performer, Edwards was responsible for the soaring popularity of the ukulele in the 1920s. Millions of ukuleles were sold during the decade, and Tin Pan Alley publishers added ukulele chords to standard sheet music. Edwards always played American Martin ukuleles favoring the small soprano model in his early career. In his later years Edwards moved to the sweeter, large tenor ukulele more suited to crooning which was becoming popular in the 1930s.
Edwards' continued to record until shortly before his 1971 death. His last record album, Ukulele Ike, was released posthumously on the independent Glendale label. He reprised many of his 1920s hits, but his then failing health was evident in the recordings
It's You
Cliff Edwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
With all your faults, I love you still,
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It had to be you.
It had to be you, it had to be you.
I wandered around and finally found somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me be blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still.
It had to be you, wonderful you
It had to be you.
The song "It Had to Be You" by Cliff Edwards is about finding one's true love. The lyrics describe the journey of wandering around, searching for someone who will make the singer "be true" and "feel blue." Finally, the somebody who can achieve this feat is found. Even being sad and thinking of this person brings the singer joy. Other people the singer has seen might never be mean, cross, or bossy, but they would not do because nobody else gives the singer a thrill like this somebody does. With all of their faults, the singer still loves this person.
The song conveys the idea that when you find the right person, you just know it. They make you feel in ways that nobody else ever has, and you cannot imagine being with anyone else. The lyrics are simple and straightforward but conveys the depth of emotions and feelings one can have for their significant other. The tune is a classic romantic ballad with a jazzy touch that complements the message of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
It had to be you, it had to be you.
Out of all the people in the world, destiny chose you to be my true love.
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
I searched far and wide until I found the one person who completed me.
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
You have the power to make me honest and even feel sadness or heartache.
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Even when missing you causes me pain, I'm still happy to be thinking of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
I've come across other people who never act cruel or nasty.
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
They might not get angry or try to assert their authority over me.
But they wouldn't do.
However, they just wouldn't be good enough for me.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
No one else ever excited me or made me feel so alive.
With all your faults, I love you still,
Despite your imperfections, I love you more than anything else in the world.
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It's clear that you were the only one I was meant to be with, and I adore everything about you.
It had to be you.
I am completely certain that you are my soulmate and the one person I'm supposed to spend my life with.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ISHAM JONES, GUS KAHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kenneth Freund
Before Sinatra and Crosby there was Cliff Edwards - the original crooner (& jazz singer). "If I Had You" is the best of the surviving recordings from about 1931 but its enough to land Edwards on anybody's Top 10 singers of all time. Also a damn good uke player.
Kenneth Freund
@Cyrus Baker That's the problem. He's remembered today only as Jiminy's voice.
Cyrus Baker
Dont forget he was also the voice of Jiminy Cricket for DIsney. He wad one of the top earners in Hollywood to end up penniless and alone in Hollywood and not identified for days after his death.
•Luigi's World•
@Kenneth Freund Cliff Edwards Actually Sings When You Wish Upon A Star In 1940
Kenneth Freund
@Ray Wallace and don't forget its Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Crickett in Pinochio. He sings "When you wish upon a star" -- 1941 I think.
Ray Wallace
@Kenneth Freund You know it, pilgrim!
Ed Lake
Love it...His voice alone was like a musical instrument, and his uke playing superb. Yet despite selling up to 80 million records Cliff Edwards is almost forgotten ..Very Sad.
harpman1876 b
Not me. I play him in my car a fair amount. I'll occasionally email mp3s of his ukulele ditties to friends. His tobacco card has been on our refrigerator for probably 25 years.
Dave Miller
It's long time for a Cliff Edwards revival.
Alexander Ip
with the help of his great grandchildren IF he has any