The 'Happy Birthday' song can now be sung in public

[Severs]

Originally Posted by JerseyGirl415

This song has been sung in restaurants by staff and families all over the country since I can remember. Thanks for making it official, though, I guess, federal judge.

If they are singing it they probably are (were) paying the royalties for it, none of the restaurants in my area sing the original. They all have their own variation on a different tune. Usually it's the same tune as each other, and mostly the same words, just a different restaurant name is shoved in depending on where you are.

[Taiko]

Originally Posted by elan

I didn't know it couldn't be sung in public. Gee, is the title misleading or something?

Watch TV shows with a birthday scene and listen to them sing stuff like "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow". I remember on A Different World they did use the Stevie Wonder tribute song to Dr. King, but being a historically Black college setting it was chosen for political effect. Most bars and restaurants have a license agreement fee and if the birthday song was used it was paid for like the other music they use is paid for, least a secret spy from ASCAP be in attendance making sure their members get paid.

In my family situation I normally hear the Wonder tribute song from the Black part of the family the birthday song from the Philippines for the Filipino portion and the traditional American song which this ruling just put in public domain

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by Severs

Happy Birthday to you. You live in a zoo. You look like a monkey. And you smell like one too. :P

Those lyrics are considerably less objectionable than the original.

[wildflower82]

We don't sing Happy Birthday in our family.......We play "Birthday"
Beatles Birthday Song