| "Chicago" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byFrank Sinatra | ||||
| A-side | "All the Way" | |||
| Released | October 1957 | |||
| Recorded | 1957 | |||
| Genre | Vocal jazz,swing,traditional pop | |||
| Length | 2:10 | |||
| Label | Capitol Records | |||
| Songwriter | Fred Fisher | |||
| Producer | Nelson Riddle | |||
| Frank Sinatra singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Chicago" | |
|---|---|
| Single bySergio Franchi | |
| Released | 1964 (1964) |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Songwriter | Fred Fisher |
| RCA Victor release number 47-8315 | |
"Chicago" is apopular song written byFred Fisher and published in1922 byFred Fisher. The original sheet music variously spelled the title "Todd'ling" or "Toddling." The song has been recorded by many artists, but the best-known versions are byFrank Sinatra,Ben Selvin andJudy Garland.The song alludes to thecity's colorful past, feigning "... the surprise of my life / I saw a man dancing with his own wife",[1] mentioning evangelistBilly Sunday as having not been able to "shut down" the city, andState Street where "they do things they don't do onBroadway".
The song made a minor appearance on the U.S. pop charts, reaching #84 in the fall of 1957.[2] It was the first of two charting songs about Chicago recorded by Sinatra. The other was "My Kind of Town" from 1964, which reached U.S. #110.
This song was parodied in 1996 as "Chicago (No Elmos Allowed)" as a satirical commentary on the mass-commercialization of Elmo, as that was when he was at the peak of pop culture saturation with Elmo themed merchandise andTickle-Me Elmo dolls.
As with many similar songs, the lyrics have undergone a number of reworkings. The original third verse included the lines, "More Colored people up in State Street you can see,/ Than you'll see in Louisiana or Tennessee" and makes reference to theChicago Stockyards. Later recordings have a number of replacements: Of all versions, Judy Garland's 1961Judy at Carnegie Hall concert recording contains more references than most:Marshall Field's department store, theDrake Hotel, theChicago Loop,The Pump Room at theAmbassador East hotel, and evenMrs O'Leary's Cow.
| Chart (1957) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart (OCC) | 21 |
| U.S.BillboardHot 100[3] | 84 |
| U.S.Cash Box Top 100[4] | 45 |
