Bob Hilliard, songwriter: reference sources (web and print); selected songs; recordings, videos; miscellany
Overview and Commentary Bob Hilliard (This section remains in progress)
Hilliard, at least as far as The Songbook is concerned, is best known for writing the lyrics for "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," but more generally his work on the songs for the score of Disney's Alice in Wonderland (with music by Sammy Fain) and his big hit "Dear Hearts and Gentle People" (also with Fain) kept him in the popular ear.
Bob Hilliard was also active on Broadway writing two successful shows: Angel in the Wings, a 1948 revue for which he composed some of the music as well as writing the lyrics. The show's most well known song titled "Civilization," with lyrics by Hilliard and music by Carl Sigman, has the singer, apparently a resident of the Congo, discover that civilization is quite uncivilized: "They have things like the atom bomb, / So I think I'll stay where I 'om.' / Bongo, bongo, bongo, / I don't want to leave the Congo." Some of the language might now be considered politically incorrect but the satire remains on the mark. His other show was Hazel Flagg, 1953, on which he collaborated with Jule Styne.
During the 1960s Hilliard often wrote lyrics for melodies by Burt Bacharach including for the song "Any Day Now" as well as for Mort Garson tunes, including "Our Day Will Come," which reached number one in 1963.
Robert Gottlieb and Robert Kimball in their book Reading Lyrics sum up Hilliard by saying, "He did lots of things rather well and a few things very well" (p. 523).
Research Resources: Bob Hilliard
- AllMusic.com (overview and credits)
- Amazon (publications by and about, recordings, videos, sheet music, etc.)
- DBOPM (Database Of Popular Music: song list; awards; hit songs; co-writers)
- Discogs.com (songwriting and arranging credits)
- Indiana University Sheet Music Collection: songwriter
- Internet Broadway Database (Broadway productions and song credits)
- Internet Movie Database (brief biography, filmography, movie song credits)
- New York Public Library (catalog entries for books, personal papers, recordings, scores, etc.)
- Songwriters Hall of Fame (biography and song list)
- Wikipedia (Bob Hilliard article)
- ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, New York: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Cattell/Bowker, Fourth edition, 1980 (dates, collaborators, shows/movies, songs, etc., entry p. 229)
- Robert Gottlieb and Robert Kimball (Eds.), Reading Lyrics, New York: Pantheon Books, 2000, pp. 523-525 (brief bio. and lyrics for three songs).
- The Andrew Sisters and Danny Kaye "Civilization": JahiriAtto
- Amy Winehouse: AmyWinehouseVideo
Notes
- Walt Disney's Alice In Wonderland: Classic Soundtrack Series
- Alice in Wonderland (Two-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
Questions
What is Bob Hilliard, songwriter?
Hilliard, at least as far as The Songbook is concerned, is best known for writing the lyrics for " In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning ," but more generally his work on the songs for the score of Disney's Alice in Wonderland (with music by Sammy Fain) and his big hit "Dear Hear
How should Bob Hilliard, songwriter be cited?
Cite this page as "Bob Hilliard, songwriter: reference sources (web and print); selected songs; recordings, videos; miscellany," Cafe Songbook, https://greatamericansongbook.net/pages/songwriters/h_i_sws/hilliard_bob.html
Which Cafe Songbook pages are related?
Also read "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" (https://greatamericansongbook.net/pages/songs/i/in_the_wee_small_hours.html); Carl Sigman, songwriter (https://greatamericansongbook.net/pages/songwriters/s_sws/sigman_carl.html); "The Coffee Song" (https://greatamericansongbook.net/pages/songs/c/coffee_song.html); Bart Howard, songwriter (https://greatamericansongbook.net/pages/songwriters/h_i_sws/howard_bart.html).
Cite this page: Bob Hilliard, songwriter: reference sources (web and print); selected songs; recordings, videos; miscellany, Cafe Songbook, https://greatamericansongbook.net/pages/songwriters/h_i_sws/hilliard_bob.html