My Mammy
Al Jolson · The Jazz Singer [2012]
When you start to roam;
The birds are singin', the day that you stray,
But later, when you are further away,
Things won't seem so lovely
When you're all alone;
Here's what you'll keep saying
When you're far from home:
Mammy,
Mammy,
The sun shines east, the sun shines west,
I know where the sun shines best--
Mammy,
My little mammy,
My heartstrings are tangled around Alabammy.
I'm comin',
Sorry that I made you wait.
I'm comin',
Hope and trust that I'm not late, oh oh oh
Mammy,
My little Mammy,
I'd walk a million miles
For one of your smiles,
My Mammy! Oh oh oh...
(SPOKEN) Mammy...
My little Mammy.
The sun shines east-- the sun shines west--
I know where-- the sun shines best!
It's only my Mammy I'm talkin' about, nobody else's!
(SUNG) My little Mammy,
My heartstrings are tangled around Alabammy.
(SPOKEN) Mammy-- Mammy, I'm comin'--
I'm so sorry that I made you wait!
Mammy-- Mammy, I'm comin'!
Oh God, I hope I'm not late!
Look at me, Mammy! Don't you know me?
I'm your little baby!
(SUNG) I'd walk a million miles
For one of your smiles,
My Mammy!
My Mammy
Al Jolson's 1928 recording of 'My Mammy' stands as a pivotal moment in American musical history, marking his debut on the Vitaphone sound-on-film system. This track, featured on the 2012 reissue of The Jazz Singer, showcases Jolson's signature operatic style and his mastery of vocal inflection, which he famously used to convey deep emotion and narrative depth. The song's success helped popularize the jazz age and cemented Jolson's status as a leading figure in early popular music. Its enduring legacy lies in its demonstration of how recorded sound could transform the listening experience, influencing generations of singers who followed. The recording remains a celebrated example of the transition from silent film to the age of sound, capturing a unique blend of theatricality and folk tradition that defined the era.