As a thought exercise, I was wondering what song topped the American charts on August 15, 1945, also known as Victory over Japan Day (VJ-Day), or the day hostilities ended for WWII (with hostilities having already ended in Europe on May 8th). And the answer to the question is “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe,” recorded by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers. The music was written by Harry Warren with lyrics by Mercer. It was published in 1944, and was at #1 from July 28, 1945 to September 14, 1945.
The song was then featured in the 1946 film, The Harvey Girls, where it was sung by Judy Garland, along with members of the MGM Chorus (Ben Carter, Marjorie Main, Virginia O’Brien, Ray Bolger). “The Atchison, Topeka, and the Sante Fe” won the 1946 Academy Award for the Best Original Song as featured in this movie.
I mention the Garland version not only because it won an Academy Award, but because when a lot of people hear this song, they hear Garland’s voice singing it. I know I did. The list of additional covers for such a catchy tune is long, including Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, and Petula Clark. More recently came Harry Connick, Jr. and even John Denver(!).
If you don’t know, it’s a song about a railroad – an iconic American railroad with some destinations mentioned in the lyrics. The point, however, is that this would have been one of the songs on the lips of Americans as they celebrated the end of the war, and as they started to think about what would come next in their lives. For that reason alone, aside from the fact that it is wonderful tune, it is of interest.
First clip up is Mercer because that is the answer to my question, as above. Bonus track is the Garland, because you have to.