The Band Played On

"The Band Played On", also known (by its refrain) as "Casey Would Waltz with a Strawberry Blonde", is a song that was written in 1895 with lyrics by John F. Palmer and music by Charles B.

[2] The song was later featured in many films, including Raoul Walsh's The Strawberry Blonde (1941), the title of which was inspired by the lyrics, and Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train (1951).

One of the most famous recordings, by Guy Lombardo's orchestra (vocal by Kenny Gardner and the Leonardo Trio), was made on February 26, 1941, and issued by Decca Records as catalog number 3675 (reissued as number 25341), coinciding with the release of the film The Strawberry Blonde, in which the song appeared.

[3] The Guy Lombardo version included only the famous chorus, omitting the 2/4-time verses.

The numerous other recordings of the number include: Frank D'Rone - a single release as "The Strawberry Blonde" (this reached the UK charts in 1960, peaking at No.