# Abner Silver

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American songwriter (1899–1966)

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Abner Silver Abner Silver c. 1935 Background information Born Abner Silberman (1899-12-28)December 28, 1899 Origin New York City, United States Died November 24, 1966(1966-11-24) (aged 66) New York, United States Occupation Composer

Musical artist

**Abner Silberman** (28 December 1899 in [New York City](/source/New_York_City), New York, United States – 24 November 1966) as [pen name](/source/Pen_name) **Abner Silver**, was an American [songwriter](/source/Songwriter) who worked primarily during the [Tin Pan Alley](/source/Tin_Pan_Alley) era of the craft.

## Career

Usually composing the music while others handled the lyrics, Silver wrote for half a century, starting with [World War I](/source/World_War_I)–era songs such as 1918's "You Can't Blame the Girlies (They All Want to Marry a Soldier)," and continuing through the decades with such classics as 1921's "I'm Going South", 1935's "Chasing Shadows" and 1940's "How Did He Look?" Silver frequently teamed with lyricists [Benny Davis](/source/Benny_Davis), [Al Sherman](/source/Al_Sherman) and [Al Lewis](/source/Al_Lewis_(lyricist)). Between 1931 and 1934, during the last days of [Vaudeville](/source/Vaudeville), Silver and several of his fellow hitmakers formed a sensational revue called "[Songwriters on Parade](/source/Songwriters_on_Parade)", performing all across the [Eastern seaboard](/source/East_Coast_of_the_United_States) on the [Loew](/source/Loew)'s and Keith circuits.[1][2][3][4][5]

Silver's songs were covered by virtually every major vocalist of the day, among them [Al Jolson](/source/Al_Jolson), [Ruth Etting](/source/Ruth_Etting), [Jack Leonard](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jack_Leonard_(singer)&action=edit&redlink=1), [Mildred Bailey](/source/Mildred_Bailey), [Eddie Cantor](/source/Eddie_Cantor), [Rudy Vallee](/source/Rudy_Vallee), [Helen Kane](/source/Helen_Kane), [Kate Smith](/source/Kate_Smith), [Billie Holiday](/source/Billie_Holiday), [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra), [Tony Bennett](/source/Tony_Bennett), [Mel Tormé](/source/Mel_Torm%C3%A9), [Eddie Fisher](/source/Eddie_Fisher_(singer)), [Peggy Lee](/source/Peggy_Lee) and [Julie London](/source/Julie_London). In a later era his songs were sung by [Elvis Presley](/source/Elvis_Presley), [Frankie Lymon](/source/Frankie_Lymon), [Etta Jones](/source/Etta_Jones), [Johnny Mathis](/source/Johnny_Mathis), [Brenda Lee](/source/Brenda_Lee) and [Dame Shirley Bassey](/source/Dame_Shirley_Bassey). Numerous performers covered what became a country standard, "My Window Is Facing South," including [Willie Nelson](/source/Willie_Nelson), [Vassar Clements](/source/Vassar_Clements), [Commander Cody](/source/Commander_Cody_and_His_Lost_Planet_Airmen) and [Lyle Lovett](/source/Lyle_Lovett). Among band leaders who performed tunes composed by Silver were: [Shep Fields](/source/Shep_Fields),[6] [Django Reinhardt](/source/Django_Reinhardt), [Louis Prima](/source/Louis_Prima), [Lionel Hampton](/source/Lionel_Hampton) and [Les McCann](/source/Les_McCann).[*[additional citation(s) needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

In the late 1950s he penned several numbers for [Elvis Presley to perform in his movies](/source/Elvis_Presley_on_film_and_television), including the songs "Young and Beautiful," [7] "What's She Really Like?" and "Lover Doll." Sung by [Tom Jones](/source/Tom_Jones_(singer)), Silver's "[With These Hands](/source/With_These_Hands_(song))" (with lyrics by [Benny Davis](/source/Benny_Davis)) was featured in the movie *[Edward Scissorhands](/source/Edward_Scissorhands)*, starring [Johnny Depp](/source/Johnny_Depp). His early song "He's So Unusual" was covered by [Cyndi Lauper](/source/Cyndi_Lauper) on her breakout album, the similarly titled *She's So Unusual.*

Silver died on November 24, 1966, in New York.[8]

## Partial list of songwriting credits

External audio You may hear Abner Silver's song "An Old Curiosity Shop" played by Shep Fields with Hal Derwin and John Serry in 1938 Here

- 1921 for the [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) show *[Bombo](/source/Bombo_(musical))*, starring [Al Jolson](/source/Al_Jolson), "I'm Going South", with composer [Harry M. Woods](/source/Harry_M._Woods).

- 1927 "Barbara" with [Billy Rose](/source/Billy_Rose)

- 1928 "Mary Ann", with [Benny Davis](/source/Benny_Davis)

- 1929 "[Bashful Baby](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bashful_Baby&action=edit&redlink=1)" with [Cliff Friend](/source/Cliff_Friend)

- 1929 "[Good Morning, Good Evening, Good Night](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Good_Morning,_Good_Evening,_Good_Night&action=edit&redlink=1)" with [Al Sherman](/source/Al_Sherman) and [Al Lewis](/source/Al_Lewis_(lyricist))

- 1932 "[Puh-leeze, Mr. Hemingway](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Puh-leeze,_Mr._Hemingway&action=edit&redlink=1)" with [Walter Kent](/source/Walter_Kent) and Milton Drake

- 1934 "[The Santa Claus Express](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Santa_Claus_Express&action=edit&redlink=1)" with [Al Sherman](/source/Al_Sherman) and [Al Lewis](/source/Al_Lewis_(lyricist))

- 1935 "Chasing Shadows" with [Benny Davis](/source/Benny_Davis)

- 1935 "Every Now and Then" with [Al Sherman](/source/Al_Sherman) and [Al Lewis](/source/Al_Lewis_(lyricist))

- 1935 "[No! No! A Thousand Times No!!](/source/No!_No!_A_Thousand_Times_No!!) with [Al Sherman](/source/Al_Sherman) and [Al Lewis](/source/Al_Lewis_(lyricist))

- 1935 "[On the Beach at Bali-Bali](/source/On_the_Beach_at_Bali-Bali)" with [Al Sherman](/source/Al_Sherman) and Jack Maskill

- 1938 "An Old Curiosity Shop" with [Sam Coslow](/source/Sam_Coslow) & [Guy Wood](/source/Guy_Wood) as recorded by [Shep Fields](/source/Shep_Fields).[9]

- 1940 "How Did He Look?" with Gladys Shelley

- 1950 "With These Hands" with [Benny Davis](/source/Benny_Davis)

- 1956 "[Who Can Explain?](/source/Who_Can_Explain%3F)"

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [*The Billboard* - *New Turns and Returns: Abner Silver and Mildred Feeley*, September 18, 1926, p. 19 on Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=WEz4Piecy84C&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&pg=RA2-PA19)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [*The Unsung Songwriters: Americas Masters of Melody*, Vache, Warren. 2000, p. 461 Abner Siver biography on Google Books.com](https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Unsung_Songwriters/zCMKAQAAMAAJhl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&printsec=frontcover)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Tyler, Don (2007-04-16). [*Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era*](https://books.google.com/books?id=hSCfBQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA472). McFarland. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7864-2946-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7864-2946-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [*The Canadian Patent Office Record and Register of Copyrights* 1925, p. 2114 Abner Silver on Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=OE4g5V5okZ4C&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA2114-IA8)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Abner Silver on JSTOR](https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=Abner+Silver&acc=on&wc=on&prq=%22Abner%2BSilver%22&swp=on)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["An Old Curiosity Shop" - composer Abner Silver recorded by the Shep Fields Orchestra on adp.library.uscb.edu](https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200033326/PBS-026255-An_old_curiosity_shop)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["The Gospel According to Elvis" - April 30th 1957 Soundtrack Recordings - Young and Beautiful. Gouch, Kevin. 2012 Abner Silver on Google books](https://books.google.com/books?id=lXb_AgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT159)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Abner Silver Composer Dies", The Washington Observer, Nov. 25, 1966, p. 10 Abner Silver Obituary on Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=cNtdAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22&pg=PA10&article_id=4131,3184338)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Discography of American Historical Recordings" - "An Old Curiosity Shop" Composer Sam Coslow, performers: Shep Fields, Hal Derwin, John Serry on adp.library.ecsb.edu](https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200033326/PBS-026255-An_old_curiosity_shop)

## External links

- [Abner Silver recordings](https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108549) at the [Discography of American Historical Recordings](/source/Discography_of_American_Historical_Recordings).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Abner Silver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abner_Silver) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abner_Silver?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.