Country Cabin

It started as a simple classroom ditty. Mildred Hill and her sister Patty, spinster school teachers, wrote the tune and the original words in the late 1800’s: “Good morning to you, good morning to you. Good morning dear students, good morning to all.” No one really knows who added the words we all sing before the candles on the cake are blown out. But the copyright on Happy Birthday earns about two million dollars a year – split between the publishing company and the Hill family. When the song is performed for profit, such as in a movie or a TV show, royalties are due. A filmmaker producing a documentary about the song recently balked at the $1,500 fee to use it in her movie. She filed a class action suit and produced proof that the song was published in 1922 without a copyright attached. Which means it’s really been in the public domain all this time.