Happy Birthday is a play written by Anita Loos. It opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on October 31, 1946 and closed on March 13, 1948, after 564 performances. It starred Helen Hayes, for whom it was written. The story involves Addie, a mousy librarian who becomes enamoured of a handsome bank clerk, and her attempts to win him over. It was directed by Joshua Logan and featured a song written for the show, I Haven't Got a Worry in the World, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and James Livingston. (Rodgers and Hammerstein also served as producers.)
It was filmed as a television special for Producers' Showcase with Betty Field as Addie and aired on the NBC network on June 2, 1956.
Helen Hayes won the Tony Award, Best Actress in a Play and Lucinda Ballard won the Tony Award, Best Costume Design.
(Carly Simon)
It’s all of our birthdays this summer
One number older, another year younger
I’ll go to your party, you’ll come to mine
We’ve given up cigarettes, we’ve given up wine
We’ve given up caffeine and sworn off desserts
I don’t try to seduce you, we don’t even flirt
We’re too good to be happy, too straight to be sad
So just blow out the candles, Happy Birthday
Stay out of the ocean, stay out of the sun
Stay in perfect shape and be number one
We’ve got brilliant excuses for having no fun
So blow out the candles, Happy Birthday
Make love in the microwave
Think of all the time you’ll save
And don’t forget to make it look
As though you’re working very very hard
But I’ll be your lover if you will be mine
We’ll go back to the garden and have a good time
And if I’m offered an apple, I’ll politely decline
And just blow out the candles