# What was that song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 6, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/974472 "2022-11-06T19:41:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/974472/1 "2022-11-06T19:41:25Z")
I’m trying to remember the name of a song and the songwriter, but I can’t quite get it. Perhaps one of you might remember the story behind it. I’ve googled the situation to no avail. The song was a popular ballad in perhaps the late 1940s or early 1950s. A woman sent a letter to a very famous songwriter and said something like “I’ll bet you can’t write a song with this title.” He took up the challenge and wrote a song with that title and used the title as the song’s opening line. It was a huge hit, and he gave her co-writing credit, netting her a lot of money in residuals over the years. Does this songwriting legend ring anyone’s chimes? ---
**Author:** ![TheZenPaperboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@TheZenPaperboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheZenPaperboy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/974472/2 "2022-11-06T19:54:13Z")
I want to be around (to pick up the pieces) johnny mercer. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/974472/3 "2022-11-06T19:59:13Z")
Yes! That’s it! The lady was Sadie Vimmerstedt from Youngstown Ohio. Johnny Mercer shared 1/3 of the royalties with her. Thank you!