This is one of my favorite songs and I’m hoping someone else will enjoy singing it. Of course, I never learned all the verses, but I do remember the chorus! “A Bicycle Built for Two (also known as “Daisy Bell”) has words and music by British songwriter Harry Dacre. The song is said to have been inspired by Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, one of the many mistresses of King Edward VII. Originally published in 1892, this version was published by the Calumet Music Company in Chicago, Illinois in 1935. The front cover features a photo of Dick Jurgens, swing music bandleader and composer who enjoyed great popularity in the late 1930s and early 1940s. This sheet music includes a Hawaiian guitar solo arranged by Nick Manoloff.

Harry Dacre was the pen name of Frank Dean, a British songwriter best known for his composition “Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)”. He also used the name Henry Decker. He came to America in 1891. He brought with him and early version of the song “Daisy Bell”, and a bicycle on which he had to pay import duty. Supposedly, a friend told him that if he had brought a tandem, he would have had to pay double, inspiring Dacre to rewrite the words of his song to refer to a “bicycle built for two”. While in New York, he persuaded singer Katie Lawrence to perform the song when she appeared in London in 1892. The song soon became popular in London music halls, and then a worldwide hit.

Wikipedia contributors. "Daisy Bell." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 28 Apr. 2023. Web. 8 May. 2023.

Wikipedia contributors. "Harry Dacre." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 Apr. 2023. Web. 8 May. 2023.