Who first sang the song “Smile”?
“Smile” was originally used as an instrumental theme for the 1936 Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times. Chaplin composed the music, while the words were written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons. In the lyrics, the singer is telling the listener to cheer up and that there is always a bright tomorrow, just as long as they smile. The best known version, sung by Nat King Cole, charted in 1954. It was also covered by Cole’s daughter, Natalie on her 1991 album, Unforgettable…With Love. Michael Jackson recorded the song for his 1995 double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. During the final concerts of his HIStory World Tour he dedicated the song to Princess Diana. It was planned for single release in 1997 but was canceled days before its release date. It has been said that this was due to Jackson not being happy with the commercial video release.
