If we can’t change the whole world, we can start with one person. Jimmy Durante’s roughened voice doles out the phrases in this classic song like a winking grandfather dispensing wisdom. He’s warm, even tender—is that his voice breaking on “happy” at 1:26? The message for a country that enshrined “the pursuit of happiness” in our founding documents is clear: fame is fleeting, and the stuff we accumulate is not the “real stuff in life.” Who cares if it’s easier said than done? Dig deep for every last drop of generosity of spirit in you. Love is the answer.

Jimmy Durante, “Make Someone Happy,” 1964. Written by Jule Styne, Adolph Green, and Betty Comden, 1960.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to May 31, 2025.

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