- I'm Proud to Be Me
- Ol' Commodore Gray
Things were different in 1947. Back then, you would be listening to a radio at home instead of a TV. And you might be listening to these very songs! The songs' co-writer, Hy Zaret, wanted to teach understanding and respect towards those who are different. He believed that songs could act as a "dream of freedom" and change the world. What do you think? Has a song ever influenced your world?
I'm Proud to Be Me
I'm proud to be me, but I also see
You're just as proud to be you!
We might look at things a bit differently
But lots of good people do
That's just human nature
So I will respect you for being as human as I
We'll get as we give if we live and let live
And we'll both get along if we try
I'm proud to be me, but I also see
You're just as proud to be you
It's true! You're just as proud to be you!
Ol' Commodore Gray
Ol' Commodore Gray had a dog and a cat
With a big bow-wow and a little meow
They all lived together with never a spat
How in the world did they ever do that?
With a big bow-wow and a little meow!
Meow, bow-wow, meow, bow-wow, meow
The cat and the dog had a barrel of fun
With a big bow-wow and a little meow
Although they were different, they fooled everyone
Commodore Gray proved a lot can be done
With a big bow-wow and a little meow!
Meow, bow-wow, meow, bow-wow, meow
Ol' Commodore Gray often said to the crew
With a big bow-wow and a little meow
Though each man among us is different it's true
My cat and my dog get along, so can you
With a big bow-wow and a little meow!
Meow, bow-wow, meow, bow-wow...
With a big bow-wow and a little meow
Me-ow!
History of these songs
In 1946, the radio station WNEW commissioned Hy Zaret and Lou Singer to write a series of one-minute jingles about racial understanding and "Americanism" that would play on radio as public service announcements. The resulting collection of 12 songs was called "Little Songs on Big Subjects," two of which are these songs.
