"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."每個人在自己的生日都曾接受過這樣的祝福。這實在是一首熟得不能再熟的歌了。然而，在這首充滿歡樂的歌曲背後，卻有一個不那麼happy的故事。
Happy birthday to you is a happy song, while the story behind it began sweetly, but later soured. Two sisters, Mildred Hill,a teacher at the Louisville, Kentucky Experimental Kindergarten, and Dr. Patty Hill, the principal of the same school, wrote a song for children calledGood Morning to All. The song was sure to be a success due to Dr. Patty Hill's expertise with children and Mildred's musical talents, who, as the organist of her church, was an accomplished musician.
The sisters published the song in a collection calledSong Stories for Kindergartenin 1893. Thirty-one years later, after Dr. Hill became the head of the Department of Kindergarten Education at Columbia University's Teacher's College, a gentleman by the name of Robert H. Coleman published the song, without the sisters' permission. To add insult to injury, he added a second verse, which was the familiar Happy Birthday to You.
Mr. Coleman's addition of the second verse popularized the song and eventually, the sisters' original first verse disappeared.Happy Birthday to You, the one and only birthday song, had altogether replaced the sisters' original title,Good Morning to All.
After Mildred died in 1916, Patty, together with a third sister named Jessica, sprang into action and took Mr. Coleman to court. In court, they proved that they owned the melody. Because the family legally owns the song, they are entitled to royalties from it whenever it is sung for commercial purposes.
soured: 變味的，令人掃興的