Little White Lies (1930 song)

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Little White Lies is a popular jazz song written by Walter Donaldson and published in 1930. The first recording was on July 25, 1930, by Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians for the Victor label, featuring Clare Hanlon and The Waring Girls. Many other artists recorded it in 1930, including Ted Wallace, Earl Burtnett, Johnny Marvin, Marion Harris, Lee Morse, and Jesse Crawford (organ). Other versions appeared on small labels by Vincent Lopez, Harry Reser, and Annette Hanshaw, and in Britain by Bob and Alf Pearson.

In the following years, the song was recorded by several notable artists. Ella Fitzgerald sang it with Chick Webb in 1939 (Decca), and Moon Mullican recorded it in 1939 with Cliff Bruner’s Western Swing group. A major hit came with Dick Haymes in 1947; his recording became a big seller and spent 23 weeks on the Billboard charts in 1948, peaking at #3. Dinah Shore also recorded it in 1947, reaching the charts briefly in 1948. The song saw a revival in 1957, when Betty Johnson’s version reached #25 on the Billboard chart, and Ruby Murray released a UK version that year as well.

Eartha Kitt released the song in 1963 in the UK, paired with An Englishman Needs Time. The song has been mentioned as a favorite by Paul McCartney and John Lennon when they were growing up in Liverpool.