I Found a Million-Dollar Baby (In a Five and Ten Cent Store)

By Harry Warren, Mort Dixon & Billy Rose
1931

Interestingly, the lyric to this song was originally written to a different melody in 1926, but it was in '31 that Harry Warren took it and adapted it to his melody for the musical Billy Rose's Crazy Quilt, in which it was introduced by the immortal Fanny Brice. I was just today lucky enough to find Bing Crosby's original 1931 rendition on 78 at a record convention, and I was re-acquainted with how disarming and sweet this song really is. Pure bliss.

Lyrics:

It was a lucky April shower,
It was the most convenient door.
I found a million dollar baby
In a five and ten cent store.

The rain continued for an hour.
I hung around for three or four.
Around a million dollar baby
In a five and ten cent store.

She was selling china
And when she made those eyes,
I kept buying china
Until the crowd got wise.

If you should run into a shower,
Just step inside my cottage door,
And meet the million dollar baby
From the five and ten cent store.

Love comes along like a popular song,
Any time or anywhere at all.
Rain or sunshine,
Spring or fall.
Say, you'll never know when it may say hello
In a very unexpected place.
For example, take my case.

She was selling china,
And when she made those eyes,
I kept buying china
Until the crowd got wise.

If you should run into a shower,
Oh, step inside my cottage door.
And meet my million dollar baby
From the five and ten cent store.

Recorded By:

Nat King Cole
Perry Como
Dizzy Gillespie
Benny Goodman
Jack Leonard