James F. Hanley
James Frederick Hanley (February 17, 1892 – February 8, 1942) was an American songwriter and author.
Also recorded as Jimmy Hanley · James Hanley
James F. Hanley

Ballard MacDonald and James F. Hanley · Sheet music published by Shapiro, Bernstein, Co., New York, in 1917. Via Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection online at [1] · Public domain
- Born
- 17 February 1892
- Birthplace
- Rensselaer, Indiana
- Died
- 8 February 1942
- Place of death
- Douglaston, Queens
- Education
- Champion College and Chicago Musical College
- Occupation
- Musician
- Full name
- James Frederick Hanley.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Fields
- music and lyrics.
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Documentary summary
James Frederick Hanley (February 17, 1892 – February 8, 1942) was an American songwriter and author.
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James F. Hanley (1892–1942) was an American composer, librettist and lyricist, among other activities. The composer was born James Frederick Hanley. James F. Hanley was active in lyrics and music.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q4353605 · wikipedia · James F. Hanley
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — 17 February 1892 • Birthplace — Rensselaer, Indiana • Died — 8 February 1942 • Place of death — Douglaston, Queens • Education — Champion College and Chicago Musical College • Occupation — Musician • Illustration — James Frederick Hanley Hist. Marker in Rensselaer, Indiana
Biography
Biography
Hanley was born in Rensselaer, Indiana, in the United States. He attended Champion College and the Chicago Musical College. He served with the United States Army 82nd Division in World War I and during his military service he wrote an army musical show called Toot Sweet. On his discharge Hanley became a vaudeville accompanist. He went on to write songs for film and theater including many Broadway productions. He worked with numerous artists, most notably Buddy DeSylva, Edward Madden, Eddie Dowling, Percy Wenrich, Theodore F. Morse and Ballard MacDonald. Hanley is best remembered for the hit songs "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" (1917), "Second Hand Rose" (1921) and "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" (1934). For the latter song, Hanley contributed to both music and lyrics, while for most of his songs he usually wrote only the music. He died of a heart attack at his home in Douglaston, Queens, on February 8, 1942, leaving a widow and five children. Hanley was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Musical theatre credits
Musical theatre credits
• Toot Sweet
Broadway
Broadway
• Robinson Crusoe, Jr. (1916), co-composer with Sigmund Romberg • Ziegfeld Follies of 1917 (1917), featured songwriter • The Greenwich Village Follies of 1920 (1920), featured songwriter • Jim Jam Jems (1920), composer, lyrics by Harry Cort and George Stoddard • Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 (1921), featured songwriter • Pins and Needles of 1922 (1922), co-composer with Frederick Chappelle, lyrics by Ballard MacDonald and Irving Caesar • Spice of 1922 (1922), co-composer with J. Fred Coots and Henry Creamer, lyrics by James Stanley and McElbert Moore • Big Boy (1925), co-composer with Joseph Meyer, lyrics by Buddy DeSylva • No Foolin' (1926), featured songwriter, lyrics by Gene Buck • Honeymoon Lane (1926), composer, lyrics by Eddie Dowling • Sidewalks of New York (1927), co-composer, co-author with Eddie Dowling • Keep It Clean (1929), co-composer • Ziegfeld Follies of 1934 (1934), featured songwriter • Thumbs Up! (1934), co-composer with Henry Sullivan Also contributed songs to: • Ziegfeld Follies of 1922 (1922) • George White's Scandals of 1923 (1923) • Innocent Eyes (1924) • Gay Paree of 1925 (1925) • High Queen (1926) • Take the Air (1927)
Selected songs
Selected songs
• "A Cabaret 'Neath the Old Egyptian Moon" • "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" • "Breeze (Blow My Baby Back to Me)" • "Dig a Little Deeper" • "Dreaming of Home Sweet Home" – 1918. L: Ballard MacDonald • "Dreams for Sale" • "Gee, but I Hate to Go Home Alone" • "Good-Bye, My Little Lady" – 1917. L: Joe Goodwin • "Half a Moon" • "I'm a Lonesome Little Raindrop (Looking for a Place to Fall)" – 1920 • "I Wonder What He's Doing To-Night" – 1917. L: Joe Goodwin • "I've Got a Ten Day Pass for a Honeymoon (With the Girl I Left Behind)" – 1918. L: Walter Donaldson and Ballard MacDonald • "Jersey Walk" • "Just a Cottage Small by a Waterfall" • "Last Long Flight" – 1920 • "Little Bit of Sunshine (From Home)" – 1918. L: Ballard MacDonald and Joe Goodwin • "Little Log Cabin of Dreams" • "The Little White House (At the End of Honeymoon Lane)" • "Mary Dear" • "No Foolin • "Never Forget to Write Home" – 1917. L: Ballard MacDonald • "Ragtime Volunteers Are Off to War" – 1917. L: Ballard MacDonald • "Rose of Washington Square" • "Second Hand Rose" – 1921, made popular by Fanny Brice and later associated with Barbra Streisand • "Sleepy Valley" • "Three Wonderful Letters from Home" – 1918. L: Ballard MacDonald and Joe Goodwin • "War Babies" – 1916. L: Ballard MacDonald and Edward Madden • "We'll Be There, on the Land, on the Sea, in the Air" – 1917. L: Ballard MacDonald • "Wherever You Are" • "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" – 1934, made popular by Judy Garland; reprised throughout her career.
Selected filmography
Selected filmography
• So This Is London (1930) • Under Suspicion (1930)
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Origins and background
Origins and background
On origins, the institutional record states the following. Hanley was born in 1892. It is also recorded that james F. Hanley died in 1942. Hanley is recorded at birth as James Frederick Hanley.

Sheet music of " Indiana ". Page 1 of 2.
Music by James F. Hanley, lyrics by Ballard MacDonald. Published by Shapiro, Bernstein Co., New York. · Library of Congress [1]

Sheet music of " Indiana ". Page 2 of 2.
Music by James F. Hanley, lyrics by Ballard MacDonald. Published by Shapiro, Bernstein Co., New York. · Library of Congress [1]
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q4353605: James F. Hanley
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “James F. Hanley”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.JAMES HANLEY, 49; WROTE SONG HITS; 2,000,000 Copies of His 'Back Home in Indiana' Soldls $tr. lcken in Queens HE DID TUNES FOR SHOWS i'll You Knew Susie,' Rose of Washington Square" and 'Just a Cottage Small' His Work. The New York Times. 15. February 9, 1942.
- 2.Parker, Bernard S. World War I Sheet Music. McFarland & Company, Inc. 1. 115, 201, 261, 321, 351, 378, 451. 2007. 0-7864-2798-1.
- 3.Parker, Bernard S. World War I Sheet Music. McFarland & Company, Inc. 2. 549, 698, 747, 760. 2007. 0-7864-2799-X.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q4353605: James F. HanleyWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
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This entry is compiled from 4 catalogued sources across 3 independent registers. The registers consulted are Crossref registry, Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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