NOTE: You'll need Adobe's Acrobat Reader to view the sample arrangements
| Song Title | Description | Categories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — You're Adorable | It's fun to wander thru the alphabet with you | up-tune, easy, strongly rhythmic | |
| After You've Gone | Driving, not for the faint of lung, delightful second chorus variations | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Almost Like Being in Love | From "Brigadoon" | up-tune, moderately easy | |
| Anything Goes | Cole Porter at his best: sophisticated lyrics. | up-tune, not contestable, moderately easy | |
| Are You Havin' Any Fun? | Until your number's up, fill your cup, have a little fun! Great to open a show. | up-tune, contestable, show opener, moderately difficult | |
| Atlanta, G.A. | Tribute to a great town | up-tune, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| Auction Song | Fellow bids on pretty lady | up-tune, difficult, strongly rhythmic | |
| Be a Clown | Great in a circus package. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| Bigger Isn't Better | From "Barnum." Most clever lyrics you'll ever sing. Perfect if you've got a short guy who doesn't mind being kidded. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, contestable, difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| Black-Eyed Blues | Fellow rhapsodizes about his Latin beauty. | up-tune, contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately easy | |
| Breezin' Along With the Breeze | up-tune, moderately easy | ||
| Brigadoon Medley | All the great tunes of this musical - a tour de force and not for the light of lung. | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, difficult | |
| By My Side | Easy swing tune, very straightforward, plain and simple lyric. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| By the Beautiful Sea | ...Oh, how happy we'll be! Great song for summer. | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| California and You | Instead of Dixie, I'm going back to my girl in California! | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Candy | That's what I call my sugar! Easy swing, lots of echoes, patter and other rhythmic devices. | ballad/up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Charleston, Flappers and Razza-Ma-Tazz | I wanna go back to those days! Lots of pizzaz and musical pyrotechnics. | up-tune, contestable, difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| Christmas in Killarney | Bagpipe simulations, seasonal. | up-tune, not contestable, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| Congratulate Me | ... I'm in love! | up-tune, contestable, show opener, moderately easy | |
| Consider Yourself | Great opener from "Oliver." | up-tune, contestable, show opener, easy | |
| Down by the O-Hi-O | ... I've got the cutest little Oh! My! Oh! | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| Dancin' Dan | This dancin' fool has got a gal no matter where he goes. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Don't Think You'll Be Missed | Fellow has girls all over the country, so... | up-tune, contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | |
| Down by the O-Hi-O | ... I've got the sweetest little o-my-o! | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Down the Old Ox Road | Great undiscovered swing tune, marvelous lyric. Remember the HiLos doing this? | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Entertainer, The | The Scott Joplin rag. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Everything's Comin' Up Roses | Perfect way to start the show. | up-tune, not contestable, show opener, difficult | |
| Footloose and Fancy-Free | A Don Reeves original. Great show or afterglow opener. Bounce and drive. | up-tune, show opener | |
| Forest Lawn | Just bury me in all that California glitz. | up-tune, not contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Free for All | Inspiring patriotic gut-buster! | up-tune, moderately easy | |
| Gal That Was Stolen from Me, The | Very much like "Somebody Stole My Gal." | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| Give It Away | Decidedly modern harmony and lyric | up-tune, difficult, strongly rhythmic | |
| Give Me the Simple Life | Home-grown philosophy. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| God Bless the Human Elbow | Barbershop in a Baroque harmonization. "If it bent too long we'd be dry, I fear; if it bent too short we'd be drinking through our ear" | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, easy | |
| Goody, Goody | Peformers must have a strong sense of syncopation. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| Goofus | Unskilled musician makes it big. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| Gotta Be This or That | Clever lyric, really swings. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Green Bay Packer Polka | Any quartet or chorus from Wisconsin had better learn this one. I'm a Packer-backer, are you? | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| Great Day Medley | There's Gonna Be a Great Day and "Hallelujah." What a way to start the day! Talk about power up-tunes ... challenging. | up-tune, not contestable, show opener, strongly rhythmic, difficult | |
| Grizzly Bear | How to do one of those crazy dances of the 20's. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Growin' Old Can Be Fun | Nice attitude for seniors. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Guys and Dolls | Title song from this | up-tune, moderately difficult | |
| Hour-Day-Month Medley | How much I love you every day of the week, every month of the year, every minute of every hour. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Hand Medley | A marvelous intertwining of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and "Put Your Hand in the Hand" | up-tune, novelty/show tune, strongly rhythmic, difficult | |
| Hard-Hearted Hannah | You won't believe how bad this gal is to the guys. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| Harmonize | How great it is to harmonize. Interpolates standards. | up-tune, contestable, show opener, easy | |
| High Hopes | Think an ant can move a rubber tree plant? | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| High Cost of Loving, The | This guy has got to stop lovin' a while—it costs too much! Cute lyrics. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Honey Bun | From S. Pacific…..guy just loves this girl! | up-tune, moderately easy, strongly rhythmic | |
| Hour-Month-Day Medley | I love you/I fall in love with you every day. There's not an instant of time I'm not in love with you! | up-tune, novelty/show tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| How Many Hearts Have You Broken? | With those great big beautiful eyes! | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| I Don't Know Enough about You | 30's-40's feel. Swingy. | ballad/up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| I Don't Want to Walk Without You | Very swingy 40's tune, big bandish. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| If There's Anybody Here from My Home Town | Step up! | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, moderately difficult | |
| If My Friends Could See Me Now | My friends would never believe how good I got it! | up-tune, contestable, show opener, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| I Got Rhythm | The best of the Gershwins. Dotted vs. straight rhythms must be exactly right. | up-tune, not contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | |
| I Hear Music | Bass must sing syncopated rhythms just right. | ballad/up-tune, contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | |
| I'll Be in My Dixie Home Again Tomorrow | This could bring back Dixie tunes! | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| I'll Fly Away | Simpler than the published version. | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| I'll Say She Does! | Guy brags about his new girl: she's everything he'd ever want! | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| I Love to Go Swimmin With Wimmen | Great chances for staging. Interpolates other sea songs. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| I Miss That Mississippi Miss That Misses Me | Gotta get back to see her, this time to Mississippi, not Alabama. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| I'm Making a Study of Beautiful Girls (and I'm Still in My Abc'S) | A lot to this powerhouse ... need leather lungs! | up-tune, novelty/show tune, contestable, difficult | |
| In My Harem | Very early Irving Berlin. This guy's got lots of girls. Clever and amusing lyric. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| I Only Have Eyes for You | ... But they all disappear from view ... 'cause I only have eyes for you. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| It Had to Be You | Typical 30's swing tune. | ballad/up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| It's a Sin to Tell a Lie | Patter chorus second time. Arranger's delight. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, contestable, moderately difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| It's Goin' to Be a Cold, Cold Winter | But I'll never freeze when you're around! Clever lyric ... bouncy. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| I've Seen My Baby (and It Won't Be Long Now) | Driving, sparkling, exciting key changes. Classic Collection recorded it. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| I Wish You Love | Strong 3 against 2 feel ... definitely contemporary. | ballad/up-tune, not contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | |
| Johnny's in Town | Back from WWI (1919) and he's been around! | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| Josephine | Inspired by the Mid-States Four's rendition. Bouncy. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| June Medley | Just when you thought you'd heard enough of June/spoon/croon. Great intro and glue; combines "Did You Ever Get That Feeling in the Moonlight?" "Give Me a June Night," and "Give Me a Night in June." | ballad/up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| King of the Road | Remember this Roger Miller tune? "I'm a man of means by no means." Great rhythm number, finger snaps, etc. | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| Last Night on the Back Porch | 1950's favorite updated | up-tune, easy, strongly rhythmic | |
| Let Me Be There | On-beat bass accents strong syncopation in other parts. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | |
| Let's Get Away from It All | Original verse...sophisticated lyric. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries | Wonderful philosophy! | up-tune, moderately difficult | |
| Little Patch of Heaven (Way Out West) | Great country out here! Come visit! | up-tune, moderately easy | |
| Loading up the Mandy Lee | ... on a river down in Dixie. Great combination! | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Maharajah of Magador, The | Needs tenor with reedy voice who can project; lots of bass melody. | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Maggie Blues | First, When you and I were young, then a patter chorus on top of it. Clever and catchy. | up-tune, contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | |
| Make America Proud of You | Stirring patriotic foot-tapper | up-tune, moderately easy, strongly rhythmic | |
| Makin' Love Ukelele Style | Have one or more play the uke - chord symbols provided. | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, moderately easy | |
| Man on the Flying Trapeze, The | Very easy.... make something of it! | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, easy | |
| Maybe | Not the more familiar "Maybe," but bouncy and driving. Exciting! | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Memphis in June | Another great southern song by Hoagie | gentle up-tune, moderately easy | |
| Milwaukee's Finest | A tribute to the beers that made Milwaukee famous ... familiar commercial melodies. | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Mobile | A tribute to this southern town; imaginative variations | up-tune, moderately difficult, strongly rhythmic | |
| Muppet Show Theme | Open your act with this; all the "boomers" know it! | up-tune, novelty/show tune, show closer, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| My Baby Just Cares for Me | A little on the sophisticated side. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time | Bounce your way into the judge's hearts with this toe-tapper. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| My Sugar Is So Refined | Very much like the Hi-Los! did it. Demanding. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, strongly rhythmic, difficult | |
| Naughty Lady of Shady Land, The | And she's only ten days old! Remember when the Ames Brothers did this? | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Nobody Knows What a Red-Head Mama Can Do | Much sung for good reasons. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | View Sample (PDF) |
| Oklahoma Medley | All the great tunes from this classic musical. Be prepared to sing seven minutes straight. | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, difficult | |
| Once in Love With Amy | Great bass propellants. Soft shoe. | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, moderately difficult | |
| On the Mississippi Queen | Smacks of riverboats and ragtime | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Pal That I Love Stole the Gal That I Love, The | ... And now we're not pals anymore ... Heartfelt ballad of lost love. | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| Parkin' in the Moonlight | Finally, a song about what couples really do. Fun! | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Play Ball! | Great to start a baseball game ... have your chours or quartet sing it right after the Star Spangled Banner! | up-tune, novelty/show tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Play Ball! | Great baseball song ... like "Take Me Out" | up-tune, easy | |
| Pick Me Up and Lay Me Down (in Dear Old Dixieland) | One of the best of this genre. | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| Pretty Baby | Unlike Gentry's, this is straight. Catchy tune. | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| Rambling Rose | Not Nat Cole's—the other one. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Recipe for Making Love | Harry Connick, Jr. popularized this just recently. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| Roll Out of Bed With a Smile | Inspired by the Nighthawks' rendition. Great to open a show. | up-tune, contestable, show opener, moderately easy | View Sample (PDF) |
| Rosemary | A tribute to a beautiful girl | up-tune, easy | |
| San Francisco | (Open your golden gate) Great tune even if you're not from there! | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Sleepy Time Gal | Popular swing tune. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Sleigh Ride | LeRoy Anderson at his best ... a challenging chart | up-tune, difficult, strongly rhythmic | |
| Smile Will Go a Long, Long Way, A | Gets 'em grinning! | up-tune, contestable, show opener, easy | |
| Standing on the Corner | ... Watching all the girls go by. Light and bouncy. | ballad/up-tune, not contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately easy | |
| Strip Polka | Just slightly on the risque side. She doesn't take it all off. | up-tune, not contestable, easy | |
| Stuff Like That There | From "For the Boys." Needs Bette Midler energy and drive. | up-tune, not contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | |
| Susie's Feller | I just wanna be known as ... Takes lots of energy. Great intro and tag. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Tain't No Sin | ... To take off your skin and dance around in your bones. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Take Me Out to the Ball Game | Delays words on second chorus | up-tune, easy, novelty/show tune | |
| Thank You Very Much | A perfect way to thank your audience, and a chance to sing the name of your quartet or chorus. | up-tune, not contestable, show closer, moderately easy | |
| Thank You World | Gospel-like, the Statler Brothers did this. Melody passed around so requires four strong voices. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, difficult | |
| That Brown-Eyed Baby of Mine | Don Reeves original. Driving. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| There's No Business Like Show Business | This one sparkles! Great to open your show. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, show opener, easy | |
| There's Something about a Soldier | WWI song ... could be medleyed. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| This Little Light of Mine | Starts easy, ends driving. Great gospel. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, easy | |
| Together Wherever We Go | A great way to open your act. | up-tune, contestable, show opener, moderately difficult | |
| Undecided | So what're ya gonna do? Some wild chords in this one. Will re-arrange to suit your quartet. | up-tune, not contestable, difficult | |
| Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee - Down Yonder Medley | Fast and furious. Pizzazz galore. | up-tune, contestable, strongly rhythmic, moderately difficult | |
| What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes At Me for? | Arranger's delight—catchy. | up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult | |
| When the Bell in the Lighthouse Rings | Great song to show off your bass. Low E or E-flat required. | ballad/up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, moderately difficult | |
| Who? | Jerome Kern's. Captivating patter in second chorus. | up-tune, novelty/show tune, not contestable, difficult | |
| Who Said Dixie? | Familiar theme but a powerhouse song and arrangement. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Who's in the Strawberry Patch With Sally? | Sparkles ... with cute words. | up-tune, contestable, moderately easy | |
| Why Don't We Do This More Often? | End your show with this! | up-tune, easy, strongly rhythmic | |
| You're Adorable | A romantic romp through the alphabet. | up-tune, contestable, easy | |
| Young at Heart | Don't we all want to be? | ballad/up-tune, contestable, moderately difficult |
Note: Questions about contestability of arrangements should be directed to a qualified Music category judge. Standards are constantly changing, so ask before you sing!
Updated 5/2008