Happy Birthday to You is the world's most recognized birthday song. Originally written as Good Morning to All by sisters Patty and Mildred Hill in the eighteen nineties, it was created as a classroom greeting song for kindergarten students in Louisville, Kentucky.
The simple yet universally known lyrics are: Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Name, Happy Birthday to you! The name of the person being celebrated is inserted in place of Name. These four lines have become the most sung song in the English language.
Happy Birthday to You是世界上最广为人知的歌曲之一。这首看似简单的生日歌曲背后，却有着复杂而有趣的历史故事。从它的起源到版权争议，再到最终成为公共领域的作品，这首歌经历了超过一个世纪的变迁。
Happy Birthday的故事始于1893年，当时两位美国教师Patty Hill和Mildred Hill创作了一首名为'Good Morning to All'的课堂问候歌曲。这首歌使用了我们今天熟悉的旋律。随着时间的推移，歌词逐渐演变，最终成为了我们现在知道的'Happy Birthday to You'。
几十年来，Happy Birthday一直受版权保护，由各种公司控制，特别是华纳查佩尔音乐公司。这个版权被广泛执行，特别是在电影、电视和公共表演的商业用途中。然而，2016年美国联邦法院的一项重要裁决宣布该版权无效。这首歌现在在全世界都属于公共领域。
Happy Birthday已经被翻译成几乎所有语言，在全世界的生日庆祝活动中使用。它影响了无数的电影、电视节目和音乐作品。这首简单的歌曲已经成为人类文化中最广为人知和最容易识别的旋律之一，跨越了语言、文化和地理边界。
从1893年Hill姐妹的课堂歌曲到今天的全球现象，Happy Birthday to You展现了音乐连接人心的非凡力量。它跨越了世代和文化，在每一个生日庆祝中创造快乐的时刻。作为公共领域的作品，它将继续为未来无数的庆祝活动带来欢乐。这首简单而美丽的歌曲提醒我们，最好的艺术往往是最简单、最真诚的。
For many decades, Happy Birthday was under copyright protection, controlled by various companies, notably Warner Chappell Music. This copyright was widely enforced, especially for commercial uses in films, TV, and public performances. However, a significant US federal court ruling in 2016 declared the copyright invalid. The song is now firmly in the public domain worldwide, free for everyone to use.
From a simple classroom song in eighteen ninety three to the world's most recognized melody, Happy Birthday to You has become a universal symbol of celebration. It connects generations across all cultures and languages, bringing people together in moments of joy. Now firmly in the public domain, this timeless song will continue to bring happiness to countless birthday celebrations for generations to come. Its simple beauty reminds us that the most powerful art often comes from the most humble beginnings.