About The Song
Donna Fargo had two goals in life. One was to be a teacher and the other was to be a singer. By her mid-20s, she was pursuing both of those dreams at the same time. Living in California, she taught English as Mrs. Stan Silver and sang in local venues on weekends as Donna Fargo.
Her first single earned regional success on Ramco Records. In fact, it was Ramco that gave Fargo (named Yvonne Vaughan at birth) her stage name. She also appeared on the Challenge label with a song called “Daddy.” In the early-‘70s, Donna revved up the pursuit of her singing career in earnest when she and Stan traveled to Nashville during Easter vacation to record four sides, one of which was her own composition, “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA.”
The song actually started out as “The Happiest Girl in the World,” but the rhyme scheme got to be too unnatural, so Fargo changed it to “USA.” After the adjustment was made, “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” came together pretty quickly.
Silver pitched the demo to all of Music City’s major labels, but got no takers. However, one producer supposedly did show an interest in the song itself. A Nashville legend holds that Billy Sherrill wanted to cut it with newcomer Tanya Tucker, but she turned it down, choosing “Delta Dawn” instead for her debut single.
Sherrill always disputed this story. He claimed that he didn’t pitch “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” to Tanya. In fact, Billy said he NEVER pitched any songs to her. If he found a song he thought was right, he TOLD her to record it.
Tucker remembers the incident differently. She says that song promoter Al Gallico (who owned the publishing rights to “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA”) was in Sherrill’s office. Billy played the demo of the song and suggested that Tanya cut it. She told him, “That’s just not my type of song, Billy” and he looked over at Al and remarked, “You heard what she said.” So that was that.
Whichever story one believes, it is true that Tucker DID end up recording “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” to help fill her “Delta Dawn” album, released in October, 1972, about four months after the tune reached #1 for Donna Fargo. Six of the eleven songs on Tanya’s first album were songs associated with other artists (five previous singles and one future hit (“Soul Song,” recorded by Joe Stampley in early ’73).
Fargo insists, however, that she never would have let them release a single on “Happiest Girl.” Donna was real interested in a singing career for herself and only took up songwriting so she could become a singer later on. She wanted to be the one to have the hit with it.
Eventually, Dot Records signed Fargo to a contract and “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” made the grade on Billboard’s “Hot Country Singles” chart while Donna continued teaching her students in California. After the record achieved its #1 peak on June 3, 1972, she quit her job and the Silvers moved to Nashville. Once in their new home, they were overwhelmed with awards. “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” sold a million copies, brought Donna a Grammy award and earned “Single of the Year” honors from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
Fargo notes that her chart debut also earned international acclaim. She assumed that, because of its title, the record would become a hit only in the United States. However, “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” was big in Canada, Australia and New Zealand as well.
Video
Lyrics
Shine on me, sunshine
Walk with me, world
It’s a skip-a-dee-do-dah day
I’m the happiest girl in the whole USA
Good morning, morning, hello, sunshine
Wake up, sleepy head
Why’d we move that bojangle clock
So far away from the bed?
Just one more minute, that’s why we moved it
One more hug will do
Do you love wakin’ up next to me
As much as I love wakin’ up next to you?
You make the coffee, I’ll make the bed
I’ll fix your lunch, and you fix mine
Now tell me the truth, do these old shoes look funny?
Honey, it’s almost nine
Now you be careful
Got to go, I love you
Have a beautiful day
And kiss the happiest girl in the whole USA
Skip-a-dee-do-dah, thank you, Lord
For makin’ him for me
And thank you for letting life turn out the way
That I always thought it could be
There once was a time
When I could not imagine
How it would feel to say
I’m the happiest girl in the whole USA
Now shine on me, sunshine
Walk with me, world
It’s a skip-a-dee-do-dah day
I’m the happiest girl in the whole USA
Shine on me, sunshine
Walk with me, world
It’s a skip-a-dee-do-dah day
I’m the happiest girl in the whole USA
Shine on me, sunshine
Walk with me, world
It’s a skip-a-dee-do-dah day
I’m the happiest girl in the whole USA