Pennies from Heaven was composed by Arthur Johnston with lyrics by Johnny Burke for the 1936 Columbia film of the same name, where it was introduced by Bing Crosby alongside Georgie Stoll and His Orchestra. The song was notably performed live on set rather than pre-recorded, contributing to its immediate impact. Crosby's recording topped the pop charts for ten weeks, while Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra had actually committed the first recording to wax just days earlier. The collaboration proved pivotal for Burke, who went on to become Crosby's personal songwriter for seventeen years. The composition features an optimistic, swinging melody set against lyrics that promise fortune amid adversity, with the reassuring conceit that every raindrop is a penny from heaven. Its verse, less frequently performed, introduces a contrasting cautionary tone about ingratitude. The song spent over thirteen weeks on Your Hit Parade and quickly entered the jazz repertoire, where its sturdy harmonic framework and bright melodic character made it a natural vehicle for improvisation. Count Basie's band recorded it with Lester Young and vocalist Jimmy Rushing in 1937, and it has since been interpreted by artists ranging from Billie Holiday to Frank Sinatra. The composition was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.
