Second Hand Rose (song)


"Second Hand Rose" is a 1921 popular song written by Grant Clarke and James F. Hanley for Fanny Brice.

Brice performances

Fanny Brice introduced the song in the revue Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 which opened at the Globe Theater on Broadway on June 21, 1921. Although one critic found this production of the revue not as good as previous versions, an exception was Brice: "This inimitable artist chalked up one of the few high marks of the evening with this song. For clarity of utterance, economy of means and a highly developed comic sense, Miss Brice has no peer on our stage. She got a genuine reception on her entrance and clamorous applause for her exit. And earned every bit of it legitimately."
Brice's 1922 recording of the song became a hit record, reaching #6. The song was also sung by Brice in the 1928 film My Man.
The song's popularity inspired a 1922 screen dramatization starring Gladys Walton.

Streisand performances

, who had starred in Funny Girl, the 1964 Broadway musical based on Brice's life, recorded "Second Hand Rose" as part of her 1965 television special My Name Is Barbra, releasing it as a single for the tie-in studio album My Name Is Barbra, Two....
Streisand remembers in Just For The Record: "'Second Hand Rose' became part of a tongue-in-cheek fantasy sequence which was shot at Bergdorf Goodman's... And thanks to people I loved and loved working with—Joe Layton, Dwight Hemion, Peter Matz, Robert Emmett, Tom John, and, of course, Marty — I was able to realize my dream."
Her rendition became an international hit, reaching #14 in the UK, #6 in Australia, #32 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.
Streisand had received similar acclaim for her cover of the Brice hit "My Man". The success of these recordings prompted both "Second Hand Rose" and "My Man" to be included in the 1968 film adaptation of Funny Girl, despite neither song appearing in the original stage musical.

Chart history

;Fanny Brice
Chart Peak
position
U.S. Billboard6

;Barbra Streisand
Chart Peak
position
Australia6
Belgium18
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary1
Canada RPM Top Singles30
Netherlands3
New Zealand 16
UK14
U.S. Billboard Hot 10032
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary5
U.S. Cash Box Top 10036