“Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” is a popular song with music by Ray Henderson and lyrics by Lew Brown, published in 1931. Ethel Merman introduced this song in George White’s Scandals of 1931.
The expression “Life is just a bowl of cherries” comes straight out of the early 20th century, and it’s got a jazzy, Depression-era backstory.
The Song
The phrase was popularized by a 1931 song titled “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” — music by Ray Henderson, lyrics by Lew Brown.
The song was first performed by Ethel Merman in George White’s Scandals of 1931, a Broadway revue.
The lyrics had a bittersweet, tongue-in-cheek message: life is fleeting and unpredictable, so don’t take it too seriously.
The Expression
Because the song became a huge hit, the title line entered everyday speech as shorthand for “life is carefree, sweet, and enjoyable.”
Ironically, it rose in popularity during the Great Depression — when life was anything but a bowl of cherries. People seemed to embrace it as a kind of optimistic coping mechanism.
Why “Cherries”?
Cherries were seen as a special treat, a symbol of sweetness and delight, but also delicate and fleeting — much like life.
The phrase has carried that double edge ever since: both lighthearted fun and a reminder not to waste time.
Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries Music and lyrics by: Ray Henderson and Lew Brown 1931
Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don't take it serious; life's so mysterious. You work, you save, you worry so, But you can't take your dough when you go, go, go. So keep repeating it's the berries, For the strongest oak must fall, The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned So how can you lose what you've never owned? Life is just a bowl of cherries, So live and laugh at it all.
People are queer, they're always crowing, scrambling and rushing about; Why don't they stop someday, Address themselves this way? Why are we here? Where are we going? It's time that we found out. We're not here to stay; we're on a short holiday.
Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious. At eight each morning I have got a date, To take my plunge 'round the Empire State. You'll admit it's not the berries, In a building that's so tall; There's a guy in the show, the girls love to kiss; Get thousands a week just for crooning like this: Life is just a bowl of. .. Aw, nuts! So live and laugh at it all!
