"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular
novelty song written by Bob Merrill in 1952. It was adapted
from a well-known Victorian music hall song. The best-known
version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18,
1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070,
with the flip side being "My Jealous Eyes." It reached #1 on
both the Billboard and Cash Box charts in 1953. However,
Mercury, the record label which distributed Patti Page's
recordings at the time, had poor distribution in the United
Kingdom. Therefore, a recording by Lita Roza was the one most
widely heard in the UK, reaching #1 on the UK Singles Chart in
1953. It also gave Roza the title of being the first British
woman to have a number one hit in the UK chart.
The song's lyrics tell the story of a young woman who has to
go on a trip to California, and wants to buy a dog for her
"sweetheart" so that he will not be lonely, and so that any
robbers will be scared away.
The song has also been covered by many groups and is
available on many children songs CDs and is considered as
Children's music in many countries. It can also be found on
many musical toys made since the late 1960s. For example, a
Sankyo music box made in the 1970s played the song, as do many
musical toys manufactured today.