This Tin Pan Alley Pop Song composed by Hanley with lyrics by Ballard MacDonald was first published in January 1917. Although it is not the state song of Indiana, it is perhaps the best-known song that pays tribute to the Hoosier state.
James Frederick "Jimmy" Hanley (1892–1942) was an American songwriter and author. Born in Rensselaer, Indiana, he attended Champion College and the Chicago Musical College. He served with the US Army 82nd Division in World War I and during his military service he wrote an army musical show called Toot Sweet. On his discharge Hanley became a vaudeville accompanist and went on to write songs for film and theatre including many Broadway productions. Hanley is best remembered for the hit songs (Back Home Again in) Indiana, Second Hand Rose and Zing.
Since 1946, it has been performed during pre-race ceremonies before the Indianapolis 500. Now recognised as a jazz standard, it was one of the tunes selected by Columbia Records to be recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, who released it as a 78. This lively instrumental version by the ODJB was one of the earliest jazz records issued and sold well. For years, Louis Armstrong and his All Stars would open every public performance with the number. Other cover versions have been recorded by Eddie Condon, Gene Krupa, Lester Young with Nat King Cole, Lester Young with Count Basie and Louis Armstrong and was also used in movies such as Remember the Night (1940), The Monte Carlo Story (1956) sang by Marlene Dietrich and The Five Pennies (1959) where the tune features in several scenes as Danny Kaye portrays the life of trumpeter Red Nichols.
