Samuel Cohen, known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist,
songwriter, and musician. Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, he initially
studied violin and, following his bar mitzvah, joined a small dixieland band
called Pals of Harmony. Inspired by vaudeville, he wrote his first lyric, “Like
Niagara Falls, I’m Falling for You – Baby,” and later began early professional
work with Saul Chaplin, writing special material for Warner Brothers’ musical
short subjects and developing a reputation in comedy and performance writing.
Cahn saw major success through collab...