<Tr> <Th> Songwriter (s) </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Frank Silver </Li> <Li> Irving Cohn </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> Frank Silver </Li> <Li> Irving Cohn </Li> </Ul> <P> "Yes! We Have No Bananas" is a novelty song by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn published July 19, 1923 . It became a major hit in 1923 (placing No. 1 for five weeks) when it was recorded by Billy Jones, Billy Murray, Arthur Hall, Irving Kaufman, and others . It was recorded later by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra, Spike Jones & His City Slickers, and many more . It also inspired a follow - up song, "I've Got the Yes! We Have No Bananas Blues", recorded by Billy Jones, Sam Lanin (with vocals by Irving Kaufman and others) in 1923 . </P> <P> Frank Silver explained the origin of the song to Time Magazine: "I am an American, of Jewish ancestry, with a wife and a young son . About a year ago my little orchestra was playing at a Long Island hotel . To and from the hotel I was wont to stop at a fruit stand owned by a Greek, who began every sentence with' Yess .' The jingle of his idiom haunted me and my friend Cohn . Finally I wrote this verse and Cohn fitted it with a tune ." Silver may have been influenced by an actual shortage of Gros Michel bananas in the early 20th century . </P>

When was yes we have no bananas written