Baubles, Bangles, & Beads Baubles, Bangles, & Beads "Baubles, Bangles & Beads" is a popular song from the 1953 musical "Kismet", credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest. Like all the music in that show, the melody was based on works by Alexander Borodin, in this case the second theme of the second movement of his "String Quartet in D." The "Kismet" setting maintains the original's 3/4 waltz rhythm; pop music settings change the rhythm to a moderate four-beat accompaniment. Jazz musicians are especially drawn to the song's beguiling melody and advanced harmonic structure. The familiar AA'BA+Coda structure of the song is energized by
Robert Wright (writer) of these productions to Broadway. Wright and Forrest had an affinity for adapting classical music themes and adding lyrics to these themes for Hollywood and the Broadway musical stage. Wright said that the music was usually a 50-50 "collaboration" between Wright and Forrest and the composer. While both men were credited equally as composer-lyricists, it was Forrest who worked with the music. Forrest and Wright won a Tony Award for their work on "Kismet" and in 1995 they were awarded the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award. He was cremated at Cofer-Kolski-Combs mortuary, Miami, and his ashes given to his executor.