Happiness is one of the greatest birthday songs ever recorded, Close to You, The Carpenters (1970)

 

Happiness is a martial birthday

A birthday happens not by chance,

it's not at all in our control.

Each a marker on a mission,

one by one they call, they beckon.

Every year makes its advance,

another checkpoint on patrol.

Take five to pause and to inspect

your kit to see if it's complete,

to get you through to duty's end

with what you need or must amend,

a time to rest and to reject

every thought of sad retreat.

We cannot know the outcome now,

but only that our part we play.

And when at last our task is done, 

and we our final course have run,

we trust our Captain will endow

the vict'ry ribbon to repay.

-- Johnny (For Monica, 4 October 2020)

Happiness is getting your favorite thing for your birthday

Happy Birthday to Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou, electronic musician and composer, popularly known as Vangelis

 

Older fans know the Academy Award winner for his soundtrack to 1981's film "Chariots of Fire", which includes a memorable rendition of "Jerusalem", and to Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" on PBS in late 1980. 

 

 

Happiness is someone celebrating one's birthday humorously to the tune of Red River Valley

It's your day for some special attention!

An occasion to be wined and dined!

You should get everything that you wish for!

And the whole world should kiss your behind!

Happiness is a birthday card "blast from the past": OOGA OOGA OOGA SHAKA!

The ever popular opening lines from Blue Swede's version of "Hooked on a Feeling" from 1974 here, the year I graduated from high school. Am I really that old?

The card spells it "Shaka" instead of "Chaka", perhaps for copyright reasons, but the audio in the card has the latter from the original.

On the inside, it says the words translate from "witch doctor" to "Happy Birthday". And he does a little dance! So politically incorrect, so amusing.

Happiness is finding four Cafe Au Lait Cups by Apilco for my birthday