E-ri-e
Channel: Stephen Griffith
Date: 2020-07-05

Day 111 of the American Songbag Stay-at-Home Series

My favorite of the "Great Lakes and Lakes and Erie Canal" chapter. 
Sandburg writes: "When hard work and the monotony of life overshadowed the souls on the Erie Canal, the crew did what so many sailors and longshoremen ever have done.

"They took to drink and to song and to hopes for an end of the voyage, to voicing in a tune their feelings about how life used them up and left them unsung and unwept.

"The preacher, Koheleth (traditionally believed to be Solomon), who sings so rhythmically in the Book of  Ecclesiastes, ''Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" or Omar in his short-spoken pessimism, arrive at a philosophy somewhat like that sung here. Some might call it "realistic in the method of approach."  It tries for laughter at monotony and fate.

"We have this text and tune from Robert Wolfe and  Oliver R. Barrett of Chicago. The canal's name is enunciated in three syllables, viz., "E-ri-e.""