The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-04-07
PENNY SONGS.
Extent OF Their ssule--The Kind That Take
Best.

11,O00 penny songs, and over 10000
copies are supplied to the trade every
month. Some of these date back as
far as 1898. Sometimes when a new
song comes out, 1000 copies will be
sold every day for about week. Such
has recently been the case with the
"Bogie Man." Mary Kelly's Beau" "
"Wstl Wstl Wstl" and many numbers
of the Harrigan & Hart series. Mary
Kelly's beau describes his lady love as
Little Mary Kelly,
A darling, all in all,
Makes artificial flowers
On Broadway, cla~- to Wall.
The continued popularity of the
songs dating as far back as 1898 and
thereabout is due to the fact that they
are mostly Irish rebel songs, and have
their interest preserved by the agita-
tions in Ireland. During the present
troubles in Ireland the demand has
been larger than ever before. Among
these songs are some of Tom Moore's
best Irish melodies, such as "Aveng-
ing and bright fell the swift sword of
Erin," and Forget not the field where
they perished;" songs by Bryan Mcguire
and Maurice O'Connell, and the famous
wearing of the Green" There is
also a steady demand for the old Chris
tie minstrels' songs, the most popular
of which seem to be the plot of "Il
Trovatore," and the verses "I come
from Alabama" ending with:
l had a dream the other night,
When everything was still;
dreamt | saw Susanna
\ comm down the bill.
The buclwheat cake was in her eve
The tear was in her month
Says |, Susanna, don't cry,
I'm comm from the South.
The most popular modern penny
songs are those written by Tony Pastor,
Harrigan g. Hart, Pat Rooney, j. K
Emmett, Sam Devere, Tom Barry and
George S. Knight, and brought out at
their variety shows. When a song has
been received with more than usual
favor at these performances it is with
held from publication for a short time
until its success is widely known. Then
it is published and eagerly bought up
One of the most popular of Pat Rooney's
songs describes the Goats in Our Pack
Yard" who play "Pinafore every
night and have walking matches on the
fence,
They sing alto basso, and tenor:
Oh, they ought to be feathered and tarred !
Oh, they are worse than Haverlys minstrels
Yes, the cats in our back yard.
Emmett tells of man who wants to
reform things so thoroughly that
Streets would be all paved with bretzels,
Schweizer kase grow on der trees,
He'd make it holiday always,
Und pccble should take of dere ease.
He'd give every poor man his rights,
He'd make the rich folks shell out,
He'd make all dem fat beebes thin,
Und make all dem thin becbles stout.
One of the most popular songs was
sung by Adah Richmond. 1t is en-
titled "When Charlie Plays the Drum" {"
and the first verse runs as follows;
I'm in love with such charming little man,
musician i'll the military band,
And l love him better far than gold or wealth
When | see him in his uniform so grand.
The first time that | met him,
With love was struck dumb,
Aud my heart was in a flutter,
When Charley played the drum.
"Tho Donkey" words and music by
Jas. Bradley, has been sung with sue
cess all over the country. The donkey
seems peculiar in many respects. Brad
ley describes some of his peculiarities
in the following verse:
I've got donkey, he stands six feet high;
III sell to the man that wishes to buy,
He drinks SeltZor water whenever hos dry;
In a race on the turf he has never proved shy
lie makes good time about one mile q day;
I'll match him again any stallion or bay.
lie fought for his country; he's been through
the war;
l feed him on herrings, hay-rope and tar
I've Baby in Kalamazoo" has also
had a large sale. Sarah Bcrnhardt
comes in for the following tribute:
Have you seen Sarah Amt she teaser?
None could be fairer than Miss Sarah B. .
Froggies and poodles, claret and noodles,
And lot of Fitzdoodles; oh, parly vous qui.
Among the sentimental and pathetic
songs the best known are "The Little
Green Leaf in our Bible" Baby
Nine" and Cradles Empty, Baby's
Gone" The last-namel sells quite as
well as the best known comic songs
1t was written and composed by Harry
Kennedy. The following is the refrain:
Baby left her cradle for the golden shore,
O'er the silvery waters she has flown;
Gone to join the angels, peaceful evermore'
Empty is the cradle; baby's gone.