Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-04-14
FAMOUS POPULAR SONDS.

rhoir Authorship and the Circumstances
Under winch They Wero Composed.
"Auld Lang Syne is popularity fup-
posed to be the composition of Burns, but
in, fact, he wrote only the second and third
verses of the ballad as commonly sung,
retouching the others from an older and
less familiar song. "The Old Oaken
Bucket was written by Woodworth4n In
New York city during the hot summer of
1917. He came into the house and drank
glass of water. and then said How
much more refreshing it would be to take
a good long drink from the old oaken
bucket that used to hang in my fathers
well.'' His wife suggested that it was
happy thought for poem. He sat down
and wrote the song as we have it.
Woodman, Spare that Tree" was the
result of All incident that happened to
George p. Morris. A friends mother had
owned a little place in the country which
she was obliged, from poverty, to sell. On
the property grew large oak which had
5cen planted by his grandfather. The
purchaser of the house and land proposed
to cut down the tree, and Morris iIiend
paid him $40 for a bond that tho oak
should he spared. Morris heard the story,
saw the tree, and wrote tho song. cot
in the Silly Night - was produced by
Moore after his family had undergone ap-
parently every possible misfortune. One
of his children died young, another went
astray, and a third was accidently killed.
The Light of Other Days" was w.ittcn
to be introduced INTO Balfc's opera, Tile
Maid of Artois. The opera is forgotten,
but the song still lives, and is as popular
as ever.
Donno -r,o+o &c Ioo,o S-ook Hama . 70
help fill up an opera he was preparing, and
at first it had four stanzas. The author
rever received anything for it, but though
the opera was failure when played in The
Convent Garden theatre, the song took,
and over 100, 900 copies were sold the first
year. In two years the publishers cleared
$1,000 by the publication and the varia
tions have been innumerable. The melody
is believed to be Sicilian air, and Doni-
Zetti las variation of it in his opera
Anna BoleHR. Payne was afterwards ap-
pointed American consul at Tunis, where
he died, and whence his remains the other
day were sent to America. Some OF his
miseries may be guessed from his own
words "HOw often have l been in the
heart of Paris, Berlin, London, or some
other city, and have heard persons
singing or heard organs playing Home
Sweet Home, without having shilling
to buy myself the next meal, or place to
lay my head. The world has literally
sung my song until every heart is familiar
with its melody; yet l have been 4
wanderer from my boyhood, and, in my
old age, have to submit 10 humiliation for
my bread" Fosters "Old Folks at
Home was the best song he ever wrote.
Over 4OO, 900 copies were sold by the firm
that first published il. and the author is
said ID have received S15, 600 for his Share
in its sale. Christy, the noted minstrel,
paid s40o 70: the privilege Of having his
name printed on one edition of Old
Folks at Home as the author and com
poser. The song is thus cften erroneously
attributed to him. Rock Me To Sleep
was written by Mrs. Allen, of Maine.
She was paid s. for it, and Rus
sell & Co., of Boston, who had in three
years gained 81, 900 by its sale. offered her
S. apiece for any songs she might write.
Some years after, when a poor widow aud
in need Of money. she sent them song
which was rejected. 1" A Life on the Ocean
Wave" by Epes Sargent. was pronounced
q failure by his friends. The copyright of
the song became very valuable, though
Sargent nevergot anything from it himself.
" What are the Wild Waves Saying -
was suggested by DIR. Carpenter by scene
from Dickens novel. DomJey d. Son. and
the music was by Glover. Poor jack
was from the pen of Charles Dibbin. the
author of The Waterman. "Poor Jack
netted s., 600 for its publisher, and almost
nothing for the author.
"Stars Of the Summer Night,' a very
famous song, especially for sereDaders,
was written by Allied II. Pease, the
noted pianist, whose sad death in st.
Louis 4 few months ago WAS SO greatly
deplored by his friends. "Love's Young
Dream" was one of Moorc's best, bat the
tune to which it is commonly sung is from
An Irish ballad called "The Old Woman
Moore sang his old songs 50 well that
both the auditors and himself were often
moved to tears. Once when he was sing
ing this song lady who heard him i'm
plored him to stop. For heavens sake,
"Auld Robin Gray was the work OF
Lady Anne Lindsay, who tells
a curious story of the ciicum-
stances of the composition: 81 called to
my little sister, the only person near, and
said, 'Ihave been writing ballad, my
dear. am expressing my heroine With
many msfOrtunes. J. have already sent
her Jamie to the Sea, and broken her
fathers arm, and made her mother fall
sick, and given her Anld Robin Gray Cor
lover, but wish to load her with Il flft,
SORROW within the four lines, poor thinG.
Help me to one Steal the cow sai,i
the little Elizabeth. The cow was imme
diately lifted by me. and the song COM
pleted-" "Kathleen Mavourncen - was
sold by Crouch, the author, for $50, ard
brought the publishers as msny thousand.
Crouch was hopelessly improvident, aid
in his latter days became al
tramp. When Nine. Ttiens was in
this country number Of years ago
she sung "Kathleen Mavoulneen'' in
New York, when a dirty tramp introduced
himself rs Crouch was recognized and
thanked her for singing the song SO we'll.
'BOnnie DOOM was the only English sony
that the Emperor Napoleon liked. EYE
Hang my Harp on Willow Tree is said
to have b.en written by young English
nobleman in love with the Princess (uow
Queen) Victoria. ''Annie Laurie is two
hundred years old, and was the production
of a man Eamed Douglas to celebrate the
praise Of a girl named Luris. The lady
afterwards deserted the man who made
famous, and married a man named Fer
guson. ''Sally in Our Alley" was written
by Dibdin.
HPECIAL NOTySrS