The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-23

The Authorship and the Circumstances
Uuder Which They We're Composed.
St I.nnis RennhIican


st. Louis Republican.
Aud Lang Syne" is popularity supposed
to be the composition of Burns but, in fact
he only wrote 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
Wordsworth in New York city, during the
hot summer of 1877 He came into the house
and drank a glass of water, and then said
"How much more refreshing it would be to
take good long drink from the old oaken
bucket that used to hang in my fathers
we'll" His wife suggested that it was happy
thought for poem. He sat down and
wrote the song as we have it. wood
man, Spare that Tree was the result of an
incident that happened to George P, Morris
A friends mother had owned little place in
the country, which she was obliged from
poverty to SELL On the property grew a
large oak, which had been planted by his
grandfather The purchaser of the house
and land proposed to cut down the tree, and
Morriss friend paid him $40 for bond that
the oak should be spared. Morris heard the
story, saw the tree and wrote the song.
"Oft in the Silly Night" was produced by
Moore after his family had undergone appa-
rently every possible misfortune; one of his
children died young, another went astray,
and third was accidentally killed. 1.-THE
Light of Other Days was written to be in
troduced into Balfe's opera, "The Maid of
Artois;" the opera is forgotten, but the song
still lives, and is as popular as ever
Payne wrote Home, Sweet Home" to
help fill up an opera he was preparing, and
at first it had but four stanzas. The author
never received anything for it, but though
the opera was failure when played IN Co
vent Garden Theater, the song took, and over
100, 600 copies were sold the first year. In
two years the publishers cleared over $1O,-
900 by the publication, and the variations,
at,A hayy
Vulnerable. The melody is believed to be
Sicilian air, and Donizetti has a variation of
it in his opera Anna Bolena." Fosters
"Old Folks at Home was the best song he
ever wrote. Over 400, 900 copies were sold by
the firm that first published it, and the
author is said to have had Sl5 600 for his share
in its sale. Christy, the noted minstrel,
paid $500 for the privilege of having
his name printed on one edition
of "Old Folks at Home as the author
and composer. The song is thus often errone-
ously attributed to him. Rock Me to
Sleep was written by Mrs. Allen, of Maine,
She was paid So for it, and Russell & 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 and in need of money, she sent
them a song which was promptly rejected
"A Life on the Ocean Wave" by Epes Sar-
gent, was pronounced a failure by his friends
Inc copyright OIL Tile SOI!S UeCdflle val u
able, though Sargent never got anything
| from it himself. What are the Wild Waves
| SayingP' was suggested to DIR. Carpenter by
scene IN Dickens novel, "Dombey & Son"
and the music was by Glover. Poor jack
was from the pen of Charles Dobbin the
author of THE Lamplighter." poor jack
Melted $25 900 for its publisher, and almost
nothing for the author.
STARS of the Summer Night" a very
| famous song especially for serenaders, was
written by Alfred H. Pease, the noted plan
| ist whose sad death in St. Louis few months
ago was so greatly deplored by his friends.
| Loves Young Dream" was one of Moore
best, but the tune to which it is commonly
sung is from an Irish ballad called THE Old
| Woman" Moore sang his own songs so well
that both the auditors and himself were
| often moved to tears. Once when he was
singing this song a lady who heard him i'm
| plored him to stop For heavens sake,
stop; this is not good for my soul" "Auld
Robin Gray" was the work of Lady Anne
Lindsay, who tells curious story of the cir
cumstances of its composition: II called to
| my little sister, the only person near, and
said, 1 have been writing ballad, my dear.
| | am expressing my heroine with many mis-
| fortunes l have already sent her Jamie
| to the sea, and broken her fathers
arm, and made her mother fall sick,
and given her Aud Robin Gray for a
lover, but I wish to load her with fifth sor-
row within the four lines, poor thing. Help
me to one' Steal the cow, said the little
| Elizabeth. The COW was Immediately lifted
| by me, and the song completed" Kathleen
Mavourneen" was sold by Crouch, the
author, for $25 and brought the publisher as
many thousands. Crouch was completely
improvident and in his latter days became a
tramp When Nine Titiens was in this
country a number OF years ago she sang
| Kathleen Mavourneen" in New York when
j L.
was recognized, and thanked her for singing
the songso WE'LL bonnie Doom" was the
only English song that the Emperor Napol-
con liked. "pll Hang My Harp on Willow
Tree is said to have been written by a
young English nobleman in love with the
Princess (now Queen) Victoria Annie
Laurie" is 200 years old, and was the pro-
duction of a man named Douglass to cele-
brate the praise of girl named Laurie The
lady afterward deserted the man who made
her famous, and married man named
Ferguson.