The Portland daily press., 1889-12-28
THE STORY OF A SONG.
How Joe sullivan Wrote "Where DID
You Get That Hat
New York Man and Express.

HAITI" has been discovered. His name is
Joe Sullivan. He is an actor. This is
the only thing he ever wrote.
Frank Harding, the New York music
publisher, tells the story of how and where
the author obtained his inspiration.
Tom ODriscoll, the harum scarum
grandson of old Murtagh O'Driscoll, OF
Cobbynaul, in the county of Roscom-
mon, Ireland, was famous for his per-
sonal peculiarities. One of these was an
aversion to wearing a "caubeen." 1t
was Toms delight to wander through
the country bareheaded and barefooted.
The fact that he wore no shoes excited
no comment, but his refusal to wear a
hat was distress to his family. The
fact is that Tom did not really need a
hat, for he had been provided by nature
with shock of luxuriant red hair. He
was known for miles around as the red
headed man, and his adornment brought
down upon Tom the anger of his grand
father, Murtagh.
just before his death old Murtagh con-
ceived an idea which he was almost GER
tain would bring his erring grandson to
his "sivin shmall sinses," and few days
afterward he died.
Tom refused to wear hat, even at the
funeral. On the return of the family
from the churchyard, the will was open
ed and read by Father OHoolahan, and,
to the surprise of all, it was found that
Tom inherited everything, including the
big stocking of ''goold," that could be
| found "bechune the tick and the boul-
ster in the ould four posther," on condi-
ton that for the remainder of his nat
ural life he should wear his grandfather's
hat on all occasions in the open air.
This was regarded as a very hard con-
dition by Tom, but, possessing his share
of good common sense, he accepted the
| inevitable and presented himself on the
following Sunday at church wearing old
Murtagh's hat. His appearance was
ludicrous in the extreme. Having neg
lected to get his hair cut, the hat was
perched on the top of his remarkable
crop of bushy and fiery hair, and the
| the roars of laughter with which he was
saluted made Tom almost wish he had
not accepted the onerous condition of his
grandfather will. From all sides came
| jibes and cries of derision, the principal
| salutation being, Mother O Moses!
Where did you get that hat?"
During recent trip in Ireland Mr..
Sullivan heard the story as related above,
| and, after good deal of hard thinking,
| he produced the song, the title of which
has since become a household word
| throughout the country. An excellent
| yet simple piano arrangement was made
| for it by William Lorraine, a mere lad of
| 16, which materially aided its impetus to
| popularity. By the way, Lorraine is
recognized among musicians generally
as one of the most efficient arrangers of
comic and sentimental music in this.
| country. This song is an illustration of
what single phrase will do in popular
izing ditty. THERE'S of course, nothing
| of decided literary merit to commend
it. 1t does not even possess the distinc-'
ton of good rhyme. But it has an origi-'
nal jingle of melody and an easy arrange
ment that go far in making it a ''go"
with the public. A number of songs
have suddenly sprung into celebrity
which had grown dusty in the obscurity
| Oh the publishers shelVes.
| Among these might be mentioned
Mullaly's pretty song, "Mottoes on the
WALL" Klenk's "Only Picture" Mitch
ellis "Where Can the Wanderer Be?'.
and G. A. Whites tender romanza,
| Marguerite" White seems to be the
most prolific of American composers in
the sentimental vein. With the excep-
ton, perhaps, of Will S. Hays, he is
also the Oldest native song writer Mr..
White is a resident of Boston, and they
say he has amassed nearly half million
| of dollars through tho sale of his songs
His latest and most successful inspira-
| ton was the now celebrated sMar-
| guerite," which is being sung by all the
romantic maidens in the country.
| 1t is fact not generally known that
| Marguerite" was written while the
author was suffering from cerebral
troubles superinduced by overwork. The
| original text and melody he conceived
while confined to his home and lying at
deaths door. Forbidden by his family
| physician the use of paper and pencil,
| the veteran composer scratched with his
| finger nails upon the paint of the win
dow sill the rough outlines of the mel
| ody of his famous song, and on his re-
| covery he had it transcribed and ar
ranged. For long time Marguerite"
lay upon the shelves and failed TO strike
popular chord, but within the past six
months the song has commended itself
SO universally that it is difficult to sup
| ply the demand.
1t seems that the name Marguerite"
is prolific theme with poets and musi-
cal composers. There are no fewer than
six different Marguerite" songs upon
the market to-day. In the more classic
vein, Helmud's German love ditty,
"Margaritha," is eminently favorite,
while Farewell, Marguerite" by Board
man, is an exceedingly popular song of
today, and Whites my Marguerite of
Long Ago" bids fair to rival his better
known production of a like character.
Comic songs, as a rule, are short lived.
This is because they depend mainly for
their popularity upon single phrases
which catch the eye of the public and
are repeated in daily conversation until
they become antiquities. With the de-
cay of the phrases which form the key
note to success the song dies. Some
times the most mediocre comic songs
attain large circulation merely on the
strength of a popular idion, although
they may be full of grammatical and
harmonic crudities. Notwithstanding
this some of the comnositions attain To