Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-04-21
JOHNNY RESUMES HIS MARCH.
An Old Tune Gets Friendly Welcome
in Topical Song Service.
New York Sum-

One Of the most popular of the Civil
War songs which survived by many
years the close of hostilities was
when Johnny Comes Marching
Home" which described the hearty
welcome that awaited the Union soldier
on his return home. He was represent
ed as returning, laden with honors and
laurels. and in a frame of mind SO
cheerful that "stone-blind" drinking
would be appropriate. Many years
have elapsed since this stirring COM
position enjoyed its largest popularity,
| the significance of the theme having
passed in the effacement of questions
growing out of the Civil War. But it
appears to have occurred to some one
| to utilize Gas is often done in the case
of popular airs) the tune of the old
| favorite, setting it, with some varia-
tions to new words, and it has reap
peared as "A Little Bit Off the Top
How far the renewed acceptance is
| due to the familiarity of the tune and
how far or how little, to the arrange
ment of the words is a question which
| only their perusal can determine. The
| first verse tells the story of Brown,
who invited some friends to dinner and
who treated them in such royal fashion
| that one of them forgot, for the mo-
ment, the conventional requirements of
| the occasion when a waiter brought
into the dining room pudding of won
drous size" So delighted was this
guest with the aspect of the pudding
| that, though a leader of society, ''he
completely lost his etiquette and yelled
out to the host"
Carve a little bit off the top for me, for
Just a little bit off the top for me. for
me;
Saw me off yard or two, I'll tell you
when to stop.
All l want is little bit off the top!
1t is popularity Of popular songs that
dicnce one furnishes one definite idea
which is easily comprehensive, various
verses may he tackled on to the first ones,
especially on such familiar themes a. the
traditional mothcr-in-law, the irate
father. the arrogant janitor and the high
theatre hat As to the janitor, an i'm
portant parsonage in the contemporary
life Of New Yorh, this is the limping
verse ana chorus:
If you live in an uptown fiat, you must
realize where you're at,
For there the janitor is the only thing;
| have lived in one just year but it Is
Is always III dread ana lear,
For l have got to patronize the King.
| This morning, when the groceryman
brought in the breakfast things,
I heard His Highness N his wifey call;
| Just pass the can of milk to me. don't
put it on the dummy till
l get all that's a-coming in the hall.
CHORUS:
Skim a little bit off the top for me- for
Scoop 4 little bit off the top for me. for
Take off all the cream. my dear. don't
leave a single drop.
All l want is little bit off the top!
The rhvthm Of popular songs l. open
very generally to such mechanical objec-
tions as arise from too many feet" in
one line and too few feet in another.
but when. as in this case. the character
Of the music is relied upon to carry the
! song along. such minor blemishes are
considered Of less account tnan they
would be at Il literary convention. This
explanation is necessary. perhaps, for
thoroughly clear appreciation Of this con-
Guiding verse OF the song "A Little Bit
since then numerous verses have been
| added:
If you want to enjoy Il show, upon
Broadway's the place to go,
For there you'll see the proper kind Of
play,
And that's the reason why l always
pay.
| went to one the other night and gave
up my little two.
In front of me there sat a lady fair;
Her headpiece was three yards high, l
couldn't see the stage at all,
50 | was forced to mournfully declare:
CHORUS:
Take a little bit off the top for me, for
me,
Chop a little bit off the top for me, for
me,
Cut away a yard or two or else I'll call
a cop,
All / want is a little bit off the top!
The duration in popularity of a song
does not in all cases depend either upon
its intrinsic merit a musical compost
ton or in the word arrangement, but the
question of opportuneness has much to
do with the matter, and just now war
songs as well as war themes are favor
ably considered by New York audiences.