The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-31
INSPIRATION FOR SONGS
AN INTERESTING CHAT WITH u.ppx
Won TiLZER, BALLAD WRITER.
ne Tells How He Came to Write .I,d
Leave My Happy Home for
Xou' md Other Songs.

Inc man who wrote the popular song.
Ia leave My Happy Home for You" was
IN town last week. He is Harry Won TiIzer.
one OF the most successful song writer's OF
the country. He came to the city to visit
MS parents, Jacob and Sarah Gumbinsky.
VINO Keep a millinery store at No. 23 West
washington street. Thursday afternoon
Won Tilzer left for West Baden, where he
expects to do some work on an opera on
whlch he has been engaged for some time.
Won Tilzer spends the most Of his time
In New York. When he left indianapolis
10 go into the theatrical and song-writing
business he took his mothers maiden
name While he lived here he was always
known as Harry Gumbinsky. He is a
slender young fellow of about twenty
seven. Won Tilzer is the author of a num-
Der of popular songs that are being whis-
tied and sung all over the country these
days. In the cities the song entitled I'D
Leave My Happy Home for You" has be-
come almost a byword. "a rather peculiar
incident is responsible for that song" said
Won T1lzer az the Bates the other evening.
"A few years ago was travelling with
TIL Prodigal Father company, and while
In Hartford. Conn, / met a young woman
"D DCich5tu " dH tACGllclI ldmllN. L
soon saw she was stagestruck, but did not
take her seriously. When she asked me
If l could not arrange to get her in the
company l said / would. supposing, of
course. she was only joking. 1 thought no
more of the incident until Saturday night,
when the company closed it's engagement
In Hartford. L found the girl waiting for
me. and she cody handed me the check for
her trunk. l asked her what she meant,
and the explanation which followed dis
closed the fact that the girl seriously con-
templated going on the stage and had
taken me seriously. She was greatly dis
appointed when she found there was no
place in the company for her. invited her
TO walk to the railway station with me,
and 1 think 1 gave her some good advice.
l pointed out to her that her people would
seriously object to her taking a step of
this kind and urged her to stick by her
parents. Stay at home and be a good
girl 1 said in half jest as / left her. III
take your advice she faltered, and then
laughingly added through her tears. But
I'd leave my happy home for you
Il forgot the incident soon a~fterward."
continued the song writer, land never
heard of the girl again. One day. about a
year and a half afterward, 1 sat in my
room in New York drumming the piano.
1 don't know what recalled it. but the last
words of that girl as j left her In the rail-
way station in Hartford popped into my
head. 1 Immediately began working out
the chords, and through this incident orig
mated the song. I'd Leave My Happy
Home for YOU"
Another one of Won Tilzer's songs that
has had a large sale is called "A Bird in a
Gilded Cage" The words for this song were
originally written by Arthur Lamb. a Chi
cago song writer, and turned over to Won
Tilzer. The latter wrote the music and
then revised the words, changing the story
materially. One of the p~rettiest airs ever
composed by Won Tilzer is entitled Where
the Sweet Magnolias Bloom" 1t has been
sung all over the country in the vaudeville
theaters. Another of his songs is entitled
Il Amt a-GOin' TO Weep No More" The
song that bids fair 70 have the largest
sale of any that Won Tilzer has written is
the ballad when the Harvest Days are
over, Jessie Dear Mr.. Won Tilzer said the
other evening that this song was written
at West Baden while he was sOjourning
there several months ago. II used to sit
around a good deal while 1 was there and
think about my work." he said. ''Once.
while in one of these day dreams, / thought
out a new title for a new song. l do not
know just what suggested it to me, but |
thought that a ballad with the title Where
the Morning Glories Irvine Around the
Door might make a hit. a day or two later
L was riding from West Baden to French
Lick, and l became interested in some
young people at work in a hay field. There
was a fine, manly looking young fellow,
pitching hay on 10 a wagon, and a young
woman and little girl were on the wagon,
loading il. Right there was where l got
my Inspiration for the song When the Har-
vest Days Are over There was something
about the quiet. peaceful scene hat touched
the right chord, and L wrote that song,
When the Harvest Days Are over, Jessie
Dear instead of Where the Morning
Glories Irvine Around the Door
Mr.. Won Tilzer says he thinks his next hit
in the poplar-song line will be a ballad
entitled Down Where the Cotton Blossoms
Grow" Won Tilzer and Paul Dresser.
whose latest hit is THE Blue and the
Gray" are personal friends.