The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-07-28
MODERN SONGS DECRIED.
They LacIC the Honest Sentiment OF
Songs of Long Ago.

NIcA the hohesN sentiment OF
Songs Of Long Ago.
Irom the Baltimore Sun.
Our principal objection 70 the modern
songs is that they are entirely destitute
or true sentiment Aided by alcohol true
enough, they are capable OF producing
sort OF saccharine melancholy which
sometimes eliminates in copious weeping.
but the effect here. we submit. Is more
physical than psychlcaL The Juice OF an
orange peel or Of an onion. injected into
the eyes, viii make the tears flow IN nm
equal flood, and the ingestion OF a broiIed
lobster, half an hour before bedtime. will
engender an even greater melancholy.
Here In a word. we have not emotion.
but a neurosis: not pathos. but bathos:
not sentiment but sentimentality. The
tears that flowed from the eyes OF the
fashionable bucks fifty years ago. when
Darling Nellie Gray was sung. came
from the heart and were honorable
alike 70 shedder and provocator. But the
tears which follow Are You Sincere %
to-day are the secretions Of maudlin
vulgarity.
~..N N-A sNAAh " I AAEl > were NOT pTnfnl
but poets. The theory that love is a beau
uful thing was the corner stone OF their
philosophy They were not ashamed TO
set their ravishins melodies 10 simple
words-to the ancient. half-articulate vo-
caDuIary OF true lovers. They assumed
as a cardinal principle. that love was
both agreeable and permanent. Ibsen
was stil an obscure sc-ibbler. in remote
Norway and the divorce courts were vet
unknown. In that pure air. surcharged
with simple faith. blossomed the sweet
songs Of stephen Foster. Henry Bishop
George F. Root, Nelson Kneass. Michael
William Balfe, and Sepumus Winner. In
that pure air blossOmed In the Gloam-
ms. Alice. Where Art Thou" and
When the Corn is Waving. Annie Dear"
To-day the folksong. when It is not
banal, IS essentially ironIc. Il celebrates
not the love or ardent youth and shrink
Ing maid, but the cOnnubIal fsticufrs OF
belligerent husbands and wives A whole
series OF songs, OF immense popularity.
deals with one distressing. but unfortu-
nately familiar situation IN the modern
hymeneal drama, l. e. the registering
husbands fear OF his waiting wifes in
dignation. I'm Afraid 20 Go Home in
the Dark II Used 20 be Afraid 10 Go
Home in the Dark, Now I'm Afraid to Go
at AL, and Don't Take Ne Home. %
Here we have a sample trilogy OF bale
ful burden and influence. And when the
subject Is not the horror Of post-matri-
monial strife, it Is certain 20 be the risks
and hazards of matrimony itself Wait
ing at the Church" Poor John" and
NO Wedding Bells for Ne" are examples.
century OF such songs, and the public
VIII begin 70 regard marriage, not as the
apotheosis Of love. but as a cruel pun
lshment to be visited only on felons.
The trouble with the modern song
writers Is that they are out OF touch with
the world. All they see OF the universe
is the minute molecule known as Broad
way, in the city Of New York Sitting in
the cafes OF that cynical street. in the
company Of bartenders. stockholders. and
actors. they forget that virtue stiI reigns
In 80 per cent Of the continental area Of
the United States-that the young folks
Of other towns still hold hands and swap
daguerTeotypes-that the old folks still
look back with pleasure to the days OF
their counting. that love Is still a million
times as powerful as gasoline everywhere
save on Manhattan Island.
Like Congreve and Wycherley. they mis-
take their yaproOns for the nation.
Cooped up in their little Babylon, they
know nothing Of Already. Unacquainted
personally with a single Romeo. they as
sumo that the race of Romeos has died
out in the world. and so give US their
hordes Of Valentines, Harcourts, Pinch
wifes, Heartwells, and Sir Simon Addle
pots. The human race that they see is
that same race Of malefactOrs depicted
by Wycherley in The Country Wife"
Congreve in THE Old Bachelor" and
FarQuhar In THE Recruiting Sergeant"
In their outlook upon life they belong
to the Restoration. Away with them,
Away with their songs.s Let us get out
the meIlowing music and sing When
the Swallows Homeward Fly"