Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-08-19
SENTIMENT IN SONGS
DEAD, SAYS THORNTON
Writer of Famous 0Id-Time Mel
odieS Explains the Heart
Change in Audiences

why do we have no more popular,
sentimental songs?"
The query was put to James Thorn
ton, who has probably written more
love ditties than any living man, in his
dressing room at the Orpheum yester-.
day Mr.. Thornton replied by SINH
lar query:
Why do we have no more senti-
ment?"
And then he went on:
I'VE have no sentimental songs be-
cause we have taken a ribald view of
life of late. We used to sing, When
You Were Sweet Sixteen Now we
MARBLE: MY Wife's Gone to the Coun-
try Hurrah.' We used to delight In:
She May Have Seen Better Days.
Now we whistle: My Wife's Away,
Hurrah for the Summertime. That's
the answer.
AMERICANS LACK SENTIMENT
"The American has almost eliminated
sentiment from his nature. He has be-
come a money grubber, fierce fighter
in the arena of business; he has no con-
science, using a corporation instead; he
has no love for his fellow being; he
delights in race conflicts and lynch
ings; he has no respect for his fore
bears; he prefers to substitute ribald
remarks about his progenitors, and
make-I was going to say make mon
keys of them, but that might be too
truthful.
"In a word, he has taken new view
of existence, and instead of seeing the
sweeter side of life he sees only the
nonsensical. That is proved by the fact
that we have permitted the black man
to set the standard of our music, and
ragtime is now the national harmony.
You can't combine real heart-sentiment
and a rag. 1t is preposterous. You
can't combine love of woman with such
balderdash as:
My country, tits OF thee.
want my liberty
1--WE even profane the patriotic in
our mad chase for the ridiculous. We
have become a nation of satirists, and
country of contemptuous railers at
all that is sacred, lovable and holy.
Our homes are in flats that fold up,
and our hearts are gilded with the
dross of worldly possession.
HEART FEELING Is LACKING
THAT, young man, is why we have
no real songs of heart interest any
more-we have no hearts. Time was
when I could turn out sentimental
songs as fast as 1 could write them,
and find them in eager demand. Now
eOuld1ll llHu d pupllShSl lOi tiOiil -
l paid him to put them out. All the
public asks now is chance to make
fun of his wife, his old man; or, worst
Of ALL his mother And in place of
song to our sweetheart, we go and
dance with her to ragtime, and then
seek our afflnities to wine and dine and
joy-ride out the night. That's your an
swer.''
"Will we ever have any more senti-
mental love songs, or is your occupa-
ton gomez? he was asked.
1.-THE pendulum will swing back. 1t
may not be in my day, for am an old
man. But a new generation will grow
up and it will have hearts and loves,
and will long to express its loves in
song. A new writer will arise to sat
isfy that craving-but it will not be
me. We must break the chains of rag
time and get into a saner mood; regard
life less frivolously and with more sem
timent, and then our music will re-
fleet it.
probably we will be making less
money then, and making 1t slower, but
we will be a saner people. Just now,
am writing nothing-what's the use?
/ shall wait till the present ribaldry is
past-if survive that long"