The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-15

| "Steauboat Bill' or some other murder of real music. That is all right for the time being. But when one wants music, the kind for which the inner man cries, the kind which lasts forever. he wants the old fashioned melody.
 The devotion of the old negro is beauti- fully portrayed when, after his "ole massa" has been planted beneath the sod, he calls in a plaintive vail for the white man he loved and worshipped Hear him, as he mourns for his best friend on earth:
 l Down in de corn field Hear dat mou'nful soun'-- How dem dahkeys am a-weepin'
 Case massa's in de col COT groun' " The man who wrote the music to these words must have surely been inspired. It exactly fits the spirit of the song and tells with more feeling the longing of the old darkey for his master than any othe: means which might have been employed
 Hear the old negro who has drifted to the north soon after the close of the war. He had gone there after the prom ise made to him that he should find there 'the land of Canaan; where flowed milk and honey" and becoming disappointed, cries out again for his old home down south:
 Way down upon de Suwanee ribber, Fur. fur away.
 Oars whar nah heart am turnin' eber-
 Oars whar de old folks stay. All dis worl' am sad an dreary, Ebery whur ah roam.
 Oh take me to nah dear old massa
 An de ole folks at home.' Love and longing for "The Old Ken lucky Home" is shown in the song Of the title. Both words and music were inspired, for if they were not they could not have been written. The sweet old melody las won its way into tho heart ot men ard women all over the nation. so as to never be forgotten. It is to be numbered as one of the immortals. and one always feels a thrill when he hears the W0l ds-
 "The sun shines bright in my old Ken
 lucky home:
 lis sunimer-the darkies are gay" for there is music in both words and nCtes to that song. It ranks in a class just by itself
 A song which never fails to bring tears to the eyes of the DOT wayfarer who is lar rom that hallowed place; a song Whleh slWays stays the merry and brings a spirit or reminiscence into the hearts IT the iilVolous; song which brings home the remembrance of that place we call, or oace called, "home,'' is m Mid the pleasures and palaces. Though where we may roam"
 The old song is sweeter than life itself Iht music was sent from Heaven. and holds first place in the hearts of all
 Last Of all, but by no means the least ot the lot this song which always brings cneer from a patriotic south erner. No matter where he may be-be ii san Francisco or Boston, Montreal or New Orleans Savannah or Seattle-old SC ldiers and all leap to their feet and we'll like mad when the familiar mar- tia air of Dixie" Is struck ,nn To ra- podhco the words here would be sllper iuous. Everyone In the southland knows tHon, from the little tot who has inst iealhed 10 talk to the old man who has one loot Tn tine grave. knows Dixie. |" and always has cheer for it.
 So why let the old melody sink into ap- parent oblivion? Must the verdict of the northern music publisher be paramount? :? lS he to dictate as to what is music and what IS not music? Must music lovers DC a part of the scheme of popular com losers In their chase for money? They write music for money and not for music.
 God save the old melody.