Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21

poured It's tribute OF money into the DOx-
office.
That is exactly the way it was with after
the Ball." Previous to the appearance of
this song, all the songs on the market, and
all being written at the time, were replete
with athees" and 4thous." A plain, every
day @you' was an unheard of thing. The
public did not realize just what it was tired
Of; but it knew it was tired of something.
And when "After the Ball" came out with
its plain, simple lyric the public saw in a
flash that here was song that was its song.
a song that talked the way the public did,
song without 1thee" or athou" or anything
of the sort, song that called a girl dear
and @pet" instead of @my love-, in short, a
song that was natural.
If ever write book on the history of
popular song writing in America, am going
to call it pet" for honestly believe that
the appearance of that word in AFTER the
Ball" volutionized-indeed, started-the
profession in this country. And the popular
song industry is, fundamentally, as Amer
lean an institution as either Theodore Roose-
welt or soda water. Yes, it may have been
ACCIDENT; but do not believe it was. 1t
just seemed accident" (the success of
@After the Ball") because it came at the
birth of the popular song industry, and no
one had cared or bothered about giving the
matter any thought Retrospective analy-
sis, however, is as permissible in the present
instance as it is permissible and inevitably
necessary in a vastly greater, more profound
science.
|nNE hears great deal about the @plug-
ging' Of songs; that is, the foisting OF
songs upon the public and the artificial popu-
larization of such songs by subsidized hurdy
gurdy grinders, street singers, whistling youths
in the theater galleries, and claques in the
audiences. Let me assure you that no song
ever has been or ever can be foisted upon
the public. There is no such thing as fake
song hit. Music publishers and song writer's
from time to time have indeed made use of
the methods cited to urge their products
into favor; but the methods never have,
never do, and never will work.
All the fake applause in the world will
not make you whistle a song if the melody
does not appeal to you. All the fake
singing in the world will not make you sing
song if the lyric does not appeal to you. Is
this not true? And you are the person the
song writer is after! A song cannot be popu-
can be popularized artifcially, through the
giving away of all the seats.
Theatrical business" scenery, costumes,
anyone of dozen items, may go to make the
success of song on the stage; but off the
stage, where the real song hits are made, a
song must rely on itself alone. Some of the
nations most popular songs, l feel safe in
saying, might never have made stage hits.
believe it to be impossible to collaborate
with anyone in writing popular song. do
not believe one man can write the lyrics and
another the music. A man cannot put his
heart into another's lyrics or music. Not
long ago set of lyrics was submitted to me
by friend who begged me to write the
music for them. The lyrics were splendid, a
sure success in their way; but refused to
attempt to set them to music. did not
3feel" them. And knew that, for this reason,
any music l might write for them, however
melodious, would fail in the long run. If I
did not feel the lyrics, the public assuredly
would also fail to feel them through my music.
THERE is vast difference between song
writing and popular song writing. Falling
off log and writing songs are probably the
two easiest things in the world; but staying
on log and writing popular songs are two
of the most difficult things. / do not write
here of songs that will live; but merely
popular songs of the day, or year or decade
The writing of a song that will live is mat
ter for discussion or the part of another pen
than mine. Such an achievement, unfortu-
nately, has not been my privilege. One man
in one hundred million can write 3Suwanee
i Pivorn or n GNfu O1d Kont,,cIr1, Howe y