The Washington herald., 1913-06-19
(copyisht, 1sl3, by A. D. Jacobson,

Copyright, 1875. by A. D. Jaoobson)
For the first time in the history of
England the King proceeded from Buck
ingham Palace to St James on the oc-
casion of his opening a new session OF
Parliament. not to the tune of stirring
martial music, but Of rag time melodies.
which are SO popular today. Il was but
made by the American songs, the elabo-
ration of plantation ditties which the
negroes used to sing in weird tunes on
the cotton estates of the South.
But imagine sedate. dignified, and ultra
conservative Queen Victoria driving to
Parliament under escort of troops whose
band would play ''Hitchy-Koo." For
that is Just what the Dragon Guards
Brass Band did when that cavalry es-
corted King George in the spring to st.
James Palace. Here is a specimen Of it:
II you've got an ear for music then lust gather neaI
Tell me can't you hear il buEzin' in your ear:
Is it musict Sure it's music, it's the best youn
ever hear,
It's my errr-lovin' honey callin' baby dear.
gay, amt that music weird! stransest you ever
heerd.
Say. don't YOU be a-skeered-listenl
pn, eN y ev nins near MN sing.
It's the cutest little thing. sot the cuts5t little
Hitchy Koo. Hitchy Koo. Hitchy Koo
oh! simply meant for kings and queens, don't uu
/ Just love that Hitchy Koo, Bitchy Koo Hitchy
ROo.
Times indeed have changed in old Eng
land-and the tastes, for this great old
"coon-song'' was followed by the Dra-
goons, amid shouts of enthusiasm on the
part of the populace, which lined White
hall, when they struck up:
oh, ma honeyl Oh ma honeyl
Better hurry and let's meander
Amt you gOin'f Amt you goin'
To the leader man, ragged metre mani
Oh. ma honey! Oh. ma hOneyl
Let me take you to Alexander's grand stand, has
band,
Amt you comm alongI
Come on and hear
Come and hear,
AlexandeT's ragtime band
Come and hear.
Conc on and hear
It's the best band in the land
They can play buge-can like you never hear before,
So natural that you want to go to var.
That's Just the bestest band that am, houey lamb
And the ''wind-up." Waiting for the
Robert E. Lee" seemed to meet with
sympathetic applause, the crowd even
joining in the chorus:
Watch them sbufain' along.
See them shufhin' along;
Go take your best gal. real pal.
Go down TO the levee.
| said to the leyee.
And ioin that shufiin' throng,
Hear that music and song
It's simply great. mate.
waitin' the leyee.
Wlitin' for the Robert E Lee
Though the rhythm may be ragged
there is a fascinating swing to the
~ 10 this which
great extent explains the extraordinary
vogue of these melodies. One of the most
remarkable features of this modern musi-
cal craze perhaps, is the fact that rag
time songs have been written to explain
the popularity of the rag"
Here is a case in point:
Everybody's dom ii.
Dcin' it. doin' it,
Everybody's doin' it.
Doin' il. doin' ii.
See that =,gtime couple over there.
Watch them throw their shoulders in the air,
Snap their fingers; honey. declare
It's a bear it's bear, it's a bear.
In France as well as in Great Britain
they are rather fond of the "Gaby Glide"
which has this refrain:
OH Oh! That Gaby. Gaby glide.
It's lust a real Partisan slide.
Prance along though you were upon the boulevard
Dance it here and dance it there. and keep on
Start into the side. do the Pan, glide,
Swing up near, then wide.
Oh! Oh! That Gaby. Gaby giidei
Do the side step trip. and then so back the other
way;
Do the forward Dip and see how you begin to sway.
Oh! Oh, That Gaby. Gaby glide!
We are going crazy bout this dance bevitching;
We can't stop our feet at all they feel sich an
itching.
You are in the air. floating here and there,
Not a single care comes a-stealing.
Even the Riddles have substituted