Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-17
ing the old songs
ears ago


1t needed, OF course, no Sherlock
homesness TO identify this fragment n 8
beginning to the once exceedingly pop
ular ballad: II Cannot Sing the Old
Songs" But had not fate and tho
old songs. did they actually deserve
announcement? Were they really mo
goodY'
Claribel-who. by the way, was Mrs.
composed the ballad above referred to,
and its opening lines were:
81 cannot sing the old songs
sang long years ago.
For heart and voice would fail me-
And foolish tears would 1low."
May we not ask from our superior
modern standpoint, il tears can be
anything else but foolish which flow
through regret for some of those vocal
gems that were deemed enchanting In
the seventies and early eighties?
Certainly lin whatever light you and
who are old enough to remember
them in their hey-day, may now re-
enthusiastic Endorsement by the pres
ent. progressive generation.
Let US. for example, consider another
OF Mrs. Barnards most popular songs.
IL was S,, sung by languishing maidcns
IN multitudinous parlors from one end
OF the United States to the other. 1t
was called Take Back the Heart and
contained the following. lines:
Fling them aside and be free;
Smile Ger each pitiful token
Leaving the sorrow for me-"
Fling them aside and be free!'
What a perfectly idiotic suggestion,
when lawyers arc waiting on all sides
TO take up breacn-of- promise suits
upon a commission basis. How can We
expect the girl of to-day to be en-
amoured Of any such cross-eyed JUS
tice ar the sentiment of this old ballad
But. more seriously, have we cause
to regret the passing OF number OF
those old songs which the memory OF
younger days still clothes with charm
beautiful as were the melodies. their
words scarcely bear the test of rock
animation. We are forced to conclude,
either that clear enunciation was not
demanded Of singers in those days, or
that auditors wero gingularly uncriti-
cal OF the tcxt.
There were few moro popular melo-
Leave Thee" II was alpost cloyingly
sweet. and lent itself amiably to har-
monious efforts by the parlor quartet.
Now observe the English" with which
Would ] bird were
soon at thy side to be
Falcon nor hawk would fear
Speeding 10 thee
When by the fowler slain
at thy feet should lie.
Thou sadly shouldst complain,
Joyful I'd die"
Another musical gem Of the past
generation was The Gypsy's Warn
ing" Imagine roomfuls OF apparently
intelligent persons listening. wich no
trace OF n smile on any face. as some
lovely soprano voice uttered the fol-
lowing balderdash:
Heed not him who kneels before thee
Gently pleading, soft and mild.
Lady. in that green grave yonder,
Lies the Gypsy's only child" -
There were also enhancing songs
that dealt with the propositions els a
wonderer who absents himself or her
self from home, suitably, and sufficient
ly missed by the remaining menbers
of the family circle?" The titles or
two. I recall: do They Miss Me at
Home and DO They Think of Me
ut Home"
The latter touchingly described the
feelings Of girl who had married in
opposition TO the wishes OF her family
The text ;nskcd:
do they think of me ut home
In my happy early days?
Do they thing OF him who came
But could never win their praise?
1 am happy by his side
And from mine he'll never roam,
But my heart will sadly ask
DO they think of me at homer
Perhaps, In homes that retain the
meiodeon, YOU are sail thought Of
Old Ballad, but we may doubt IL and
not grieve; for all that is old IS not
necessarily good, any more than is
much that is new.