The Washington herald., 1921-05-01
he Fusaeious Ballad.

= unsurpassed by anything except perhaps,
new brand of nickel cigar or Central Ameri-
can revolution Did Francois Vilon live now and
were he out Of jail long enough to get the swing OF
the latest New York publishing houses offerings, ne
would not have to wall as to fhe ephemeral charae-
tersties of yesteryears The great American
two-yerse- ndchorus would be too pat to his pen
Snow sometimes sticks couple of weeks, whereas
the melody on the peoples lips today Is anethema
tomorrow, and anyone who would play, sing Or Z
whistle isas far behind the times as he who would
call man ."chump" instead Of . "simp" or al
dumb bell" ~
That 900 out OF 1000 tunes going the rounds,
and larger proportion Of the lyrics accompanying
them (and strange and awful conditions. the music
is usually written before the words) perish not long
after being born is far from regrettable may be
argued that their elimination means nothing but
more trouble in learning pretending to know
succeeding and as ill-favored flock. However,
that may be, it seems shame that the few good
populars should be ruthiessly consigned to the limbo
Of their unworthy brother-o offerings to the Muses.,
Euterpe or Terpsichore AT present it is little short
of crime to try to stretch song which boomed
in summer over into autumn. The. neighbors grow
sarcastic and make unkind references to ones taste
and attainments. M
On the other hand, in some circles reputedly au
fat a broad knowledge Of popular songs constitutes
title to distinction. To be able to cap what one
person believes to be the latest spasm OF Blues
with an Indigo dtty FIVE minutes younger is to van
qush ones rival in culture and establish oneself as
a connoisseur OF parts. l.
The popular songs move in cycles From such
offerings, now considered crude cliff dwelling stuff
as Annie Rooney" and "Rm Lookin, for That
Bully" to the truly barbarous, md-African produc
tions Of last week is long step and it may be con-
e Al. .,t1a tx,oo nf The entf
mental is billed for return, just as is the case with
the full moon, the blue laws and the gas bill.
In between, much history has been written. In
the late 'oo's, the "Coon Song was the rage. That
kind was dealt death-blow by the Spanish -Ameri-
can war; which gave such tear-wringing fabrica-
tions as "Just as the Sun Went Down" Ensued
decade OF sush with blooming roses deserted sweet
hearts, and shattered male faiths having the call and
issuing from New York in amazing volume: Then
the song writers, who must should hold weekly
clearing houses to keep from duplicating one an
other adopted lighter attitude and more paternal,
and commenced giving masterpieces written about
"Blue- Eyed Babies" etc. OF late the mournful and
drawn-out have been little favored chiefly because
the new dances do not admit Of the wailing ballad
The American popular song is truly an awful
thing 1t is rarely melodous or harmonious, and
besides that is insincere Most of the Dixie" songs
have been produced by writers who never got fur
fher south than Jersey City. The cry is that 'the
people want them" As matter Of fact that people
want what they get, granted it is not sudden and
profound departure from what they have been get
ting.
Our public needs education in music through
the easy stages Of the better domestic musical
comedies the better imported brand, the opera boue
and SO to the true opera 1t would demand
the best Public taste in the graphic art, as wit
messed by so formerly humble branch as adver-
tising Illustrations. has improved several hundred
fold in the past thirty years. and there is reason
it should not be improved in regard to lyric
music. Meanwhile popular education in music
should start at the bottom To the man in the
street. anything that smacks of "highbrowisrn" is
reneIlent