Evening star., 1925-06-09
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E.. TRACEWELL.

The so-called popular song" is the
song of youth.
That is why it has always appealed
to me, l. suppose, because 1 most cer-
talnly want to belong to that group
so pleasantly held up to us in the
eaten phrase. Millions now living will
never die"
While one may be permitted a sus.
plclon that most of those millions
VIII cease to exist as per schedule,
according to all mundane tests, the
thought behind that optimistic state
ment is much the same as the uncon.
sclous one Incorporated in our popular
songs.
1t is the spirit of youth, of life at
full ebb, seeking happiness and love,
the TWO mafnsprings Of our existence.
The popular song might be spelled
pup-ular song" without too violently
Wrenchfng its meaning.
When the boys on the corner get
their heads together over Sweet
Adeiine," 1t is a sure sign that they
are young, and that the lady being
serenaded may possess any name in
the world behind the general title.
Sweet Adeline is, then, the young
woman in our youthful dreams
You're the flower of'-and what a
mighty "of" it is, to be sure-"my
heart, sweet Adeline."
Sweet A-de-line" Hear the second
tenor drawl out. in caressing accents,
those last four notes-G, F sharp, F
natural, f. How grateful our ears
are for that declining run, settling to
rest so peacefully, calmly, on that E
while the first tenor ends the melody
on c. the others Ginning in all down
the scale.
The popular song has run through
farther than the Spanish War days
when you and l were young-very
young, Maggie.
We were not too young, however, to
appreciate "All Coons Look Alike to
Me- The fundamental felicity of the
title struck our youthful imaginations
Iso forcefully that we remember it Il
this day.
This was one song in which the title
walked away with the honors. Usual
ly 1t is the other way around, the mu
sic usurping first place, a tendency
that has increased adown the years
eliminating in the modern fox trot.
But to get back hurriedly to '9S
those hectic years when small boys
took great delight in cards showing y
picture of the Maine, with a cap and
fuse attached. 1t was great sport t.
light the fuse, watch it creep under the
pictured water to the boat. and thrr
see the Maine blown out of the painted
ocean.
My Gals a High Born Lady wa.
another one of those old songs whose
melody was better, and so is recalled
to this day with more or less ease
The construction of those old ''coor
songs" was extremely simple.
Every decade since then has had its
methods of popular song making. ONE
fairly familiar with them, especially
orchestra players, can give the year
almost exactly, on hearing a piec C
They do not have to know the title
words or even be familiar with the
tune.
Especially the ending of q sons
places it in the years. During tbs
vogue of any of the popular writer's oi
easily sung and easily remembered
songs a method is evolved, usually c,Il
minating in the endings.
Good song writer's are distinguished
by their endings. The melodies OF the
late Victor Herbert, whose music
while more musicanly than most, was
yet eminently popular, shone particu
larly- in the endings.
1t was almost as if Herbert signed
his name at the finish of each pieca
There is a peculiar satisfaction OF tbs
ear in each one of his endings. Prac