Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-04-03
The Song Is $ Ended ed.
BY Frank r.. Adams

came the foundation upon which Am
Der Lee, the seasons most interesting
dancing comedienne. built up a myth
mical monument OF movement That
made all other forms OF poetry quite
SuperiluouS.
Anybody can ind the stage door of
a theater. The trick that takes the
doing is to crash it and penetrate
10 the stars dressing room. Al Baker
was feeling q bit mellow already from
having allowed himself three drinks
during the last act. or he would not
have finally given in to Joe's repeated
messages that he must see him." 1t
had cost Joe five dollars in install
ments just TO get the messages de-
liyered.
IAN right" Baker had conceded,
good naturedly. He might be a rela-
tive. I've travelled this way a good
many years and l sort of forget who
l may have married. But hold the
door open. Bill. if you see me swing
ing him in your direction by the slack
of his pants"
Joe Herman introduced himself as an
attorney. He thought that might
sound well in view of what he was
going to say.
Baker indicated a rickety dressing
room chair and devoted himself to the
tying OF a cravat and the final adjust
ment of his street clothes. What" he
asked, can l do for you?"
do you know who wrote the music
of your hit song. High Brown Honey'?'
Joe asked without sitting down.
.sINby uvrpto If - the actor rpnlipI
without even turning around. Darn
good number, isn't it? Are you a pro-
feSsional or-but I can see you're not"
mo. I'm not an actor, if that's what
you mean. but I wrote the music of
High Brown Honey"
Baker did turn around now. He not
only turned around, but he also
laughed. My dear boy, don't you
know that every time a song or a play
makes a hit Immediately half a dozen
people claim that it was stolen from
them? However, you interest me. What
makes you think you wrote High
Brown Honey'?"
"Oh, l know I wrote it. You've
changed the melody in one line to make
it easier to sing, but l have a manu-
script copy Of the song as l originally
composed It,"
Where is the copy?"
"At home"
Baker regarded him with an in
dulgent and slightly sneering smile.
That's what they all say. Of course,
you have a manuscript OF the song, or
can have as soon as you write it down.
If you had it here right now it might
moan cpmpfhipU Init
Joe Herman regarded the actor-com-
poser imperturbably. For the first
time in his life he was conscious of
the tremendous sustaining force that
comes from knowing that what you say
is true.
How long" he asked Baker, would
it take you or any good lyric writer
to fit words to a tricky melody like
the one you call High Brown Honey'?"
"Oh, a couple of hours, if you had
the title and a sort of a good running
idea of what you wanted"
And it would take an amateur like
me a lot longer than that, wouldn't
it? The song isn't published yet. No.
body outside of your company ever
heard it in this town before tonight.
But I know another lyric to 1.-THE
one I wrote when I wrote the music
and it fits the melody a lot closer than
yours does. There's a piano on the
stage. Come on out and I'll prove it to
you"
Little, self-effacing Joe was SO ex-
cited that he was irresistible. Baker
followed him to the stage and watched
him throw back the lid of the battle
SCARED piano that had been placed
under a working strip light. There was
to be a chorus rehearsal yet that night
before the train left.
I'm not a pianist" Joe explained,
but l know enough about harmony
TO prove I'm not taking"
He played the introduction. Then
he sang:
my Oh daddy workin' like the Scratch
Hoein' sweet pertaters in the later
patch, =.
Sunny days or in the rain,
Sweatin', stoopin', bent with pain,
My oil daddy don complain.
But when dusk comes stealin' by,
He looks up there, way, up high
To OF Man Mountain hcldin' up the
sky,
He shakes his fist and then he say.
or Man Mountain, don go away
"Or Man Mountain, OF Man Mountain,
Got to climb you fore / die;
Down here all is dark and dreary;
My bones achin', my heart weary.
So OF Man Mountain, OF Man Noun
tain,
Got to climb you fore 1 die.
Got to see there, got to be there,
Where there amt no ARE or frettin'.
l keep slidin', I keep slippin',
Climb a little, then I'm trippin'.
It's SO dark cause the sun am settin'.
I can't see, but I amt forgettin'
OF Man Mountain, OF Man Mountain,
Got to climb you fore l die"
There" he said, if I hadn't known
that song a long time I couldn't have
sung those words to it, could ~"
II guess you must have written it,"
Baker admitted. And that son of a
gun in the publishers office said he
owned it, too" The actor-composer
was covered with chagrin, not at hav-
ing been caught claiming a melody
that was not his own, but at the
thought that he had been sWindled
by a music thief cleverer than him.
self.
Well" he brushed the entire mat
ter aside as something Of minor i'm