[78-L] Dept of meaningless lyrics?

[Ron L'Herault]

And, now that I think of it, fellow collector Bruce Young has a recording of
"Ain't Dat  A Shame," which seems to be the tune of which "Won't You Come
Home Bill Bailey?" is the sequel.

Ron L

-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Don Chichester
Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2010 4:21 PM
To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
Subject: Re: [78-L] Dept of meaningless lyrics?


According to Dave Jasen and Trebor Jay Tichenor, "Rags and Ragtime: A
Musical History" (p. 12), Hughie Cannon's "Bill Bailey" was a 'coon' song,
popular in the early 1900s.  "Although the 'coon' song lyric was grounded in
crude racial stereotypes and portrayed blacks in either a contempuous or
condescending manner, the music that typically accompanied it represented an
enlightened rhythmic departure from the straight-laced waltz time of the
popular ballad." (p.12)

 

Yes.

 

Don
 
> From: lherault at bu.edu
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:21:50 -0400
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Dept of meaningless lyrics?
> 
> Do we know that BB was Black? 
> 
> Ron L
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
> [mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Don Chichester
> Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2010 2:37 PM
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Dept of meaningless lyrics?
> 
> 
> The term should be written 'fine-tooth comb', referring not to its quality
> but to its close spacing between teeth. Such a comb would be useless to a
> black person with tough, kinky hair. Have you ever seen the kind of combs
> black folks use? Very wide spacing. Hence the meaning of the lyrics: the
> girl was left with nothing but a good-for-nothing fine-tooth comb!
> 
> 
> 
> Don
> 
> > Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:29:08 -0500
> > From: kenreg at tds.net
> > To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> > Subject: Re: [78-L] Dept of meaningless lyrics?
> > 
> > Geoffrey Wheeler wrote:
> > > "leave you with nothing but a fine tooth comb"?
> > > ("Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?").
> > >
> > > Perhaps the tooth in the comb is just short of being mint and is thus 
> > > "fine." Must have been a large tooth, perhaps a T-Rex tooth. The song 
> > > doesn't say what the comb was made of, perhaps marzipan.
> > > 
> > 
> > I'm thinking that "fine" refers to the size and spacing of the teeth of 
> > the comb. Fine vs course, so fine would be thin teeth spaced closely 
> > together. I think that "leave you with nothing but a fine tooth comb" 
> > means that you are left with something of little or no value, and that 
> > "fine tooth comb" simply fits the meter and comb rhymes with home.
> > 
> > -- Ken
> > _______________________________________________
> > 78-L mailing list
> > 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> > http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with
> Hotmail. 
>
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID28
> 326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_5
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail is redefining busy with tools for the New Busy. Get more from your
inbox.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:W
L:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_2
_______________________________________________
78-L mailing list
78-L at klickitat.78online.com
http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l