Funny Things in an Old Music Bin

[ramseytheii]

Somebody gave me a huge pile of old (70+ years) music.  There are some treasures in there, like old editions of Bach WTC, Rameau-Godowsky, interesting Johann Strauss transcriptions. 

There are also some real bombs, old songs with names like, "Dear Margherita For One Last Glance" or, "Oh ma bebby, ma li'l ni**er bebby" or "Grandma," whose text is,

When grandma was a young girl
And went out to dine,
Her clothes were those
Of fabrics dainty and fine.

Her bodice was modest,
No one could deny
That grandma, grandma
Was innocent and shy.

I wondered what grandma,
What grandma would say,
Of the clothes, the clothes
That the girls are wearing today.

This morning I met her,
I'm feeling quite blue,
For grandma, grandma,
is wearing them, too!

duh-duh, duh, duh-duh DUH!

Also I found Liszt's transcription of Chopin's song, "In the Spring."  There's a quiz at the end with questions like, "State the poetic idea."  "What is Liszt's position in music history?" "Whom did Chopin admire when he wrote this song?"

In a biographical sketch of Liszt at the beginning, it has this doozy: "It is a strange coincidence that his death was caused by exposure in attending a performance of Wagner's Parsifal at Bayreuth."  I love it!

Walter Ramsey

[Petter]

How do you go on about listening to all those records? I inherited lots of records from my grandfather, it was mostly classical. I have no idea where to start because there´s such a vast number of good records. I only managed to listen through the obscure ones, like a Dracula record and some hammond bach jazz.
 It strikes me as easier to buy and collect your own collection with things you´re currently interesting in...
Funny song by the way 

[remy]

Walter, here's one from 1908 by Victor Herbert, "Love Is Like A Cigarette":

Love is like a cigarette, (a cigarette may last as long),

Lighted at a heart aflame for a time its fire is strong.

Fragrant clouds then from us veil every sorrow, every doubt.

Till we wake at last to find that our cigarette is out.


remy

[Petter]

Oh sheet music, not records...