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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
1/26
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Irving Berlin's Early Songs as Biographical Documents
Author(s): Charles HammSource: The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 77, No. 1 (Spring, 1993), pp. 10-34Published by: Oxford University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/742426Accessed: 13-11-2015 21:19 UTC
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
2/26
American usics
Irving
erlin's
arly
ongs
As Biographicalocuments
Charles
amm
Much of whatwe thinkwe know
bout
rving
erlin's
arly
ife
nd
career
s more
myth
hanfact. t
is
my
ntention o
examine
why
nd
how this
myth
was
perpetuated,
nd to
suggest way
o
penetrate
t.
Berlin
rew p
in
a
city
f
mmigrants.
uring
he firstwo
decades
f the twentieth
entury,
ewer
han third fNew York
City's nhabitants adbeen born nthe UnitedStates, nd thepar-
entsof more han
half
f
thesehad come overfrom
urope.
Put
another
way, nly
boutfifteen
ercent
f the
people
n
the
city
t
this imehad
family
istories
n
America
oing
ack more hanone
generation.
Many
of thesenew Americans ere
passionatelyptimistic
bout
their ew
country,
mood
captured
y
srael
Zangwill
n
his
drama
The
Melting-Pot,
irst
erformed
n
1908.
In
the
play's
inal
cene,
an
"American ymphony"yan immigrantew rom ussia,David
Quixando,
has
ust
been
premiered
or n audience f other
mmi-
grants,
thosewho have known he
pain
of the old world
nd
the
hope
of the new." After
eing ongratulatedy
his
Yiddish-speaking
aunt,
her rish
maid
Kathleen,
is
gentile irlfriend
era,
and Herr
Pappelmeister,
he
kindly
erman onductor
esponsible
or
rranging
the
performance
f his
symphony,
he
young omposer
bserves he
sun
setting
verthe New Yorkharbor nd the Statueof
Liberty,
nd
muses:
Look,
it is the fires
f
God round His Crucible. There
she
lies,
the
great
Melting-Pot-listen
an't
you
hear the
roaring
nd
the
bubbling?
here
gapes
her mouth-the harbourwhere thousandmammoth eeders ome
from he
ends of the world o
pour
in
theirhuman
freight.
h,
whata
stirring
nd
seething
Celt and
Latin,
Slav
and
Teuton,
Greek
and
Syrian-black
and
yellow-Jew
nd
Gentile-Yes,
East and
West,
and North and
South,
the
10
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
3/26
Irving
erlin 11
palm
and
the
pine,
the
pole
andthe
equator,
he crescent nd the
cross--howthe
great
Alchemistmelts nd fuses hemwithhis
purging
lameHere shall
they
ll
unite
o build
he
Republic
f Man and the
Kingdom
f
God
...
where
ll
races
nd
nations ome to labour nd
look
forward '
No matter
owdifferent
heir ational
ackgrounds,
he entral
characters
n
Zangwill's
rama avefound ommonause
n a
struggle
to
put
side
historicarriers
f
race,
eligion
nd
class,
nd
to create
new
ociety
n America ree
f the
pain
f he ld world."
tanding
in the
way,
owever,
s the ld order
f
Europe
nd
America,
epre-sentedntheplay y heRussian aron evendal, ho ommanded
troops
n the
massacre
f he
Jewishommunity
n which
avid's
family
ived,
nd
Quincy
avenport
r.,
he on
of
his
American
businessssociate
hose
atronage
f
orchestrasas made
im
n
important
igure
n
NewYork'smusic cene.After
uincy
iscovers
that
avid
s
a
Jew,
e
attempts
o
prevent
he
performance
f
his
symphony;
avid
onfronts
im
with:
I comefrom urope, ne ofhervictims,nd I know hat he is a failure;hat
her
palaces
and
peerages
re outworn
oys
of the human
pirit,
nd
that the
only
hope
of mankind ies in a new world. And
here--in
the land
of
to-
morrow-you
re
trying
o
bring
ack
Europe.2
Irving
erlin's
arly ongs
re
ontemporaneous
ith
angwill's
drama.
rawing
heir
rotagonists
romhevarious
ational
ndeth-
nic
groups
oexisting
n
NewYork
ity,
ncluding
hefirst
ave
f
blacks
oming p
fromhe
outh,
hey
re
ikewise
elebrations
f
AmericasMelting-Pot,houghsually ore omic hanmelodra-
matic.
nthe
radition
f he
American
opular
heater,
hese
ongs
offer
tereotyped
utnever
mean-spirited
mages
f
mmigrant
meri-
cans.
The
popular
rts ame to serve s a sort
of
abrasive
welcoming
ommittee or
the
mmigrants.
hrewd
t
mocking
ncongruities
f
manner,
eldom
nclined
to venom
.
.
they
xploited
he
few,
ixed raits hat
history
r
egend
had as-
signed
ach culture.
hey
arranged
n initiation f
hazing
nd caricature hat
assured he
Swedes,
the
Germans,
he
rish,
nd then the
Jews
hat
to be no-
ticed, ven fthroughhe cruel ensofparody,meant o be accepted.3
The
lyrics
nd
music f
hese
arly
erlin
ongs
ive
vivid
panorama
f multi-ethnicew York
City
nthefirstecade
of the
twentieth
entury.
n Irish
oybrags
o his
friendsn "No One
CouldDo
It Like
My
Father"
hat
his
dad"never
knowshis
name"at
election
ime,
asting
allots s
Breen nd
Gilhouley
nd
Harrigan
and
O'Connorand
MacShane,
and
suggests
hat
they ught
o call
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
4/26
12 The
Musical
uarterly
him
Winchester'
cause
he
repeats
o well."
n
"Sadie
alome
Go
Home)" youngman, hockedodiscoverhat strip-teaseancer n
the
vaudeville
tage
s his
girlfriend
adie
Cohen,
houts romhe
audience,
Don't o that
ance,
tell
ou
adie,
That's
ot bus'ness
or
lady
'Most
v'rybody
nows
hat
'm
your
oving
ose,
Oy Oy Oy Oy
Wheres
your
lothes?
Anda
German-American
ecently
stranged
rom is
girlfriend
remembers
er sweet
auerkrauthatwould wim
n
your
mouthike
thefishes
hat
wim
n
the
brook,"
ndhis
appetite
ries,
h
bring
back
my
ena
to me."
Berlin's
usic
s
ikewise
rawn rom
he
ounds
round
im
n
turn-of-the-century
ew
York.
talian
rotagonists
ing
raceful
elo-
dies
o
accompanimentsuggesting
andolins,
erenadesr
tarantellas;
tunes or erlin's
erman-Americansesemble
andler,
ith
eer
gardenom-pah-pahccompaniments;ewsingnminoreys, ith
augmented
econds;
lack
rotagonists
re
haracterized
y
hythms
hinting
t
ragtime
r
other
yncopated
ances.
As
in
Zangwill's
rama,
membersf
different
thnic
roups
nter-
act
with ne
another.
n
"Dorando"n
Italian arber
ellshis
hop
and
bets he
money
n
an
Italian
unner,
ho
oses
he
acebecause
he has eaten rish tew
atherhan
paghetti.
usinesss
poor
or
Jewish
ailor
n
an
Irish
eighborhood
ntil
e
begins
inging
Killar-
ney" nd"WhereheRiverhannonlows"wheneverustomers
come nto he
hop
"Abie
Sings
An Irish
ong").
Andthere re
glimpses
f he
ocial
ensionsetweenld
and
new
Americans:
Benny
loom
uys
n
engagementing
or
enny
olden
ollars
n
"Yiddisha
yes,"
uther
wealthy
usinessmanatherefuseso
allow
the
marriage;
erlin,
he
young
mmigrantewishongwriter,
ives
n
amusing
nd
unflattering
ortrait
f he rich our
undred"
n
"Soci-
ety
Bear":
Papersay v'rybodyhere
Laughed
ut
oud
whennheiress
air,
Kissed
ohn
.
whereehasnohair t
all;
Then
cunninglyegan
o
call
His
head
her ovin'
illiard
all,
roundhe
hall.
Carnegie
idthe
Turkey
rot,
For n hourwith chickenhat
Egged
himon 'til he
most
orgot
o
care
A
snap
bout
is
ibr'ry,oing
hat ich
ociety
ear.
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
5/26
Irving
erlin
13
5U'CILTYBIAR
Y..pVINQ
MRLIN
fT
NYDERC(
M051C
P
bu
h
V.1N
ml
Zangwill's
ndBerlin's
hampioning
f he
ountry'surgeoning
multi-ethnic
ulture as
by
no means
niversal.esentment
gainst
themillionsfnew mmigrantsromheMediterraneanndCentral
Europe
nd
fear ftheir
mpact
n the
ountry's
ulture-the
majority
of
themwere ot
ven
Protestants,
fter
ll,
andtheir
anguages
nd
customs
eemed ifficult
o assimilatentomainstream
ulture-
mounted
mong
mericans
ith
onger
istories
n
theUnited tates.
Henry
ames,eturning
fter
wentyears
broad,
xperienced
"chill"
when
ncountering
hese
eople
n
hishome
ountry,
ven
though
e insisted
hat e had
always
een
omfortable
ith
hem
n
their wn ands. There s no claim obrotherhoodith liensnthe
first
rossness
f
their lienism.
he materialf
which
hey
onsists
being
ressed
nd
prepared,
t
this
tage,
or
rotherhood,
ndthe
consummation,
n
respect
o
many
f
hem,
an notfromhe
nature
of
the ase
be,
n
any
ifetimeftheir
own.'"4
enator
enry
abot
Lodge
nd
many
ther
ongressmen
aunched
n
attack n
immigra-
tion
olicies
hich ad allowed
o
many
millions
f aliens" o enter
the
ountry,ensingoliticaldvantage
o
be
gained
rom
anning
resentment
gainst
hese ewcomers.
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
6/26
14
The
Musical
uarterly
In 1910
a
congressionally
ppointed
ommission
.
.
issued
42-volume
eport
on thealarmingffectsfimmigration.t beganwith heassumptionhatthe
new
mmigrants
ere
racially
nferioro the
old
immigrants
rom
orthern
nd
western
urope
nd
manipulated
ountains f
statistics
o
provide
'scientific'
rationaleor
estricting
heir
ntry.5
Increasing
estrictions,
ncludingliteracy
est
n
1917,
were
ut
on
new
rrivals,
nd
the
mmigration
ctof1921
brought
virtual
halt o
mmigration
rom
entral
urope
ndthe
Mediterranean.
t
the ame
ime,
eaction
gainst
ersons
f
inferior"
acial tock
alreadynthe ountryeacheduch roportionshat y1924 he
membership
f
he
resurgent
u Klux
Klan
numbered
ore han
ive
million
whitemale
native-born
entile
itizensf
heUnited
tates
of
America,"
ll
over he
ountry.
Given his
limate,
t
became
ncreasingly
xpedient
or
ecent
immigrants
nd
first-generation
mericanso
keep
heir
ultural
nd
religious
ifferencesut
of he
public
ye.
An
ethnic
rotagonist
e-
came
less
desirable
omponent
f
popular
ong,
nd
Berlin,
ike
his
fellow
in
Pan
Alley ongwriters,ncreasingly
rote
ongs opu-lated ygenericI's"and"you's,"s in"I Loveto
Quarrel
WithYou":
I'm
wild
bout
ou
an't
ive
without
ou
That's
ust
he
reason
hy
tease
ou.
I
love ohear
myselfaying:
I
didn't ean
t,
didn't
eant "
When 've
had a
quarrel
with
you.
A
similar
rocess
as
aking
lace mong
he
ther
opular
rts,
whichikeTin
Pan
Alley
ong
adbeen
dominated
n
the
arly ears
of he enturyy aliens."nsocial ancing,ornstance,renend
Vernon
astle
were
making
yncopated
ancemore
widely
cceptable
by
teering
t
away
romvert
eferenceso ts
black oots.
Intensifying
ocial
nd
political ressure
as
ltering
he
melting-
potprocess
y
rasing
thnic
ifference,
r
at east
orcing
t under-
ground.
erlin
rote
irtually
o
songs
fter 915
reflecting
is
own
ethnicity,
nd
very
ew
with
rotagonists
rawn
romther
marginal-
ized
thnic
roups.
is
ater
ongs
ended o
be
generic
ieces
evoid
ofreferenceo ocale, thnicityrclass, atherhan choes f ife n
New
York
ity.
He
was n a
track hatwould
oon ead o
songs
oic-
ing
a
new
cultural
omogenization:
I'11
e
loving
you,
lways,
with
lovethat's
rue,
lways";
God
Bless
America";
White
Christmas."
Alexander
Woollcott's
he
Story f rving
erlin6
as
argely
responsible
or
mythicizing
he
songwriter's
arly
years.
n this
biogra-
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
7/26
Irving
erlin 15
phy,
losely
monitored
y
Berlin
imself,
hereal-liferama f he
musicallyalentedussian-Jewishmmigrantakingplacefor im-
self
n themulti-ethnic
opular
ulturefNew
York,
was
ubtly
rans-
formednto
he
myth
fthe
elf-made
an,
more
ppropriate
or he
1920s,
whereby
n
unschooledtreet rchinchieves ame ndfortune
through
mbition,
ard
work,
nd
knowing
is
place
n
the cheme f
things.
he
Melting-Pot
adnot
produced
"new ace fman" fter
all,
but athernother
eneration
fAmericansbsorbednto
he
country's
lder ominant
ulture.
Intheprocess,hedichotomyetweenlassicalndpopularrt,
which ad erveds an
important
ocial
marker
n
thenineteenth
century
ut
hadbeen
hallenged
n
the
1910s
y
first
reat
urstf
enthusiasm
or ernacular
ulture,
as
restored.
espite
Woollcott's
professed
dmiration
or
erlin's
chievements,
e
sawhim
s a
"cre-
ative
gnoramus."
He came
into
the worldwith n unrivalled
apacity
or
nventing
hemes.But
to that
birthright
e has added
little
f the
art,
the
patience,
he interest
n
form,ndthemusicianlynowledgehichould laboratehem.t san njus-
tice at
once
to his true
chievements,
o his
deepest spirations
nd
to
his
honest
unpretentiousness
o
link his
name
with
a
Wagner
r
Rimsky-
Korsakoff.
. .
In
time is music
will
be heard romhe
Metropolitan's
tage.
There s small
oubt f
hat. ut twill
e heard fter
ther
men,
with ess
n-
ventive
enius erhaps
ut
with
ar
reater
usicianship,
ave
picked
is unes
up
from he streets
nd
transmuted
hem into
operas
as
Moussorgsky
nd
Rimsky-Korsakoff
ifled
he reasurehests fRussian
olk
music
o make heir
finestcores.7
Henry ames'saliens" avebeen dressedndprepared"or
civilization,
igh
rthasbeen estoredo ts
pedestal,
nd
rving
er-
lin
hasbeen lottedntohis
properlace
n
the
rtistic
ierarchy.
Woollcott,
ither
misunderstanding
r
deliberately
isrepresenting
he
craftf
popular
ongwriting
nd ts
ongstanding
raditionforal
musicianship,
an
onlymystify
atters
y
presenting
erlin--like
ll
other
opular
ongwriters--as
musician
acking
he
bility,
raining,
and
trength
f
purpose
f
composer
f
lassicalmusic.
This
myth
f he
popularongwriter
s "creative
gnoramus"becameoentrenched8hat hewriterf heNewYork imes ront-
page
bituary
ppearing
he
day
fter erlin's
eath ould
nly
hink
to
stress
he "classic
rags-to-riches"
lich6 nd to
repeat
uchmislead-
ing
statements s "his formal
chooling
..
totalled ess
than two
years"
nd "he
could
only]
ap
out tune fteruneon the
keys
f a
piano, eaving
t to
arrangers
owrite he
harmony."9
The
reality
f Berlin's
arlyyears
aded.Thereare some
press
interviewsromhe
1910s,
butfew
ther ocuments romhat
period.
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16 TheMusical
uarterly
SW(T11
9Y l
Q
ERI
Iler~rrrr
iwfN
Ablura
0MIME
*ro?
Whatwe do
have,
hough,
re ome wo
hundred
ongs
written
y
Berlin efore
915,
many
f
hem
rawing
n his
nternalnd
exter-
nal
ife or
heir ontent
nd
expression
ndthus
iving
ot
only
n
image
f
the
worldn which e
lived,
s noted
bove,
ut lso
of
he
youngongwriter
imself.
Charles
.
Harris,
generation
lder
han
Berlin,
asedhis
songs
n material
e chanced
o
read robserve. is "Mid heGreen
Fields
f
Virginia,"
or
nstance,
as
uggested
y
n
oil
painting
f
cows
razing
n a
field,
nd
as
he later
onfessedo Booker .
Wash-
ington,
ho sked im f
he
was
Southerner,
he
ong
was
All
imagination... I hadto nquiref here as orn aisednVirginia,
and f herewere ills n Carolina.
his nformationas
given
me
by
my
ffice
uperintendent,
r.
Blaise,
native
outherner,
nd
my
imagination
id
therest."10
Berlin,
nlike
arris,
as
singer-songwriter.
e
began
is
career
s a
performer,inging
n
restaurants
ndtheatersnd
then
plugging
ongs.
hough
is
repertory
as
drawn
rom
ongs
ritten
y
others,
e
wasnoted
or
ersonalizing
hem
hrough
arody.
fter
e
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
9/26
Irving
erlin
17
;; :
:i r i,
?:
: i?:::
-,??;??-~:?
Irving
erlin irca
914.
Photo
ourtesy
fThe
rving
erlinMusic
ompany.
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
10/26
18 TheMusical
uarterly
beganwritingongs imself,
e
sang ome f hemnthe howUpandDown
Broadway
ndfor olumbia ecords. ewas hefirsto
perform
Alexander's
agtime
and"
in
the
Friar'srolic
f
1911),
he
sang
ntire
rograms
fhis
own
ongs
n
various enues
n
New
York nd
London,
nd
n
social
atherings
he
s
ever
eady
o
respond
o a callfor
song,
nd
will
ing
ntil is
throat
ives
ut
f
he finds
is
hearers re
enjoying
is
efforts.""11
As it
became
videnthat
erlin's
ost
mportant
alent
ay
n
writingongs,
e
increasinglyepended
n other
ingers
o
perform
themnstagend ntherecordingtudio. uthis nstinctsemained
those f
singer-songwriter,
ore nclinedo draw n
personalxperi-
ences ndemotionshan
songwriter
ho
s
not lso
performer,
s
we
well
know romuch iverse
eople
s Thomas
Moore,
heAmeri-
can
bluesmen,
ob
Dylan,
ndTomWaits.Berlin's
abit
was
o
ot
down
yrics
s
they
ame
o
him t
any
hour
f he
night
r
day,
triggered
y
vents fhisreal r
maginary
ife. ometimeshesewere
fragments
f everal
hymed
ines,
ometimes
omplete
erses rcho-
ruses.omeremainedragments,ever eard f gain:
He
wakes er
p
nd ries
I'vewrittennother
ong
You've
ot
o isteno t
She
rubs er
yes
nd nswers
I don't ant oheart
I don't ant
o
heart.
He
keeps
t
up
ll
morning
Until he aysdawning
And whenhe sees her
yawning
He starts
o
holler
louder--she
akes
sleeping owder,
And thenhe wakes
her
up
and cries
I'vewrittennother
ong
She
has o isteno t
She
simply
an not
keep
him
hut-He's nut-He's a nut-
One
night
he went o her
Mother's
ome,
While
she was
sleeping
here
ll alone
He called herupon thetelephone
And cried
've writtennother
ong
...
12
?
1992
The
Estate
f
rving
erlin.
Others
were reworked nd became the
lyrics
f
published
songs.
From
the
beginning,
ome of these exhibit an
intensity
f
expression
uite
uncommon forthe
era,
as
in
the
gritty
treet
anguage
of
"The
Best
Of FriendsMust
Part,"
published
early
n
1908:
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
11/26
Irving
erlin 19
Don't alk f
ove,
Just
ike a
dove,
Can't at the
tars,
That hine
bove,
That
tuffon't
o,
You'd etter
low,
an't
uy
mealwith
hat
ovin'
ou
now,
I knowt's
ard,
On
your
ld
pard,
But can't
elp
hat
ou
layed
our
ast
ard,
Don't
esitate,
Evaporate,
Hunt
up
another
mate.
Though
erlin dmittedo
ntroducingutobiographical
aterial
into
nly
ne
early ong,
When
Lost
You,"
written
hortly
fter
he
death fhisfirst ife
orothy
n
1912,
many
thers
learly
raw
n
events fhis
ife ndhis
reactiono
these
vents. When
ohnson's
Quartette
armonize,"
or
nstance,
ells s that erlin
eard black
quartetnthe pringf1912, ndotherongs romhis eriod uggest
that e was
istening
o one or
more
lack
ianists.
is enthusiasm
or
themusic f hese lack
erformers,
s
opposed
o music
y
whites
which
merely
ppropriates
lementsfblack
music,
s evident
n
the
texts f hese
ongs
nd
n
the udden
ppearance
f
blues" otes nd
harmonies,
nd new
ype
f
yncopation,
n
"Bring
ack
My
Lovin'
Man,"
Society
ear,"
nd
other
ongs
f his
eriod.
Elsewhere,
erlin
imself ust e the
omposer
ictimized
y
musical
iracy
n
"Come
BackTo
Me,MyMelody."
A man
composed
sweet
melody
ne summer
ight
n
June,
And he
played
hat
pretty
une illhe
learned o
love
it
soon;
He
ne'er
wrote ownthat weet
melody,
nd
very trange,
ne
day
He found hat
prettymelody
ad
vanished rom is
memory
..
One
night
e heard n
orchestra
lay
trains f a sweet
efrain,
He
recognized
is
melody,lthoughhey
hanged
t
cleverly
He ranto the man andhe loudly ried, That music elongs ome "
Less han wo
years
ater,
erlin ould e involvedn
a successful
action
to
prevent
this sort of
piracy,
as a chartermember nd
director
of ASCAP.
Other
songs
must
be
decoded before
yielding
heir
utobiographi-
cal
content. "The
Haunted
House"
(1914)
can be read as
Berlin's
commentary
n the
publishing
house of
Waterson,
Berlin
&
Snyder.
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
12/26
20 TheMusical
uarterly
You see that
vacant
house,
s
quiet
s a
mouse,
It's hock ull fmyst'ry,esides,thas hist'ry.
I
often
ave been
told,
hat
here's
bag
of
gold,
In the ouse hat's
aunted,
'm
poor,
ut don't antt.
The
protagonist
urking
n
the
house s Berlin's
ong-time
entor,
collaborator
ndbusiness
artner,
ed
Snyder:
You see that
boney, roney,
I mean hat
oney
keleton
iding
ehindhat
tatue,Look ut, e'sookingtyou
Listen isten
Tell
me,
can't
you
hearhim
whistling
hat
Mysteriousag,
so
noted,
He wrote
t,
n
that
ickety,
auntedouse.
The references
re
densely
acked.
nyder
s dentified
y
his
physical
haracteristics
he
was all nd
pare)
nd
by
musicalnd
textual
uotation
f hefirstars f That
Mysteriousag," song
attributedointlyoBerlin ndSnyder;hephraseslanky, anky,
panky"
nd
boney,roney"
cho he
poetical
tyle
f arlier
coony,
spoony"
agtime
ongs
written
y
he wo
men;
whistling"
eferso
"The
Whistlingag,"
ttributedo Berlin lone.
The
mplications
re
clear: he
publishing
ompany
s
a
graveyard,
ocked o the
past,
where
erlins forcedo share uthorialreditnd
royalties
or That
Mysteriousag"
ndother
ongs
which e considersisown. oonhe
would stablishisown
publishing
ouse
n
order o
gain
more on-
trol ver
isown
bag
f
gold."
Evenmoreomplexnd nterestingsBerlin'sbviousdentifica-
tion
with
ome
f
his
black
rotagonists.
n
"He's
A
Rag
Picker,"
he
description
f
Mose,
"funny
ellow"
iving
down
n
Alabamawhere
the otton
rows,"
ust e drawn rom erlin's
elf-image
s a
pianist
and
composer:
He
bangs
upon
the
piano
keys,
In searchf
aggy
elodies,
All
day
e's tthe
vories;
And whilehe dozeshe
composes,
Mister
Mose makes
n
ordinaryitty
ound
o
pretty,
Like
nobody
an.
Other
lyrics
lesh ut
Berlin's
egend
of
this
mythical
musician.
"Funny
Little
Mose,"
the
protagonist
f "The
HummingRag"
(Lon-
don,
1913),
is the author of a "cute littlebeaut
of a
melody"
which
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
13/26
Irving
erlin
21
TIHEIAUTEBUSE
VN
L
\)
BY-IrVING
ErtLIt1-2
..............
...
sets
veryone
ancing
like o
many
unatics."
n another
npublished
lyric,
Musical
Mose" s a
"musical
enius,"
"harmony
nventor"
who an
"make
piano
ct
ust
ike
slave";
nd
"Pickaninny
ose,"
sketched
t this
ime ut
not
published
ntil
921,
etails he hild-
hood
f
"precious
ittleamb"whose
mothercroons
er
darky
tunes"
o
him.
Another lack ianist-composerromdown elow heDixie
line,
n
Alabam',"
phraham,
ould
ppear
o be
nothing
ess han
an
alter
go
for erlin.
Ephraham
layed pon
The Piano"
urely
gives
nother
elf-portrait
fBerlin
t
the
keyboard:
Down elow
he ixie
ine,
n
Alabam',
Lived a lovin'
piano
player,
phraham;
'Cause
e
never
ook
lesson,
e
had
v'rybodyuessin',
How
he
played
with uch a lovin'
tone.
Any
ind fmusic
ecould
nderstand,
Still
e
didn't
lay
y
ar,
e
played
y
hand;
When
estarted
ishin'or he une
ou'd
een
wishin',
Ev'ry
ther
ood
musiciantoodside.
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
14/26
22 TheMusical
uarterly
Ephraham
urns
pagain
n
"Opera urlesque"
s an
"op'ra arky,"black
ianist
aunting
he
Metropolitanpera
House:
Ev'ryight
ou'd
ee
him
itting
n
the
allery
At the
pera
ouse,
uiet
s a mouse.
He
loved
o
hear aruso
ing
is
part
o
tenderly;
Whenhe struck
high
ne,
to-the-sky
ne,
Ephraham
ould
egin
o
holler,
"Thatnote lone s worth dollar "
Ephrahamuys score fLucia iLammermoorndpersuadeseveral
other lackmen
o
attempt
hefamous
extette,
nder is
direction.
They
roceed
ith
nthusiasm
ut
not
much
ense
f
operatic
tyle,
and
even
hough phraham
ries o
stop
hem
"You're
ff
he
key
Try
nd
ing
t
right
or
me"), hey
eep
n
"goin',
lowin',
howin'
how
hey
ould
ing
hat
Ragtime
p'ra
. .
as sweet s
it
can
be,
like
pickin'
otton."
erlin's
nthusiasmor
pera
ndhis ttendance
at
the
Metropolitanpera
House rewell
documented,
ndhe often
toldnterviewersfhis mbitiono create ragtimepera.
More
oignantly,
At The Devil's
Ball,"
opyrightednly
monthsfter
hedeath
f
Berlin's
irst
ife,
mentions
Ephraham,
he
Leader
man,
who
died ome ime his all." hishint
f
the mo-
tional evastationaused
y
hiswife's eath
s,
n
ts
way,
s
moving
as
"When
Lost
You,"
written
t the ame
eriod.
This
ympathetic
ortrayal
f
and
apparent
dentification
ith)
black
musicians
n
these
ongs
ontrasts
tarkly
ith he
tereotypical
andoften
erogatorymages
n
"coon
ongs"
y
ther
ongwriters,
nd
hintstronglytundocumentedontactetweenerlin ndoneor
more lack
ianists.
Another
lue
o
Berlin'sdentificationith he
black
ianists
n
these
ongs
omes romheir ames.
is own
ather as
named
Moses,
ence
Mose,"
ut
why
Ephraham"?
phraim
as ne of he
tribesf
srael,
aking
tsname romne of
Joseph's
ons,
nd
"Ephraim"
as ometimessed s a
synonym
or Israel"
tself. erlin
began
ife s Israel aline.
Berlin amed rotagonistsfter embersfhisfamilynother
early
ongs
s
well.As
noted
bove,
Mose
s the
young
manwho ees
his
girlfriendtripping
n
stage
n
"Sadie alome
Go Home),"
nd
Mose
also
appears
n
"Business
s
Business" s
thefather
f
Rosie,
engaged
o
marry
bie,
the owner
f
a
clothing
tore;
hisMose
helps
himselfo a new suitfrom
is
futureon-in-law's
tore
ach
month
until
Abie
complains
oRosie thatherfathers "too hardon clothes"
and
reminds er that
I've
got
to
pay
for
v'rything
own."
Lena,
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
15/26
Irving
erlin
23
who
ppears
n
several
erman ialect
ongs-"It
Can't
Be
Did,"
"Herman,
et'sDanceThatBeautiful altz" nd
Bring
ack
My
Lena
To
Me"--takes
ername rom erlin's other. ther
haracters
are
named
or is ister ebecca
"Becky's
ot A
Job
n A
Musical
Show" nd
Rebecca
Klein n the
unpublished
Yiddisha
edding")
and
his
brother
enjamin
Benny
n "Yiddisha
yes"
nd
Benjamin
n
"Try
t On Your
iano").
These
protagonists
ear ittle rno resem-
blance
o their
aline amesakesnd
n fact
ppear
n situationshat
would avebeen
lien o the
family.
ecky,
or
nstance,
s
a
show
girlwho showsff er igure"n the heater,or ellows ho raise
the
dickens,
hen
ecky
tarts-kickin' andcall
her
"Yiddisha
chicken";
he
has
a "coatmade
f
eal,
orsetsf
teel,
he
comes o
the heatre
n an
automobile,"
nd
he
smokes
Turkish
igarette
s
good
s
any
man an."
Attaching
urnames
fhis
parents
nd
iblings
o such
rotago-
nists
may
ave
begun
s
part
fBerlin's
rocess
f
distancing
imself
from is
family,
n
his
youth.
s
a
child
e
began
o
explore
nd
experienceheworldeyondishome, eginningith he treetsf
lower
Manhattan,
s
did o
many
ther
ewish
oys
fhis
generation.
In the
words
fone
ofhis
contemporaries:
The streetswereours.
Everyplace
lse-home,
school,
shop-belonged
to the
grownups.
ut
the streets
elonged
o us. We would roam
through
he
city
tasting
he
delights
f
freedom,
iscovering
ossibilities
ar
beyond
he reach
of
our
parents.
he streets
aught
s the deceits f
commerce,
ntroduced s to
the
excitementf
sex,
schooled
s in
strategies
f
survival,
nd
gave
us our
first
clear deaofwhat ife
n
America as
really oing
o be like.
. .
[I]t
was he
streets hat
prepared
he future.
n
the streets e were
roughened
y actuality,
and even those f
us who aterbecame ntellectualsr
professionalsept
ome-
thing
f ur
ruisingutter-worldliness,
ur
hard
nd
brasive
kepticism.
3
Berlin
egan
eddlingewspaper
nd
unk
n
these
treetso earn
few
ennies,
nd
by
he ime e
wasfourteen
e had eft
is
home
n
Cherry
treet
ltogether,iving
n
a succession
f
boarding
ouses
while
aking
hefirst
teps
owards
career
n
music.
With
isfirst
publishedong, ediscardedhefamilyame fBalinenfavorf
Berlin. ut
by
he ime
e
began
making
ubstantial
ums f
money
from is
ongs,
istieswith is
family
ere lose
gain.
As David
J.
Clarkwrote
n
the
Telegraph
or October
1911,
"none
of themhas
everwanted or he
good
things
f
ife
ince
he
began
o dot notes
n
ruled
aper.
Their
home
s envied
by
all
who
are
nvitednto
t from
the
original eighborhood
hereBerlin
irst
aw
the
ight.
There
his
mother nd
sisters
njoy
he benefits-all
f
them-of
his
first
ear's
This content downloaded from 209.242.179.253 on Fri, 13 Nov 2015 21:19:49 UTCAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
16/26
24
TheMusical
uarterly
royalties."is useof heirurnamesnhis ongs as n affectionate
and
humorous
esture,
way
f
nvolving
is
family
n
his
career.
Even
cursory
xaminationf he
wordsndmusic
f
Berlin's
early
ongs
emolishes
he
myth
hat e was "creative
gnoramus"
devoid f
musicianlynowledge."
e was
fond f extualndmusical
quotation,
o less o than
harles
ves,
nd
"cultural
iteracy"
ist
compiledromeferencesntheseongswouldnclude erdi's ida
and
Rigoletto,
onizetti'sucia i
Lammermoor,
uccini'sa
Boheme,
Bizet's
armen,
ounod's
aust,
eoncavallo's
agliacci,
ubenstein's
"Melody
n
F,"
Reginald
eKoven's
Oh
Promise
e,"
various
ongs
by
tephen
osterndother
ineteenth-centuryongwriters,
Turkey
in
the
traw,"
raditional
cottishnd
rish
unes,
ohn
hilip
ousa,
the talian-born
and
master
iuseppe
reatore,
ctress aude
Adams,
oet
George
.
Morris,
nd
performers
nton
Rubinstein,
Tetrazzini,elba ndCaruso. tmightearguedhat hisist epre-
sents
othingeyond
erlin's
amiliarity
ith
common
ody
f
knowledge
irculating
n the treetsfNewYork
ity
t
the
urn f
the
entury,
et
Berlin new hemusic fthe
extetterom onizet-
ti'sLucia iLammermoorell
nough
o write
fourteen-pagearody,
in
his
Opera
Burlesque."ny
tudy
f
he
rigins
fBerlin's usical
style
must
learly
ake nto onsiderationmuchwider
ange
fmusi-
cal
genres
hanWoollcott's
yth
as
uggested.
Exceptionally
or he
period,
erlin akesmusictselfs the
subject
matteroreveralozen fthese
ongs.
aurence
ergreen's
recent
iography14
ndlessly
nsinuateshatmusic as
merely
means
to
an
end
for
erlin,
hat e was
basically
shrewdusinessman
ho
justhappened
o have knack or
ashioning
unes,
ndthat
e
would
oldly
measurehe ommercial
uccess f
ongs
y
other riters
before
eciding
hat
o
produce
ext imself.ut hese
ongs uggest
somethinguite
ifferent:hat
istening
o,
performing
nd
writing
music as n
intensely
xuberant,ensual,cstatic,
oyous,
ven
quasi-religiousxperienceor erlin.
The half-dozen
r
so
songs
with
ianists
s
protagonists
re esta-
ments
o
the heer
oy
of
playing
r
istening
o that
nstrument.
Piano
man,
piano
man,
He
brings
orth
otes ike
no one
can,
Oh what feelin'
When his notes ome
a-stealin'
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
17/26
Irving
erlin
25
Whyjust eelike neelin'nd ppealin'omy
Piano
man,
piano
man,
Lawdy
ow ismusic
ingers,
May
heHeaven
less is
ingers
(from
Piano
Man")
When hear
you
lay
hat
iano
o
sweet,
My
lood
unsold
way
own
o
my
eet
..
When
ou
tart
n
tearingags y
he
treak,
I
could ear
ou
lay
hat
ox or
week,
For tdoesmostnythingutpeak,
When
you
play
hat
piano,
Bill.
(from
When
ou
Play
hat
iano,
ill ")
He can
play
ome entimental
elody,
And
break heheart f
stove,
When
his
melody egins
o
pour,
Then
your
ishbone
ishes or omemore.
(from
Yiddisha
rofessor")
Berlin
romises
hat
f
you'll
isten
o
a
black
uartet,
from
our
headdown o
your
eet,
ou'll
e
fairly
ypnotized"
nd
ev'ry
ther
chords
a
message
rom
he
Lord."Hiram's
ountry
and makes
Philip
user ook ike
march-abuser,"
nd ladies
igh,
hebabies
cry,
ats nd
dogs ay
down
nddie"from
heer xcitement
hen
they
ear he
band.
The
protagonist
n
"Lead
Me
To
ThatBeautiful
Band"
asses
p
dinnern
order o
"drink
rom
musical
up"by
listening
o a band:
Just
ear hat
lide
rombone-blowin'or
me,
just
hear hose weetometsll
goin'
orme."A tune
y
Men-
delssohn
s
"tantalizing,
ypnotizing,esmerizing,"
ndthe
protago-
nist
n
"Stop
That
Rag"
nsists
hat
melody
ike his
s what n
artist
can't
paint."
Syncopated
ancemusic
ypnotizes
erlin's
rotagonists,
r
transports
hem o
states f
rance,
renzy,
nd
barely-concealed
exual
excitement:
I'mgoin'razy,hatag'sdaisy
I
just
an't
make
my eelings
ehave
..
Hon',
I'm
goin' straight
o
heav'n
When
hearthat
train,
wine
o
cry
gain.
(from
Wild
Cherries")
Go
get
me
some
mmonia,
cause
fear must
aint,
I'm
suffocating
ith
delight.
(from
Stop
That
Rag")
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
18/26
26
TheMusical
uarterly
TMlE
'YIDPISHtA
P9OFESSOR
5L~"~9
.BA
~~~~
s
L
yN
Sigi
`77:
IRVI
I"
~rn
nr*~ra.
*1ui~9
.rVv~n
If
hey
othat ancen
heaven,
Shoot
me, hon',
tonight
t
seven.
(from
Grizzly
ear")
Oh
that
heavenly
train,
It makesmefeel o
funny;
If ever
ry
Don't
lay
t
gain,"
Just
on't elieve
e,
oney.
(fromOh,That eautifulag")
Oi,
that
Kazzatsky
ance,
t
makesme
ose
my
ense
.
Oi,
that
azzatsky
ance,
'm
going
n trance.
(from
That
Kazzatsky
ance")
Insummary,profilef rvingerlin ieced ogetherromis
early
ongs
s
quite
ifferent
rom
hat
iven
y
Woollcottndmost
subsequent
riters.
s
a
singer-songwriter,
e
drewmaterialrom
is
social
nvironmentndfromvents
f
his
own
ife,
urning
t nto
verse nd
producing
body
f
ongs
more
utobiographical
han hose
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
19/26
Irving
erlin
27
ucces n
t duced
y
MMA
UTs
i,
.
-
i-
.v.
L
IDSNDIDc
5
1A.wl
TWSMIRC
ofmost
fhis
peers.
Growing
p
n
a multi-cultural
ociety
n
which
ethnic
dentity
ould
e
a source f
vitality
nd
pride,
e
made
ocial
differences
he
ubject
f
many
f
his
ongs.
is
education,
ained
both
n
school
ndon the
treets,
ave
him
basic
iteracy
n
classical
Western
usic,
s well s a
thoroughnowledge
f
he
past
nd
present
iteraturef
popularong.
He was
passionately
rawn o
music,espondingo texuberantly,ensually,cstatically.
As
the limate f he
ountry
hanged
nd ocial
ifferences
becamemore
roblematic,
e
responded,
s
didhisfellow in Pan
Alley
ongwriters,
y
reating
more
enericong
tyle
nd
public
image. ortunately,
is
arly ongs
emains
important
ocumentsf
his
early ears.
The Songs ofIrvingBerlin,1907-1914
The list
elow ncludesll
songs
opyrighted
nd
published
hrough
1914
forwhich
erlin rote
music,
ext r
both,
xcepting
ongs
writtenor
is
first
usical,
Watch our
tep,
which
pened
t
the
GlobeTheatre n
8
December
914.
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
20/26
28
TheMusical
uarterly
Lists
f
songs y
Berlin
ave
appeared
n
such
previous ublica-tions s AlexanderWoollcott's he
Story f
rving
erlin
New
York&
London:G.
P.
Putnam's
ons,
1925;
Da
Capo
Press
dition,
983),
The
Songs f rving
erlin
New
York:
rving
erlinMusic
Company,
n.d.),
Vince Motto's
The
rving
erlin
atalog,
Vols.
VI &
VIII
(Quicksburg
A:
Sheet Music
Exchange,
988
&
1990),
Laurence
Bergreen's
s Thousands heer:The
Life f
rving
erlin
New
York:
Viking,
990),
and Steven
Suskin's
erlin, ern,
Rodgers,
art,
nd
Hammerstein:
CompleteongCatalogue
Jefferson
C &
London:
McFarland, 990). As usefuls these istshavebeen,their ong itles
are
often
naccurates a result f
beinggiven
s
they
ppear
n sheet
music overs
ather
hanthe first
age
of the
music;
ome
ongs y
writersther
han
Berlin re
ncluded
though
ot
by
Suskin);
here s
no
recognition
hat
ome
ongs
were
opyrighted
everal
imes
n
quite
different
ersions;
hronology
s
only
pproximate;
nd
the
date
of
copyright
s
missing.
Title Copyrightate Copyrighto.
1. Marie
rom
unnytaly
12
Oct.
1907
E150811
2.
Queenie
29
Feb. 1908
E175522
3. The BestOfFriends
ust
art 6 Feb. 1908
E175845
4.
I
Didn'tGo
HomeAt All 13
Mar.1909
E203451
5. Dorando
11
Mar.1909
E203814
6.
No
One Could
Do It Like
My
Father
2
Apr.
1909
E204479
7.
Sadie
Salome
Go Home)
2
Apr.
1909
E204481
8. MyWife's oneTo TheCountryHurrah 18June 909 E209740
Hurrah )
9.
Just
ikeThe Rose
2
July
909 E211289
10.
Oh,
What
Know
About
ou
2
July
909 E211292
11.
Someone's
aiting
orMe
(We'll
Wait,
Wait,
2
July
909 E211293
Wait)
12. Do Your
uty
octor
Oh,
Oh,
Oh,
Oh,
Doctor)
6
Aug.
1909 E213051
13.
Good-Bye,
irlie,
ndRemembere
6
Aug.
1909 E213052
14.
WildCherries
Coony,
poony
ag)
12
Aug.
1909
E213300
15. Oh WheresMyWife o-Night? 16Sept.1909 E21457016.SheWasA DearLittle irl 5 Oct.1909 E216226
17.
Some
ittle
omething
bout
ou
14
Oct.
1909
E217166
18. f
Thought
ouWouldn't ell
14
Oct. 1909
E217168
19.
I
Wish hat
You
Was
My
Gal,
Molly
14
Oct.
1909
E217169
20.
NextTo
Your
Mother,
ho
Do YouLove? 26 Oct.
1909
E218110
21.
Stop
That
Rag
Keep
On
Playing,
oney)
24
Nov.
1909 E219550
22.
Christmas-Timeeems ears
And
Years
Away
2
Dec.
1909
E219710
23.
Yiddle,
n Your
iddle,
lay
ome
Ragtime
30 Nov. 1909 E220516
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
21/26
Irving
erlin
29
Title Copyright
ate
Copyright
o.
24.
I
Just
ame
BackTo
Say
Good
Bye
8 Dec. 1909 E220879
25. Before Go
And
Marry,
WillHaveA Talk 31 Dec. 1909 E221856
With
You
26. That
Mesmerizing
endelssohn
une
22
Dec.
1909
E222371
27.
Someone
ust
ike
You
22 Dec. 1909
E222372
28.
Telling
ies
14
Jan.
910
E223314
29.
Sweet
Marie,
Make-a
ag-a-Time
anceWid
Me 18
Jan.
910
E224516
30. IfThe
Managers
nly
hought
he SameAs
18
Jan.
910
E224517
Mother
31. Oh
HowThat
German
ould
Love
15 Feb. 1910
E226408
32. When
You
Play
hat
Piano,
Bill 16 Mar.1910 E228389
33.
Draggy
ag
13
Apr.
1910
E229419
34.
Dear
Mayme,
LoveYou
18
Apr.
1910
E229542
35.
Grizzly
ear
19
Apr.
1910
E230452
36. Call Me
Up
Some
Rainy
fternoon
23
Apr.
1910
E230607
37.
That
Opera
Rag
28
Apr.
1910
E230794
38.
I'mA
Happy
Married
an
2
June
910 E231098
39. I LoveYouMore achDay 19May1910 E232638
40.
Alexander
nd
His Clarinet
19
May
1910 E232639
41.
Sweet talian
ove
9
July
910
E234395
42.
Oh,
That
Beautiful
ag
7
July
910
E235374
43.
Try
t
On Your iano
7
July
910
E235475
44.
"Thank
ou,
Kind ir " aid
She
31
Aug.
1910
E237664
45.
Yiddisha
yes
8
Sept.
1910
E237828
46.
Is There
Anything
lse Can Do For
You? 8
Sept.
1910
E237829
47.
KissMe
MyHoney,
iss
Me
3
Aug.
1910
E238127
48.Colored omeo 14Sept.1910 E239224
49.
Stop, top,
top
Come
OverAndLove
Me
Some
17
Sept.
1910
E239367
More)
50. Herman
et's
DanceThatBeautiful altz
24
Sept.
1910
E240313
51. PianoMan
5
Oct.
1910
E240646
52. Innocent essie rown
5
Oct.
1910
E240647
53.
Dreams,
ust
reams
12 Oct. 1910
E240951
54.
I'm
Going
On
A
Long
Vacation
12
Oct. 1910
E240952
55.
Bring
ack
My
LenaTo Me 20
Oct. 1910
E241527
56.ThatKazzatskyance 19Dec. 1910 E245819
57.
Wishing
17
Dec. 1910
E246503
58.
Dat's-A
My
Gal
14
Jan.
911
E248729
59.
That
Dying
ag
18
Feb. 1911
E250877
60. Alexander's
agtime
and
18 Mar.1911
E252990
61.
Virginia
ou
20 Mar.
1911
E253397
62. The
Whistling
ag
31 Mar.
1911 E253962
63.
That
Monkey
une 25
Mar. 1911
E254260
64.
When
'm
Alone
'm
Lonesome
25 Mar. 1911
E254261
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
22/26
30 The
Musical
uarterly
Title
Copyrightate Copyrighto.
65.
I
Beg
Your
ardon,
earOld
Broadway
28
Mar. 1911
E254307
66.
WhenYou're
n
Town
11
Apr.
1911
E254667
67.
Businesss Business 21
Apr.
1911
E255849
68.
Spanish
ove 25
Apr.
1911
E255927
69. DownTo The
Folies
ergere
24
Apr.
1911 E255928
70.
When t
Rains,
weetheart,
hen
t Rains
29
Apr.
1911
E257181
71.
Don't
Put
OutThe
Light
6
May
1911
E257470
72.
Molly-O
h,
Molly
13
May
1911
E257638
73.WhenYouKissAnItalian irl 16June 911 E259700
74.
Ephraham
layed
pon
The Piano 20
June
911
E260178
75.
You've uilt
A Fire own
n
My
Heart 20
June
911
E260179
76.
Woodman,
oodman,
pare
hatTree
27
June
911 E260385
77.
Run
HomeAndTell YourMother
29
June
911
E260540
78.
After he
Honeymoon
23
Aug.
1911
E262997
79.
That
Mysterious
ag
31
Aug.
1911 E265636
80. One O'Clock
n
The
Morning
GetLonesome 16
Sept.
1911
E266077
81. There's Girl
n Havana 19
Sept.
1911
E266188
82. Don'tTakeYour eauTo The Seashore 22Sept.1911 E266385
83.
Dog
GoneThat
Chilly
Man 30
Sept.
1911
E266709
84.
Ragtime
iolin 6 Oct. 1911 E266996
85.
Yiddisha
ightingale
7
Oct.
1911
E268019
86.
My
Melody
ream
14
Oct.
1911 E268592
87.
You'veGot
Me
Hypnotized
2
Nov. 1911
E269368
88.
Everybody'soing
t Now
2
Nov. 1911 E269369
89.
Bring
ack
My
Lovin'Man 16 Nov. 1911
E271161
90. Sombrero
and
17
Nov. 1911
E271198
91. CuddleUp 24Nov. 1911 E271441
92.
Bring
Me A
Ring
n
the
pring
nd
'll
Know
5
Dec.
1911
E271969
That
You
Love
Me
93. He Promised e
12 Dec. 1911
E272255
94.
Meet
Me
To-Night
12 Dec. 1911
E272256
95.
Yankee
ove
15 Dec. 1911
E272387
96.
HowDo YouDo
It, Mabel,
On
Twenty
ollars 19 Dec. 1911
E272549
Week?
97.
Pick, ick,
ick,
ickOn The
Mandolin,
ntonio
2
Jan.
912
E274520
98. I Want o BeIn Dixie 18Jan. 912 E275297
99. Take
A
Little
ip
From ather
20
Jan.
912
E275357
100.
Ragtime
ocking
ird
25
Jan.
912
E275605
101.Alexander's
ag-Pipe
and 10 Feb.
1912
E278333
102.
Opera
Burlesque
24
Feb. 1912
E279162
103.
Spring
ndFall
24
Feb.
1912
E279163
104.
've Got
To Have
SomeLovin'
Now
4
Mar.
1912
E279448
105.
Society
ear
1
Apr.
1912 E282261
106.
Lead
Me To ThatBeautiful
and
18
Apr.
1912
E283517
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
23/26
Irving
erlin
1
Title Copyright
ate
Copyright
o.
107.
Antonio
13
May
1912
E284515
108.
That's
How LoveYou
13
May
1912
E284516
109.
'm
Afraid,
retty
aid,
'mAfraid
6 Feb.
?]
1912
E284616
110.
The
Million
ollar
Ball
6
May
1912
E285079
111.
A True
Born
oldier
Man
15
May
1912
E285201
112.
Becky's
ot
A
Job
nA Musicalhow
6
June
912
E285627
113.
The
Ragtime
ockey
an
11
June
912
E285800
114.
When
Johnson's
uartette
armonize
11
June
912
E285801
115.Fiddle-Dee-DeeI) 12June 912 E285805
116.Call
Again
17
June
912
E285990
117.
Fiddle-Dee-Dee
II)
27
May
1912 E286188
118.
The Elevator
an
GoingUp,
GoingUp,
GoingUp,
5
July
912
E288757
GoingUp
119.
Ragtime
oldier
Man
12
July
912 E288879
120.
Keep
Away
rom
he FellowWho
Owns
An
9
Aug.
1912
E289979
Automobile
121.When
'm
Thinking
f
You
27
Sept.
1912
E296287
122.ComeBackToMe,MyMelody 8 Oct.1912 E296703
123.Do
It
Again
9
Oct.
1912
E296722
124.
A Little
itOf
Everything
18
Oct.
1912
E297194
125.Hiram's
and
21
Oct.
1912
E297549
126.When
The
Midnight
hoo-Choo
eaves
or
2
Nov. 1912
E297717
Alabam'
127.
When
Lost
You
8 Nov.
1912
E297996
128.
My
Sweet talian
Man
I)
31 Oct. 1912
E298124
129.
Down
n
My
Heart
30
Oct.
1912
E298127
130.At TheDevil's all I) 14Nov. 1912 E298534
131.
Follow
Me Around
13 Nov. 1912 E298601
132.
fAll The Girls
KnewWere
ike
You 15 Nov.
1912
E298624
133.
At The Devil's
all
II)
18 Dec. 1912
E299488
134.
Wait
Until
our
addy
omes
Home
19
Dec.
1912 E299526
135.Don't
Leave
YourWife
Alone
20
Nov. 1912
E300049
136.
Yiddisha
rofessor
23
Nov. 1912
E300175
137.
Goody,
oody, oody,
oody,
ood
11
Dec. 1912
E300412
138.
He's So
Good
To Me
4
Jan.
913 E300853
139.AtThe Devil's all III) 8Jan. 913 E301125
140.
At
The Picture
how
20
Jan.
913
E301409
141.
Anna Liza's
Wedding
ay
15
Jan.
913
E304024
142.
Welcome
ome
23
Jan.
913
E304275
143.
n
My
Harem
1 Feb. 1913
E304585
144.
My
Sweet
talian
Man
II)
21
Feb.
1913 E305080
145.
Snookey
okums
21 Feb. 1913
E305082
146.
The
Apple
ree
AndThe Bumble ee
7
Mar. 1913
E305272
147.
San
Franciscoound
13 Mar.1913
E398411
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
24/26
32
TheMusical
uarterly
Title
Copyrightate Copyrighto.
148.
You Picked
Bad
Day
OutTo
Say
Good-bye
25
Apr.
1913
E309405
149.
Happy
ittle
ountry
irl
21
May
1913
E309806
150.
We Have
Much o Be Thankful
or
21
May
1913
E309808
151.
The
Ki-I-Youdleing
og
4
Apr.
1913
E310146
152.
Keep
On
Walking
14
Apr.
1913
E310336
153.
The Old
Maids all
16
Apr.
1913
E310412
154.
The Pullman
ortersn Parade
14
May
1913
E311090
155.
Abie
Sings
An
Irish
ong
15
May
1913
E311248
156.TheMonkeyoodleDoo 15May1913 E311249
157.
Somebody's
oming
o
My
House
15
May
1913
E311250
158. Was
Aviating
round
16
May
1913
E311257
159.
They've
otMe Doin'
t Now
17
June
913
E311999
160.
Jake ake
he Yiddisher
all-Player
2
July
913
E314881
161.The
nternational
ag
12
Aug.
1913
E315561
162.KissYour
ailor
oy
Goodbye
15
Aug.
1913
E315602
163.
TakeMe Back
8
Sept.
1913
E315974
164.
They've
otMe Doin'
t Now
Medley)
11
July
913
E318425
165.You'veGotYourMother'sigBlueEyes 12Sept.1913 E319799
166.There's
Girl
n
Arizona
17
Sept.
1913
E320280
167.
f
YouDon't
WantMe
(Why
o
You
Hang
24
Sept.
1913 E322039
Around)
168.
Tra-La, a,
La
24
Sept.
1913
E322040
169. Down n
Chattanooga
21
Nov. 1913
E323417
170.
Daddy,
ome
Home
16
Dec.
1913
E328318
171.
This s The Life
I)
26
Jan.
914
E330482
172.
Follow he Crowd
30
Jan.
914
E330624
173. t sn'tWhatHe Said,ButTheWayHe Said t 11Feb.1914 E330899
174.
LoveTo
Quarrel
With
ou
10
Feb.
1914
E330900
175.
He's
A
Devil
n
His
Own
HomeTown
14
Mar.
1914
E331516
176.
This s The Life
II)
21
Feb.
1914
E334172
177.
Along
ameRuth
1
May
1914
E335767
178.
f
Had You
1
May
1914
E335768
179.
f
YouDon't
Want
My
Peaches
You'd
Better
9
May
1914
E335865
Stop
haking
y
Tree)
180.
God Gave
You
To Me
29
Apr.
1914
E338500
181.They'renTheirWayTo Mexico 2May1914 E338892
182.
The Haunted ouse
27
May
1914 E339657
183.
Want
o
Go BackTo
Michigan
Down
On 30
July
914 E343400
The
Farm)
184.
f
That's
our
dea OfA Wonderful
ime 22
June
914
E345233
(Take
Me
Home)
185.
Always
reat
Her
LikeA
Baby
24
Aug.
1914 E347212
186.
He's
A
Rag
Picker
28
Sept.
1914 E347874
187.
Furnishing
Home
For
Two
8
Oct.
1914
E347984
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
25/26
Irving
erlin
3
Title Copyright
ate
Copyright
o.
188.
Stay
Down
Here
Where ou
Belong
20 Oct.
1914 E349008
189.
That's
My
dea
Of
Paradise 10 Oct.
1914
E352071
190.
When
t's
Night
ime
n DixieLand
5 Dec.
1914
E349951
Songs
y
Berlin
opyrighted
ut ot
ublished
It Can't
Be Did 13
Apr.
1910
E229418
Angelo
13
Apr.
1910
E229420
Songs
y
Berlinot
opyrighted,
ut
ecorded
HowCanYouLoveSuchA Man? 1910
WhatAm Gonna
Do?
1911
The
Funny
ittle
Melody
1912
Revival
ay
1914
Show
ongs y
Berlinever
opyrighted,
ublished
or
ecorded
He
Sympathized
ithMe
1910
My
Wife
ridget
1910
Answer
e
1911
Keep
A
Taxi
Waiting,
ear
1911
Copyrighted
ongsrroneously
ttributedoBerlin
The
Yiddisha
ag
6
Dec. 1909 E220836
Too
Many yes
Are
Making
yes
At Me
3
Jan.
910 E223058
The Yiddisha
ag
for
iano]
1 Feb. 1910
E226001
(these
hree re
by
Joseph
.
McKeon,
W.
Raymond
arris
Harry
.
Piano)
Good-Bye,
eckie ohn
11
Apr.
1910
E229269
(words
yHarry
run,
music
y
Fred
ischer)
Brand
ew
25
Jan.
912
E275604
(by
CecilMack
&
Chris
mith,
or
he how
he
Knows etter
ow)
MyHeather ell 10Feb. 1912 E278334
(words
y
E.
Ray
Goetz,
music
y
A. Baldwin
loane)
Lonely
Moon
25
Oct.
1912
E297552
(words
y
E.
Ray
Goetz,
music
y
A. Baldwin
loane)
"Father's
eard"
1912),
oftenisted s a
song,
s a
strophicoem
y
Berlin
erhaps
intended
or audeville
erformance,
ith last
erse
o be
sung
o the
une
f
The
Rosary."
Notes
The author
ould
ike o thank
he
rving
erlin usic
ompany,
odgers
ndHam-
merstein
usic,
nd he
amily
f
rving
erlin or heir
enerous
ssistance.
1.
Israel
angwill,
he
Melting-Pot.
rama
n Four
Acts
New
York: he Macmillan
Company,
909),
198-99.
2.
Zangwill,
he
Melting-Pot,
2.
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8/19/2019 Early Songs- Irving Berlin
26/26
34
The
Musical
uarterly
3.
Irving
owe,
World
f
Our
Fathers
New
York;
ondon: arcourt
race
ovano-
vich, 976), 02.
4.
Henry ames,
he
American
cene
New
York:
orizon
ress,
967),
20.
5.
Stephan
hernstrom,d.,
Harvard
ncyclopediaf
American
thnic
roups
Cam-
bridge
A;
London:
arvard
niversity
ress,
980),
92.
6. New
York;
ondon: . P.
Putnam's
ons,
1925.
7.
Woollcott,
18-20.
8.
Most
ubsequent
riters
ave
uncritically
ccepted
oollcott's
rofile
fBerlins
"creative
gnoramus."
avid
wen,
n
GreatMen
f
American
opularongEngle-
wood liffs:rentice-Hall,970), indst"extraordinary.. that erlin asrisen
this
igh
with lmost o
musical
quipment
o
provide
im
with he uel or is
flight
to the
highest
ltitudes
f
his
profession"
114),
and
Michael
reedland'sSalute
o
Irving
erlin
London:
W.
H.
Allen,
974)
ikewise
erpetuates
he
myth
f n
"untrained"
usician. nd
ven
hough
aurence
ergreen's
ecent
iography
s
Thousandsheer:
he
Life f rving
erlin
New
York:
iking,
990)
uncoversddi-
tional actualnformationbout erlin's
arly ears,
he uthor
s
so committed
o the
notion
f
n
untrainedusician
orking
ith n
artistically
nferiorusical
enre
that
e
canoffer
o
new
nsights
nto he
reation,
roduction,
nd
reception
f
popular
usic.
nly
an Whitcomb's
rving
erlin
nd
Ragtime
merica
NewYork:
Limelight
ditions,
988),
quirky,maginative
econstructionfBerlin's
arly ears
drawing
n the uthor'sntimate
nowledge
f he
ongs
hemselvesnd nterviews
with everalfBerlin'sirst
ssociates,
ffers
he
lternate
iew f
Berlins a
thor-
oughly
rofessional
usician.
9.
Marilynerger,
ewYork
imes,
3
September
989,
.
1.
10.
Charles
.
Harris,
fter
heBall:
orty
ears
fMelody:
n
Autobiography
New
York:
rank-Maurice,
926),
18.
11. TheGreen ook
Magazine
No.
2
(August
913):
09.
12. Unpublishedyricsitednthis rticlere akenromhe rvingerlin ollec-
tion
n
the
Library
f
Congress.
erlin's
ractice
f
ncessantly
otting
own
ommen-
tariesn
his
wn
ife,
ften
ryly
umorous,
s well s
potentialyrics
or
ongs,
continued.
he
following
s dated
7
July
986,
when erlin as
ninety-sixears
ld:
I.
Berlin
s n
the
obby
Of
an inn
nd hat's
is
hobby
There e
sits,
pittin'
n theRitz
?
1992
The Estate
f
rving
erlin
13.
Irving
owe,
he
mmigrant
ews
f
NewYork:
881 o
he resent
London;
Boston: outledge Kegan aul, 976), 56.
14.
Bergreen,
s Thousandsheer.