Tho't I'd send this one out to the collective Mudcat wisdom, particularly any Aussies out there.

I've been singing this song since the 80's; I learned it off of a Jules Verne Allen recording from 1918-29. Dandy song, starts out like this:

"Time will tell is a proverb, and its old and tired and true
But the only thing it ever said to me is I'm making a fool of you..."

OK, so here's the deal: in researching this song, I can find tons of references to the composer, one F. Collis Wildman. Wildman was a prolific and popular composer; he even sued the New York Times for copyright infringement.

He published the song in 1912; it was included in "Dinsdale's Popular Six Penny Edition" from around 1917 in Melbourne; and it seems to have been quite a hit in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland.

What I cannot find is an early recording or digital copy of this song; or any song composed by Wildman, for that matter. "Johnnie Woggle Bond Street Crawl" begs to be heard.

Now can I find much in the way of biographical info on the composer.

So, any ideas? Any of you 'Cats in Australia want to zip over to the National Library and take a look at the only copy of "Dinsdale's... # 213?"

Mucho mahalos!