"So, what is the origin?"
Gilbert-Charles, 1932. Nassau, NP and NYC. Copyright published in the U.S. Congressional Record just like everything else they wrote from 1912 on. "Charles" was one of the pen names of Charles Leonard Lofthouse of Nassau, NP. Gilbert was Russian-American Louis Wolfe Gilbert
(See post at 27 May 15 - 10:12 PM.)


"Nothing to indicate it is traditional, or from the West Indies"
Traditional? Lofthouse was a member of the white "elite" (a grocer and dry goods merchant by trade; peas, rice and oil incl.) and Gilbert was straight Brill Building, TPA. A double disqualification on Mudcat one would think.

West Indian? Lofthouse (lyric) was born and raised Bahamian, second gen. Wolfe (music) was a naturalized American citizen. Whatevs.


Conch Trivia:
Charlie's father was Senior Methodist Missionary to all of the Bahamas (1827-67) after a four year apprenticeship in Mahaica (1828-31.) Both Charlie and his younger brother Alex were Wesleyan elders right through all the 19th century American field recording sessions (Charters/Lomax/et al.) It would be hard to overestimate the Lofthouse family's cultural influence on Bahamian gospel and hymn field recordings of that period.

Cousin Stafford Lofthouse Sands (who ran with American Meyer Lansky's mob) was the head of the Bahamian Tourist Board that really promoted the bejabbers out of "authentic" goombay-junkanoo music written by Charlie and another pro; American Alice D. Simms. Their commerical "Lomax" if you will, was former CBS television-sound engineer Harold E. Doane; founder of Miami, FL based American Recording and Transcription Service, Inc. (aka ART Records and others.)

Best online resource for Alice Simms (go figure):
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/music-search/music-songs-composers%20-%200559.htm