Folklore: Songs They Sang in Boston Speakeasies

Subject: Folklore: Songs They Sang in Boston Speakeasies
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Dec 22 - 03:44 PM

The Boston Herald of Apr. 16, 1933 has an amusing column about songs that had been popular among topers dring Prohibition.

Here's the list, arranged in categories:

"Primary Exhilaration"

Ach, Du Lieber Augustin
Sweet Adeline

"Four to Six Steins"

Sweet Rosie O’Grady
The Old Mill Stream
East Side, West Side
My Wild Irish Rose

"After Midnight"

When You and I Were Young, Maggie
There’s a Long, Long Trail
Annie Laurie

"Comic Relief"

The King of England
My Name is Samuel Hall
Mademoiselle from Armentieres.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs They Sang in Boston Speakeasies
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Dec 22 - 04:37 PM

songs I recognise - Sweet Adeline, My Wild Irish Rose, When You and I Were Young, Maggie & Mademoiselle from Armentieres. Doesn't mean I know more than a chorus & a few other words!

I wonder if there is a similar list for Australia - Google doesn't say - but an Australian list would contain lots of US & UK hits

sandra

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs They Sang in Boston Speakeasies
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 17 Dec 22 - 04:38 PM

Documented by Damon Runyon*, who is around and about at the time, and who I trust is not one to confuse the issue:

Little White Lies
The Old Oaken Bucket
My Dad's Dinner Pail
Chloe
Melancholy Baby
Home, Sweet Home
I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby

This is all at four o'clock in the morning in Good Time Charley Bernstein's little joint in Forty-Eighth Street. But as they do quartet singing, this may bias the sample, or otherwise tilt the table, at that.

* At the beginning of The Lily of St Pierre, in Runyon on Broadway.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs They Sang in Boston Speakeasies
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 17 Dec 22 - 04:43 PM

.... Apologies: I only now see "Boston". I hang my head in shame.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs They Sang in Boston Speakeasies
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 20 Dec 22 - 10:41 AM

No reason for shame. Pretty sure Tin Pan Alley, theatre, train travel, traveling salesmen, and radio would have spread singable songs between NY and Boston pretty thoroughly.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs They Sang in Boston Speakeasies
From: Lighter
Date: 20 Dec 22 - 11:19 AM

Traveling salesmen (among others) must have been notably responsible for spreading "Sam Hall," "Mademoiselle from Armentieres," and "The [Bastard] King of England" in authentic versions.