Lyr Req: Go Way Back and Sit Down

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Lyr Req: Go Way Back and Sit Down

17 Apr 01 - 08:28 PM (#443012)
Subject: Go Way Back and Sit Down
From: Haruo

A popular song written around 1880 by Al Johns (apparently words and music); it is the ground of a parodic booster song for Everett, Washington, dated 1902, of whose text I read "Lyrics for the song were written by the Everett Chamber of Commerce and first sung on February 5,1902, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the filing of the Everett Land Company's Plat of Everett." (Washington Songs and Lore, comp. Linda Allen). This has got to be one of the stellar examples of songwriting by committee (and presumably a somewhat right-wing committee at that); I'm interested in seeing the original to see what they were working from and how impressed I ought to be with their product. Being a patriotic and stalwart Seattleite, I am of course less than impressed with the overt content of the parody ;-)

Liland

17 Apr 01 - 11:14 PM (#443122)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Way Back and Sit Down
From: Sorcha

Liland, is that also the title of the original?? Levy has one song by Al Johns, but it isn't that one. 1901 is the date I am finding for "Go Way Back"....and no lyrics for that.

17 Apr 01 - 11:22 PM (#443125)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Way Back and Sit Down
From: mousethief

Is this in that "songs and lore of washington" book? If you haven't looked yet, I can have a look-see tomorrow afternoon, as there's a copy in our local library.

Alex

18 Apr 01 - 07:24 PM (#443867)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Way Back and Sit Down
From: Haruo

My only source of information is the Washington Songs and Lore book (yes, Alex, that one), which gives the Everett parody text (p. 154). But what I was wondering about was the original text. All it says (p. 151) is:

For unabashed boosterism few songs could surpass "Go Way Back and Sit Down." The lyrics for the song were written by the Everett Chamber of Commerce and first sung on February 5, 1902, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the filing of the Everett Land Company's Plat of Everett. Everett's version of "Go Way Back and Sit Down" was a parody of a popular song of the same title written around 1880 by Al Johns. The popular inference from the phrase was that the subject [frequently Seattle - Liland] seat himself on the nearest pulbic convenience [i.e. water closet? - Liland]! We've included just a few verses for your enjoyment.

Liland

01 Jun 02 - 05:54 PM (#721256)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Way Back and Sit Down
From: Jim Dixon

The library at Virginia Union University, Richmond, VA lists this in its catalog:

"Go Way Back and Sit Down" words by Elmer Bowman, music by Al Johns, published by F.A. Mills, 1901.

Millersville University, Millersville, PA also has it (but not online).

It was also recorded by Silas Leachman in 1901.

Apparently "Go way back and sit down" was a popular catch phrase in the 1890's, but I couldn't determine where it came from. Here's a quote from a short story called "Head and Shoulders" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1922:

"My heavens!" cried Marcia in alarm. "All that? On tacks, I suppose."

"Tacks-- yes," he agreed wildly-- "on anything. The more I think of how they allowed me to become a little dried-up mummy-- "

Sort of a euphemism for "go to hell" I suppose.

01 Jun 02 - 08:03 PM (#721313)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Way Back and Sit Down
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

I wonder? Back of the bus was where blacks had to sit. In 1900, the practice was not restricted to the deep south.

17 Sep 07 - 08:40 AM (#2151032)
Subject: Lyr Add: GO WAY BACK AND SIT DOWN (Bowman, Johns)
From: Jim Dixon

Indiana University has the sheet music, but images aren't available online. The lyrics were copied from eBay, where a copy of the sheet music is being offered for sale. The Internet Archive has a recording sung by Dan W. Quinn. The Library of Congress has a version, lacking the second verse, sung by Silas Leachman. The Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project has a recording by Will F. Denny.

GO WAY BACK AND SIT DOWN
Words, Elmer Bowman. Music, Al Johns.
New York : F.A. Mills, 1901.
Performer: Grace Tysou

Old Sam Jones runs and owns
   A cafe on Easy Street,
But a coon hangs 'round that he calls down
   That will never ever treat.
He likes his gin and will "butt in"
   To every argument,
But when Sam's there, he doesn't dare;
   He acts much different.
He ain't got nothin', won't do nothing'.
   There's nothing he will try,
But humiliates and aggravates
   The customers that buy.
'Twas left to Sam, the proprietor man,
   To find this darkey out,
And when he did, there was nothing hid.
   Everybody heard Sam shout:

CHORUS: "Go way back, and sit down.
Coons in your class are easy found.
You seldom have money. You never treat.
Get in your place and take a back seat.
Go way back and sit down."

This coon will hear for many a year
   "Go way back and sit down".
He's got no vim. The shoe fits him,
   Still he keeps on hanging around.
He still does say there'll come the day
   When better times he'll see.
If he keeps his health, he'll sure have wealth
   And live in luxury.
He bet on a horse that always lost,
   The coons all laughed at him.
But this time it won at a hundred to one,
   Then thousands he "cashed in".
He left the field in an automobile
   That took him to Sam's place.
Sam thought he was broke, and started to joke,
   So he told Sam to his face: CHORUS