For Months and Months and Months

[Roaring20s]

I recently picked up this record and was very amused. I had to investigate its content against what was happening in 1910.

Hear the song...
http://victor.library.ucsb.edu/index.ph ... and_months

I could not find the lyrics on line, so I transcribed it. Hope I got it right.

For Months and Months and Months

My mother always told me that I had a splendid voice.
In fact I'd sing in opera if they give me my choice.
I wrote to Oscar Hammerstein that I would be his star,
He said come down and sing for me and I'll see how good you are.

And I don't suppose I'll do it again for months and months and months.
No I don't suppose I'll do it again for months and months and months.
I sang The Wise Old Owl and he left the room at once,
So I don't suppose I'll do it again for months and months and months.

A lady friend of mine one day thought it would be a joke,
To walk into a restaurant and have a little smoke.
She smoked a little cigarette just like a Suffragette,
Then all the papers wrote of her and they haven't stopped it yet.

But I don't suppose she'll smoke again for months and months and months.
No, I don't suppose she'll smoke again for months and months and months.
If she really wants to smoke she should try a bike just once,
And I don't believe she'll do it again for months and months and months.

One day an aviator took out his aeroplane,
And flew from New York town to Philadelphia like a train,
And when those Philadelphian's saw him they set up a wail,
So they thought that he must really be ole Halley's comet's tail.

And they won't know who it really was for months and months and months.
No, they won't get wise to who it was for months and months and months.
I bought an aeroplane myself and I'm going to fly at once,
But I may not get out of the hospital for months and months and months.

Now all you married gentlemen should bless the hobble skirt.
I'll show you how to tame your wife if you are real alert.
In case you come home late at night and wifey makes a roar,
Just pick her up and spread her out upon the parlor floor.

And I don't think she'll get up again for months and months and months.
No, I don't think she'll get up again for months and months and months.
You can go back to your club and enjoy yourself for once,
And your wife will stay just were she's put for months and months and months.


Worthy material pulled from the headlines of 1910.

Oscar Hammerstein abandoned grand opera due to excesses of artistic temperament.
(The nerve of the man in the song to audition singing a nursery rhyme.)

Woman's suffrage gained popularity as a new generation of women begin to embrace the cause.
( The hobble skirt would not allow such a vulgar stance.)



Aero-history was being made by Glenn Curtiss. He flew 137 miles, from Albany, N.Y., along the Hudson River to New York City in just under 153 minutes, averaging 55 mph.



Halley's comet appeared in 1835 and Mark Twain was born. In 1909, knowing that the comet was due to make another pass the following year, Twain predicted he would die when it did. He did. Others predicted the end of all life on earth if its tail brushed it. It missed.



U.S. Supreme Court denied a wife the right to prosecute her husband for assault because to do so "would open the doors of the courts to accusations of all sorts of one spouse against another.”


Thanks for looking,
James.

Here is another song that I tried to gain perspective on...
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... f=3&t=6636

[barnettrp21122]

Thanks for your entertaining post!

I find it interesting that contemporary references in old recordings are easier to look up now that we have the internet.
It reminded me of a song on an Edison diamond disc celebrating Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel:

Trudy (B.A. Rolfe and His Palais D'Or Orchestra) DD 51828-R
https://www.box.com/shared/xq41cx96r4

gertrude ederle english channel.jpg (83.67 KiB) Viewed 2010 times

Bob

[EdiBrunsVic]

Thanks for sharing this interesting set of lyrics.

[Lucius1958]

I think, though, "bike" should actually be "pipe" - it makes more sense in the context.

Bill

[Roaring20s]

I glad this was interesting to you as well.

I did flip flop on Bike and Pipe.
A pipe literally creates a large amount of smoke.
Pants were part of the garb for riding a bike and figuratively could create a greater flap.
So if she really wants to smoke, smoke while riding a bike.

I listened again and slowed it down, I'll stick with Bike.
This may be the fist appearance of these lyrics on the web, so if anyone has the sheet music, it would be great the clean up the transcription.

Later in the song he talks about getting out of the hospital. Have these events land him in a sanitarium for some rest? Or, does it relate to the many injuries related to aeronautics?

[FloridaClay]

Great good fun. Thanks for the post.

Clay

[barnettrp21122]

I glad this was interesting to you as well.

I did flip flop on Bike and Pipe.
A pipe literally creates a large amount of smoke.
Pants were part of the garb for riding a bike and figuratively could create a greater flap.
So if she really wants to smoke, smoke while riding a bike.

I listened again and slowed it down, I'll stick with Bike.
This may be the fist appearance on these lyrics on the web, so if anyone has the sheet music, it would be great the clean up the transcription.

Later in the song he talks about getting out of the hospital. Have these events land him in a sanitarium for some rest? Or, does it relate to the many injuries related to aeronautics?

(Bob, the link to the Gertrude Ederle song took me to a sign in page and then an empty folder.)

Roaring20's:
I changed the link. Hope it works for you.
B.

[Roaring20s]

Bob, thanks for adding Trudy. The new link works fine.
The hero genre of song is fun too.
I have Jack Kaufman singing Lucky Lindy.