Had lovely time in Australia, was home about 5 days and suddenly have a near death cancer situation in the family.   i apologize for not updating as I said I would.  This was total shock to everyone and is a time for family gathering.   Will get back as soon as I can....promise.

Current Mood: busy

traveling for a few days....look for another entry after March 16th

Several good reference books for looking up information ond books are: 
1) Variety Music Cavalcade by Julius Mattfield - periodically revised; music and history listed by each individual year
2) A History of Popular Music in America by Sigmund Spaeth - up to 1948  Chapters are by decades (1920, 1880, etc)  this one gives history about the songs and composers
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In 1842 Abraham Llincoln  was courting Mary Todd whom he eventually married.   He was known to have a sense of humor and I picture him laughing so hard he almost fell off his char after hearing this song.   This song is 155 years old but timless in its humor.  I almost passed it by because I was looking for songs with interesting titles...just proves you should never judge a book by its cover.  I sang this for a California Insurance conference and used it as a type of insurance song....if both these people came to you for a policy, which one would you consider a risk?(that was before they heard the song).  

A man whose name was Johnny Sands had married Betty Hague
And though she brought him gold and lands she proved a terrible plague
For Oh! she was a scolding wife, full of caprice and whim.
He told her he was tired of life, and she was tired of him.
Says he,"then I will drown myself, the river runs below."
Says she, "pray do you silly elf, I wished it long ago."
Says he, "upon the brink I'll stand, do you run down the hill
And push me in with all your might,"  Says she, "my love, I will."

"For fear that I should courage lack and try to save my life,
pray tie my hands behind my back," "I will" replied his wife.
She tied them fast as you may think, and when securely done,
"Now stand" she says " upon the brink and I'll prepare to run".
All down the hill his loving bride now ran with all her force
to push him in;-- he stepped aside, and she fell in of course.
Now splashing, dashing like a fish, "Oh save me, Johnny Sands."
"I can't my dear, tho much I wish, for you have tied my hands!"
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During the Civil War there was a type of military draft, but a number of ways to get out of it, including paying someone to take your place.
I found these words (part of a song) in a book, but only these lines.

I cannot find a wife;  I cannot find a sub; 
and what I next shall do now, really is the rub.
My money's almost gone, and I am nearly daft.
Will someone tell me what to do to get out of the draft.