[Dixielandjazz] Entertainer discussion...

[Don Kirkman]

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:10:34 +0000, Bill Gunter wrote:

>Regarding lyrics to "The Entertainer" - Years and years ago on an early TV 
>variety show (I don't recall which one) I watched and listened to Comedian 
>Milton Berle do the song. He introduced it by saying "Most people don't know 
>that 'The Entertainer' has lyrics, but it does and here's how it goes . . ." 
>He then sang some fairly maudlin and boiler plate sort of lyrics to the 
>tune.  I don't recall them other than I thought they were pretty corny.  I 
>also recall feeling at the time that Joplin did not write lyrics to this to 
>(or perhaps not to any of his ragtime tunes) although he must have written 
>lyrics from time to time - after all, he wrote an opera - "Treemonisha."

>I tried Googling the lyrics (naturally) but was unable to unearth anything. 
>If anyone finds anything definitive regarding lyrics to any of Joplin's 
>tunes I be interested in knowing it.

Lyrics to the first two strains of Maple Leaf Rag were written by Sydney
Brown in 1904, copyright 1973 by California Music Press and printed in a
folio whose front and back covers have gone missing.  They are
accurately described as "maudlin."  :-)

According to They All Played Ragtime, Joplin wrote words to The Rag Time
Dance (1902), A Real Slow Drag (from Treemonisha, 1913), and Frolic of
the Bears (from Treemonisha, 1915).

He also wrote two waltzes, A Picture of Her Face (1895) and Please Say
You Will (1895).

Others who set words to Joplin:
Henry Jackson (1902) -  I'm Thinking of My Pickaninny Days
Louise Armstrong Bristol (1903) - Little Black Baby
Henry Jackson (1905) - Sarah Dear
Owen Spendthrift (1907) - When Your Hair is like the Snow
Joe Snyder (1910) - Pineapple Rag Song



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Don Kirkman