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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Remembering Johnny Sands

Barry Evans
Barry Evans

Some months back when we downsized, we had to find homes for or get rid of lots of possessions. Among them were numerous books for which we had no room. We kept some, particularly those about which the Blonde in the house had some emotional feelings. They included a few that had come down from family members.
One of these was a book that had been her great aunt’s which had been published in 1909 in Boston. It seems that the influential National Magazine (which I am certain that you all recall) put out a request to the public to send them their favorite “melodies of days gone by”. Well people did just that, and they ended up with 25,000 Americans submitting their favorites.
The influential National Magazine, edited by Joe Mitchell Chapple, then put out Heart Songs, Dear to the American People. It is a publication of approximately 500 pages with the lyrics and music of each song. I did not take the time to look at them all, but they varied considerably as I guess people over 100 years ago had varying tastes too.
As you may imagine, may of the songs were tributes to women like Bonnie Eloise, the Belle of the Mohawk Vale; Who is Sylvia; Miss Lucy Long: and even one you might remember – Buffalo Gals. However, the one that interested me the most was one with a man’s name, namely the famous (at the time), Johnny Sands. In fact the song is so full of pathos that I thought I would give you the lyrics as most of you may not recall the tunes from 1909. I think the lyrics have some modern connotations that need to be explored.

Johnny Sands

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 said, that 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 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”

Now, today rap artists get a bad rap because of the violence in their lyrics. But here we have one of the most popular songs of the very early 1900’s and it was beloved by all (I assume.) The author of the song was the famous John Sinclair (again I am assuming because I wasn’t around then). He may well be the first rap artist as there are really few changes in human history – or mentality.
Now, of course not all authors (or composers) are lacking. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was a sustaining member of the NVGA (Not Very Good Author’s) Club. We know a good author when we read one – even if we aren’t. One of the good ones is Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy who is the son of our friends and neighbors John and Marjorie O’Shaughnessy. He recently wrote a well-received book – The Men Who Lost America” that everybody did like!
Actually, he has written other books that people liked, but this one received a $50,000 award from the New York Historical Society as well as the George Washington History Prize also worth $50,000. Andrew may not go down as a “rap” innovator, but he will go down as a historian who gave a lucid explanation of what happened during the Revolutionary War.
That is definitely worth more than bad lyrics!

Barry Evans is a Villager and regular contributor to Villages-News.com

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