A question about Stephen Foster's song...

Hi Dave: Good question and musicologists could make a book out of the question citing other examples. I don't think it means that much at all. Stephen Foster was writing minstrel Show music at the time.
Music was needed for the Banjo & Mandolin for beginners. The thought was in the same theme and easily rhymed with "Day".
Foster wrote both the words and music to his songs. Most were not even popular until the war. Old Folks at Home was like that and played in the South in 1850 by word of
mouth. When Firth Pond & Co originally copywrited Foster music it was printed and came North but it took about 30 years.
Then a new publisher Oliver Ditson & Co sent the music World Wide. They were so big they had offices in Boston, NY, Philadelphia & Chicago. It is interesting that Foster Music was selling for a dollar. when similiar music was ten cents. I have a lot of it including two rare of Old Folks At Home and
Massa's In De Cold Cold Ground. That I found in
The Old S. Bookstore in Seattle.. and did I let out a scream when I saw the price was only fifty cents. (but that was 50 years ago).
Other Great Songs like that for Banjo are: Don't you wish you could - In the Gloaming - My Pretty Jane -Over the Garden Wall - The Old Kitchen Floor - Widow Nolan's Goat - Take Me Home and that racy sinful song The Car Driver.
mory

...question, Dave! I perceive it as a directive, as in, "I bet on A, so one of you guys bet against me on B!". Of course, no money exchanges hands unless somebody bets against one.

What kinds of answers did you get on other sites?

Jabbergah                                                  

I think is just the old poetry style of AA BB ETC.

Song - Long In - tin day - bay

Hoss - across hole - pole track - back
Car- star heat - repeat nag - bag

Camptown was one of the first songs to be digitized when transistors were first used in Arcade games - so a whole new generation learned it. It is now in a Midi file everywhere.

I feel the line also means I am betting on the Nag Horse you go bet on the Bay Horse. It's the Slave betting on the underdog and he wins. The original Banjo was made from a field gourd and sticks and string. But It emerged as one of the greatest songs of the American Civil War 1861 to 65 though the song was written in 1850.
The Original Text was in Fosters Plantation Melodies and sung in New Orleans it was also sung by the Christy and Campbell Minstrels and then in Blackface. mory

...I will hold off until later giving the results on the other board. And, the original question was asked by a mrmber of another collector's mailing list that I belong to. Strangely, NO responses were received on that board; possibly because it was, perish the thought, OFF TOPIC!! Heavens to Murgatroyd! Off topic, oh no! Yes, that is the attitude of that board (or is that bored); plus they even had a "Review Team" to make sure you followed the guidelines!



Dave

"The waist is a terrible thing to mind."

Dave, shame on you!!!




LMAO! Are we EVER on topic here?

Not Hardly and we just NEVER Butt in right LMAO - on the floor

Mory! Get off of that floor!!

Mory..ROFLMAO

Dave, I keep reading your question about Camptown Races. Used to sing it as a child. Don't understand the confusion. It simply says he bet on the Nag , someone else bet on the bay (mare)..what are you asking?

Is it a statement that someone DID bet on the bay

Or a plea for someone TO bet on the bay

Or a question DID someone bet on the bay?

Plain and simple, Puppy! It is in his style. I had a book of his works as a child and sang them over and over!

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Plain and simple

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So... what's the answer?

p.s. My vote...
... A statement that someone DID bet on the bay.

I see it as a plea - but kind of off hand for someone to bet on the Bay... Of course I don't really have any idea as it was written in the vernacular of a negro slave visiting the races. ie.
De Camp town ladies sing dis song -Doo-dah! doo-dah!

Yes, I do too, Puppy. Because of the influx of the music when it is sung. It is sung as a statement.

...#2 (plea)

Jabbergah                                                  

Jabber...go to your corner!! LMAO!!

...me of the movie, "Blazing Saddles"!

Jabbergah                                                  

Listen, guys, I knew the man and I asked him and he said...

I just went in the Shower ( I only sing there) and sang the entire song - Trust me, It's a Plea - and ifin it ain't it shudav been - mory

Mory, you are too young to have known him...actually, I dated him and ..it is a statement..he said so over a soda!...with two straws!

Puppy, shall I send him to his corner with Jabber?

Puppy, when do you get another pup?

OK I'm freezing at the keyboard I"m off to the kitchen to make HOT soup - see you ManYanna everyone

Nite Mory..sweet dreams!

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Mrs.M:
Puppy, when do you get another pup?

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All they will say is 'Soon'.

They seem to think my current guy still has a little to much pup and not enough dog. I think he is just 'high energy' and may always be that way. He will have to be placed with someone that is ALWAYS busy and on the go. Baring any physical problem, he may end up with US Customs. (They love dogs like that)

His sister went in already and washed out for growling... The Chicago PD took her, so she may end up being 'Officer Winnie'!

Here's my guy. 16 months old now.

He is beautiful! A Lab?

Yes, has 2 brothers and 3 sisters.

...Thank you for your responses; I have this mental image of all of you singing "Camptown Races" again and again all day Friday! Number one on Friday's Hit Parade! The results from the other board were exactly evenly divided between #1 and #2. And no one thought of Puppy's #3: "DID someone...". Anyway, I did learn some interesting ideas about Foster and his music. BTW, Camptown is just about the only piece of his that I really like. Again, Thank you for the input.



Dave

"The waist is a terrible thing to mind."

LOL I only thought of #3 cuz your original post mentioned it. It was #2 (the plea) you left out.

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Is "Somebody bet on the bay" a question such as "did somebody..." or a statement such as " Somebody just placed a bet..."?

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Way down upon the Swaneee River - thts my favorite Stephen Foster ...Dave

It was written for Memorial Day for the
returning soldiers.. and one of the few songs written for male voices. ..Mory

Good Morning All: Puppy - Beautiful Lab - bet he is a great swimmer - Didn't see you mention a name yet?
Have to go pickup my VCR at the repair shop - out for a while. mory

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Didn't see you mention a name yet?

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His name is Winter... I know... not so terrific a name, but it had to start with a W, and should be two syllables, easy to say, not a person name, and not already used by another pup or dog in training.

There was already a Spring, Summer, and Autumn, so Winter seemed like a good idea.

Beings he is all black, winter is sort of out of place, but, hey, I like it anyway!

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Originally posted by Mrs.M:
Mory, you are too young to have known him...actually, I dated him and ..it is a statement..he said so over a soda!...with two straws!

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Soda? Are you sure that wasn't a sasparilla?

Mother Mary Says, 'HONESTLY! you're just ruint!'

Ok, well, didn't want to give away my age!

Dr Pepper and Cherry Phosphate and Hires Root Beer were out then. I can remember the Cherry Phosphate with Vanilla Ice cream at my Grandmother's Pharmacy in Greybull Wyoming,
I was 7 in the first grade. The only thing I remember of my first years before age 10 is the Soda Fountain. She had only one dispenser and when the gal of cherry ran out she filled the syrup holder with Lime.
I thought that was the end of the earth and summer. Finally a week before returning to School the Cherry came back.