A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)

Wilson Gray wilson.gray at RCN.COM
Thu Mar 31 04:05:46 UTC 2005 

As fate would have it, I have many friends who use the pronunciation
"ballard," though they use the spelling "ballad." That's why it caught
my attention. I used to pronounce "God" as "guard," myself. But I
managed to kick the habit while still in primary school.

-Wilson Gray

On Mar 30, 2005, at 10:22 PM, Jerome Foster wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jerome Foster <funex79 at CHARTER.NET>
> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> Sorry about that "ballard". It was just a typo for "ballad."
> As for "from the left"...yes I meant that both Robeson and Earl
> Robinson,
> the composer of the piece, were both blacklisted and otherwise
> punished for
> their left connections during the McCarthy period.
>
> Jerome Foster
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Wilson Gray" <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 2:50 PM
> Subject: Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail
>> header -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ---------
>>
>> On Mar 30, 2005, at 5:26 PM, Jerome Foster wrote:
>>
>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>> -----------------------
>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Poster:       Jerome Foster <funex79 at CHARTER.NET>
>>> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> --
>>> --------
>>>
>>> That was "Ballard for Americans" which Bing Crosby recorded, though
>>> the
>>> original version was recorded by the great Paul Robeson. I'm sure Mr
>>> Gray
>>> can provide the details of its provenance which I don't remember
>>> except that
>>> it was written from the left...
>>>
>>> Jerome Foster.
>>
>> "'Ballard'"? Is "... written from the left ..." punning on Robeson's
>> involvement with the CPUSA?
>>
>> -Mr Gray
>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Robert Fitzke" <fitzke at MICHCOM.NET>
>>> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:46 PM
>>> Subject: Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>
>>>
>>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail
>>>> header -----------------------
>>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>> Poster:       Robert Fitzke <fitzke at MICHCOM.NET>
>>>> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> --
>>>> ---------
>>>>
>>>> My folks used to have some of Bing's stuff. I don't remember ever
>>>> hearing
>>>> him do "Shine" but I do have a recollection of a multiple 78 disc
>>>> set
>>>> that
>>>> was some kind of historical/patriotic thing in which he sings/talks
>>>> about
>>>> "We are endowed by our Creator wioth certain inalienable rights and
>>>> among
>>>> these rights ate LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS". I can
>>>> still
>>>> hear it my head. Also there were references to Chaim (?) Solomon and
>>>> other
>>>> Revolutionary figures. Stirring stuff to a kid in his single
>>>> digits. I
>>>> used
>>>> to think Bing was somewhat square until I heard him do some stuff
>>>> with
>>>> Louis
>>>> and then Ella. That changed my views. I also suspect he recognized
>>>> the
>>>> in-your-face lyrics of Shine when he did his version.
>>>>
>>>> Bob
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Wilson Gray" <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
>>>> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 12:36 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On Mar 30, 2005, at 9:18 PM, Robert Fitzke wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>>>> -----------------------
>>>>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>>>> Poster:       Robert Fitzke <fitzke at MICHCOM.NET>
>>>>>> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> ---
>>>>>> --------
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Verse seems to support the notion the author was turning
>>>>>> lemons
>>>>>> into
>>>>>> lemonade. Laine's version changes "Takes trouble...." to "Always
>>>>>> take
>>>>>> my
>>>>>> troubles with a great big smile" then "Just 'cause I'm always
>>>>>> handy,
>>>>>> Always
>>>>>> feelin' fine and dandy, That is...."
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Did you get anything about the author?
>>>>>>
>>>>> Damn! I didn't think about that at all. Hm. I'll see what I can
>>>>> find
>>>>> out. BTW, if I remember what I read correctly, way, way back when,
>>>>> Bing
>>>>> Crosby did a version of this in which he was backed up by the Mills
>>>>> Brothers. Der Bingle sang the "dirty" version, with the Brothers
>>>>> backgrounding him with a cleaned-up version. Weird, even if not
>>>>> true.
>>>>> *Really* weird, if true.
>>>>>
>>>>> -Wilson Gray
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: "Wilson Gray" <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
>>>>>> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>>>> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 7:50 PM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 1910 version of "Shine"
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> VERSE
>>>>>>>> When I was born they christened me plain Samuel Johnson Brown.
>>>>>>>> But I hadn't grown so very tall, 'fore some folks in this town
>>>>>>>> Had changed it 'round to "Sambo." I was "Rastus" to a few.
>>>>>>>> Then "Chocolate Drop" was added by some others that I knew.
>>>>>>>> And then, to cap the climax, I was strolling down the line
>>>>>>>> When someone shouted, "Fellas, hey! Come on and pipe the shine!"
>>>>>>>> But I don't care a bit.
>>>>>>>> Here's how I figure it:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> CHORUS
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Well, just because my hair is curly,
>>>>>>>> And just because my teeth is pearly,
>>>>>>>> Just because I always wears a smile,
>>>>>>>> Likes to dress up in the latest style.
>>>>>>>> Just because I'm glad I'm livin',
>>>>>>>> Takes trouble smilin', never whine.
>>>>>>>> Just because my color's shady,
>>>>>>>> Slightly different, maybe.
>>>>>>>> That is why they call me shine.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Mar 27, 2005, at 3:14 PM, Robert Fitzke wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>>>>>> -----------------------
>>>>>>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>>>>>> Poster:       Robert Fitzke <fitzke at MICHCOM.NET>
>>>>>>>> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> ---
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> --------
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Dear Mr. Gray:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm a 79 year old semi-retired lawyer and long-time ADS lurker.
>>>>>>>> I'm
>>>>>>>> also a
>>>>>>>> long-time collector of jazz  records (since age 12) with
>>>>>>>> something
>>>>>>>> more than
>>>>>>>> 1,000 albums. I recently bought a CD of Frankie Laine hits (he
>>>>>>>> was
>>>>>>>> big
>>>>>>>> in my
>>>>>>>> late teens/early twenties) that includes a cut of "Shine". In
>>>>>>>> listening to
>>>>>>>> it I think I really heard the lyrics for the first time. The
>>>>>>>> thought
>>>>>>>> ocurred
>>>>>>>> that there must be something more behind these lyrics than it
>>>>>>>> appears
>>>>>>>> from a
>>>>>>>> casual listen. Specifically it seems as if the lyricist has
>>>>>>>> taken
>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>> collection of derogatory racial comments and turned them into
>>>>>>>> compliments.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> You seem to have an interest in music and a knowledge of these
>>>>>>>> matters. Do
>>>>>>>> you happen to know anything about the background behind this
>>>>>>>> song
>>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>>> if my
>>>>>>>> impression is on or off target?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Will appreciate your comments.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Bob Fitzke
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>

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