"Mighty Lak A Rose"

[Wilson Gray]

Whoa! That is surprising! My memory is that it was a national hit or,
at least, nationally popular. I heard recordings of it by various
singers, black and white, when I was a child living in Saint Louis. As
a consequence, I've never connected the song with the *real* South or
even with East Texas, but, rather, with some Tin Pan Alley hack
looking for an easy buck.

Youkneverknow.

-Wilson

On Sun, May 30, 2010 at 3:04 PM, Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "Mighty Lak A Rose"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Wilson, my late mother-in-law (b. 1908, Moultrie GA) and now you, are the
> only ones I've ever known to sing/recite that little verse.
>
> I wonder if anyoneoutside the southern US is familiar w/ it.
>
> Bill P
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Wilson Gray" <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2010 2:44 PM
> Subject: "Mighty Lak A Rose"
>
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail
>> header -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      "Mighty Lak A Rose"
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Some of the more readers may recall that popular "Negro-dialect" song
>> from the '40's.  Personally, I found the song rather pleasant.
>> Hooever, I was never able to make any sense out of the opening verse,
>> refrain, or whatever it was:
>>
>> Sweetis' little feller
>> Ev'rybody knows
>> Don't know what t' call 'im
>> But he's _mighty lak a rose_
>>
>>
>> After dekkids of thought, I've conclded that the title/phrase in question
>> means:
>>
>> "... very much resembles or is very similar to, in some unspecified
>> sense, a rose."
>>
>>
>> Analyzing it as "strong like a rose," which makes no kind of sense,
>> had been driving me nuts.
>>
>> -Wilson
>> ---
>> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"--a strange complaint to
>> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>> -Mark Twain
>>
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>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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--
-Wilson
–––
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"––a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
–Mark Twain

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org