"Mighty Lak A Rose"

[Geoffrey Nathan]

For more history see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mighty_Lak%27_a_Rose

Seems Wilson was right about Tin Pan Alley, in any case. Indeed, youneverknow.

Geoff

Geoffrey S. Nathan
Faculty Liaison, C&IT
and Associate Professor, Linguistics Program
+1 (313) 577-1259 (C&IT)
+1 (313) 577-8621 (English/Linguistics)

----- "Paul" <paulzjoh at MTNHOME.COM> wrote:

> From: "Paul" <paulzjoh at MTNHOME.COM>
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2010 4:11:47 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
> Subject: Re: "Mighty Lak A Rose"
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Paul <paulzjoh at MTNHOME.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "Mighty Lak A Rose"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Paul Johnson
>
> I'\'m with Wilson on this, born in '35 in Chicago this song has
> always
> been there for me. I Had the feeling it would have been in some
> 30s/40's
> musical but much to my surprise it was a hit in 1903 and last big hit
> was 1916 with Geraldine Farrar, an opera singer who had appeared with
> Caruso; her recording by the way was accompanied by Fritz Kreisier!
>
>
> On 5/30/2010 2:24 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
> > 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
> >>>
> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> No virus found in this incoming message.
> >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> >> Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2906 - Release Date:
> 05/30/10
> >> 09:21:00
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > -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
> >
> >
>
> --
>
>
>
> It's like trying to slip a sunrise past a rooster
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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