For those of us following the news these days, a lot of reporters and commentators have written and opined on just who might find themselves facing the possibility of some form of judicial chastisement for their misdeeds or peccadillos.
However, gentle readers, while I am a bit too old to gaze too long into the roiling ink and pixel pots, I am reminded of a couple of apropos musical links–hence another (albeit apolitical!) musical musing. So, for starters, here is one of those “lesson” songs that seemingly has been around forever and recorded by just about everyone–a gentle earworm for the times that be.
“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” was written in 1936 by one Billy Mayhew. It began its recording odyssey with several dance bands and a couple of years later was jazzed up and popularized by Fats Waller. Click or tap on the triangles in the next couple of images to hear the contrasts.
Originally written as a waltz, Waller made it a fast four/four jazz tune. To me, however, it’s a bluesy, message tune—what I often call a “whiskey and cigarette” song—best heard in a darkish, smallish, oldish place with a piano, bass, and singer; or, maybe just a scratchy old 78 RPM disk. Here’s another version a bit more to my taste first recorded during World War II, a time of liaisons and partings and, I’m sure, promises made and broken. Click or tap on the triangle in the following image for a listen to the “Sweetheart of the Services.”
To me, an intriguing part of the song’s backstory is the composer, Billy Mayhew. After a search on Google, Wikipedia, and my few dozen or so books on the history of popular music, there is NO reference to be found other than his full name of William P. Mayhew—no biography, no obituary, no amusing anecdotes, no mention other than dozens of references to him as the composer of “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie.” It doesn’t look like he wrote anything else and no one out there in musical history land seems to have pursued his story. Go figure.
Moving on . . . Here’s another newsworthy song from an entirely different musical genre. But, this time from a singer we know a lot about.
Many of you who watched the Ken Burns TV series on country music a couple of years ago are familiar with our next song. Along with “It’s a Sin . . .“, this one also seems ripped from today’s headlines.
If you don’t mind a bit of his signature yodeling, here is his take on this lively tune–another earworm! Click or tap on the triangle in the next image for a look and listen.
Rodgers’ version of “In the Jailhouse Now” was recorded in 1928 with Ellsworth Cozzins on the banjo. While Rogers got the credit because of his popularity, he didn’t actually write the song—it had been around for a dozen or so years. Needless to say, the song has been covered (and parodied) by hundreds of artists over the years. Here’s the cover of the earlier version.
Prior to 1930, several different versions of our song were recorded and copyrighted. The earliest is Davis and Stafford’s 1915 version, which has verses about a man named Campbell cheating at a card game and a corrupt election–How newsworthy today! Here’s a version with a political background, no less!
Click or tap on the triangles in the next couple images for a listen to, first, the original Memphis Jug Band and then a group from today that is keeping the jug band tradition alive. They have appeared on stage in our happy valley on several occasions–the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Now, on to one last take on our Jailhouse song by the one and only Johnny Cash. When Cash recorded the song in 1962, he used a more humorous set of lyrics, based on the 1915 version. Click or tap on the triangle in the next image for a look and listen to his interpretation.
And, of course, a bit of philosophy from our singer that too, in its way, could be right out of the headlines!
So, read the newspapers, practice your yodeling, don’t tell lies, keep out of jailhouses, and–of course–STAY TUNED!
NOHOBANJO OF NORTHAMPTON, AND NOW EASTHAMPTON, "MUSICAL MUSINGS" 