gilbert's sources

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When we were rehearsing "The Mikado," I suggested to the music director that "Tit-Willow" was a sort of parody or satire or something of the old song (used by Shakespeare, written earlier and circulated in a broadside), "Willow, Willow" -- to wit:

A poor Soul sat sighing under a Sy-camore Tree
O Willow Willow Willow
With her Hand on her Bosom her Head on her Knee
O Willow Willow Willow Willow
Sing the green Willow
O the green Willow shall be my Garland.

She sigh'd in her singing sigh'd and after each moan
O Willow Willow Willow
I am dead to all Pleasure my true Love is gone
O Willow Willow Willow Willow
Sing the green Willow
O the green Willow shall be my Garland.

The Willow now bids me - bids me despair and to die
O Willow Willow Willow
So hang it Friends o'er me in Grave where I lie
O Willow Willow Willow Willow
Sing the green Willow
O the green Willow shall be my Garland.

So the other evening, my player was disgorging tunes at random, according to some strange quirk of its own (I hadn't asked it to do this), and one of the selections it chose was a number from Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" that I hadn't heard many times. The singer and the chorus were using a phrase, "No never" that had me murmuring, "What, never?" back at it. That's when it hit me that this might have been another inspiration to Gilbert. I carefully peered over at the screen and saw that I was listening to an Act III prelude, "Come Away, Fellow Sailors" -- ah HA! Sailors! The Gilbert & Sullivan number was also nautical in nature.

I think I'm onto something. Ferreted out a reference or two. Yay me.
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by the way

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I've mentioned scanning all the Dr. Seuss political cartoons from PM on occasion, but I'm not sure everybody knows just how nifty they were.

( sample with link to all cartoons )

advice

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from Mister Noel Coward:

Regarding yours, dear Mrs. Worthington,
Of Wednesday the 23rd,
Although your baby
May be,
Keen on a stage career,
How can I make it clear,
That this in not a good idea.
For her to hope,
Dear Mrs. Worthington,
Is on the face of it absurd,
Her personality
Is not in reality
Inviting enough,
Exciting enough
For this particular sphere.

Refrain 1

Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington,
Don't put your daughter on the stage,
The profession is overcrowded
And the struggle's pretty tough
And admitting the fact
She's burning to act,
That isn't quite enough.
She has nice hands, to give the wretched girl her due,
But don't you think her bust is too
Developed for her age?
I repeat
Mrs. Worthington,
Sweet
Mrs. Worthington,
Don't put your daughter on the stage.

Refrain 2

Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington,
Don't put your daughter on the stage,
She's a bit of an ugly duckling
You must honestly confess,
And the width of her seat
Would surely defeat
Her chances of success,
It's a loud voice, and though it's not exactly flat,
She'll need a little more than that
To earn a living wage.
On my knees,
Mrs. Worthington,
Please
Mrs. Worthington,
Don't put your daughter on the stage.

Refrain 3

Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington,
Don't put your daughter on the stage,
Though they said at the school of acting
She was lovely as Peer Gynt,
I'm afraid on the whole
An ingénue role
Would emphasize her squint,
She's a big girl, and though her teeth are fairly good
She's not the type I ever would
Be eager to engage,
No more buts,
Mrs. Worthington,
Nuts,
Mrs. Worthington,
Don't put your daughter on the stage.

Refrain 4

Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington,
Don't put your daughter on the stage,
One look at her bandy legs should prove
She hasn't got a chance,
In addition to which
The son of a bitch
Can neither sing nor dance,
She's a vile girl and uglier than mortal sin,
One look at her has put me in
A tearing bloody rage,
That sufficed
Mrs. Worthington,
CHRIST!
Mrs. Worthington,
Don't put your daughter on the stage.

note: Mr. Coward's work is doubtless still under copyright, though I am just now unable to determine who owns it. I hope these lyrics will encourage all three of you to run out and buy lots and lots of his records.
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PM again

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I got more PM pictures scanned and onto my flickr page today. These are mostly related to WW2, including nose art, soldier valentines, home front antics, mocking de Seversky, unflattering cartoons of Nazis, anti-blabbing posters, and of course...

( hot chicks in Hitler masks )

I'll be adding to this set in coming days, with Nazi propaganda cartoons and a special "what-if?" section about New York City being bombed. And more!
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