This Edison cylinder is almost too "politically incorrect" to play nowadays. For 1905, however, it was acceptable entertainment - many white performers won their audiences by portraying the black stereotype, and Arthur Collins was
one of the most popular (popular enough that Edison let him do his own announcement on this record). Lyrically, it's a song about a marching band, but the attitude toward black people conveyed here clearly belongs to another time -
a time of seperate restrooms, drinking fountains, and sports leagues. (a period description of Arthur Collins, from a record catalog, can be found at
"The Vintage Vaudeville and Ragtime Show" web site.)
