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This Zonophone recording, approximate vintage April of 1905, shows that some things remain constant from one age to the next. The philosophy spelled out in this song seems to have been forgotten in this "yuppi-fied" age, and quite frankly speaks volumes about this
generational difference in character. However, the basic precept that wealth brings its own unseen burden still holds as true as ever. The label does not show a songwriter's credit, and if it weren't for the original sheet music cover which was
found at The Sheet Music Center (thanks
to Charles in Brighton for finding it) I would not know who wrote it - the Leighton Brothers, who would write "Steamboat Bill" with Ren Shields five years later. Bob Roberts, a recording pioneer and semi-obscure figure of early Vaudeville, handles the songs's
sentiment ably. Bob was also responsible for the only other recording of this song, made for Edison Labs on a 2-minute cylinder, also in April of '05. This particular disc, pressed for the Oxford label, benefits from better shellac and quality control than a
Zonophone original. The surface noise was easily tamed with minimal noise reduction work.
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