Saturday, January 12, 2013

Par-ee




If you read my recent blog post about Comfort Zones, then hopefully you watched the new Brad Paisley video, Southern Comfort Zone, at the end.  In the background, you can hear an old recording of a song that goes something like "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Par-ee?"  I didn't know that song so I turned to my pal Google for help.  I found the lyrics, written in 1919, by Joe Young and Sam. M. Lewis, with music by William Donaldson, and several recordings of it.  The gist of the song is that after WWI, life on the family farm changed.  The boys had gone to Europe and seen the world.
I didn't grow up on a farm, but I get the message.
The recording below is by Nora Bayes, a vaudeville star from back in the day.


HOW YA GONNA KEEP 'EM DOWN ON THE FARM?

Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking
Said his wifey dear
Now that all is peaceful and calm
The boys will soon be back on the farm
Mister Reuben started winking and slowly rubbed his chin
He pulled his chair up close to mother
And he asked her with a grin

How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm
After they've seen Paree'
How ya gonna keep 'em away from Broadway
Jazzin around and paintin' the town
How ya gonna keep 'em away from harm, that's a mystery
They'll never want to see a rake or plow
And who the deuce can parleyvous a cow?
How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm
After they've seen Paree'?

How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm
After they've seen Paree'
How ya gonna keep 'em away from Broadway
Jazzin around and paintin' the town
How ya gonna keep 'em away from harm, that's a mystery
Imagine Reuben when he meets his Pa
He'll kiss his cheek and holler "OO-LA-LA!
How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm
After they've seen Paree'?


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