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MORE BACKSTORIES OF SONGS: AL JOLSON, CONTINUED
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Is It True What They Say About Dixie?
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Dixie:
Dixie, also known as Dixieland, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas have shifted over the years), or the extent of the area it covers, most definitions include the U.S. states below the Mason–Dixon line that seceded and comprised the Confederate States of America, almost always including the Deep South. The term became popularised throughout the United States by songs that nostalgically referred to the American South.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origin of this nickname remains obscure. The most common theories are:
- Dixie may be derived from Jeremiah Dixon, one of the surveyors of the Mason–Dixon line, which defined the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania, separating free and slave states prior to the Missouri Compromise.
- Dixie may have originally referred to currency issued first by the Citizens State Bank in the French Quarter of New Orleans and then by other banks in Louisiana. These banks issued ten-dollar notes labelled dix (pronounced [dis]), French for 'ten', on the reverse side. The notes were known as Dixies by Southerners, and the area around New Orleans and the French-speaking parts of Louisiana came to be known as Dixieland.
- Dixie preserves the name of Johan Dixie (sometimes spelled Dixy), a slave owner on Manhattan Island. According to a story recounted in Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends (2008), Dixie's slaves were later sold in the South, where they spoke of better treatment while working on Dixie's land. There is no evidence that this story is true.
During the Jazz Age and the American folk music revival, "Dixie" was used widely in popular music such as "Swanee", "Are You From Dixie?", "Is It True What They Say About Dixie?" and, in the era of rock and roll, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Dixieland Delight". The first popular song to contain "Dixie" in its name was "I Wish I Was In Dixie", composed in 1859 and incorporated as an unofficial anthem of the Confederate States of America.
In 1965, the Washington Redskins football team (now the Washington Commanders) modified the team song, removing the word "Dixie" and a musical quotation from the song Dixie after a Black fan wrote to the owner of the team, describing the racial unrest that "Dixie" caused and asking for it to be stopped.
In the 21st century, several groups or organisations removed "Dixie" due to its association with the Confederacy. They included Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, the music group Dixie Chicks, and the Dixie Classic Fair. The board of trustees at Dixie State University in Utah voted unanimously in December 2020 to change the name of the institution, with the Utah Legislature putting "Utah Tech University" into effect in 2022 to distance the university from the "Dixie" term.
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Lyrics:
Is it true what they say about Dixie?
Does the sun really shine all the time?
Do the sweet magnolias blossom at everybody's door?
Do folks keep eating possum till they can't eat no more?
Is it true what they say about Swanee?
Is a dream by that stream so sublime?
Do they laugh, do they love, like they say in every song?
If it's true, that's where I belong.
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Comments:
- 1936 song.
- The song was a #1 hit for Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra in May and June 1936 with Bob Eberly on vocal.
- Ozzie Nelson and Willie Bryant also charted with the song that year.
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Commentary:
From:
The song "Is It True What They Say About Dixie?" by Steve Goodman is a whimsical and lighthearted exploration of Southern stereotypes and the allure of the American South. Through playful questioning, the lyrics examine common perceptions and expectations associated with Dixie, which refers to the Southern region of the United States.
The key lyrics in the song serve as queries about different aspects of Dixie, inviting the listener to consider the validity of the various tales and legends surrounding the region. The opening line, "Is it true what they say about Dixie?" sets the tone for the ensuing questions that follow. By challenging the listener to verify these narratives, the song invites them to ponder the ideas and perceptions commonly associated with the South.
The lyrics mention specific cultural and natural elements often associated with Dixie, such as the sunshine, sweet magnolias, eating possum, and the Swanee River. These references touch upon perceived Southern aesthetics, cuisine, and the romanticized notion of life along rivers like the Swanee. The mention of Jethro hints at the possibility of a character familiar with the South, potentially seeking validation or affirmation of their dreams and aspirations.
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Video:
Al Jolson:
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Give My Regards to Broadway
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Comments:
- "Give My Regards to Broadway" is a song written by George M. Cohan for his musical play Little Johnny Jones which debuted in 1904 in New York.
- Cohan, playing the title character, sings this song as his friend is about to sail to America, looking for evidence aboard the ship that will clear his name for allegedly throwing the English Derby. He is sure he'll become a star on Broadway, therefore signing off with: "Give my regards to Broadway".
- A popular version of the song was recorded by Al Jolson for the film Jolson Sings Again (1949), the sequel to the earlier film The Jolson Story (1946), both starring Larry Parks as Jolson
- It was also featured prominently in a solo song-and-dance sequence done by James Cagney in his Oscar-winning performance in the 1942 film about Cohan's life, Yankee Doodle Dandy.
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Lyrics:
Give my regards to Broadway
Remember me to Herald Square
Tell all the gang at Forty Second Street
That I will soon be there
Whisper of how I'm yearning
To mingle with the old time throng
Give my regards to old Broadway
And say that I'll be there ‘ere long
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Videos:
Al Jolson:
James Cagney:
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