Stories of Famous Songs, Vol 1

Histories, Lyrics, Background info - online book

Home Main Menu Singing & Playing Order & Order Info Support Search Voucher Codes



Share page  Visit Us On FB


Previous Contents Next
FAMOUS SONGS
nickname for Cromwell, who was also called Macaroni; it is also said that another ballad, " Roundheads and Cavaliers," was sung to the same melody.
" This story" (about the royal party calling Cromwell Macaroni), says the " Dictionary of Music and Musicians," " is said to occur in the ' Musical Reporter' of May, 1841, but who-ever invented it showed lack of antiquarian knowledge in fixing upon the period of the Civil Wars as the date of the song." The Macaroni Club, by the way, was in existence from 1750 to 1770, and this is believed to have been the first introduction of the word Macaroni into the common language. The Rev. T. Woodfal Ebsworth, " undoubtedly the greatest living authority on English ballads," conclu-sively disproves the Cromwellian origin. Sev-eral nursery rhymes are even now sung by children to the tune of Yankee Doodle, in-cluding " Lucy Locket," and " Rosy's in the Garden." Various well-meaning folk have as-serted its connection with certain pieces, and have gone so far as to attempt to trace it to such differing sources as Dutch, Spanish, and Hungarian music. But whoever invented the melody, whether it was carried to America, say by the Pilgrim Fathers, if antiquity is desired,
137