MMD > Archives > December 1996 > 1996.12.29 > 04Prev  Next


Re: "Questionable Words" on Rolls
By Seth Weinstein

interesting that "questionable" language appears on rolls and not records.

I have an old QRS roll of "Chinatown My Chinatown", which has amongst the lyrics such references as "the chink with the lazy almond eye", looking around in apparently a stealthy manner.

Also in this vein, Gilbert & Sullivan lyrics are frequently cleaned up, e.g., "The lady who pinches her figure is painted like a nigger with permanent walnut juice" is changed to "is painted with vigor", at least in recordings by the D'oyly Carte Co.

The rolls do seem to have quite a free license, though. I think I'll scan some more.

Seth Weinstein


(Message sent Sun 29 Dec 1996, 20:04:29 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

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