Putting on the Style
| AKA | Puttin’ on the style Putting on the agony |
| First Published | 1867 |
| Writer/composer | Henry B Funk | Roud | RN3767 |
| Music Hall Performers | Elise Holt |
| Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Unknown singer; USA, West Virginia; 1917 Dalhart, Vernon; USA; 1927 Ford, Warde; USA : California 1938 Vinton, Mr. / Childers, Osborn; USA : Tennessee 1938 Devlin, Jennie; USA : Massachusetts 1936/38 Freeman, Roy (Blue Grass Roy); USA : Illinois; 1940 Hammontree, Doney; USA : Arkansas 1941 Wasson, Mrs. Laura; USA : Arkansas 1941 Hill, Miss Corrie; USA : Virginia 1941 Saeger, Ernie; USA : New York 1948 Hall, Miss Drucilla; USA : Alabama 1952 Hankins, Mrs. Ramie; USA : Alabama : Vernon 1952 Crowder, Mrs. Mary; USA : Alabama 1952 Rouse, Mrs. Mary; USA : Alabama : Titus 1953 High, Fred; USA : Arkansas; 1960 Modern performances Lonnie Donegan |
Ballou's Monthly Magazine, March 1867, from Hathi Trust PUTTING ON THE STYLE. BY HENRY B. FUNK. Eighteen Sixty-Seven, January First; Thought I 'd write a poem, If I could, or durst Looking through the window, Something made me smile: I saw a fellow passing, "Putting on the style!" Putting on the agony, Putting on the style; 'Tis what many people Are doing all the while. 'When I look about me, I very often smile, To see so many people Putting on the style. Young man in a carriage, Going it "like mad;" Pair of spanking horses, Borrowed of his "dad;" Cracks his whip sublimely, Makes "my lady" smile; Gracious! how he flashes, Putting on the style! City ignoramus, Big in self-esteem, Thinks himself quite worthy To drink the "public cream;" Wants an office—people Tell him "wait awhile;" For they think he's only Putting on the style! Preacher in the pulpit, Shouts with all his might, "Glory, hallelujah!" People in a fright, Think the deuce is coming Up in double file, But the preacher's only Putting on the style! Young "blade" just from college, Makes a grand display, Using long "jawbreakers" In all he has to say. They can't be found in "Webster" No, not "by a mile;" Wonder if he's only Putting on the style? Young "swell" at tho grog-shop, Smoking dirty pipe; Looking like a pumpkin Only partly ripe! Drinks, swears and gambles, Thinking all the while That there is nothing equals Putting on the style! Country town coquette,— Impudence and paint,— Finger-rings and brooches Enough to "vex a saint!" Has for every fellow A soft and winning smile: Wonder if she isn't Putting on the style? Sweet sixteen at meeting— Goes to see the boys; Turns her head instanter At every little noise; Squinting first on this side, Then on that awhile: Boys, isn't she going it, Putting on the style? Young man most of age,— Eighteen year old sprout,— (Wonder if his ma "Knows the boy is out?") Ring upon his finger, Hair besmeared with "ile," (Brass and lard are "heavy," For putting on the style!) Country youth and maiden Going to see the scenes, Looking most as fresh As a bunch of garden-greens! Gingerbread and candy Eating all the while; "Going to see the show," And putting on the style! Putting on the agony, Putting on the style; That's what stylish folks Are doing all the while. And if you think my poem Has not been true the while, Why—you may say that I've been Putting on the style!
At the moment these are my provisional notes – an attempt to summarise what we know and don’t know about this song. Put very briefly: its possible that this was a song written for the Halls, but we can’t be sure…. It’s likely to have been written in the 1860s by either Harry Wall, Henry B Funk or George Wright, but we cannot be sure.
In the UK many folks will know Putting on The Style as a Lonnie Donegan song, a big hit during the skiffle craze of the late 1950s. Its likely that Donegan picked it up from a recording made by Vernon Dalhart in 1925, as did the traditional American singers listed, taken from the Roud Index in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. It seems to have been a particularly popular song amongst traditional singers in the southern states of America.
Gus Meade in his book of country music sources suggest this was written and composed by George P Wright in 1875, and then adapted in 1926 by Henry Dawes-Hughes. I have struggled to verify this with the sources I can access at the moment.
The earliest instance I have found is in the late 1860s, when it appeared in Ballou’s Monthly Magazine, a “general interest” publication printed in Boston (March 1867). The song was credited to Henry B Funk, a newspaper editor who also appears to have composed music and written songs.
I was interested in the song because some of its language is reminiscent of songs from the Halls: the talk of “swells” and “The Style” is reminiscent of songs of Alfred ‘The Great’ Vance, who sang The Style, By Jove! and Thats The Style for me. I thought it might be worth investigating whether Putting on the Style might also be one of Vance’s or an imitator’s. Initial searches were promising, as based on title alone, I found that a song called Putting on The Style featured in a show put together by Vance in 1873 – sung by the actress Elise Holt. Holt was a big name herself and she was appearing as part of an all-star cast in Vance’s Varieties. A review of the performance credited the song to Holt’s agent, Harry Wall:
Unfortunately, I can’t find any song-sheets or sheet music that unequivocally confirm the Holt/Wall’s Putting on The Style is the same song as the song from the Boston publication. It’s purely circumstantial, but it’s intriguing that both Harry Wall and Elise Holt performed regularly in Boston in the 1860s.
Harry Wall (1843-) was a comic and theatrical agent working regularly both in the UK and America – he managed Elise Holt and organised her first trip to the States in late 1868. They toured widely including a number of appearances in Boston in Jan 1869. There is evidence that Wall had previously appeared in American theatres as early as December 1865 (New York Herald Dec 27 1865)
From Ballou’s Monthly Magazine we can be certain that the song was known in the Boston area in the late 1860s. Perhaps Harry or Elise came across the song whilst they were in the Boston area, and given its focus on “The Style” later used it in Vance’s show. It is also possible that Harry Wall wrote the song, performed it on one of his earlier tours and that it was pirated by Henry Funk. There are many examples of songs written and published in the UK being republished in America , credited to a different author – reflecting the lack of consensus about copyright laws at the time.
It is perhaps ironic that Harry Wall was later prominently involved in a number of legal actions to establish copyright laws -forming an organisation called The Copyright and Performing Rights Protection Office. It has been suggested that the vigour with which he defended his client’s interests bordered on criminality – Richard Baker for example describes him as “extracting money from frightened proprietors … suggesting each proprietor subscribe 10 guineas a year to avoid being taken to court for breach of copyright“. He often represented himself in court, much to the disgust of the legal profession. In 1888 the Law Society successfully prosecuted him for impersonating a solicitor and he was sentenced to three months in prison.
Sources:
- VWML entry
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- New York Herald Dec 27 1865 available from Library of Congress
- Gale Primary Sources
- Gus Meade, Country Music Sources (2002)
- Fresno Ballad Index entry
- Lyrics: credited to Henry B Funk, Ballou’s Monthly Magazine, March 1867 Hathi Trust