{"id":11745,"date":"2021-07-30T09:33:13","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T09:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=11745"},"modified":"2021-07-30T09:33:16","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T09:33:16","slug":"gently-does-the-trick","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/gently-does-the-trick\/","title":{"rendered":"Gently does the trick"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Easy does the trick<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1887<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer\/composer<\/td>Punch Browne<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN8870<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Arthur Corney<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
unknown, USA,; 1927
Carson J Robison; USA; ; 1930<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
The Aquarium Songster (c1890) in the Sabine Baring-Gould Manuscript Collection<\/a>\n\nSome people in this world go very much too fast,\nThey start out at a pace that knocks them up at last;\nAnd some are much too rough, and some are clumsy, too,\nBut \"gently\" is the dodge that knowing people do.\n\nFor 'tis gently, gently, gently does the trick,\nDo it softly, slowly, never be too quick;\nFor sneaking ladies' lockets,\nOr for clearing out back pockets,\nOh, 'tis gently does the trick.<\/em>\n\nSome people pay their rent and other people don't,\nSome people really can't and other people won't;\nI hope that none of you have weaknesses that way,\nBut should you shoot the moon, remember what I say-\n\nDo it gently, gently, gently does the trick,\nSneak out softly, slowly, never go too quick;\nJust let a silent tear drop.\nAnd then leave word at the beer shop\nThat you've gently done the trick.<\/em>\n\nNow if a boiler bursts and shoots you in the air.\nYou have a kind of feeling, you'd rather not be there!\nYour elevation seems - well, anything but nice-\nBut don't come down a \"whop,\" no, take a friend's advice -\n\nCome down gently, gently, gently does the trick,\nCome down softly, slowly, never be too quick;\nYour eye the distance gauges,\nAnd you drop by easy stages,\nFor 'tis gently does the trick.<\/em>\n\nSome people go to church, and say they go to pray,\nAnd others go to see what they can take away;\nAnd some hand round the plate, and some are most devout,\nAnd some put three pennies in, and others take them out.\n\nBut 'tis gently, gently, gently does the trick,\nDo it softly, slowly, never be too quick;\nAnd when the plate is filling.\nGive a \"brown\" and take a shilling,\nBut its gently does the trick.<\/em>\n\nNow, perhaps, in prison you may suddenly be popp'd\nFor picking something up that no one ever dropp'd.\nBe humble, meek and mild, yes! pious if you will.\nFor if you are not good they'll put you on the 'mill'\n\nWhere 'tis gently, gently, gently docs the trick,\nTurn it softly, slowly, never be too quick;\nIt put your legs in order,\nBut you softly cuss the warder,\nYes, 'tis gently does the trick.<\/em>\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
This British Music Hall hit of the late 1880s seems to have passed into American traditional singing as a cowboy\/campfire song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was most notably sung in the Halls by Arthur Corney, written for him by Punch Browne, a pseudonym for Houghton Townley, an author who went on to write early 20th century Detective novels. Townley seems to have only written a handful of songs, all for Corney. As with many successful Music Hall songs, it was widely sung in pantomimes, so for example it featured in the  December 1888 production of Beauty and the Beast<\/em> at Sadlers Wells. Here are some cuttings:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Oct. 29, 1887; <\/strong>The Era<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Dec. 10, 1887; The Era <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Oct. 20, 1894;  <\/strong>The Era<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I have been able to find out surprisingly little about Arthur Corney, other than the fact that he was a successful music hall comic in the 1880s and 1890s, and that he was described as an eccentric character vocalist. He was the brother of the prominent sports journalist and author Arthur Binstead, better known as ‘Pitcher’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In America the song was sometimes known as Easy does the trick.<\/em> It featured in the repertoire  of Carson Robison, a successful country music singer, one of a number of successful cowboy entertainers in the 1930s. The song had evolved, while it still featured various difficulties in the verses  and advice that “gently does does the trick”, it often featured a new first verse and slightly different chorus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh listen while I sing a song both good and wise; 
I’ll make the rafters ring with valuable advice. 
While going through this world, you’ll find it rarely wrong, 
To keep a steady pace and keep on going strong.<\/p>
Oh it’s gently, softly, easy does the trick, 
Get on easy, careful \u2013 never too quick. 
The Bronco from the pasture may not be steady laster, 
And it’s easy does the trick<\/p>
  • The Master Book of America Folk Song Vol 4 (1983)<\/a><\/li> <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
    There is some evidence that in the in the 1890s and 1900s the song featured in minstrel shows. It features in an undated collection of minstrel songs Jim Crow’s Vagaries<\/a> (given an estimated date of  1840 by Google, but this cannot be correct as the text refers to the publishers of this song as Francis Bros & Day<\/em> – founded in 1877).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n