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Sidewalks of New York

from Songs our grandparents would have known by Ken Baake

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about

Written in 1894 by Charles Lawlor, a baritone singer on the vaudeville stage,"The Sidewalks of New York" became an anthem for the city and was used as a campaign song when Al Smith ran for president in 1928. According to Theodore Raph's songbook, Lawlor was looking for words for a song about New York. He visited James Black, who sold hats, and Blake came up with the lyrics. It's a fun song about growing up with friends in the city in a more innocent time.

lyrics

Down in front of Casey's old brown wooden stoop
On a summer's evening we formed a merry group
Boys and girls together we would sing and waltz
While Jay played the organ on the sidewalks of New York

East Side, West Side, all around the town
The tots sang "ring-a-rosie," "London Bridge is falling down"
Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke
Tripped the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York

That's where Johnny Casey, little Jimmy Crowe
Jakey Krause, the baker, who always had the dough
Pretty Nellie Shannon with a dude as light as cork
She first picked up the waltz step on the sidewalks of New York

Things have changed since those times, some are up in "G"
Others they are wand'rers but they all feel just like me
They'd part with all they've got, could they once more walk
With their best girl and have a twirl on the sidewalks of New York

credits

from Songs our grandparents would have known, released June 4, 2015
Ken, vocals and guitar
Recorded at Crossroads Recording Studio, Texas Tech
Amy Devoge Producer/engineer

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about

Ken Baake Lubbock, Texas

Ken was born in Baltimore in 1955. He grew up hearing everyone from Johnny Mercer and Ray Charles to the Beatles on the family hi-fi, with a usual Saturday encore of Wagner's operas. Ken has degrees in English and economics and a background in journalism. He is currently an associate professor of English at Texas Tech, teaching classes in rhetoric. ... more

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