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A
Bird in a Gilded Cage
Words:
Arthur J. Lamb, 1900
Music:
Harry Von Tilzer
dulcimer
arr. by Ruth Randle, 2007
The years 1837 to 1901 are referred to as the Victorian
Era, during which society in America felt the
influence of strong, and somewhat prudish moral
standards in all aspects of daily life. The more
traditional popular music of the period tended to be
slow waltzes, with lyrics that addressed social issues
in a serious tone. Such compositions were referred to as
“parlor music”, intended to be played and sung by
families in their homes. The sad ones were known in the
trade as “tear jerkers”.
A Bird in a Gilded Cage by Harry Von
Tilzer and Arthur Lamb was a highly successful and
popular example of such music. The theme here is the
plight of young women who enter into loveless marriages
with wealthy, elderly husbands.
♫♫♫
According to historians, this song was the
brainchild of Arthur Lamb, the lyricist, who wanted to
write the best “tear-jerker” of all time. He took his lyrics to Harry Von Tilzer, a young, but already
prominent composer of Tin Pan Alley. As a matter of
propriety, the composer insisted that the lyrics
emphasize that the story was indeed about a married
couple. At
the time Von Tilzer composed the music, he was already a
junior partner in a publishing house in New York, thus
helping assure its publication and success.
The biographies of both men appear in the
historical links below. Von Tilzer became a prolific
writer and successful businessman in his later career.
He was eventually inducted into the professional Songwriters
Hall of Fame. At
one point, he hired and trained a young singer named
Izzy Baline, teaching him both how to compose and
promote popular music. Izzy later became, arguably, the
most successful of all Tin Pan Alley songwriters. He is better
known as Irving Berlin!
♫♫♫♫
Playing
Hints:
We
suggest you first listen to the MIDI file (which is a
little different from the simple TablEdit playback) to
hear the way the music should be played. Notice the
background sounds, which are heard softly as timing
notes where chords are held for more than one beat.
These notes are softly picked, preferably with the
fingers (not the nails). Remember that this music is
intended to be accompanying the voices that are singing
the lyrics. The effect should be one of “quiet
intensity”.
Much
of the sweetness of the harmony heard here is
accomplished by Ruth’s choices of color chords such as
A7, A+, C#dim, D9, D(b5) and F#. Those who play from the
music notation, rather than the tablature, will notice
that the notation is a full octave higher than shown by
the tablature. This is for space-saving only; the
tablature is correct.
♫♫♫
Download files:
Bird in a Gilded Cage.tef
Bird in a Gilded Cage.pdf
Bird in a Gilded Cage.mid
Historical Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Von_Tilzer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_J._Lamb
http://parlorsongs.com/issues/2004-2/thismonth/feature.asp
(source of the "cover art" at the top of this
page, and a great resource for more wonderful parlor
music pieces)
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