"Everybody Wants a Key to my Cellar," Prohibition / Roaring 20s Tin Pan Alley song (1919)
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
- Prohibition classic! Alcohol production and sales were prohibited in the U.S with the passage of the 18th amendment in 1919, which was in effect from 1920-1930, but hidden stills, alcohol caches, and speakeasys were not uncommon--especially judging from the number of popular songs and musicals that touched upon them! This song is by Ed Rose, Billy Baskette and Lew Pollack and was published in 1919. It was performed and recorded by Bert Williams, a very popular African American vaudeville and Broadway comedian who also starred in the Ziegfeld Follies.
If 1920s party songs appeal to you, please check out my performance of Don't Bring Lulu: • "Don't Bring Lulu," (1...
This selection was inspired by Adam Swanson's recent concert of Speakeasy, Charleston, and Prohibition Tunes (www.youtube.co.... He said that he's found this song in many sheet music collections, which suggests it was a good seller. Some songs from the early 20th century, like this one, were extremely topical and really spoke to the zeitgeist of the times.
Lyric:
Down in my cellar, down in my cellar,
I've been changing everything around.
I've a secret hidden there. I'll guard it with my life.
There's only one mistake I made. I told it to my wife.
Now everybody wants a key to my cellar, my cellar, my cellar.
People who before wouldn't give me a tumble,
Even perfect strangers are beginning to grumble,
'Cause I won't let them have a key to my cellar.
They'll never get in. just let them try.
They can have my money. They can have my car.
They can have my wife if they want to go that far,
But they can't have the key that opens my cellar,
If the whole darn world goes dry.
Down in my cellar, down in my cellar,
I've been having parties every night.
People that I never knew come up and talk to me.
They're trying hard to find out where I hang my cellar key.
Enjoy your musical talents. Thank you.
Prohibition was a bad idea.
You're welcome! I'm not in favor of Prohibition either. It did give us some fun music though (good coming out of bad)!
So lovely thanks a lot!❤❤👍👍
You're welcome; thank you for listening!
Your always a joy to listen too and make me happy and smile. Your obviously a gift from the Gods. Hahaha.
Thanks; God blesses us, and we can share with others!
Great song and fantastic performance. Very funny too it has that Archie Bunker/ Al Bundy vibe going on.
Thank you! The lyric really creates a sense of character. I don't think I'd like to know this guy in real life, but it's fun to laugh at him from a historical distance (he thinks he's got it all figured out...)
I love your rendition of this song. It really captures the mood of the day.
Thank you, and thanks for listening, Dan!
Cool to hear the differences in the musical styles of different decades. Each decade has it's own vibe and energy.
Your renditions of these songs capture the spirit of the time they were written. And since this was at the dawn of recorded sound (or just preceding it) you are providing us a window into that transition phase before records started taking over.
Before the jukebox there were player pianos, for example.
Thank you so much for featuring this historic music and giving it another chance to make us smile!
Thanks, Thomas! I really enjoy playing and singing these songs and giving them new life!