Rose

by | Mar 19, 2018 | Rose

How Can We Help?
You are here:
< Back
Cover of sheet music for the song (1915)
Ebbets Field with Green River ad visible on outfield wall, 1913

"I've Been Floating Down the Old Green River" is a 1915 song with words by Bert Kalmar and music by Joe Cooper.

The song is sung from the point of view of a husband who has to explain to his wife why he stayed out until 4:30 in the morning. He states that he has been floating down the old Green River on the good ship "Rock and Rye", where he got "stuck on a bar". The tag line in the lyric is:

I had to drink the whole Green River dry
To get back home to you.

The song is a play on words, as Green River was a popular brand of whiskey at the time.[1]

The popular vocalist Billy Murray recorded the song on March 11, 1915 for Victor Records (catalog No. 17885B).[2]

Russ Morgan and His Orchestra recorded the song for Decca Records (catalog No. 24834) in 1949.[3]

Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen included the song on the 1964 album Jazz Band Ball and it was later included in the compilation The Pye Jazz Albums (2003).[4]

Newspaper ad for Green River

References

  1. ^ "greenriverwhiskey.com". greenriverwhiskey.com. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  2. ^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  3. ^ "45worlds.com". 45worlds.com. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  4. ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 22, 2018.

External links

Categories
Table of Contents