The song was first composed by Robert Cole and J. Rosamond Johnson while they were still performing as the vaudeville act Cole and Johnson. They had intended it for a "comic opera" they called Toloso; the opera was never produced.[3] After a performance, they were discussing the couplet "If you like me, like I like you, No knife can cut our life in two," and Cole suggested they use the idea for a new song.[4] Cole stated he took inspiration from a soldier's story he heard, of a romance he had under a bamboo tree with a Red Cross nurse.[5] At Johnson's insistence, Cole used the melody of the spiritual "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" as the basis for the song.[6][3]
After writing the words and music, Cole and Johnson sent the song to James Weldon Johnson who made changes to the song. Johnson forwarded the song to a music publisher under the name If You Lak-a-Me, Lak I Lak-a-You. The publisher changed the name to Under the Bamboo Tree, taken from the final line in the song's chorus.[4]
A month later, Cole and Johnson performed the song at party hosted by George W. Lederer. There, Marie Cahill took a liking to the song, and campaigned against producer Ludwig Englander for its incorporation in the Broadway production of Sally in Our Alley, of which she starred. The song premiered in this musical on August 29, 1902, and it helped make the play successful.[4][7] Cahill included it in Nancy Brown the next season. It went on to become one of two songs that Cahill would commonly interpolate into her own performances per request.[7][3]
Over the course of six months, 400,000 copies of the song were sold.[2] It became a popular and well-known song in the United States, and further spread to England and India.[5][8]
^Under the Bamboo Tree. J.W. Stern & Company. 1902.
^ abcChinitz, David E. (December 7, 2005). T. S. Eliot and the Cultural Divide. University of Chicago Press. ISBN9780226104188 – via Google Books.
^ abcBurton, Jack. "Music: The Honor Roll of Popular Songwriters". The Billboard. May 21, 1949; 61, 21. pg. 38. Via Proquest.
^ abc"The Story Behind the Song". Austin American-Statesman. 5 September 1926. p. 13. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
^ ab"The Work of a Negro". The Professional World. 3 April 1903. p. 4. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
^"Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen". www.fresnostate.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
^ ab""Bamboo Tree" Problem". Chicago Tribune. 20 June 1949. p. 16. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
^""Under the Bamboo Tree" A Popular Song in Court". The Birmingham Daily Mail. 30 January 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
^"Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project". University of California Santa Barbara Library Department of Special Collections. 2005-11-16. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
^Secon, Paul "Music-Radio: Screen Song-Selling". The Billboard. Dec 23, 1944; 56, 52. pg. 22. Via Proquest.
^Ellenberger, Allan R. (2015-09-11). Margaret O'Brien: A Career Chronicle and Biography. McFarland. ISBN978-1-4766-0401-5.
under, bamboo, tree, song, composed, robert, cole, rosamond, johnson, james, weldon, johnson, stern, published, 1902, ragtime, sold, over, copies, songsheet, contents, history, also, references, external, linkshistory, editthe, song, first, composed, robert, c. Under the Bamboo Tree is a song composed by Robert Cole J Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson J W Stern amp Co published it in 1902 1 A ragtime hit it sold over 400 000 copies 2 Songsheet for Under the Bamboo Tree Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 External LinksHistory editThe song was first composed by Robert Cole and J Rosamond Johnson while they were still performing as the vaudeville act Cole and Johnson They had intended it for a comic opera they called Toloso the opera was never produced 3 After a performance they were discussing the couplet If you like me like I like you No knife can cut our life in two and Cole suggested they use the idea for a new song 4 Cole stated he took inspiration from a soldier s story he heard of a romance he had under a bamboo tree with a Red Cross nurse 5 At Johnson s insistence Cole used the melody of the spiritual Nobody Knows the Trouble I ve Seen as the basis for the song 6 3 After writing the words and music Cole and Johnson sent the song to James Weldon Johnson who made changes to the song Johnson forwarded the song to a music publisher under the name If You Lak a Me Lak I Lak a You The publisher changed the name to Under the Bamboo Tree taken from the final line in the song s chorus 4 A month later Cole and Johnson performed the song at party hosted by George W Lederer There Marie Cahill took a liking to the song and campaigned against producer Ludwig Englander for its incorporation in the Broadway production of Sally in Our Alley of which she starred The song premiered in this musical on August 29 1902 and it helped make the play successful 4 7 Cahill included it in Nancy Brown the next season It went on to become one of two songs that Cahill would commonly interpolate into her own performances per request 7 3 Over the course of six months 400 000 copies of the song were sold 2 It became a popular and well known song in the United States and further spread to England and India 5 8 Arthur Collins recorded it for Edison Records 9 Judy Garland and Margaret O Brien perform the song in the 1944 musical film Meet Me in St Louis 10 11 and it was included in the retrospective MGM film That s Entertainment 12 It was later used in the stage musical Meet Me in St Louis 13 T S Eliot parodied the song in Agonistes 2 See also editMinstrel show Coon songReferences edit Under the Bamboo Tree J W Stern amp Company 1902 a b c Chinitz David E December 7 2005 T S Eliot and the Cultural Divide University of Chicago Press ISBN 9780226104188 via Google Books a b c Burton Jack Music The Honor Roll of Popular Songwriters The Billboard May 21 1949 61 21 pg 38 Via Proquest a b c The Story Behind the Song Austin American Statesman 5 September 1926 p 13 Retrieved 28 March 2022 a b The Work of a Negro The Professional World 3 April 1903 p 4 Retrieved 28 March 2022 Nobody Knows the Trouble I ve Seen www fresnostate edu Retrieved 2022 05 25 a b Bamboo Tree Problem Chicago Tribune 20 June 1949 p 16 Retrieved 28 March 2022 Under the Bamboo Tree A Popular Song in Court The Birmingham Daily Mail 30 January 1906 p 4 Retrieved 28 March 2022 Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project University of California Santa Barbara Library Department of Special Collections 2005 11 16 Retrieved 2022 05 25 Secon Paul Music Radio Screen Song Selling The Billboard Dec 23 1944 56 52 pg 22 Via Proquest Ellenberger Allan R 2015 09 11 Margaret O Brien A Career Chronicle and Biography McFarland ISBN 978 1 4766 0401 5 Haley Jack Jr That s Entertainment Metro Goldwyn Mayer MGM 1974 Humm Legit Broadway reviews Meet Me In St Louis Variety Nov 8 1989 337 5 pg 70 Via Proquest External Links editUnder the Bamboo Tree at IMDb nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Under the Bamboo Tree amp oldid 1214607130, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
