Beadle's Dime Song Book No. 5

Beadle's Dime Song Book, No. 5 (1860)

This collection comprises approximately seventy-two sentimental and comic songs published by Beadle and Company. The volume includes traditional Scottish pieces ("Comin' Thro' the Rye," "Auld Lang Syne"), parlor ballads addressing romantic themes ("When I Saw Sweet Nellie Home," "Meet Me by Moonlight"), narrative songs with dramatic content ("The Gambler's Wife," "The Poor Little Fisherman's Girl"), and comic compositions ("Sammy Slap, the Bill-Sticker," "Umbrella Courtship"). Irish-themed material appears prominently ("'Norah M'Shane," "The Irish Emigrant's Lament"). Lyrics explore courtship, separation, constancy, domestic life, and courtship conducted by moonlight or chance encounter. Several patriotic selections are included ("A Yankee Ship and a Yankee Crew," "Washington Star of the West"). The songs span melancholic fare about unrequited love and parting alongside lighter comic numbers, reflecting the mixed-genre entertainment typical of period popular songbooks.