Judge, 1928-06-02 · page 11 of 36
Judge — June 2, 1928 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Letters From a Song Writer's Mother to Her Son" - Judge Magazine This is a humorous advice column disguised as letters from an old-fashioned mother ("Mommer") to her son, a struggling songwriter. The satire targets early 1920s popular music and domestic life. The mother critiques her son's romantic song "Blue Heaven," wondering why Pittsburgh residents were surprised by the color choice. She rambles through complaints about his love life, comparing his heartbreak to her own marriage to "Popper," a man who once got into a fistfight over a woman and later lost his job on his honeymoon. The humor derives from her contradictory, malaprop-filled wisdom: she claims babies "make more than three" and suggests that having children prevents needing alarm clocks (because babies wake you). She mentions a lawyer friend trying—unsuccessfully—to secure royalties for mothers of songs written about them. The cartoon below shows beachgoers, illustrating domestic leisure themes. The column mocks both sentimental popular songs and small-town American family dynamics of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Letters From a Song Writer's Mother to Her Son By B.C, O'Bries Dear Son about Blue Heaven a surprize to the people in Pittsburg because they wasn't so sure of the color, So the gal’ name is Molly this time? I won- der what became of Sally? Also Mary Lou and Mary Ann?) Maybe your pal Jeem knows something, heh? Then again maybe it’s the same gal all the time and she changes her name like the color of their hair. But g: shouldn't want to change their first name, only their last name, That's the wa The one will be I was anyway I hope being in blue heaven will help you get over being broken-hearted. As I said before maybe Jeem should have kept on being your pal, even after taking your gal, that all depends on what the gal was like. But when Popper was young, he says, when a pal stole his gal, he wou'dn't stand there saying. there he is. REE JUDGE He would say him. where is he or And a broken jaw 1 broken heart. T was the gal, you know. And sometimes [almost wish he wasn’t so headstrong. The rival for my hand was as maybe I told you before Lawyer Finestein, He wasn’t a lawyer th have sued Popper and then we Jemme at saves many or he would undoubtably wouldn't have had enough money to get married on, And believe me we needed it, be se Popper lost his job the first week we was married be stayed long on our honeymoon. The first year was the hardest. and when that only made it harder. You may know music but let me tell you suse he away too pu came something if you think marr is anything like heaven, Molly and me and baby makes three. Baby makes me than three. Baby) makes incon- venience and trouble and when yeu want to go out someplace whose gonna mind him? It also makes alarm clocks unnecessary. Popper says so. So this is hea heh? If that's George. heaven V1 And bab; does five or six 1 take Fort makes three. Bat) wh make? Four, uybe. It doesn't make much rhyme but it makes better You know isn’t the honeymoon While husband n't lose his job on the honey moon, that’s the er did believ babies: sens marri only every aks we it anyhow. xot. m r Finestein, who is still a friend of the family, and who went to see if he couldn't make a Jaw claiming song writers’ mom mers should get royalties when the songs are about them couldn't do nothing be busy with oil to be interested in se they were too music. So his trip to Washing. ton was just a pleasure trip. Your little brother Sammy who is learning to be a song writer so we can keep the profits in’ the fam another installment coming on the piano and unless Popper relents the piano movers are going to have another job and Sammy's career will be over. has Love Mommer. Sur—What, Pa? Back from your dip already? comicbooks.com