Life, 1922-02-02 · page 3 of 34
Life — February 2, 1922 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine features "Chantey," a poem by Dorothy Parker about the appeal of seafaring adventure, contrasted with romantic reluctance to leave home. The illustration depicts an audience viewing what appears to be a theatrical performance or vaudeville show—the period's popular entertainment venue. The packed audience watches performers on an elevated stage behind a railing. The caption below presents a joke: "Little Johnny: Can't I have my hair cut with a hole in the top like Dr. Story?" This references a specific contemporary figure, likely a well-known performer or public personality named Dr. Story, whose distinctive hairstyle (possibly with a bald spot) had become recognizable enough to be comedy material for children. The humor relies on this person being identifiable to *Life*'s readers of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Chantey ANS sheet and a straining sail, And a sea of shifting blue; A wide sky and a rousing gale, And joy in the heart of you; A clean line, where the sky hangs low And a seagull soars and dips; And the old voice that bids men go— Go down to the sea in ships. So vo and sail the gold sea, the bold sea, the cold sea, |e waving, craving, raving sea that’s fringed with silken foam; Oh, go and sail the green sea, the keen sea, the mean sea,— Rut if it’s all the same to you, I'll stick around at home. WK tZ Z ZZ aa wn The swift turn of the night-wind’s whim, And the twang of hempen strings; The sharp snap of the halyards slim, And the spray that cuts and stings. The wild chorus the breezes hum, And the waves that prowl and creep; And the old voice that bids men come— Come over the tameless deep. So go and sail the white sea, the light sea, the bright sea, The dashing, crashing, smashing sea, that dances in the gale; Go on and sail the sad sea, the bad sea, the mad sea,— But if it’s just the same to you, I’d rather be in jail. Dorothy Parker. comicbooks.com