Stomp Off 1001 - Dickbaker.org

Australia”--no indication it was printed there,but clearly was printed for distribution there.The verse of the above copies starts with the(to us) familiarThere’s a saying going ’round,And I begin to think it’s true,It’s awful hard to love someoneWhen they don’t care ’bout you.The chorus of both the above copies starts,I ain’t got nobody much,And nobody cares for me.(Try to sing that with the much in it--it justdoesn’t scan.)THREE. Another version of #2, essentiallysame cover, same Australasian Agents line;the cameo photo is some man; the publisheris still Frank K. Root. BUT the lyricist credithas changed from Graham to David Youngand the music credit from Williams to Chas.Warfield!.The cover and copyright pages are bothI AIN’T GOT NOBODY(And Nobody Cares for Me)The copyright credits at bottom of page havechanged just slightly:(c) 1914 by David Young(c) 1916 by Frank K. RootBritish copyright secured.The lyrics in the verse are strange to me:I had a sweetheart once I loved,And I was happy as could be,But now he’s gone and left me hereFor someone else you see.But the chorus has dropped the “much” andnow match what we’ve always heard:I ain’t got nobody,And nobody cares for me.The above three copies were in the earlierlarge format. Now comes, in small format,FOUR.I Ain’t Got Nobody(And Nobody Cares for Me)The credits are back to Graham-Williams. Thecover is a drawing of a woman in a paddedeasy chair. The copyright line is(c) 1925 by Triangle MusicPublished by Triangle Music.AND the lyrics have ended up with the oneswe know today:Verse is the originalThere’s a saying going ’round,And I begin to think it’s true,It’s awful hard to love someoneWhen they don’t care ’bout you.Chorus is the original minus the rhythmicallyoffending much (i.e., the David Youngmodification):I ain’t got nobody,And nobody cares for me.2013 review, provoked by what Haesler foundon the Wikipedia entry for this tune:Composer Charles Warfield claimed to haveoriginally written the song.[3] A copyrightentry from April 1914 credits Warfield withthe music, David Young with the lyrics, andMarie Lucas with the arrangement. The titleof the song is given as "I Ain't Got Nobodyand Nobody Cares for Me". Williams'scopyright entry from 1916 for the shorter titlecredits the composition to Williams andDave Peyton, and the lyrics to publisherRoger Graham.[4]Haesler also found a fascinating essay onWilliams the composer/collaborator/publisher/and possibly thief athttp://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-2/babywontyoupleasecomehome.htm.That piece incidentally mentions that Warfieldclaims he was cheated out of “I Ain’t GotNobody” by Spencer Williams.Alas, I wasn’t able to look up all the copyrightswhen I was doing the research above, basedon sheet music.1914:I ain't got nobody and nobody cares for me;words by D. Young, music by CharlesWarfield, arr. by Marie Lucas. Melody only.© 1 c. Apr. 8, 1914; E 338070; David Young,New York.1915:I ain't got nobody much; words and musicby D. Peyton and S. Williams. © 1 c. Jan. 28,1915; E 355535; Dave Peyton & SpencerWilliams, Chicago, Ill. [BUT despite hisappearance in the copyright here and belowin 1916, Dave Peyton never made it onto thesheet music--wonder what that’s all about.]1916:I ain't got nobody; words by Roger Graham,music by Spencer Williams and DavePeyton, of U.S. © Feb. 7, 1916; 2 c. Feb. 21,1916; E 377653; Craig & co., Chicago.But two months laterI ain't got nobody and nobody cares for me;words by David Young, music by Chas.Warfield, of U.S. © Apr. 3, 1916; 2 c. Apr. 10,1916; E 379474; Frank K. Root & co.,Chicago.Was this Peyton & Warfield trying to reclaim/reestablish their rights to it? But then what isthis one all about?I aint got nobody; words and music by C. E.Brandon, of U.S. © June 21, 1916; 2 c. June24, 1916; E 388042; Syndicate music co., St.Louis. [Copyright is claimed on correction inmelody and changes in harmony]1917:I ain't got nobody much; jazz fox-trot, byWilliams, played by Victor Arden, of U.S.Rythmodik record music rolls, D 17102) ©Feb. 20, 1917; 2 c. June 9, 1917; E 405989;American piano co., New York. [Copyright isclaimed on interpretation.]But Williams cited as composer.[F. Henri Klickmann & Jack Frost copyrighted“I Ain’t Got Nobody Blues” in 1923]1925:I ain't got nobody and nobody cares for me;fox trot, w Roger Graham, m SpencerWilliams, of U.S.; pf. acc., with ukulele arr.,May Singhi Breen. © June 2, 1925; 2 c.June 1; E 618459; Triangle music pub. co.,inc., New York.1928:I ain't got nobody; words by Roger Graham,music by Spencer Williams. © June 20,1928; 2 c. June 19; E 693463; Trianglemusic pub. co., inc., New York.andI ain't got nobody; by Spencer Williams; pf.© Aug. 13, 1928; 2 c. Aug. 11; E 696964;Triangle music pub. co., inc., New York.1943 Renewals:I ain't got nobody; w Roger Graham, mSpencer Williams & D. Peyton. © DavePeyton, Chicago. R 116177, Mar. 11, 1943.andI ain't got nobody and nobody cares for me;song, w David Young. © Charles Warfield,Chicago. R 117040, Apr. 3, 1943. 193So here’s the story, as I reconstruct it:David Young & Charles Warfield wrote “I Ain’tGot Nobody and Nobody Cares for Me” in1914.Graham & Williams wrote “I Ain’t Got NobodyMuch” in 1915.Both versions were published in 1916, with thesecond phrase of the full Young-Warfield titleplaced in parens as a subtitle.Later (certainly by 1925 with the Trianglepublication)), it came out with the title weknow today [“I Ain’t Got Nobody (And NobodyCares for Me”], the Graham-Williams credits,and the Graham-Williams lyrics, the ones weassociated with the song today, with the muchremoved.Remember, titles can’t be copyrighted, so I’veelected to show the longer title that originatedwith the Young-Warfield version of the songwith the Graham-Williams credits, since it’stheir version of the song that we know today.