How 'ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm

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In 2024, when I updated this broken link, in Love in the time of Coronavirus, I asked ChatGPT for more information. This is what it told me:

"How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm" is a classic American song that captures the essence of a transformative period in history. Written in 1919 by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young, with music composed by Walter Donaldson, the song emerged during the aftermath of World War I, reflecting the societal changes and challenges faced by returning soldiers.

During World War I, millions of young men left their small-town lives to join the military and fight on foreign soil. These soldiers were exposed to new cultures, technologies, and experiences that often contrasted sharply with the traditional, agrarian lifestyle they had known. The war represented a seismic shift in societal dynamics, and the returning soldiers found themselves grappling with the challenge of readjustment.

When released, the tune became a cultural phenomenon, symbolizing the societal shift post-war. Its catchy melody and lyrics encapsulate the universal struggle between the allure of urban modernity and the comforts of rural roots.

The lyrics of "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm" paint a vivid picture of this struggle. Lines like "How ya gonna keep 'em away from Broadway, jazzin' around and paintin' the town?" express the allure of the vibrant city life, with its cultural offerings and lively entertainment, compared to the simplicity of farm life.

Beyond its initial popularity, "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm" has endured as a piece of Americana, often referenced in discussions about the impact of war on individuals and communities. Its nostalgic yet forward-looking tone reflects the complex emotions surrounding the aftermath of a global conflict. The song serves as a cultural artifact, encapsulating a moment in history when the world was transitioning, and individuals were grappling with the profound changes brought about by war and modernization.

This YouTube presentation contains some interesting images from the period

Composed by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young, with music by Walter Donaldson

[Verse 1]: "Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking", said his wifey dear, "Now that all is peaceful and calm, The boys will soon be back on the farm", Mister Reuben started winking, And slowly rubbed his chin, He pulled his chair up close to mother, And he asked her with a grin.

[Chorus 1]: How 'ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm, After they've seen Paree? How 'ya gonna keep 'em, Away from Broadway, Jazzin' around', And paintin' the town? How 'ya gonna keep 'em, Away from harm? That's a mystery, They'll never want to see a rake or plow, And who the deuce can parley vous a cow? How 'ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm, After they've seen Paree?

[Verse 2]: "Reuben, Reuben, You're mistaken", said his wifey dear, "Once a farmer, Always a jay, And farmers always stick to the hay", "Mother Reuben, I'm not fakin', Tho' you may think it strange, But wine and women play the mischief, With a boy who's loose with change".

[Chorus 2]: How 'ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm, After they've seen Paree? How 'ya gonna keep 'em, Away from Broadway, Jazzin' around', And paintin' the town? How 'ya gonna keep 'em, Away from harm? That's a mystery, Imagine Reuben when he meets his pa, He'll kiss his cheek and holler "Oo-la-la!" How 'ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm, After they've seen Paree?

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Travel

The United Kingdom

In May and Early June 2013 we again spent some time in the UK on our way to Russia. First stop London. On the surface London seems quite like Australia. Walking about the streets; buying meals; travelling on public transport; staying in hotels; watching TV; going to a play; visiting friends; shopping; going to the movies in London seems mundane compared to travel to most other countries. Signs are in English; most people speak a version of our language, depending on their region of origin. Electricity is the same and we drive on the same side or the street. Bott Wendy and I have lived in London in previous lives, so it's like another home.

But look as you might, nowhere in Australia is really like London.

Fiction, Recollections & News

Egyptian Mummies

Next to Dinosaurs mummies are the museum objects most fascinating to children of all ages.

At the British Museum in London crowds squeeze between show cases to see them. At the Egyptian Museum in Cairo they are, or were when we visited in October 2010 just prior to the Arab Spring, by far the most popular exhibits (follow this link to see my travel notes). Almost every large natural history museum in the world has one or two mummies; or at the very least a sarcophagus in which one was once entombed.

In the 19th century there was something of a 'mummy rush' in Egypt. Wealthy young European men on their Grand Tour, ostensibly discovering the roots of Western Civilisation, became fascinated by all things 'Oriental'. They would pay an Egyptian fortune for a mummy or sarcophagus. The mummy trade quickly became a lucrative commercial opportunity for enterprising Egyptian grave-robbers.

Opinions and Philosophy

Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell (Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970)) has been a major influence on my life. I asked for and was given a copy of his collected Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell for my 21^st birthday and although I never agreed entirely with every one of his opinions I have always respected them.

In 1950 Russell won the Nobel Prize in literature but remained a controversial figure. He was responsible for the Russell–Einstein Manifesto in 1955. The signatories included Albert Einstein, just before his death, and ten other eminent intellectuals and scientists. They warned of the dangers of nuclear weapons and called on governments to find alternative ways of resolving conflict. Russell went on to become the first president of the campaign for nuclear disarmament (CND) and subsequently organised opposition to the Vietnam War. He could be seen in 50's news-reels at the head of CND demonstrations with his long divorced second wife Dora, for which he was jailed again at the age of 89.

In 1958 Gerald Holtom, created a logo for the movement by stylising, superimposing and circling the semaphore letters ND.

Some four years earlier I'd gained my semaphore badge in the Cubs, so like many children of my vintage, I already knew that: = N(uclear) = D(isarmament)

The logo soon became ubiquitous, graphitied onto walls and pavements, and widely used as a peace symbol in the 60s and 70s, particularly in hippie communes and crudely painted on VW camper-vans.

(otherwise known as the phallic Mercedes).

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