Irving Berlin's In My Merry Oldsmobile

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In My Merry Oldsmobile
Introduction
Irving Berlin is a significant songwriter character renowned for his wise views and knowledge. Berlin published a list of nine guidelines in 1920 that summarized the fundamentals of writing successful songs during the Tin Pan Alley era. Although Gus Edwards and Vincent P. Bryan, the authors of "In My Merry Oldsmobile," were not directly affected by Berlin's standards, evaluating their song in light of Berlin's guidelines is interesting. In order to assess how closely "In My Merry Oldsmobile" complies with Berlin's principles, this essay looks at the song's lyrics, melody, and commercial success.
The Extent/Degree, the Songwriter, follows Irving Berlin's Rules for writing a Hit Song
The framework provided by Irving Berlin's nine standards for writing popular songs may be used to assess how well "In My Merry Oldsmobile" adheres to his guidelines. Even if the song was created before Berlin's principles were published, we might judge its conformance using particular lyrical and musical examples.
Lyrical Analysis. Berlin highlights the value of an attention-grabbing first line in her lyrical compositions. This is accomplished via "In My Merry Oldsmobile"'s catchy and well-known opening lyric, "Come Along with Me, Lucille." The song's narrative-driven lyrics are simple and clear, portraying a couple on a joyride in an Oldsmobile. This makes the tale familiar to the ordinary listener. The song's straightforward tale successfully evokes enthusiasm, passion, and nostalgia.
Musical Analysis. Berlin's recommendations cover a popular song's musical elements as well. The easy and predictable melodic structure of "In My Merry Oldsmobile" makes it easier to sing along to and encourages audience participation. The upbeat and upbeat rhythm enhances the lyrics and adds to the overall excitement and vibrancy of the song by precisely capturing the enjoyment of a leisurely vehicle ride. The title line is repeated throughout the chorus, acting as a catchy and simple-to-recall hook.
How was this Song Marketed to the General Public?
The success of a song in the Tin Pan Alley era rested not only on its quality but also on its marketing and distribution plans. With numerous strategies and methods used at the time in the music business, the song "In My Merry Oldsmobile" was publicized.
Before diving into the specific marketing tactics for "In My Merry Oldsmobile," it is important to comprehend the general strategy used by Tin Pan Alley publishers. Publishers understood that writing a good song alone would not ensure financial success. Through a practice known as plugging, they actively participated in increasing a song's popularity. Any public performance or marketing effort to boost sales and expand the song's audience was called plugging (Suisman). The procedure of plugging "In My Merry Oldsmobile" probably went in a similar direction. The "professional" edition of the song was printed on inexpensive pulpy paper without any artwork, and here was where the song's journey began. Local performers were enlisted to test out the song in front of an audience and gauge its potential. These performances' successful reviews suggest that crowds liked the song.
Upon positive feedback, the publisher would issue trade copies of the song with cover art on superior paper. More vigorous plugging efforts started after this. To gauge the response of actual customers, the publisher would sell copies to the trade, typically at a discount. Small dealers were obligated by contracts to buy new music, giving them a bigger profit margin and an incentive to spread the word about the newest releases. The publisher would place advertisements in trade periodicals targeted at jobbers, ...