My Wife's Up in an Airship

"My Wife's Up in an Airship. Words by Arthur Longbrake. Music by Ed. Edwards. Published by Longbrake & Edwards, 50 N. 8th St., Phila., Pa. Miss Camp."

 

Handwritten: "Jane H. Banks. J.H.N., 7-22, 1911."

 

An amusing sheet music cover featuring an early airplane ("airship" referred to any type of flying machine in 1911 when this was published, but today the term is used only for dirigibles). It's disappointing, however, to discover that the lyrics of the song (see below) express the "henpecked" husband's spiteful wish that the airplane will take his wife away permanently because "It's my one chance you see / To live here happily."

 

For York University's copy of the sheet music, which includes a PDF version of the inside pages, see My Wife's Up in an Airship (the Web address is an alias that takes you to YorkSpace, York University's digital repository).

 

Originally posted on Ipernity: My Wife's Up in an Airship.

 

My Wife's Up in an Airship

 

Words by Arthur Longbrake. Music by Ed. Edwards.

 

Jonesy was a henpecked man

For him life was a joke,

His wife made him give up his dough

She always kept him broke;

 

One day she said I'm going up

In an airship for a ride,

Then Jones pretended to be scared

But he smiled on the side.

 

And when she sailed away

Some friends heard Jonesy say,

 

Chorus:

My wife's up in an airship

Hooray! hip, hip, hooray!

I hope she likes the trial trip

So much she'll want to stay;

 

For should she stay up in the air

Ye ho! my lads, ye ho!

With her up there most anywhere

I'd have some peace below.

 

Jonesy said I wished her luck

When she left mother earth,

But if that airship would get stuck

I'd give all I am worth;

 

I hope the lad who drives the ship

Will attempt a spiral glide,

Or land her in the middle of

A river three miles wide.

 

It's my one chance you see

To live here happily.

 

Chorus

Done