Music Hall Memory Box

The Songwriters 

A new generation of songwriters emerged in the mid- 19th century to meet the particular demands of the music hall industry.  However, unlike the performers, at least some of whom are still remembered today, the songwriters are forgotten in public memory. Some of their songs live on and continue to be enjoyed, but those who wrote and composed them have become mere footnotes in history books.   

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Perhaps this pattern is not surprising, considering that, even today, songwriters who write for others receive limited public recognition for their work. However, the lyrics of 19th century music hall songs are routinely analysed by historians for political, class and cultural expression, and so it is only fitting that the individuals who wrote these lyrics should also be considered, and their stoies told, in the histories of British music hall.

The songwriters were almost entirely men who originated from working or lower-middle class backgrounds, and very few received any formal musical training. Instead, most taught themselves how to play instruments and compose, and did so in response to the mid-century demand created by the music halls for new songs. Some songwriters would write the lyrics, set them to music and compose the parts alone, while others would work in partnership and delegate these roles accordingly. To earn their living, they would either write songs and offer them to singers they believed to be suitable or would accept commissions to write a song for a specific artist. They were, however, paid very little for their efforts. In 1880, the average rate for a song was one guinea, and songs were frequently sold at lower prices. To earn a substantial living, songwriters hoped that their songs would become popular on the stage, which could lead to the publication of their song and to profits from the royalties.  However, this was not guaranteed, and for many to survive economically they needed to write songs on a mass scale. G.W. Hunt, in an interview with The Era in 1894, stated that he produced 7,000 songs over a thirty-year period. In the same year, Joseph Tabrar claimed to have already written upwards of 17,000 songs, though this is likely to have been an exaggeration. This rate of production, however, meant songwriters took a formulaic approach to their craft.

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Felix McGlennon, a prominent songwriter, felt the specific needs of the music hall song industry restrained his creativity. In a very revealing interview with The Era in March 1894, he stated: 

"The main thing is catchiness. I will sacrifice everything- rhyme, reason, sense, sentiment, to catchiness. There is, let me tell you, a great art in making rubbish acceptable…. If a rowdy song takes the ear of the public, and rowdy songs set in, why, I must needs write them".

In an interview with The Era, given in February 1894, Joseph Tabrar was asked if he could share the secrets to writing a comic song. His response gives us a wonderful insight into the light entertainment culture of the music halls: 

‘Yes, with pleasure. Think of a catchy refrain. Think of the silliest words that will rhyme anyhow. Think of a haunting, pretty melody, and there you are. The fortune of your publisher is made’.

In the 17 February 1894 issue of The Era, there was a discussion about the nature of song writing for the music halls. The consensus of the contributors was that ‘clever’ songs, which were musically complex or contained ‘clever’ words, would not sell. Music hall stars needed songs that would please the masses, and the songwriter C.E. Howells contended that the lyrics of a song were unimportant in music halls, but rather, it was essential that a melody be pretty, catchy and simple; one that could easily be whistled along to. Howells admitted that most of the lyrics in music hall songs were inane, but reiterated that this was what the public demanded of a ‘popular song’. Evidently, there was a rigid template that songwriters felt they needed to follow in order to be successful, and so, links can be seen between the 19th century song industry and the modern-day pop music industry. Just as in the present and very recent past, songs were designed to appeal to a mass audience. They thus had to instantly catch the ear and offer lyrics that focused on an obvious, easily understood theme.

Sadly, despite the numerous volumes written by songwriters, many struggled financially because of frequent loopholes that were found in copyright laws. When music hall performers purchased their songs from the songwriters, the performing rights transferred to them, and anyone else wishing to perform the song publicly had to receive prior permission not from the songwriter but from the original artist. The songwriters only received royalties when their songs were published on song sheets. Though, during the later decades of the 19th century, and towards the turn of the century, there was a fairly thriving pirate industry dealing in song sheets, which cost songwriters and music publishers significant profits. This illegal trade was only halted with the Musical Copyright Act of 1906, but this was too late for the many songwriters who had struggled economically as a result of previously inadequate copyright laws. Many songwriters attempted to alleviate financial pressures by tutoring the next generation of writers in their formulaic art. However, all too often, veteran songwriters had to rely on benefit performances for economic survival. Despite their hard work, in the end, many came to rely on the generosity of the public who had for years before enjoyed singing along to their songs at music halls.