Songs inspired by the early age of flight. - By Rebecca Maksel -
AirSpaceMag.com, February 19, 2009 Smithsonian Institution
Libraries In 1935, the New Yorker covered a small exhibition of
Landauer’s sheet music at the Old Print Shop in New York City:
“The oldest songs are mostly English, we found, and naturally
they’re about balloons. The very oldest air song, published in
London in 1782, is called ‘The Balloon’…. We thought the words
of this insipid.” By 1908, English songwriters were scarcely
more inspired, as the lyrics to “Up In My Balloon” show: Little
Bertie Van Lear says to Maudie De Vere, I have good news I want
you to share, Now I’ve a balloon and there’s plenty of room, So
we’ll go for a ride in the air; Do your hair in a rat, get your
best sailor hat, Be on deck, we must sail promptly at nine, As
the Captain and crew, I’ll take good care of you, And I’ll show
you a real high old time. Little Maudie De Vere says to Bertie
Van Lear, As the big balloon slowly arose, We’ve been courting
you know now fo