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February 1940. Vernon, Oklahoma. "Song director conducting singing of spiritual at soil conservation meeting." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Spirituals at a soil conservation meeting? Huh. What strikes me is that the landscape outside looks pretty darned barren -- probably need those spirituals.
Here's a link to Guy Lombardo's rendition of Scatter Brain. It's one of those songs we've heard many times but can't name that tune.
Written by Khan Keene, Carl Bean, Frankie Masters and Johnny Burke. The sheet music shows Frankie Masters. Covered by by Benny Goodman and Django Reinhardt, Guy Lombardo, Lawrence Welk, and many more.
My favorite lyric:
I know I'll end up apoplectic
But there's nothing I can do
It's just the same as being in a hurricane
And though my life will be too hectic
I'm so much in love with you
Nothing else can matter
You're my darling scatterbrain.
Main topic of the meeting might have been "How to keep your soil from ending up in Arkansas and Missouri."
that old beater could tell many stories I'm sure.
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