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The E-Sylum: Volume 17, Number 1, January 5, 2014, Article 22

KANKAKEE AND LYDIA, THE TATTOOED LADY

A chance reference to the town of Kankakee, IL spawned a non-numismatic quiz about songs in which the name of the town appeared. I was fishing for Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans", but it turns out there's at least one other correct answer. E-Sylum readers really DO know everything, apparently. -Editor

David Menchell writes:

I guess it just shows you where my mind is at, but when I saw your question about Kankakee, I immediately thought of Groucho singing "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady": "For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree or Washington crossing the Delaware".

Dan Demeo writes:

Lydia the Tattooed Lady I'm surprised that you didn't get any answers related to the "other" song referencing Kankakee, that being 'Lydia the Tattooed Lady.' Lydia, sung by Groucho Marx in the 1939 movie, "At the Circus," was written by Harold Arlen, and words by E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. Groucho, or Capt. Spaulding, as he enumerates her tattoos, sings "...you can see Kankakee or Paree...", rhyming the Illinois city with both see and Paree, the French capital.

Anyway, "At the Circus" is well remembered by some of us, and will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of its release in 2014. I guess it was a bit overshadowed at the time, because "Gone With the Wind", was also released in 1939, and it had both color and Clark Gable not giving "a damn", but I don't remember him singing anything.

I enjoyed various film fests in college, and Marx Brothers nights were always fun. I remember the song but had forgotten that lyric. Gotta love the line: "Lydia, oh Lydia, that en-cy-clo-pidia..." -Editor

To read the complete lyrics, see: Lydia, The Tattooed Lady - Groucho Marx (dmdb.org/lyrics/lydia.html)

To watch Groucho singing it on YouTube see: Lydia the Tattooed Lady (www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zRe_wvJw8)

On New Year's Eve John Dannreuther wrote:

The City of New Orleans just passed my condo. 10:46... A minute late!

I responded:

The song could have just as easily been named "The Disappearing Railroad Blues." But I like "City of New Orleans" better. I've only been to Nawlin's twice, but had a great time. Maybe I should take the train. I'll wave to you (or moon you), depending on how many times we pass the bottle beforehand...

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUIZ ANSWER: CITY OF NEW ORLEANS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n53a08.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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