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Good Bye Eliza Jane
Old-Time Breakdown and Song. Words by Andrew B. Sterling, Music by Harry Von Tilzer, 1903.
AUTHOR: Words- Andrew B. Sterling, Music- Harry Von Tilzer
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1903
OTHER NAMES: Good-bye Sweet Liza Jane (Poole); Good-Bye Eliza Jane; Good-bye Liza Jane.
SOURCES: Spaeth-ReadWeep, p. 211, "Good-bye, Eliza Jane" (partial text and tune) Rorrer, p. 93, "Good-bye Sweet Liza Jane" (1 text);
RECORDINGS: Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, "Good-bye Sweet Liza Jane" (Columbia 15601-D, 1930; on CPoole03 as "Goodbye Liza Jane") Read 'Em and Weep, Arco, Sof (1959/1926), p211 (Good-Bye Eliza Jane); Boiled Buzzards. Fine Dining, Marimac 9043, Cas (1991), cut#A.05; Corn Dodgers. Nobody's Business If I Do, Rooster 106, LP (1980), cut#B.04 (Goodbye/Good-bye Liza Jane); Dickel Brothers. Dickel Brothers Volume One, Empty Records MTR 376, LP (1999), cut#B.02 (Goodbye/Good-bye Liza Jane); Highwoods String Band. Dance All Night, Rounder 0045, LP (1975?), cut# 2; McClatchy, Debby. Light Years Away, Marimac 4010, CD (1992), cut#14; Poole, Charlie; and the North Carolina Ramblers. Legend of Charlie Poole, County 516, LP, cut# 7 (Goodbye/Good-bye Liza Jane); Spontaneous String Band. String Band Project, Elektra EKS 7292, LP, cut#B.08
NOTES: Sentimental ballad writer Harry von Tilzer wrote the music for the “Goodbye Eliza Jane" in 1903. He was one of the leading ‘Tin Pan Alley” writers with hits such as "My Old New Hampshire Home" and “Bird in a Gilded Cage.” When Charlie Poole recorded the song it became an old-time song obscuring its original composition.
Only the title (Goodbye Eliza Jane) and a few lyrics, connect this Tin Pan Alley song with the fiddle tune, Goodbye Liza Jane. I have listed this under a frequent title, Goodbye Miss Liza Jane, as it’s listed in the online Folk Song Index.
BIO: Harry Von Tilzer- b. July 8, 1872, Detroit, MI, d. Jan. 10. 1946, New York, N.Y. Harry Gummbinsky (The family later shortened the name to "Gumm".) Harry, one of six children, was to find a career in music as did his younger brother Albert. When Harry was still a child, his family moved to Indianapolis, IN, where he father acquired a shoe store. A theatrical company gave performances in the loft above the store, and that's where Harry learned to love show business.
His career really started in 1886 when, at age 14, he ran away from home and joined the Cole Brothers Circus. By 1887, he was playing piano, composing songs, and acting in a traveling repertory company. He changed his name at that time. His mother's maiden name was Tilzer, and he 'gussied' it up by adding the 'Von'. Thereafter he would be called Harry Von Tilzer, and later his younger brother would adopt the name also, Albert Von Tilzer. Harry met Lottie Gilson when the burlesque troupe with which he was working reached Chicago. The popular vaudevillian took an interest, and induced him to go to New York. In 1892, Harry, working as a groom on a trainload of horses, arrived in New York, with just $1.65 in his pocket. He rented a room near the Brooklyn Bridge and became a $15.00 per week saloon pianist. He left New York briefly to work in a traveling medicine show, but returned to again work in saloons and later as a vaudevillian in a 'Dutch' act with George Sidney. At this time, Harry was writing songs, literally hundreds of songs that were never published. He would sell them outright to other entertainers for $2.00 each. Even Tony Pastor sang a few of his songs in his theater. But the tide was about to turn for Harry.
One of his songs was published, "My Old New Hampshire Home", lyric by Andrew B. Sterling. William C. Dunn, owner of a small print shop, purchased it outright for $15.00, and issued it in 1898. It was a hit that sold more than 2 million copies.
LYRICS:
Look a' here, Liza, listen to me;
You ain't the gal you promised to be;
Didn't you say you always would be true, oo, oo, oo, oo?
You went a driving with Mister Brown;
Now I'm the laughing stock of the town;
Folks say that I was crazy to trust you, oo, oo, oo, oo.
Throw up my hands babe, I'se gwine to go;
Can't stand the blow; I loved you so;
I was the good thing while I had the "dough"
Now I must whisper low:
Chorus: "Good bye, Eliza Jane, I'm gwine a' for to leave you!
Well, you'll know when I go,
that I was the fellow with the "dough, dough, dough;"
so I'm gwine for to sing a little song,
And travel a long, just travel a long
Wish you good day, Babe, I'm on my way, Good bye Eliza Jane."
Look a' here, Liza, take off those rings;
Dig in that trunk, gal; hand me those things;
I'm gwine to take the clothes I paid for, too, oo, oo, oo, oo!
Cough up that old gold watch, and de chain;
Wants that umbrella, cause it might rain;
Ask Mister Brown to fix you up all new, oo, oo, oo, oo.
Rent time is here, babe; landlord today;
I'll be away; who's gwine to pay?
P'r'aps Mister Brown will if he's a jay,
Once more to you I say:
Chorus
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