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Poem
February 12, 1921
Bisbee Daily Review
Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona
What is this article about?
A folksy tribute to Abraham Lincoln on his anniversary, praising his honesty and imagining his reactions to 1921 modern life like phonographs, airplanes, and jazz, concluding he'd be proud of the progress.
Merged-components note: Merged title, byline, and poem text into single poem component; sequential reading order and topical continuity.
Clipping
OCR Quality
97%
Excellent
Full Text
Just Passin' The Time Away
By KID UNDERWOOD
He wasn't much to look at,
A-judgin' from his pictures;
Just lean and lank and rangy
Without no fancy fixtures.
They never claimed that Abe
Resembled
That ol' god, Apollo,
An' yet he seemed to be a guy
Folks trusted, an' would follow.
Square-shootin', clean and honest
Is what history says about him;
An' since he left, the nation's been
A lonesome place without him.
His anniversary is today.
An' I can't keep from thinkin'
Just how much better a feller'd feel
If he knew he was square as Lincoln.
I WONDER WHAT—
I wonder what ol' Abe would say
If he could be alive today.
And roam around the country he
Once served and saved for you an' me.
I wonder, would he smile or frown
At us who live in this ol' town?
Or would his homely face be sad
When he saw all the things we had?
I wonder if he wouldn't laugh
If he should hear a phonograph:
Or take a trip in a flyin' machine,
Or a big six-cylinder limousine.
I wonder, would he like to go
And see a modern picture show?
And would he, now, by any chance
Enjoy jazz music at a dance.
I wonder, if he'd rather hike
Or ride a festive motorbike;
And would his face be wreathed in smiles
When he first saw our modern styles.
I guess ol' Abe would surely feel
We'd changed since he was at the wheel,
And yet, I think, he'd be real glad
To see there was more good than bad.
I'll bet that Abe would understand
And just stick out his good right hand
And sort of grin and say: "Well done,
I'm proud of nineteen twenty-one."
By KID UNDERWOOD
He wasn't much to look at,
A-judgin' from his pictures;
Just lean and lank and rangy
Without no fancy fixtures.
They never claimed that Abe
Resembled
That ol' god, Apollo,
An' yet he seemed to be a guy
Folks trusted, an' would follow.
Square-shootin', clean and honest
Is what history says about him;
An' since he left, the nation's been
A lonesome place without him.
His anniversary is today.
An' I can't keep from thinkin'
Just how much better a feller'd feel
If he knew he was square as Lincoln.
I WONDER WHAT—
I wonder what ol' Abe would say
If he could be alive today.
And roam around the country he
Once served and saved for you an' me.
I wonder, would he smile or frown
At us who live in this ol' town?
Or would his homely face be sad
When he saw all the things we had?
I wonder if he wouldn't laugh
If he should hear a phonograph:
Or take a trip in a flyin' machine,
Or a big six-cylinder limousine.
I wonder, would he like to go
And see a modern picture show?
And would he, now, by any chance
Enjoy jazz music at a dance.
I wonder, if he'd rather hike
Or ride a festive motorbike;
And would his face be wreathed in smiles
When he first saw our modern styles.
I guess ol' Abe would surely feel
We'd changed since he was at the wheel,
And yet, I think, he'd be real glad
To see there was more good than bad.
I'll bet that Abe would understand
And just stick out his good right hand
And sort of grin and say: "Well done,
I'm proud of nineteen twenty-one."
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
Ballad
What themes does it cover?
Patriotism
Moral Virtue
Political
What keywords are associated?
Abraham Lincoln
Anniversary
Modern Inventions
Honesty
1921
Patriotism
What entities or persons were involved?
By Kid Underwood
Poem Details
Title
Just Passin' The Time Away
Author
By Kid Underwood
Subject
On Abraham Lincoln's Anniversary
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets In Folksy Dialect
Key Lines
Square Shootin', Clean And Honest
Is What History Says About Him;
I'll Bet That Abe Would Understand
And Just Stick Out His Good Right Hand
And Sort Of Grin And Say: "Well Done,
I'm Proud Of Nineteen Twenty One."