Paperback 224 pages Printed by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press. $21.99
All too often, any new book about the historic canals is basically a rehash of the same old, same old. After all, there are only so many ways we can learn about how Dewitt Clinton was the father of the Erie Canal. It is the rare pleasure when an author takes another road and takes a deep dive into a completely new area of study. Carol Sheriff’s “The Artificial River” is one of these books where you begin to learn something new from page number one. And so it is with “The Erie Canal Sings”. This is a totally new look at something that has been there in plain sight all along, the songs of the canallers. But be cautioned and don’t let the title mislead you. This is a book about many canals in many states, not just the Erie. Everyone will find something of home in this book.
In his introduction, Dr. Hullfish states that he has been collection and preforming these canal songs for over fifty years His prior work, The Canaller’s Songbook continues to be used by canal groups and folk musicians far and wide. It only makes sense that after singing these tunes for all these years, he has finally written a book to answer the questions; “Who wrote them, Who sang them, and What did they mean?”
Let me share my bias. I am not a musician. I can not carry a tune, nor do I particularly enjoy listening to music. I rarely pay attention on those occasions when a wandering troubadour happens to cross my path. I was really quite ready to not like this book. But I was wrong, this is a marvelous little read. It will introduce you to songs you have never heard about, and reintroduce you to old favorites. However, this is not a songbook. If you are looking for the full lyrics of these songs, go hunt up a copy of The Canaller’s Songbook. The Erie Canal Sings is a full on history book presented in a very light and easy manner. You will learn about the songs and poems that were used by the canal workers and entertainers of the canal period. This is a nice change in canal scholarship as there are so many times that we get lost in the details of canal history that we forget that at its core, it is always a history of the people. Who built the canals, who ran the boats, who worked the locks and so much more. And many of these people used these songs because they were happy, sad, afraid, or to reassure their animal teams.
Yes, of course, Bill gets into the big daddy of all canal songs. He calls it, “America’s Canal Song”. This of course is Low Bridge by Thomas Allen. This song is sung by every 4th grade class, at every canal event, and on every canal boat ride. It is either loved or hated by canal enthusiasts, but it is inescapable. It even appears in the 1935 film “The Farmer Takes a Wife” being sung by the crew of an 1850’s canal boat, even though it wasn’t written until the beginning of the 20th Century. Bill goes into the history of the song and it’s author, and in doing so, he tries to clear up many misconceptions. You will even learn the truth about if it was “fifteen miles” or “fifteen years” on the E-ri-e Canal. In the end, you will learn that was not a song of the 1850’s canal boatmen, but a song of nostalgia, recalling what was being lost as the old Erie disappeared and the new Barge Canal was built.
There is the obligatory history of the canal, keeping in mind that not everyone who picks up this book will be up to date on their canal history. So in order to give some context, Bill spends a short chapter on Erie Canal history, but of course, it is seen through some verse. This is nicely done. Other chapters will take you through the life of the canaller, and then into what happened as the canals began to fade away.
This is a nice light read. For those of you who can carry a tune, you will likely hum or sing your way through this musical journey as you learn some new and interesting facts. Thanks to Dr. Hullfish, who has indeed given us a refreshingly new book. I congratulate him for giving us all another way to learn about our canal history. I also thank Arcadia and The History Press for publishing it.
You can purchase The Erie Canal Sings through Amazon.