Stories of Famous Songs by S. J. Adair Fitz-Gerald is an encyclopedia of song and lyric history and lore for music from all over the world. In an attempt to "produce an entertaining, amusing, and instructive work that shall appeal to the hearts and sympathies of all true lovers of songs with music," Fitz-Gerald presents a book full of useful and interesting information for musicians, historians, and individuals intrigued by the stories behind popular music. Each story, without exception, is interesting, surprising, and tells a completely unique tale of the inspiration, process, and journey of some of our most beloved songs.

Fitz-Gerald researched all of the songs in this text at great length, and put years of work into the writing of this book. "This work is the practical proof of some fifteen years' agreeable labour in the fields of lyric literature and song lore.," he notes. Very thorough in his research, Fitz-Gerald goes on to explain, "These histories, as far as possible accurate, of all the world's most famous and popular songs and ballads, have been gathered from all sorts of available sources, books, magazines, and newspapers, and living representatives and friends of deceased writers." The book includes songs from all over the globe including songs from America, such as "Star-Spangled Banner" and "Yankee Doodle"; Germany, such as "Die Waht Am Rhein and "Die Schwertlied"; and France, such as "Les Constantes Amours D'Alix Et D'Alexis" and "La Marseillaise." This book also contains several illustrations and anecdotale accounts to further the exploration of the songs and the lore behind them.

Clearly a labor of passion and love, Stories of Famous Songs is a wonderful examination of famous music pieces and their lyrics. With detailed histories and stories of the writers, composers, and performers, this text reads like a turn-of-the-century "behind the scenes" look at some of time's most beloved tunes. This is an excellent read for the music lover and historian alike, sure to incite passion and curiosity in any reader.

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