“Goodbye, My Party, Goodbye”

“Goodbye, My Party, Goodbye,” also published as “Goodbye, Old Party, Goodbye,” was a political campaign song. It employed a technique common to the time, that of a pastiche, in which the new text is set to a known tune; this song was set to the tune of “Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye,” the original words and music composed by T. H. Allen (Allen 1882 ). “Goodbye, My Party, Goodbye,” primarily used in the elections of 1890 and 1892, reflected dismay with the two major political parties, Republican and Democrat, in their treatment of railroads and monopolies. On occasion it was called “The Populist Anthem.” Some contemporary commentators credited the song with influencing the Kansas vote in favor of James B. Weaver, the Populist candidate for president in 1892.

The original barbershop ballad by Allen was in 6/8 time, in G major; it began with a melody nearly identical to the English folk song “Good-bye, My Lover, Good-bye.” The chorus was sung in 4/4 time. The new text for this Populist song was by Courtland Snow White, the poet of the People's Party. Little is known of White's birth, childhood and early adult life, but he was listed as a wagon-maker and blacksmith in the Southwestern Business Directory (1889) in Halstead, Harvey County, Kansas. White had composed poems to be sung as pastiches with other songs known to the people, such as “The Alliance Goes Marching On,” to the tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

It was no more than a year ago,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
That I was in love with my party so,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
To hear aught else I never would go;
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
Like all the rest I made a great blow,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.

(Chorus:)
Bye, party, bye, lo; bye party, bye, lo;
Bye, party, bye, lo; Good-bye, old party, good-bye.

I was often scourged with the party lash,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
The bosses laid on with demands for cash,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
To do aught else I deemed it rash,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
So I had to take it, or lose my hash,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
(Chorus)

I was raised up in the kind of school,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
That taught to bow to money rule,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
And it made of me a “Kansas fool,”
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
When they found I was a willing tool,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
(Chorus)

The old party is on the downward track,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
Picking his teeth with a tariff tack,
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
With a placard pinned upon its back
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
That plainly states “I'll never come back,”
Good-bye, old party, good-bye.
(Chorus)

Another version, “Good-bye, Poor Benny, Good-bye,” with text by C. S. White, was published in the newspaper Topeka Mail in 1892, shortly after the defeat of President Benjamin Harrison by Grover Cleveland (White 1892 ). Three verses addressed Benjamin Harrison's reelection loss in November 1892; lyrics also negatively mention William McKinley's Tariff Act of October 1890 (“You choked to death on McKinley's bill”). The tariff was so unpopular that the Republicans lost the House of Representatives in the 1890 midterm elections. The fourth verse extols the President-elect: “Grover Cleveland is the boy”:

It came to pass on election day.
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye,
That Cleveland had a walk away,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye.
Once you thought that you could win it,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye,
But now you find that you're not in it,
Good-bye, poor Benny good bye.
(Chorus)

Bye Benny, bye-lo, bye Benny by-lo,
Bye Benny bye-lo, good-bye poor Benny, good-bye.
The voters split on the tariff trash,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye,
It knocks your election all to smash,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye;
To be sure it is a bitter pill,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye.
You choked to death on McKinley's bill,
Good-bye poor Benny good-bye.
(Chorus)

Boodle is on the downward track,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye.
The “Reps” are left to hold the sack,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye.

We have buried the g. o. p's. so deep,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye.
They will take their everlasting sleep,
Good-by poor Benny, good bye.
(Chorus)

Grover Cleveland is the boy,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye,
The People's Party wish him joy,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye.
So Benny is forced to make a “sneak,”
Good-bye poor Benny, good bye,
And take a trip up Salty Creek,
Good-bye poor Benny, good-bye.
(Chorus)

As with many political movements, poems, slogans, and songs formed a powerful means of communication. For purposes of familiarity, song texts were added to existing known tunes.

Ralph M. Hartsock

See also: Cleveland, Grover (1837–1908) ; McKinley, William, Jr. (1843–1901) ; People's Party ; The Press and Populism

References

Allen, T. H. Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye. New York: Harms, 1882.

Vincent, Leopold. The Alliance and Labor Songster. Indianapolis: Vincent Bros., 1891. Reprint, New York: Arno Press, 1975.

White, C.S. The People's Songster for Campaign Purposes and a Jolly Time Generally. Indianapolis, IN: Vincent Bros., 1892.