Songs Of Sentiment

Originally Aired: November 25, 1936 In Cavalcade of America #58, "Songs Of Sentiment," the program explores the heartfelt stories behind three beloved American songs that captured the sentimental spirit of their eras. The episode opens in 1830 New York, where printer and poet Samuel Woodworth visits Mallory's Tavern on a sweltering summer day. As Mallory serves him brandy, their conversation turns to boyhood memories of farm life, and Woodworth is suddenly inspired to capture the nostalgia of simpler times in verse, penning "The Old Oaken Bucket" on the spot. The narrative then moves to 1870s Philadelphia, where struggling composer Hart Pease Danks anxiously awaits a poem he's purchased for three dollars from Reverend Eben Rexford, a country newspaper editor. When the letter arrives with not one but many poems, Danks and his devoted wife discover "Silver Threads Among the Gold," a tender meditation on aging and enduring love that perfectly captures their own relationship. Finally, the episode shifts to 1890s Denver, where writer Cy Warman approaches minstrel show singer Raymond Moore with a poem honoring his wife Marie, hoping to transform his heartfelt verses into a memorable song.