Grecian Bend, The

DESCRIPTION: "I'm the wretchedest man that e'er was seen, For badly swindled I have been." He meets a girl with a Grecian Bend. She is very pretty, and he ends up paying her (expensive) rent. Then she goes off with another man. He warns against such girls
AUTHOR: Tony Pastor (source: New-Comic-Songster)
EARLIEST DATE: 1870 (New-Comic-Songster)
KEYWORDS: love courting clothes warning recitation
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (10 citations):
New-Comic-Songster, p. 56, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text, 1 tune)
Dime-Song-Book #21, pp. 5-6, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text); cf. p. 24, "The Grecian Bend: No. 2" (1 text); also Dime-Song-Book #22, p. 17, "That Lovely Grecian Bend" (1 text); p. 20, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text)
Archy-Hughes-George-the-Charmer-Songster, p. 33, "Grecian Bend" (1 text, rewritten to refer to Archy Hughes himself)
Lydia-Thompson-Songster, p. 17, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text, said to be sung by The Great Lingard, but clearly a version rewritten for a female singer)
Walking-Down-Broadway-Songster, p. 15, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text, the Great Lingard's version)
Clowns-Shoo-Fly-Songster, p. 55, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text, the Great Lingard's version)
Williams-Love-Among-Big-Nozes-Songster, p. 23, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text, probably the Great Lingard's version)
Wallace-Vocal-Gems-Songster, p. 18, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text, probably the Great Lingard's version)
Keen-Love-Among-Der-Sweitzer-Songster, p. 26, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text, which Jule Keen claims to have written; the man marries a girl with a Grecian Bend, and now their daughter wears one as well)
Kelly-Leon-Ching-Chow-Hi-Songster, p. 35, "The Grecian Bend" (1 text, the Great Lingard's version)
Roud #24766
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "A Burlesque on the Fashions of the Day, 1870, or, The Grecian Bend" (subject of the Grecian Bend)
cf. "The Dolly Varden Hats" (subject of the Grecian Bend)
NOTES [107 words]: Although pretty clearly of American origin, the only sign of a traditional collection comes, oddly, from England. I'm not sure I trust it, but I index the song just in case....
The versions of this seem to be very diverse; it looks to me as if all have been customized for the particular singer. If it's a woman, she may do the bend; if it's a man, he may be attracted by it or exasperated by it.
The Grecian Bend seems to have been a greatly exaggerated bustle that appears, based on illustrations, to have almost forced the wearer to lean forward dramatically while wearing it. In addition to looking strange, it frankly looks painful. - RBW
Last updated in version 7.1
File: NCSGreBe

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography