The Bowery (song)

The lyrics describe an incident in New York City and have nothing to do with the plot, a story set in San Francisco.

"The Bowery[2] by Charles H. Hoyt and Percy Gaunt From the Broadway play A Trip to Chinatown (1891) Verse 1 Oh!

Verse 4 I went into a concert hall, I didn't have a good time at all; Just the minutes that I sat down Girls began singing, "New Coon in Town," I got up mad and spoke out free, "Somebody put that man out," said she; A man called a bouncer attended to me, I'll never go there anymore.

Verse 5 I went into a barbershop, He talk'd till I thought that he'd never stop; I: "Cut it short," he misunderstood, Clipp'd down my hair just as close as he could.

Verse 6 I struck a place that they called a "dive," I was in luck to get out alive; When the policeman heard of my woes, Saw my black eye and my batter'd nose, "You've been held up!"

[5] Hoyt, who has been called the Father of American Farce,[6] developed a style in his musicals based upon fast action, outrageous situations, witty dialogue, dancing, acrobatics, and singing.

The meager plot of A Trip to Chinatown did not remain constant during its long run but varied with changes in novelty acts, songs, characters, and lines.

[7] A Trip to Chinatown ran for 650 performances and set a Broadway record that stood for 20 years.

[6] The Bowery sold more than 1 million copies of sheet music and has remained a familiar song.