The Message of the Violet - J. W. Myers (1902)

"The Message of the Violet" from The Prince of Pilsen

J. W. Myers

1902 or 1903

Lyrics by Frank Pixley

Music by Gustav Luders

The rose’s lips are warm and red and burning with desire.
Her heart and soul are all aflame with passion’s glowing fire.

But if you touch her, have a care--she’s thick with thorns beset.
And nature when she breathes of love speaks through the violet.

I bring a breath of springtime from woodlands where I grew.
There’s a kiss upon each petal--my lips are sweet with dew.

The one who sends this message would whisper soft to you:
"I love you, love you, love you, and my heart’s true blue."

The lilly’s lips are chaste and pure
Without a touch of fire
She coldly says the mind should rule and chills the heart’s desire
Take both the lilly and the rose--extremes oft bring regret
Give me the lowly flow’r of love, the modest violet

John W. Myers, usually identified on records as J. W. Myers, was arguably the leading baritone balladeer in the first decade of commercial recordings, working regularly from the early 1890s to 1904 or so, after which a drop in his output is dramatic.

Born in Wales, Myers immigrated to America at age 12 and worked at various jobs, eventually becoming a theatrical manager in New York.

A catalog issued in 1898 by Columbia's New England headquarters--the Eastern Talking Machine Company at 17 Tremont Street, Boston--lists over fifty Myers titles and states, "J. W. Myers, the famous baritone, whose records have achieved a wonderful popularity, has recently made a contract to sing exclusively for the Columbia Phonograph Company."

Although Columbia's 1898 catalog identifies Myers as exclusive to that company, Myers cut dozens of titles for Berliner, having sessions as late as November 1897, March 1898, and December 1898. Columbia at that time made only cylinders. His contract may have allowed him to make discs for Berliner.

The May 10, 1901, catalog of Zon-o-phone discs issued by the National Gramophone Corporation lists seven titles sung by Myers.

He cut over 100 titles in the early days of the Victor Talking Machine Company, beginning on February 20, 1901, with performances issued on seven-inch discs. Sessions in October 1902 would be his last for Victor for a few years.

For Edison he cut a couple dozen titles, most of them in 1901, beginning with "Light of the Sea" (7820). He was a versatile artist, covering sentimental standards ("We'll Be Sweethearts to the End," 9498), bass-baritone classics ("Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep," 7840), and comic numbers.

After "The Bridge" (8010) was released in 1902, he stopped making Edison records for a few years, finally returning with "Night Time" (9470), issued in February 1907.