Music: Shark Season

One of the cleverest of U.S. rackets was moving in last week on the U.S. armed forces. The racketeers, known to Tin Pan Alley as the “song sharks,” mulct their victims—amateur songwriters—for amounts up to $100 apiece. The U.S.O. is after the sharks, but civilian experience indicates that little can be done except to warn potential G.I. suckers. Most sharks manage to operate within the law.

The song shark’s most familiar bait is a small ad along these lines: “Send us your poems for expert criticism. You may have a song hit. Upon acceptance, we edit, publish, record your song and bring it to the attention of bands and broadcasting studios.”

Song Suckers. When the sucker has swallowed the bait by submitting his song, he gets an enthusiastic letter stating that his lyrics are indeed hit material, that with a good tune and publication they can scarcely fail to score. Expenses incidental to publication—tunewriting, arranging, etc.—will, of course, cost a small amount, which must be sent in advance. The sucker sends the money, and is gratified to receive 20 printed copies of his song. He next hears from an apparently different concern (the same shark using a different address), expressing great interest in his published song and suggesting that all it needs is a recording, by an unfamiliar but impressively named orchestra. This can be done for a small fee, and so on.

By the time the sucker has spent up to a hundred dollars, he usually gets tired and quits. For his money he has received a tune any hack composer could turn out for $5, a printing job worth $7.50, a cheap $1 acetate recording.

By the Silo. Several months ago the National Better Business Bureau sent to a large number of suspected sharks the worst sample of lyric writing its staff could concoct:

When we said goodbye by the silo

After milking time at time of eve

Sadly you did cry and patted poor fido

As I did march away in kaki sleeve

The cows mewed goodbye, the chores

were all done

As I turned and marched away to

Washington, etc. etc.

By return mail, the sharks beamed encouragement. Comments: “We receive very few lyrics that are as inspired and well-written as yours. … It has distinct novelty and originality. … It should make a beautiful and appealing song which people would love to sing, whistle and remember [$30 for music and professional copies].

Song sharks are hard to catch. Most modern sharks are carefully surrounded by expert legal talent. But they are easy to detect. What gives them away is asking for fees. No legitimate U.S. song publisher ever accepts money for publishing a song.