Explore "The Old Band" by James Whitcomb Riley on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
It's mighty good to git back to the old town, shore, / Considerin' I've be'n away twenty year and more. / Sence I moved then to Kansas, of course I see a change, / A-comin' back, and notice things that's new to me and strange; / Especially at evening when yer new band-fellers meet, / In fancy uniforms and all, and play out on the street -- / . What's come of old Bill Lindsey and the Saxhorn fellers -- say? / I want to hear the _old_ band play.
What's come of Eastman, and Nat Snow? And where's War Barnett at? / And Nate and Bony Meek; Bill Hart; Tom Richa'son and that- / Air brother of him played the drum as twic't as big as Jim; / And old Hi Kerns, the carpenter -- say, what's become o' him? / I make no doubt yer _new band_ now's a _competenter_ band, / And plays their music more by note than what they play by hand, / And stylisher and grander tunes; but somehow -- anyway, / I want to hear the _old_ band play.