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The Musical Tragedy of Olive Thomas

from To The Depth of Jazz by Billy Butler

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One of three possible ways Olive Thomas may have died. From Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic.

lyrics

The Ritz Hotel, Paris, France, 1920
Young Jack and Olive married far too soon
Life on the stage kept them far apart
So they engaged to renew their hearts
A second honeymoon
A first wedding bed
Impending doom
Someone will be dead

Jack was once in the Navy
He brought something back with him too
No, it’s not a trinket
Or a Sailor Jerry tattoo
A doctor prescribed blue coffin-shaped pill
To crush, mortar and apply to his dill

Restless, Olive decides to write to her mama back home: ‘Mama dear: I’m well and having a nice time. Leaving here on the 11th of September. I will cable you from the boat and will tell you all the news when I arrive. Love to all. Olive.’

Tonight, Olive took it all too far
She drank too much alcohol at all those bohemian bars
A bottle of champagne at Cabaret de l'Enfer,
At Cafe du Néant, two Black Deaths, one Yellow Fever
"Drink, Maccabees!" the bartender cried
“My deadly drinks will get you high!”
And drink she did!

There on the dresser what does she see?
Perhaps Jack’s flask of favorite Whiskey
A little hair of the dog that bit, they say
Keeps the pink elephants away

‘My God, what have I done,’ she cried.
Jack rings the front desk terrified
“Help, my wife’s gonna die!”
The bellhop rushes in
With milk and water they begin
To nurse her, induce her
But nothing is working.

She clung to life for five long agonizing days
Then the bright shining star sadly faded away
Rumors sailed faster than the steamer
That brought her dead body back to the USA

The American Hospital, Paris, France, Nineteen Twenty
A young lady’s life ended far too soon
Take heed if you love fame and booze
This could be your fate if you so choose
A last honeymoon
An empty wedding bed
Impending doom
Olive now is dead
Yes, she’s dead
In case you weren’t paying attention
Olive’s Dea…………d!

credits

from To The Depth of Jazz, released September 8, 2015
by Billy Butler

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Billy Butler New Hampshire

He has an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustains him through temporary periods of joy.

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