Musicologist
Charles Hamm compared the song's topical nature to
Irving Berlin's "They're on Their Way to Mexico", performed in 1914 by the
Heidelberg Quintet. It was performed in 1915 on the
steamboat Providence during its afternoon concert series, where it was described as a "two-step". While
Henry Burr's recording of the song may have mirrored a large portion of American sentiment during the early days of
World War I, the eventual entry of the
United States into the conflict and the consequent reversal of the national mood turned the song into a major source of embarrassment for Berlin, who is better known for his subsequent
patriotic songs.
Groucho Marx One of Berlin's peeves was the penchant of comedian
Groucho Marx to sing the song. According to Marx, Berlin "never wanted to hear the song again", and Marx had always been fascinated by the tune, to the point where he believed he was the only one besides Berlin who knew its entire words and music. Whenever he learned Berlin was the guest of a party, Marx would purposefully arrange that someone ask him to perform the song, much to Berlin's dismay. Similarly, Berlin stated, "Every time I see [Groucho], I stick my hand in my pocket and ask him, 'How much if you don't sing it?'" Marx also performed the song on
The Dick Cavett Show in 1971, which appears on his 1972 concert album,
An Evening with Groucho. To conclude that performance, he implored viewers to think of
American soldiers in Vietnam. In the late 20th and early 21st century it has also been performed by the
New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra. ==See also==