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How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm

By Chuckmonster on Thursday, 13th August 2009 10:32pm
  » filed under Las Vegas  comments: 4

   

Time Magazine has published a cover story about Las Vegas' economy falling to pieces entitled "Out Of Luck".

One item, buried deep at the end of a photographic slide show caught my eye... a quote of Las Vegas Sands Corp (owners of Venetian/Palazzo) head honcho Sheldon Adelson. When asked what the future holds for Las Vegas, Mr. Adelson responded:

There's no way this world will change. There's no way people are going to stop what they like. It's like the old song, "how you going to keep them down on the farm once they've been to gay Paris?"

Wikipedia says that Uncle Sheldon is 76 years old, our guess is he might be closer to 94.

The song he is referring to How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm (After They've Seen Paree) was written in 1917, shortly after America entered World War I and published a year later. Lyrics and a 1918 recording by Harry Fay can be found here.

Does anyone care to Charleston with me?

Curious to see if anyone had actually heard of this song, I called my 79 year old Dad who responded:

Oh that old thing? Yeah... I remember it. (laughs) It's a song from World War I about the soldiers who went to Europe from 1914, 1915, 1916 and how their parents knew that after having more worldly travels they probably would get bored returning to rural setting after the war.

The only way people my age would know that song was from watching movies about World War I in the 1930's, 40's and 50's.

Why would Las Vegas Sands let a guy who speaks in pop culture references from 100 years ago be their media mouthpiece? It's like trying to send a tweet with a typewriter.

Oh thats right... he owns the joint.



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Comments & Discussion:

 RobbieNomi posted on Thursday, 13th August 2009 - 11:18 pm

Was this what he was talking about...
http://www.gayparislasvegas.com

Oh wait, this is the dude that will allow a porn convention in his hotel, but won't even consider allowing same-sex commitment ceremonies in the wedding chapel.

 Misnomer posted on Friday, 14th August 2009 - 9:39 am

I read the article. Is the author obsessed with strippers, or what? Every third paragraph was about strippers or strip clubs. Dude needs to get out a little more!

 JamesAt15 posted on Saturday, 15th August 2009 - 6:45 am

I dunno, I remember reading that phrase somewhere (might have been a Robert Heinlein story) probably around junior high school age or so, though I didn't know it was from a song. Doesn't seem too unlikely that Sheldon also heard it somewhere along the way and thought it sounded appropriate to his line of work so looked up where it was from.

 levans posted on Tuesday, 18th August 2009 - 1:39 pm

If you consider his age the comment makes perfect sense. Hell, I remember the song and i am just 50 but thats from watching a lot of war movies



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