NEAR BANKRUPTCY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 22, 27 January 1938, Page 18

NEAR BANKRUPTCY

A POPULAR COMPOSER

From 191548 no song was; more popular in England than "If-You Were the Only /Girl .in the World," by Nat. D. Ayer, says'.the "News-Chronicle." Now, the-:'composer of the war's greatest love song,.who has made romance the theme of; 1700 other songs, is facing bankruptcy. ' ; '

Ayer talks and thinks in songs and titles. He has one—"Just When the Daylight is ■; Beginning to Show Through." Perhaps when he has straightened his financial affairs he will write ihatiSong.

He made only £3000 from "If You Were the Only: Girl." He doubts if it yields him ,£2Q a ."year now:in royalties.

No other song of his went over like "The Only Girl . . ." It was written in 1915,. 5 .and people.from the.original audiences have written -telling him of romances/, in -the..', gallery to- which it was the .accompaniment. ,

"I think it was such a success because it' came as a piece of pure romance when the theatre was all war," he said. "Young soldiers were the audiences." ' They knew' as much about wai' as they wanted •to learn.

" 'The' Bing Boys' didn't mention it. And here was a song which put the lads right back into Blighty."

i And so it became the soldiers' song. They courted to its verse, married to 1 the chorus, and had memories to take .back .to"*tn"e.'fr6nt;iirie:.:.witn"th"erh. '.