The latter part of the 19th Century was the age of ..well,..making money. Lots of it in just about everything. In Shreveport and New Orleans the commerce of choice was prostitution. Which makes it one of the few times in history when the consumer could repay what was happening to them in kind.

With a rapidly surging consumer base there was a time where they were kept waiting in the parlour. Muzak not having been invented yet (which means that elevators were much more civil) piano players were hired to entertain the clientele. Some of the musicians developed music which err..helped keep the clients in the mood while they waited. Not knowing many of the English songs about sex ( see earlier history of Rock and Roll and the history of the English people) they made their own up.

Meanwhile in the above mentioned England,Gilbert and Sullivan were adding another element to the stew that would become rock and roll..misconstrued history and satire.

Coming next..bullets booze and ballads