It’s NOT 40 Miles from Schenectady to Troy

Among the greatest songs of Gustave Kerker (No. 14 on the Honor Roll of Popular Songwriters, according to Billboard magazine, back in 1949) was a tune he wrote, with lyrics by Hugh Morton, for an 1896 show called “In Gay New York” that was featured at the Casino Theater in New York City. Even in 1949, Billboard noted that Kerker was one of Tin Pan Alley’s forgotten men. Among the songs in that show was the inexplicably titled “It’s Forty Miles from Schenectady to Troy” (preserved for us by the New York Public Library).

“I’m going on the stage,” said the pale-faced youth,
“I’m going on the stage, and I’ll be another Booth.”
“Before you go,” said the second old man,
“You want to get the thickest pair of boots that you can
For it’s forty miles from Schenectady to Troy
You want to keep “tab” on that, my boy;
And when you reach Troy
It’s a darned long walk
To the gay Rialto in New York.”

Chorus:
It’s forty miles from Schenectady to Troy
you want to keep tab on that, my boy,
And when you reach Troy
It’s a darned long walk to the gay Rialto of New York.

“The art of the stage is a very high art”
Said the youth as he placed his hand upon his heart
The old man said, with tears in his eyes,
“You’ll find it isn’t higher than the railroad ties!
For it’s forty miles from Schenectady to Troy,
You want to keep “tab” on that, my boy,
And when you reach Troy
It’s a darned long walk to the gay Rialto in New York.”

Chorus:
It’s forty miles from Schenectady to Troy
you want to keep tab on that, my boy,
And when you reach Troy
It’s a darned long walk to the gay Rialto of New York.

“The actor-man is a being most rare,”
The pale-faced youth then proceeded to declare.
The old man said, “Undoubtedly he’s sweet,
But he ought to be born with an extra pair of feet,
For it’s forty miles from Schenectady to Troy,
You want to keep “tab” on that, my boy,
And when you reach Troy
It’s a darned long walk to the gay Rialto in New York.”

Chorus:
It’s forty miles from Schenectady to Troy
You want to keep tab on that, my boy,
And when you reach Troy
It’s a darned long walk to the gay Rialto of New York.

Of course, it isn’t 40 miles from Schenectady to Troy, even if you walk it, and The Schenectady and Troy Railroad began running in 1841, making fairly short work of the 21 miles between the Electric City and the Collar City (though at that time Schenectady was still stronger in the broom department, and Troy was pumping iron).