When the United States was primarily an agrarian country with a majority of residents living on farms and ranches, every day was filled with basic chores… cooking, cleaning, feeding livestock and crops, maintenance and repair of machinery, fences and structures. A break from the routine and a chance to be entertained was welcome. Traveling salesmen, itinerant preachers and social gatherings of any sort would suffice. In some cases, local stores and other facilities were unable to fill the needs of a widespread population. Even as cities blossomed, door-to-door sales were common.
There were, no doubt, unscurrilous characters that preyed on the desire for entertainment. The infamous snake oil salesman and traveling shows often milked and bilked their customers but the amount lost in such transactions was usually minimal and offset by their entertainment value. The 1971 hit song “Gypsies, tramps, and thieves” by Cher addressed this.
I was often awed and horrified by my mother’s reaction to salesmen who came to our door. She was abrupt and harsh in her rejection of their pitches. There was one exception to this behavior; the Fuller Brush salesman. He was always treated with respect and invited in for a cup of coffee. The result was usually new toothbrushes, hairbrushes and a free gift!
With the growth of cities, catalogues (Sears Roebuck) and faster communication through radio and television networks, sales methods were transformed to appeals that reached a wide audience in less time. The tradeoff was loss of personal, face-to-face contact. The same caveat of “buyer, beware” still applied, but the risks and transaction amounts increased. With the advent of the internet and its anonymity, deceptions, misinformation and downright scams have multiplied at an astonishing rate. Messages of imminent financial catastrophe of personal accounts, family situations and political issues are confusing, constant and, at times, dangerous. Even though the need and desire for new and existing products remains, the colophony of voices vying for attention is difficult to navigate.
Cher’s tune offers a glimpse into a time of traveling bands of families living on the edge of society. Surviving on grit and grift, the line between legal and illegal was blurry at best. Unfortunately, although these traveling groups may have disappeared from view, many of the questionable tactics have not.
I was born in the wagon of a travelin’ show
My mama used to dance for the money they’d throw
Papa would do whatever he could
Preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good
Gypsies, tramps, and thieves
We’d hear it from the people of the town
They’d call us gypsies, tramps, and thieves
But every night all the men would come around
And lay their money down
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The song was written for Cher by Bob Stone
