Here is a song that seems devoted to giving the listener quite the opportunity to dance their cares away. The vocals don’t appear until almost two minutes into a song that comes in at three minutes and nine seconds! This proportion of music to singing is one that is almost expected of music of the day, but it is always perplexing when the vocals that are present are just so earnest and quality, as they are here. It would seem that Cummins, bandleader and vocalist on this track, wanted his band members an opportunity to shine on this track, and shine they do. This track, like many from the era, is classified on the label as a Foxtrot. This was placed tactically and helpfully by the record company.
The Foxtrot was developed in the 1910s. Originating in the African-American community, it quickly caught on. Existing usually in 4/4 time, different from the 3/4 rhythm of the waltz, its fast pace made it an easy match for ragtime and similar musical styles that were contemporaries of the Foxtrot. This dance style became the most popular “fast” style-carrying on quite the legacy. In fact, when first marketing this newfangled rock and roll fad, the track “Rock Around the Clock” was labeled a foxtrot by the record company. This habit of labeling tracks with Foxtrot, even on “Little by Little”, smacks partly of buzzword usage by record labels, but also a helpful suggestion for would be dancers on just how to get down to the beat.
Now onto the lyrical content. Special mention has to be given to lyricist Walter O’Keefe for rhyming “horizon” with “eyes on”. It flows marvelously. Aside from this, the song is interesting in that it portrays a one-sided love that hopes to be two-sided some day, It is not a love that was, but is a love that may yet be. After all, isn’t it better to be hopeful than mournful?
Music Through the Mists of Time 