About a week ago I went looking for recordings of the singing square 'Just Because'. I ended up finding several different versions. It's hard to compare them in audio form, so I decided to transcribe them. Seeing them written out I noticed several big differences:

• The older versions are really repetitive. While Tod Whittemore and Walter Lenk have everyone do something different each time through (ladies chain, right and left through, stars, promenade the inside (Lenk only), sashay), Frank Fortune and Glenn Pease have the dancers chain each time through.
• While I think of the break (with the "make it twice") as an integral part of the dance, only the two current ones have it. I wonder when that was added?
• In a contra dance or unsung square, the caller generally tells you what to do right before the end of one phrase so you can start at the beginning of the next. The calls in a singing square, however, go along with the music and the dancers are used to starting each move on the phrase, which means you're being told what to do at the same time as you're supposed to be doing it. Below you can see the two modern callers occasionally calling out "look for the corner" or "sides your turn" at the end of a phrase so that when they start singing the next call the dancers have a head start. The older recordings don't have that, which makes me think people didn't care so much about being on the phrase. Or maybe no one thought to combine ahead-of-the-phrase calling with the singing.

Update 2012-01-31: on Saturday I talked to Walter Lenk. He says he learned this square from Tod Whittemore who learned it from Duke Miller. Rewriting the words to not be directed only at the gents ("the one that you just left" in place of "the lady on the left") was quite intentional, though he said he doubts many people notice. He also added the "promenade round the inside" of the set, because he wanted the sashay figure to be with your partner.

Update 2012-02-29: I tried my hand calling this yesterday and wrote about it after.

Transcriptions, in chronological order

Frank Fortune, 1952 Studio Recording (mp3)

all dosido on your corner
now dosido with your own
now aleman left on your corner
go back and swing your own
now aleman left on your corner
go on with the right and left grand
when you meet your maid you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido on your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido on your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido on your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido on your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

all dosido on your corner
now dosido with your own
now aleman left on your corner
go back and swing your own
now aleman left on your corner
go on with the right and left grand
when you meet your maid you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido on your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido on your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido on your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido on your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

all dosido on your corner
now dosido with your own
aleman left on your corner
go back and swing your own
aleman left on your corner
go on with the right and left grand
when you meet your maid you all promenade
because, just because

Frank Fortune, 1955 Live Recording (mp3)

all dosido with your corner
dosido with your own
aleman left with your corner
go back and swing your own
now aleman left with your corner
move on with the right and left grand
when you meet your maid you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido with your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido with your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido with your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

head two ladies chain right on over
head two ladies chain right back again
side two ladies chain right on over
side two ladies chain right back again
all dosido with your corner
everybody swing your corners all
take that corner maid and you all promenade
because, just because

all dosido with your corner
dosido with your own
aleman left with your corner
go back and swing your own
now aleman left with your corner
move on with the right and left grand
when you meet your maid you all promenade
because, just because

Glenn Pease, 1973 Live Recording (mp3)

everybody bow to your partner
bow to your corner and then
aleman left and you grand right and left
half way round you go now
come back when you meet your partner
and you right and left back the other way
when you are home you all swing at home
because, just because

oh head two ladies chain over
and you chain em back home once more
the two side gents with a ladies chain
chain em across the floor
and you aleman left on your corner
and you swing your partner just once around
and you take the corner maid and you all promenade
"because, just because"

oh head two ladies chain over
and you chain em back home once more
the two side gents with a ladies chain
chain em across the floor
and you aleman left on your corner
and you swing your partner just once around
and you take the corner maid and you all promenade
"because, just because"

and you dosido on your corner
and you dosido with your own
and you aleman left with the one on the left
aleman right your own
then you aleman left and you grand right and left
half way around to that maid
take that maid and you all promenade
"because, just because"

oh head two ladies chain over
and you chain em back home once more
the two side gents with a ladies chain
chain em across the floor
and you aleman left on your corner
and you swing your partner just once around
and you take the corner maid and you all promenade
"because, just because"

oh head two ladies chain over
and you chain em back home once more
the two side gents with a ladies chain
chain em across the floor
and you aleman left on your corner
and you swing your partner just once around
and you take the corner maid and you all promenade
"because, just because"

and you dosido on your corner
and you dosido your own
and you aleman left with the one on the left
aleman right your own
then you aleman left and you grand right and left
half way around to that maid
take that maid and you all promenade
"because, just because"

Tod Whittemore, 2011 Live Recording (mp3) (youtube)

bow to your partner
bow to that corner girl as well
aleman left with your corner and balance to your own
grand right and left you will roll
well you walk right by your partner you keep on going home
when you get back home you all swing
you swing with your own and everybody sing (why?)
"because, just because"

head ladies chain, right down the center
you chain those ladies right back home, and then
side ladies chain, right down the center
and you chain those ladies right back home again
aleman left your corner lady aleman right your partner too
and you swing that corner lady round and round
and you promenade the ring and everybody sing (why?)
"because, just because" (face your corner)

all dosido round your corner
it's right hands, go twice around your own "make it twice"
you aleman left with your corner
and you dosido with your own
aleman left the corner lady and you balance to your own
grand right and left you will roll
when you meet with this one, promenade and have some fun (why)
"because, just because" (head couples right and left through)

right, on ovah
right and left right back home and then
side couples right and left through on ovah
right and left right back home again
aleman left your corner lady aleman right your pahtnah too
and you swing that corner lady round and round
you promenade the ring till you head right back and sing (why?)
"because, just because" (look to your corner)

you all dosido round your corner
it's right hands, go twice around your own "make it twice"
you aleman left with that lady on the left
and you dosido with your own
aleman left your corner lady and you balance to your own
grand right and left you will roll
when you meet with this one, promenade and have some fun (why?)
"because, just because"

head couples star by the right hand in the center
star by the left until you get back home
side couples star by the left hand in the center
star by the right until you're home
aleman left your corner aleman right your own
swing that corner lady round and round
you promenade the ring and everybody sing
"because, just because"

you all dosido round your corner
it's right hands, go twice around your own "make it twice"
you aleman left with that lady on the left
and you dosido your own
aleman left your corner lady and you balance to your own
grand right and left you will rrroll
when you meet with this one, promenade and have some fun (why?)
"because, just because" (head couples sashay, go!)

whooho
heads sashay back
side couples sashay, (come on dickie, you got to get back here before you do the rest of it)
sashay back
aleman left your corner lady aleman right your partner too
and swing that corner, who is that?
you promenade the ring, and everybody back and swing
"because, just because"

you all dosido round your corner
it's right hands, go twice around your own "make it twice"
you aleman left with that lady on the left
and you dosido your own
aleman left your corner lady and you balance to your own
grand right and left you will roll
when you meet with this one, promenade and have some fun (why?)
"because, just because" (bow to your partner right there)

Walter Lenk, 2011 Live Recording (mp3)

well it's everybody bow to your partner
you bow to your corner just as well (with your corner)
aleman left your corner, you balance to your own
it's grand right and left you will roll
well it's reverse when you meet your partner
grand ol right and left the other way back and then
oh when you're home swing your own, everybody swing at home
"because, just because" (head ladies chain)

head ladies chain right on over
you chain those ladies right back home, and then (sides, your turn)
side ladies chain right over, and then
you chain them right back home again (look for the corner)
aleman left your corner, aleman right your own
swing that corner round and round and round
well then you promenade the ring, and everybody sing
because, just because (with your corner)

you all dosido with that new corner
turn right hand, go twice around your own "make it twice"
aleman left the one that you just left
you dosido back home (back to the corner)
now aleman left your corner and balance partners all
grand old right and left go round the hall
now when you meet that [? ?] meet that maid then everybody promenade
"because, just because" (heads right and left through)

head couples right and left right over
you right and left right back and then (sides, your turn)
you right and left, right over, and then
you right and left back home again (look for the corner)
aleman left your corner aleman right your own
swing that corner round and round and round
well then you promenade the ring, and everybody sing
"because, just because" (with your corner)

you all dosido around that corner
turn right hands, go twice around your own "make it twice / fried rice"
aleman left the one that you just left
you dosido back home (back to the corner)
now aleman left your corner and balance partners all
grand old right and left go round the hall
now when you meet with that one promenade it's just for fun
"because, just because" (heads star by the right)

head couples star by the right hand in the center
you star by the left until you're home (sides left hand star)
left hands around in the center of the set
you star by the right until you're home (heads ?)
aleman left your corner aleman right your own
swing that corner round and round and round
well then you promenade the ring, and everybody sing
"because, just because" (with your corner now)

you all dosido with that new corner
turn right hand, go twice around your own "make it twice / ain't that nice"
aleman left the one that you just left
you dosido back home (back to the corner)
now aleman left your corner and balance to your own
grand right and left you will roll
now when half way round you meet, you promenade your sweet
"because, just because" (heads promenade round the

inside) say hi, as you go by
and you promenade back home and then (sides, your turn)
you promenade, go round the inside of the set
you promenade right home (look for the corner)
aleman left your corner aleman right your own
swing that corner round and round and round TIMBER!
well then you promenade the ring, and everybody sing
"because, just because" (with your corner)

you all dosido go round that new corner
turn right hand, go twice around your own "make it twice / your very own"
aleman left the one that you just left
you dosido back home (back to the corner)
now aleman left your corner and balance partners all
grand old right and left go round the hall
now when you meet with your own promenade and head for home
"because, just because" (heads sashay now)

it's gents go back to back across the center (look)
and the ladies go back to back until you're home (sides, your turn)
...
... (look for the corner)
aleman left the corner and balance partners all
swing your partner round and round and round
well then you promenade the ring, and everybody sing
"because, just because"

well everybody bow to your partner
you bow to the corner just as well
aleman left the one that you just left
you dosido back home (back to the corner)
now aleman left your corner and balance partners all
grand old right and left go round the hall
now when you meet with your own promenade and head for home
"because, just because" (swing your partner)
"because, just because" (now keep on swinging)
"because, just because"