On the Counter, as with many of the songs composed to Ives’s own text, is one of his meditations on the power of old tunes remembered, deftly woven out of song-quotations. In a footnote to
114 Songs Ives wrote: ‘Though there is little danger of it, it is hoped that this song will not be taken seriously, or sung, at least, in public.’
from notes by Calum MacDonald © 2008
