 The song is sung in nostalgic retrospect, as Blake and his childhood friends went their separate ways, some leading to success while others did not ("some are up in 'G' / others they are on the hog").The song became popular right after it was published, and Governor Al Smith of New York was credited for its renaissance, having used it as a theme song during his presidential campaigns of 1924, 1928, and 1932.During Smith's 1928 campaign, the urban-centric tune proved symbolic of a campaign that failed to find its footing in America's more rural areas, where Herbert Hoover was more popular.