Oswald in the doorway: the blog of the Oswald Innocence Campaign, by Ralph Cinque

I've mentioned before that in his radio programs, Oswald repeatedly said New Or-LEANS' with the accent on the last syllable, which is the East Coast way of saying it and not the way New Orleans natives say it. Yet, Oswald is supposed to be born and raised there. Have you ever heard his so-called brother Robert speak? Now, why would he develop such a strong New Orleans accent but not Lee?   

And it reminds me of the song Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans from the 1947 movie New Orleans and introduced in the movie by Louie Armstrong and Billie Holiday. 

In the song, New Orleans is pronounced the East Coast way, but the musical cadence and symmetry requires it. At least, in that line it does. But, at the end of the verse, when it finishes on New Orleans, you can sing it the native way, New OR'-lins. And that's how we say it here in Texas. In the strongest New Orleans drawl, it comes out sounding more like Nu-AW'-lins. But, it seems to me that since this is supposed to be a love song to the city of New Orleans that one should drop the New Or-LEANS' at the end and sing it right, that is, according to local custom. It doesn't throw off the song to do that.

So, that's what I have done. I don't know how many others have done it that way- but I think they should. 

So, from 1947, by Eddie DeLange and Louis Alter, here is Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyQsmjRfbPM