Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases a 1931 sound file of "Georgia Rag" by Blind Willie McTell. My transcription of the lyrics to this song are also included in this post along with my comments about the meaning of some of those lyrics.
The Addendum to this post provides some information about Rags [music].
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Blind Willie McTell for his musical legacy. Thanks also to the publisher of this video.
RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/10/blind-blake-wabash-rag-sound-file-lyrics.html for a pancocojams post on Blind Blake's 1927 record "Wabash Rag". That song served as the prototype for Blind Willie McTell's "Georgia Rag".
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SHOWCASE SOUND FILE: Georgia Rag (Blind Willie McTell, October 1931) Ragtime Guitar Legend
RagtimeDorianHenry, Uploaded on May 22, 2009
"Georgia Rag " (October 1931)
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Willie_McTell
"Blind Willie McTell (born William Samuel McTier; May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959) was a Piedmont and ragtime blues singer and guitarist."...
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LYRICS: GEORGIA RAG
(Blind Willie McTell)
Down in Atlanta on Harris Street
That's where the boys and gals do meet
Doin' that rag, that Georgia Rag
Out in the alley, in the street
Every little kid that you meet
Doin that rag, that wuh* Georgia Rag
[Spoken] Sing that Georgia Rag, boy.
[instrumental]
[Sung] Buzz around like a bee
Shake it like a ship on the sea
That wild Rag, that crazy Rag
Better known as the Georgia Rag
Came all the way from Paris, France.
Come in to Atlanta to get a chance.
Doin' that rag, that Georgia Rag
[Spoken words something like "Put it a little bit on it”]
[Instrumental]
{Sung] That Georgia Rag
Grab me mama and hold me tight
Let's mess around the rest of the night
Doin' that rag. That Georgia Rag
[Spoken] Sing that Georgia Rag!
[Sung] I sure like that Georgia Rag
I’m wild about that Georgia Rag
I mean that Georgie Rag, Georgie Rag
Buzz around like a bee
Shake it like a ship on the sea
That wild Rag, that crazy Rag
Better known as the Georgia Rag
[Spoken: I wouldn’t. That makes me feel good right in there]
[Instrumental]
[Sung] Rustle your head way up high
Grab your daddy and make him cry
Doin that Rag, that rag
That Georgia Rag.
I’m wild about that Georgia Rag
I mean that Georgie Rag, Georgie Rag
Why don’t you buzz around like a bee
Shake it like a ship on the sea
That wild Rag, that crazy Rag
Better known as the Georgia Rag
Spoken: Ah pull it now.
[instrumental]
Sung: Ah you shake it like a ship on the sea
And buzz around like a bee.
Ah, that wild Rag, that crazy Rag
Better known as the Georgia Rag
People come from miles around
Come to darktown to break it down
Doin' that rag, that Georgia Rag
Out in darktown night and day
Trying to dance them Blues away
[Spoken] Alright now boy, sang ‘em?
[instrumental]
That wild Rag, that crazy Rag
Better known as that Georgia Rag
Ah, I went back to Newport News
Singin these doggone Atlanta Blues
Doin that Rag, that Georgia Rag
[Spoken] – Alright now, play ‘em.
[instrumental]
[Sung] Why don’t you buzz around like a bee
Shake it like a ship on the sea
That wild Rag, that crazy Rag
Better known as the Georgia Rag
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell. Additions and corrections are welcome.
Explanations for certain words & phrases.
"Mama" = a female who is man's lover
"Daddy = a man who is a female's lover
"break 'em down" (break them down) = dance really good
I think that the word "them" in "break 'em down" refers to the dance moves.
When you break something down, you take something apart in order to know how it works. As a result of that action, you should understand it better than before. I think that in the same way, if you break down a dance, you know how to do it better than ever.
I think that the word "them" in "break 'em down" refers to the dance moves.
"that wild Rag, that crazy Rag" = uptempo music that people dance to frenetically, or at least in ways that are the opposite of sedate.
"Shake it like a ship on the sea" = "it" refers to your butt and/or your hips
"Rustle your head way up high = "shake your head while you hold it up high (don't look down)
"Newport News" = a city located in the state of Virginia
"Darktown" - a referent for a section of Chicago where Black people lived. In my opinion, in the context of the Jazz song "Darktown Strutters' Ball", the word "darktown" isn't racist, but a similar word "darkie" is. That said, some use of the word "darktown" is racist.
Nowadays it would be socially unacceptable to refer to any section of a town as "darktown", not to mention that it's illegal to prohibit people from living where they want to because of their race, ethnicity, religion etc. That said, for various reasons including economic and choice, most major cities in the United States still have neighborhoods in which all or the majority of the residents are Black.
The use of "darktown" almost certainly came from the hit 1917 Jazz song "Darktown Strutters' Ball", which was written by Black composer Shelton Brooks. A post about that song will be published ASAP. Read additional comments about that word in this pancocojams post on Darktown Strutters' Ball" http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/10/what-words-darktown-and-strutters.html
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ADDENDUM: INFORMATION ABOUT "RAGS" (RAGTIME MUSIC)
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime
"Ragtime (alternatively spelled rag-time or rag time)[1] is a musical genre that enjoyed its peak popularity between 1895 and 1918.[2] Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm...
Ragtime originated in African American music in the late 19th century, descending from the jigs and march music played by African American bands.[13] By the start of the 20th century, it became widely popular throughout North America and was listened and danced to, performed, and written by people of many different subcultures. A distinctly American musical style, ragtime may be considered a synthesis of African syncopation and European classical music, especially the marches made popular by John Philip Sousa.
Some early piano rags are entitled marches, and "jig" and "rag" were used interchangeably in the mid-1890s.[13] Ragtime was also preceded by its close relative the cakewalk. In 1895, black entertainer Ernest Hogan published two of the earliest sheet music rags...
The emergence of mature ragtime is usually dated to 1897, the year in which several important early rags were published. In 1899, Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" was published and became a great hit and demonstrated more depth and sophistication than earlier ragtime. Ragtime was one of the main influences on the early development of jazz (along with the blues). Some artists, such as Jelly Roll Morton, were present and performed both ragtime and jazz styles during the period the two genres overlapped. He also incorporated the Spanish Tinge in his performances, which gave a habanera or tango rhythm to his music.[17] Jazz largely surpassed ragtime in mainstream popularity in the early 1920s, although ragtime compositions continue to be written up to the present, and periodic revivals of popular interest in ragtime occurred in the 1950s and the 1970s."
-snip-
Note that Blind Blake's "The Wabash Rag" (and Blind Willie McTell's "Georgia Rag" which copied that song) focus on the dance that is done to the Rag music, and not the music itself.
Blind Willie McTell's song describes the type of dancing that was done to his song more than Blind Blake does.
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