Songs For Surviving The Pandemic(s) Mops Up

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A.    Mother Knows Best

When my mom reminisces about the music of her youth, she invariably mentions “Ragg Mopp” and “Mairzy Doats.” I usually respond, “Uh huh,” without giving the songs much thought. Well, I think of the Ames Brothers and the Andrews Sisters, respectively, and get sleepy.

i. The other night I was telling her that my son is forming a rock band for his high school's annual talent contest. There has not been a band in the competition in several years. It is usually solo piano, solo violin, solo vocalist, and occasionally a duet. Last school year there was a new rule that each act had to include at least two performers, in an attempt to foster collaboration and also shorten the program. (f.n. 1)

Alas, COVID came along in March and the show was canceled. Will it go on this spring? Who knows, but Matthew’s band will be ready. They’ve already had several practices by Zoom and the core two have fired a few members, and rehired one.

f.n. 1- I wrote about the teenage rock bands when I was in high school at https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/songs-surviving-pandemic-riff-rock-edition-frank-chmielewski/ and https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/day-3-walk-coronavirus-series-frank-chmielewski/. In a way, here, too, https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/songs-surviving-pandemic-vol-425617-6735-frank-chmielewski/.

ii. Riffing on teenage performers, my mom was saying that when she attended Philly’s Little Flower High School in the late ‘40s, early ‘50s, two of her schoolmates, Marge Gibbons and Nora Harper, performed around town and on local TV as the Two Tones, a vocal duo. She recalled that two months after graduation they went on tour backing a national act, but she could not remember whose.

That’s where the wonder of the Internet comes in. A quick search found that they were part of the Ralph Flanagan Orchestra.

B.    Let’s Mopp!

Guess what song covered by Mr. Flanagan was a hit? Rag Mop; Ralph Flanagan & His Orchestra (1950). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0FH5p6A_uY. It sounds pretty good! With an intro over a minute long.

A little digging led to the wonderful western swing original version, Rag Mop; Johnnie Lee Wills & His Boys (1949). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wue5xqag2_I.

I wrote about the Treniers at https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/songs-surviving-pandemic-vol-2-1-frank-chmielewski/. They covered the tune, Ragg Mopp (Rag Mop); Treniers (TV 1963). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY05CaimZtk. (f.n. 2)

Now that I listen again to the Ames Brothers’ version from 1950, it doesn’t sound too bad, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM8Ak7z_hiU.

f.n. 2- Want to watch something wild? Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis with The Treniers (TV 2/13/55). I’m not sure what, if anything, they are vamping to, but it sure is fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tJ1KU0iytc.

i. Litigation Department

What’s a hit song without a copyright lawsuit? If you look into it, it does seem like this was the very original, so to speak: Get The Mop; Henry “Red” Allen & His Orchestra (1946). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6XcsW5KLV0.

C.     Mares Eat Oats

Some quick research reveals that “Mairzy Doats” can be just as much fun as “Ragg Mopp.” Back in the day, a catchy song, often a descendant of a folk song or nursery rhyme, could have many versions in many styles. A cover could be a regional-only hit, or a hit on a chart apart from where the original would place. Here is a good cover out of New Orleans: Mairzy Doats And Dozy Doats; Tom Ridgely (1958). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3YX8kLA2vk. And a lovely one, Mairzy Doats; Carlo Mastrangelo (of the Belmonts) (1963). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmj4IuqoYlk&list=PLQ8x9XpwPDtLnyEA7G6LEQcgvyXYVK7_H&index=12.

D.    Sweep Before You Mop

I discussed “Dust My Broom” a little as an intro to the live “Twistin’ The Night Away” by Rod Stewart, made famous by Elmore James, at https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/songs-surviving-pandemic-vol-2-4-frank-chmielewski-1e/. But the original was I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom; Robert Johnson (1936). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4ZW08zOkYU. Of course these songs aren’t about housecleaning, but leaving a woman. But mopping made me think of dusting.

E. Are there novelty songs today that are akin to ‘Ragg Mopp” and “Mairzy Doats” that have dozens of versions by many performers? I think nowadays the variations come in the online video improvisations over the songs. Think Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” And think of these two cuts:

Old Town Road; Little Nas Z, ft Billy Ray Cyrus (2019). I like the “movie version,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Ov5jzm3j8. There are tons of renditions by others and people dancing creatively over it on the web.

I love what this dancer does with The Git Up; Blanco Brown (2019), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK7WBZB5lYk.

F.     What do you think? About any of this.