Guthrie's Ring-Around-A-Rosy Rag meaning?

[Joel Polowin]

I've enjoyed listening to Arlo Guthrie's "Ring-Around-A-Rosy
Rag" for a long time; it's upbeat and catchy. But I've never
been able to figure out what it's really *about*. (Not the
nursery rhyme, which according to incorrect folklore refers
to the Black Death; Guthrie's unrelated song. "Ring around,
ring around Rose / Touch your nose and blow your toes /
And mind after doin' the Ring-Around-A-Rosy-Rag.") Can
anyone here help?

Thanks!

[Michael Black]

I always figured it was just a nonsense song, kind of like some of Woody's
children's songs. Musically I like it, so maybe Arlo was trying other
things musically; I'm not sure it sounds like the rest of his recorded
work. So maybe the lyrics didn't matter.

Of course, maybe it's a reference to drugs, something that just occurs to
me in looking up the lyrics.

Went in the park late at night
And he put a lot of people over eighty up tight

KIds often hung around in the park at night, and older people would be
upset.

The Motorcycle Song off the same album makes more sense, but still is
pretty vague. I assume the pickle is in there becuase it sort of rhymes
with motorcycle.

Michael

[Joe Fineman]

Michael Black <et...@ncf.ca> writes:

> The Motorcycle Song off the same album makes more sense, but still is
> pretty vague. I assume the pickle is in there becuase it sort of
> rhymes with motorcycle.

Sort of rhymes with

> Michael

too! Maybe you can use that. %^)
--
--- Joe Fineman jo...@verizon.net

||: But more important, last and first, :||
||: A lot is relished by the worst. :||

[ptba...@gmail.com]

I had a friend there the night that song was wrote. Arlo was in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia PA, a bunch of people were hanging out. Somebody got the ideal to play Ring arounf the Rosie. The cops didn't like it, so they arreted over 80 people. Arlo sat there in the holding cell and wrote the song.

[trev...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 12:55:05 PM UTC-4, Joel Polowin wrote:

Yes, he explains the story of getting arrested in Rittenhouse Square on the Philly Folk Fest 40th anniversery live box set

[Lee]

> Yes, he explains the story of getting arrested in Rittenhouse Square on the Philly Folk Fest 40th anniversary live box set


I've also heard his story about the song several times at various concerts. They were "happy" and fooling around and playing ring around the rosey.

[Michael Black]

Arlo used to post here, and in the Guthrie newsgroup, but I cant' remember
when he disappeared.

So maybe you look further back in the archives, he posted about the
meaning of the song.

Michael

[princ...@gmail.com]

The 40th PFF happened in 2001 the song was written in the 1960s. and is about the Mayor of Philadelphia, Frank Rizzo and "the riot act". If more to two black people gather it is considered a riot. For more see,
https://books.google.com/books?id=S-mKwbU0XlEC&pg=PA507&lpg=PA507&dq=the+riot+act+rizzo&source=bl&ots=ci2aiakwex&sig=zdiqytCpjTblgwNt1Qs05TONGdw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjIk7WT5uHVAhWK1IMKHbavDEUQ6AEIPDAD#v=onepage&q=the%20riot%20act%20rizzo&f=false

[Will Dockery]

But "people over 80"?

That was REALLY old for the times, 50 years ago, when even folks over 30 were not to be trusted...

[folks...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 12:55:05 PM UTC-4, Joel Polowin wrote:

Back around 1965 or 1966 some friends and I were walking to a gig around the corner from Rittenhouse Square. The square has a circular fountain in it, and my friends got lost circling the fountain, and ended up holding hands and chanting Ring-A-Round-A-Rosy, for which they were promptly arrested - charged with "disorderly ring-a-round-a-rosy playing." I was not among the arrested, but went to the gig at The 2nd Fret, got onstage and wrote the song then and there. For decades I've introduced the song with a preamble that helps the song make sense. But, on the original recording preambles were not allowed, so it ended up just being silly. Arlo Guthrie

[folks...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 12:55:05 PM UTC-4, Joel Polowin wrote:

There's whole tale which I've recorded numerous times about the incident at Rittenhouse Square, in Philadelphia. Short version is that a few of my friends (about 6) were arrested for playing Ring-A-Round-A-Rosy in the square. I wasn't arrested as I was straggling behind. I had a gig to do at The 2nd Fret, a folk club around the corner, and wrote the song onstage that night about the incident that had just taken place. The song doesn't go into the details, but I've always had a preamble that proceeds the song, so that the song makes sense. On the original recording they didn't allow any preambles, so it ends up being kind of silly. Arlo Guthrie

[Fred Riess]

[Fred Riess]

[Fred Riess]

On Monday, March 30, 2015 at 3:03:37 PM UTC-4, ptba...@gmail.com wrote: