Interesting knowledge tidbit du jour

[celticdragonfly]

My parents played Chad Mitchell Trio music when I was a child, and I developed a taste for it. I have some of their CDs, and have some of the music on my computer.

"Hello, Susan Brown" just came up. It starts out slowly with

Coffee grows on white Oak trees
The river flows with brandy O
Go choose someone to roam with you
Sweet as lasses candy

then faster

Two in the middle and I can't dance Josie
Two in the middle and I can't get around
Two in the middle and I can't dance Josie
Hello Susan Brown

Later verses change and say things like "Four in the middle and I can't get around." I like the song, it's nice and bouncy and enjoyable. It came up today on my music shuffle, and it finally occurred to me to wonder WHAT on earth the song is about. So I searched on it, and found this

This is a Southwestern play-party song. Play party songs were designed to protect young people from the evil business of square dancing. Any number of couples would join hands and form a ring. The ladies would march around a single man and sing the first part of the song at a slow tempo. The man would chose a partner from the ring and the dancers would skip around them singing 'Two in the middle and I can't dance Josie.' This would continue until all couples were In the center. They would swing left and Right.

Ooh, the Eeeeevils of square dancing! How this was supposed to be any better I don't know. Apparently the song is called Coffee Grows on the White Oak Tree.

Since my parents introduced me to both the music of The Chad Mitchell Trio and square dance, I called them up to tell them about it. It made me think about square dancing. I like to dance, and will be looking for ways to get more physically active once I'm healed up enough. I love contra dancing, but there isn't any in Fort Worth, sadly. So I thought hey, what about square dancing? Some of the contra dances I used to go to would have a couple of square dances, and it was fun, and of course I've done related dances in the SCA. So I searched. Eh. There is a local square dance group. Their website plays loud music, which is a BIG negative to me. And all the pictures show the women in those really short skirts. Since I'd only done square dances at the contra dances, I'd forgotten about those - Mom used to have skirts like those. Ugh, too short for me.

Comments

[quiva.livejournal.com]

Have you ever heard the sea song,

Two in the boat and the tide rolls high
Two in the boat and the tide rolls high
Two in the boat and the tide rolls high
Get you a pretty one by and by.


It increases each time, with the two in the circle each taking someone from the outer ring into the center. Then, when you're left with just two in the outer circle you sing (I'll use four as the example),

Four in the boat and it won't go round
Four in the boat and it won't go round
Four in the boat and it won't go round
Swing that pretty one you just found

And instead of the outer circle going around the inner group, they stomp in place on "won't go round" and then after the last line everyone swings the last person they picked and the two left in the outer circle swing each other. It's a lot of fun with a large group of kids.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Cute, I like that. I'd like to hear the tune. I wonder if I'll ever have an opportunity to use that.

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

Mention of the Chad Mitchell Trio leads me inevitably to Chad'Mongol' Trio songs, as done by Yang, Azarael, and Moonwolf.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Eh? Tell me more?

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

The 'I Am Not A Ninja' Polka, ttto The 'I Was Not a Nazi' Polka, most memorably.
At this reach of memory, actually, I'm not sure WHO-all the Dark Horde bards gleaned tunes from.