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]

Post by 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?

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]

Post by Michael Black
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

Post by Michael Black
Michael

too! Maybe you can use that. %^)

[Will Dockery]

Post by Michael Black

Post by 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?

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

But "people over 80"?

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

[p***@gmail.com]

Post by 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!

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.

[Fred Riess]

Post by 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!

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.

[Fred Riess]

Post by 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!

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.

[t***@gmail.com]

Post by 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!

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

[Lee]

Post by 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!

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.

[p***@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

Post by Lee

Post by 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!

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]

Post by t***@gmail.com

Post by 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!

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

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

[f***@gmail.com]

Post by 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!

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

[f***@gmail.com]

Post by 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!

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]

Post by f***@gmail.com

Post by 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!

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