Sheet Music, 1910-1919

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ISBN

MUM00682, 0375

Description

Cover: drawing of a man playing piano; photo inset of Chretienne and; Publisher: Waterson Berlin and Snyder Co. (New York)

Subject Headings (Library of Congress)

Songs -- United States -- 20th Century; Popular Music -- United States

Relational Format

music score

Original Format

scores

Original Collection

Sheldon Harris Collection (MUM00682), Archives and Special Collections, University of Mississippi Libraries

Lyrics

Lyrics:
First verse
Down in Alabama where the cotton grows, Lives a funny fellow by the name of Mose, He hasn't anybody he can pick upon, So he picks on a grand piano; Morning, noon and night you'll find him picking rags, I don't mean the kind of rags they put in bags, He doesn't own a junk shop, Just the same.
Chorus
He's a Rag picker, a rag picker, All the live long day, He bangs upon the piano keys, In search of raggy melodies, All day he's at the ivories; And while he dozes he composes, Mister Moses makes an ordinary ditty, sound so pretty, Like nobody can. Most any time of the day, You'll find him picking away, He's a rag picker, a rag picker, A Ragtime picking man. He's a Rag picker, a rag picker, All the live long day, He bangs upon the piano keys, In search of raggy melodies, All day he's at the ivories; And while he dozes he composes, Mister Moses makes an ordinary ditty, sound so pretty, Like nobody can. Most any time of the day, You'll find him picking away, He's a rag picker, a rag picker, A Ragtime picking man.
Second verse
Moses' father told me that upon the morn, When his little piano playing boy was born, They didn't have a cradle they could put him in, So he slept on the grand piano; In a week they found him there upon his knees, Chewing on the highly polished piano keys, That very day his father Loudly cried.
(Chorus)

Content Disclaimer

Some of the images and language that appear in the digital collections depict prejudices that are not condoned by the University of Mississippi. This content is being presented as historical documentation to aid in the understanding of both American history and the history of the University of Mississippi. The University Creed speaks to our current deeply held values, and the availability of this content should not be taken as an endorsement of previous attitudes or behavior.

He's A Rag Picker / words by Irving Berlin

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