| "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" | |
|---|---|
 1912 sheet music | |
| Song | |
| Published | 1912 by F.A. Mills Publishing |
| Genre | Western swing,pop |
| Composers | Lewis F. Muir,Maurice Abrahams |
| Lyricist | Grant Clarke |
"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" is apopularwestern swing song. The lyrics were written byGrant Clarke and the music was composed byLewis F. Muir andMaurice Abrahams. It was copyrighted and published in 1912 byF.A. Mills.[1]
The song has been recorded by a diverse group of artists, includingBob Roberts (1912),the Tune Wranglers (1936),Pinky Tomlin (1939),Eddy Howard (1947),Jo Stafford (1949), andthe Chipmunks (1959). It was also performed byBetty Hutton in the 1945 musical filmIncendiary Blonde.
In 1978,Jimmy Stewart made a memorable surprise cameo appearance performing the song on the piano on the final episode ofThe Carol Burnett Show.
The song's lyricist and composers areClarke,Muir andAbrahams.Clarke also wrote"Second Hand Rose". "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" was composed inBrooklyn after an appearance at the home of Abrahams by his nephew, Joe Abrahams, wearing a cowboy outfit. Maurice Abrahams was so captivated by the appearance of his nephew dressed up as a cowboy that he was inspired to write "Ragtime Cowboy Joe". It became a number-one hit song for singerBob Roberts, also the second best-selling record of 1912.[2]
As with many popular songs of the era, theverse is often omitted: therefrain's lyrics vary somewhat depending on the performer.
(verse)
(refrain)
(verse)
Variations include: "Where the bad lands are", "How he sings", "Ragtime music", "That's syncopated gaited/And you ought to hear the meter", "scootin' shootin'" or "rootin' tootin'", "Son of a gun from old Wyoming", or additions of "(A pretty good horse)", "He's some cowboy", and/or "Talk about your cowboy".
"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" was the radio show theme song for New York City's long running, award-winning public radio show,Cowboy Joe's Radio Ranch (1976–1988), hosted by Paul Aaron, New York's Cowboy Joe. During one of his radio shows Paul Aaron had the elder Joe Abrahams (the original Cowboy Joe) as a special guest. Paul Aaron played many versions of his favorite song dating back to one sung by Bob Roberts from an RCA Victor 78 rpm record. He also played many "live" versions recorded during the University of Wyoming football and basketball games. A more recent rendition of the song appears on Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks' 2009 album "Tangled Tales".
"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" is also thefight song of theUniversity of Wyoming. Traditionally, Cowboy fans stand and clap to the beat of the song as played by Wyoming'sWestern Thunder Marching Band. The version of the song appropriated by Wyoming was written by Francis Edwin Stroup (1909–2010)[3] in 1961. He rewrote the chorus.[4] Stroup had been an assistant professor of Health and Physical Education for Men at Wyoming until August 31, 1950. He also had composed the fight song for his alma mater, theUniversity of North Texas in 1939, ten years after graduating.[5] The song, "Fight, North Texas", has endured for eighty-six years and the lyrics have changed minimally to reflect the name changes of the university. Stroup also composed school songs forDrake University and theUniversity of Chicago. Stroup, while teaching atNorthern Illinois University in 1961, also wrote the "Huskie Fight Song", which was adopted as the university's fight song in 1963.[6][7][8][9][10]
The lyrics Stroup wrote for the University of Wyoming follow:
TheUC Davis Marching Band atUniversity of California, Davis also adapted the song with the following variation:
| "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byDavid Seville andthe Chipmunks | ||||
| from the albumLet's All Sing with the Chipmunks | ||||
| B-side | "Flip Side" | |||
| Released | 1959 (1959) | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:06 | |||
| Label | Liberty | |||
| Composers | Lewis F. Muir,Maurice Abrahams | |||
| Lyricist | Grant Clarke | |||
| Producer | Ross Bagdasarian Sr. | |||
| The Chipmunks singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" is the third and final single fromthe Chipmunks' debut albumLet's All Sing with the Chipmunks. The song was released as a single in 1959. The Chipmunks' two prior singles, "The Chipmunk Song" and "Alvin's Harmonica", both reached the Top Ten; "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" peaked at No. 16 on theBillboard Hot 100 the week of August 2, 1959.[11] The song was also a success on theBillboard Black Singles, peaking at No. 29. InCanada it reached No. 4[12]
Since the song was also credited toDavid Seville byBillboard, it became Seville's fourth consecutive Top 20 single. The single also reached No. 11 in the UK singles chart, the first and only Chipmunks song to chart in the UK until 1992's "Achy Breaky Heart". TheB- or flip-side, also written by Bagdasarian, is titled "Flip Side".
During the late 1930's a swing version of the song was making the rounds in the Chicago/Southbend area. It was authored by Ralph R. Chandler who was a band leader in the area. One day over breakfast with band mates, Mr. Chandler was surprised that his version of the song came over the radio. Mr. Chandler maintained to his death that he authored the arrangement of the song's more popular version. His family descendants continue with his original assertions.
