"Oh, Didn't He Ramble" is a
New Orleans jazz standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
, copyrighted in 1902 by
J. Rosamond Johnson
John Rosamond Johnson (August 11, 1873 – November 11, 1954; usually referred to as J. Rosamond Johnson) was an American composer and singer during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he had much of his career in New York C ...
,
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871June 26, 1938) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peop ...
, and
Bob Cole Robert Cole may refer to:
Entertainment
*Robert William Cole (1869–1937), British writer
*Bob Cole (composer) (1868–1911), American composer
*Bobby Cole (musician) (1932–1996), American musician
Sports
*Bob Cole (cricketer) (born 1938), for ...
. It is frequently used at the end of
jazz funeral
A jazz funeral is a funeral procession accompanied by a brass band, in the tradition of New Orleans, Louisiana.
History
The term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most New ...
s.
Several sources trace its origins to the
English folk song
The folk music of England is a tradition-based music which has existed since the later medieval period. It is often contrasted with courtly, classical and later commercial music. Folk music traditionally was preserved and passed on orally wit ...
"
The Derby Ram
"The Derby Ram" or "As I was Going to Derby" is a traditional tall tale English folk song (Roudbr>126 that tells the story of a ram of gargantuan proportions and the difficulties involved in butchering, tanning, and otherwise processing its carc ...
" (
Roud 126). In 1888, it was published as a
work song
A work song is a piece of music closely connected to a form of work, either sung while conducting a task (usually to coordinate timing) or a song linked to a task which might be a connected narrative, description, or protest song.
Definitions and ...
from Texas, with the chorus "Didn't he ramble? Didn't he ramble? / Oh, he rambled till the butcher cut him down!". The chorus was then adapted by leading African American songwriters, the Johnson brothers and Cole, jointly credited as the songwriter "Will Handy" (but not associated with
W. C. Handy
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musici ...
), and published in 1902 as "Oh, Didn't He Ramble". It quickly became a standard in the repertoire of
jazz bands. In its originally copyrighted version, the song had seven verses, telling the story of Buster Beebe, whose adventures led him to a jail sentence and the loss of his money through gambling. However, the verses are now rarely performed.
[ Con Chapman, "The Curious History of “Oh, Didn’t He Ramble”, ''Syncopated Times'', February 26, 2021]
Retrieved April 30, 2022
The tune is now traditionally played at the end of a New Orleans jazz funeral. "In contrast to the slower, sadder spirituals that are played on the way to a burial... it’s a joyous tune that suggests the deceased should have no regrets because he "rambled all around, in and out of town"". The words are usually set out as: "Oh! didn’t he ramble, ramble? / He rambled all around, in and out of town, / Oh, didn’t he ramble, ramble, / He rambled till the butchers cut him down."
"Traditionally, at New Orleans jazz funerals, brass bands play slow, mournful hymns as the deceased’s body is carried out of the church and placed in a hearse or horse-drawn carriage. The band continues to play in this fashion until the procession reaches the cemetery. Once the priest or minister finishes performing his benediction and the congregation begins to leave the cemetery, the band strikes up a more up-beat selection of songs in celebration of the deceased’s life."[ Mark Braud, "Didn't He Ramble", ''Preservation Hall Foundation Brass Bandbook'']
Retrieved April 30, 2022
The song was performed by George H. Primrose, and first recorded by Arthur Collins in 1902. Later recordings include those by Fiddlin' John Carson
"Fiddlin'" John Carson (March 23, 1868 – December 11, 1949) was an American old-time fiddler and singer who recorded what is widely considered to be the first country music song featuring vocals and lyrics.
Early life
Carson was born near Mc ...
(1932), Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...
(1939), Kid Ory
Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of New Orleans jazz.
He was ...
(1945), Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
(1950), Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...
(1955), the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a New Orleans jazz band founded in New Orleans by tuba player Allan Jaffe in the early 1960s. The band derives its name from Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. In 2005, the Hall's doors were closed for a p ...
(1988), and Dr. John
Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B.
Active as a session musician from t ...
(1992). "Oh! Didn't He Ramble", ''Secondhand Songs''
Retrieved April 30, 2022
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oh, Didn't He Ramble
1902 songs
1900s jazz standards
Dixieland jazz standards