"Shriners Convention" is a song written and recorded by American musician
Ray Stevens
Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939), known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian, known for his Grammy-winning recordings "Everything Is Beautiful" and "Misty", as well as novelty ...
. It is based on Stevens' experiences at an
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
hotel where an actual
Shriners
Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Shriners International describes itself ...
convention was being held.
[''Music City News''. June 1986.]
Shriners have taken the song as good-natured humor, and have even welcomed Stevens' participation in fundraising activities, as his fame attracts more attendees to charity events. It has been suggested that Stevens' presence indicates that Shriners have a sense of humor about themselves, making the group seem more accessible.
Content
The premise of the song is the "43rd Annual Convention of the Grand Mystic Royal Order of the Nobles of the Ali Baba Temple of the Shrine." Each verse describes a different aspect of the convention: first a parade, then a formal banquet, and finally a ceremonial "secret meeting", which is actually a
poker
Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
game.
"Meanwhile, back at the motel..."
The song's humor includes a series of phone calls between two Shriners from the
Hahira delegation: "Illustrious Potentate" Bubba, and "Noble Lumpkin" Coy, the latter of whom fails to show up at any convention gatherings, choosing instead to carouse at the motel with his
Harley Harley may refer to:
People
* Harley (given name)
* Harley (surname)
Places
* Harley, Ontario, a township in Canada
* Harley, Brant County, Ontario, Canada
* Harley, Shropshire, England
* Harley, South Yorkshire, England
* Harley Street, in Londo ...
, dishonoring the whole delegation. Bubba eventually kicks Coy out of the Shrine, but Coy undauntedly considers joining the
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporatio ...
, cranks his motorcycle and hangs up.
While only Bubba's side of the conversation is heard, Coy's comments are made known through Bubba's replies. This comedy format is similar to routines by
Shelley Berman
Sheldon Leonard Berman (February 3, 1925 – September 1, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, and lecturer.
In his comedic career, he was awarded three gold records and he won the first Grammy Award for a spoken comedy reco ...
and
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mi ...
.
Remake
In 1983 Stevens re-recorded the song, adding a reference to the
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...
in the dialogue.
Music video
A video for "Shriners Convention" appears in Stevens's 1995
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
film, ''Get Serious!'' The song also ties into the film's plot, wherein a genuine Illustrious Potentate and country sheriff named Bubba, along with his deputy Coy (who in truth somewhat enjoys being mistaken for the Coy of the song) and certain family members and friends, believe that Stevens is deliberately misrepresenting them in his songs. All of this alludes to another Stevens song, "Dudley Do-Right of the Highway Patrol”.
Chart performance
References
External links
Editorialof a Canadian Freemason Lodge commenting on negative stereotypes in "Shriners Convention."
{{Authority control
1980 singles
Comedy songs
Ray Stevens songs
Songs written by Ray Stevens
1980 songs
RCA Records singles