Talk:K-K-K-Katy

old comments

-What other modern album...? This song was also included on some other modern (70s?) album, sung by a couple of/few kids... not sure if the track was even credited on the album. Can't remember what it was; does anyone know? (Maybe Carly Simon? Or who knows...?) If anyone knows, pls. post to the main page. (I'm "watching" this page, so I'll be auto-notified.) Thanks! philiptdotcom (talk) 03:36, 15 March 2009 (UTC)

Stammer

It's not really clear that this song makes fun of people with a speech impediment. I've always interpreted it as making fun of the nervousness of the lovestruck singer, who starts to stammer when he comes to be near Katy.

Some folks stammer when under pressure or flustered. Perhaps "makes fun" isn't the right view, since it isn't especially funny. In any case, it's known as being the "stammering song", so we shouldn't make our opinions.   Will Beback  talk 

If there's any doubt about "Jimmy" being made fun of, check out this version of Murray's recording: [1]. One ironic thing is that Murray had a little trouble effecting the stutter convincingly. No one could fake a stutter like Mel Blanc could. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 07:53, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

I think "make light of" is closer. As far as I can tell, songs in that era often started with a narrative verse. Overall it seems sympathetic to the hero. But I'm fine with reporting whatever sources say about it.

On a related topic: the first time I saw the song title it was in a political attack article about Katherine Graham, Washington Post publisher, which accused her of racism ("K-K-K Katy"). While possible interesting it's not encyclopedic.   Will Beback  talk  08:38, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

What it says is not so much about Katharine Graham as about "societal memory" of the song, or at least the memory of whoever wrote the article. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 09:07, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

It's also worth pointing out that people seemed to have thicker skins in those days, or at least they didn't so easily let on that something bothered them. It's like the old saying, "I don't care what you call me, as long as you call me to supper!" →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 09:10, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

If I had a stammer this song would undoubtedly irritate me, to say the least. I don't think it's Murray's best song anyway, and it hasn't aged well. Tin Pan Alley turned out a lot of dreck, even among the hits, perhaps like any popular music industry. I agree that it is passing out of the societal memory. No one is going to do a modern cover of this song. (I'm sure Blanc did the definitive performance of it anyway, and maybe I'll hear that someday.)   Will Beback  talk  09:27, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

As would Porky Pig, except you probably wouldn't speak up about it (and if you did, you'd probably stumble over it anyway). I'm just saying people in general didn't wear their inner selves on their sleeves in those days as they do now. The version I put in the article itself is just a straightforward solo without the group vocal and the chatter. He does the sutter better there, and it's also a pretty good copy for 1918. Murray did lots and lots of recordings. There's no question a fair number of them were mediocre, but he got paid either way. Not everything Frank Sinatra ever did was necessarily first-rate either (have you ever heard "Papa Will Bark", for example?) And let's not even get into the oldies stations that still play top-40 songs from the 60s that were annoying even when they were new. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 09:49, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

You might like this Murray song better: [2] It was re-recorded for use in the Ken Burns film called "Horatio's Drive" about a 1903 cross-country rally. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 09:49, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

"He'd have to get under/get out and get under, .../ to fix his automobile." Cute. Now that I could see a modern artist covering.   Will Beback  talk  10:14, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

Right. I gather that song was a hit in its day, though certainly not the way "In My Merry Oldsmobile" was, speaking of suggestive lyrics. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 10:26, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

By "narrative verse", I'm guessing you mean verses that essentially "explain" the song, which is probably why the chorus tends to be what's remembered. You could say the verse is "pedestrian" and the chorus is "art". The verse, while "explaining" it, also limits it. Without the verse, it becomes more "universal". "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a good example. Katie Casey was baseball-mad, etc. So, presumably, is everyone who sings the song at the 7th inning stretch. They don't need Katie to explain it. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 09:16, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

Good example. There's probably a name for that construction. A trace of it can be found in the narrative prologues to some of Cole Porter's songs. like Anything Goes (song) and I Get a Kick Out of You.   Will Beback  talk  09:40, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

I have no idea what that type of writing is called, but it's very common in that era. There aren't many who know the verses to some of Berlin's songs, such as "This Is the Army" or "God Bless America" - and those who don't, really aren't missing much. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 10:26, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

I've noticed that, when a singer performs a "favorite", the audience will sometimes applaud at the first identifiable bars, as if to endorse the choice of the song. In the case of songs with obscure opening verses, that moment of recognition may be delayed to the chorus, leading to applause mid-song.

Looking over the list of Tin Pan Alley's biggest hits: with the exception of a couple of "moon" songs, they are all meant to be belted out rather than crooned. These songs were written in the last days before microphones and amplifiers. With a good set of lungs, a song like this could be projected to the last row.   Will Beback  talk  10:50, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

In the extreme case, some singers (like Springsteen) will start the song and let the audience finish the song for him while he gives his throat a break. Somehow I can't see paying big bucks to go watch a guy sing and then end up doing his act for him, but whatever. Murray used to call his singing style "hammering" - he had to shout to be picked up properly by the acoustic recording device (just like the guy in the cubicle next to you does with his cellphone). And he was really good at it. But when the electronic mike and crooning came along, his career just about screeched to a halt. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 14:43, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

"Song Success" or "Song of Success"?

I could not find the source for this quote, but "song OF success" makes sense. Can anyone find a source? jk (talk) 02:40, 4 October 2011 (UTC)