Songfacts®:

• Written originally as an instrumental "The Tiger Rag" - actually simply "Tiger Rag" or "Tiger Rag One-Step" - and is one of the best known and most widely recorded standards in Jazz. The first recording credits it to the Original Dixieland Jass Band, [spelt thus] and it was copyrighted, published, and credited to Nick LaRocca, Eddie Edwards, Henry Ragas, Tony Sbarbaro, and Larry Shields in 1917.
  
  Later, Harry DaCosta would add lyrics to it - such as they are - and it became the #1 song in America in 1931 by The Mills Brothers.
  
  As the bandleader, LaRocca may take the lion's share of the credit but there has been some controversy - manufactured or otherwise - over its actual origin. It is certainly possible that earlier composers may have written similar pieces, but there are only so many ways one can arrange seven natural notes and five sharps.
• Commonly known as "Hold That Tiger," this song is a marching band favorite among schools that have a tiger as a mascot. Louisiana State University puts the song to use throughout their football games, playing it every time their team scores a touchdown. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2
• The Mills Brothers were John Mills Jr., Herbert Mills, Harry Mills, and Donald Mill. The four brothers amazed listeners with their ability to recreate saxophones, trumpets and trombones with only their voices in singles like "Tiger Rag" and had a string of hits in the early 1930s. In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first African-Americans to give a command performance before British royalty.