Tiger Rag

Album: The Very Best of the Mills Brothers (1931)
Play Video

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.

Comments: 2

  • . from NoThis song was used in the 2004 film adaptation of John Knowles' book "A Separate Peace."
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 5th 1961, Louis Armstrong performed "Tiger Rag" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    Thirty-one years earlier in 1930 it released the song on the Okeh Record label, then four years later in 1934 he released it again, this time on the Brunswick Record label...
    R.I.P. 'Satchmo' (1901 - 1971).
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real Group

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real GroupSong Writing

The leader of the Modern A Cappella movement talks about the genre.

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."