(For the actor and singer with The Village People, see Ray Stephens.)
Read Full Bio ↴(For the actor and singer with The Village People, see Ray Stephens.)
Ray Stevens (born Harold Ray Ragsdale, 24th January 1939) is an American country and pop singer-songwriter, best known for a series of irreverent, quirky singles such as "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" and "The Streak". His recording career began with two singles released on Prep Records, followed by a short stint with Capitol Records. Both contracts were made with the help of Atlanta, Georgia music maven Bill Lowery.
Stevens joined Lowery's National Recording Corporation in 1958, where he also was a member of the NRC staff band, playing numerous instruments, arranging, and doing background vocals. When NRC went into bankruptcy, he signed with Mercury Records, and started a series of hit records in the 1960s that included "Ahab the Arab" and "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving, Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green and Purple Pills". The later song held the record as the longest title to hit the Top 40 chart until being surpassed in 1981 by the Stars on 45 Medley, whose official title included the titles of 10 other songs because of copyright requirements.
Stevens became a producer and well-known studio musician on the Nashville scene, and recorded hits for Monument, Barnaby, Warner Brothers, MCA and RCA. Perhaps his most famous hit is "The Streak" (1974), which poked fun at the early-1970s "streaking" fad of running nude in public; this was a No 1 in both the UK and the USA. His novelty song "Bridget the Midget (The Queen of the Blues)" reached No 2 on the UK chart in 1971.
Stevens' biggest hit was his gospel-inflected single "Everything Is Beautiful" (1970). A plea for love and tolerance during turbulent times in the United States, the song shot to Number 1 there. Stevens has won two Grammy Awards: one for "Everything Is Beautiful" and one for the arrangement of his country and western version of the jazz standard "Misty" (1975). He also recorded a version of Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" in the style of a clucking chicken, under the pseudonym Henhouse Five Plus Too. This was a Top 40 hit in the US and UK.
With the popularity of the song "Everything Is Beautiful", Stevens had a variety show on CTV. The Ray Stevens Show appeared in Canada in 1970 and soon appeared in the United States on NBC and the United Kingdom on the BBC. Although it only has eight episodes, it is mostly known for being the show that launched the career of regular cast member Steve Martin.
Ray Stevens was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1991, Stevens opened the Ray Stevens Theater in Branson, Missouri. He performed there regularly until 2006, when he sold the theater.
In 2012, Stevens released The Encyclopedia of Recorded Comedy Music, an 8-CD collection of what Stevens considered the 96 greatest comedy songs of all-time.
In the fall of 2019, Stevens will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Ray Stevens (born Harold Ray Ragsdale, 24th January 1939) is an American country and pop singer-songwriter, best known for a series of irreverent, quirky singles such as "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" and "The Streak". His recording career began with two singles released on Prep Records, followed by a short stint with Capitol Records. Both contracts were made with the help of Atlanta, Georgia music maven Bill Lowery.
Stevens joined Lowery's National Recording Corporation in 1958, where he also was a member of the NRC staff band, playing numerous instruments, arranging, and doing background vocals. When NRC went into bankruptcy, he signed with Mercury Records, and started a series of hit records in the 1960s that included "Ahab the Arab" and "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving, Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green and Purple Pills". The later song held the record as the longest title to hit the Top 40 chart until being surpassed in 1981 by the Stars on 45 Medley, whose official title included the titles of 10 other songs because of copyright requirements.
Stevens became a producer and well-known studio musician on the Nashville scene, and recorded hits for Monument, Barnaby, Warner Brothers, MCA and RCA. Perhaps his most famous hit is "The Streak" (1974), which poked fun at the early-1970s "streaking" fad of running nude in public; this was a No 1 in both the UK and the USA. His novelty song "Bridget the Midget (The Queen of the Blues)" reached No 2 on the UK chart in 1971.
Stevens' biggest hit was his gospel-inflected single "Everything Is Beautiful" (1970). A plea for love and tolerance during turbulent times in the United States, the song shot to Number 1 there. Stevens has won two Grammy Awards: one for "Everything Is Beautiful" and one for the arrangement of his country and western version of the jazz standard "Misty" (1975). He also recorded a version of Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" in the style of a clucking chicken, under the pseudonym Henhouse Five Plus Too. This was a Top 40 hit in the US and UK.
With the popularity of the song "Everything Is Beautiful", Stevens had a variety show on CTV. The Ray Stevens Show appeared in Canada in 1970 and soon appeared in the United States on NBC and the United Kingdom on the BBC. Although it only has eight episodes, it is mostly known for being the show that launched the career of regular cast member Steve Martin.
Ray Stevens was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1991, Stevens opened the Ray Stevens Theater in Branson, Missouri. He performed there regularly until 2006, when he sold the theater.
In 2012, Stevens released The Encyclopedia of Recorded Comedy Music, an 8-CD collection of what Stevens considered the 96 greatest comedy songs of all-time.
In the fall of 2019, Stevens will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Gitarzan
Ray Stevens Lyrics
Ahab The Arab (intro: Arabian flute) Let me tell you about Ahab the Arab …
Alley Oop (Oop-oop, oop, oop-oop) (Alley-Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) There…
Along Came Jones I plopped down in my easy chair and turned on…
Freddie Feelgood (And His Funky Little Five Piece Band) Well, they got a tight little unit You know they're the…
Gitarzan He's free as the breeze He's always at ease He lives in…
Harry the Hairy Ape Well, a strange thing happened the other night You won't bel…
Little Egypt Step right up, folks And see Little Egypt do her Famous danc…
Mr. Custer (That famous day in history The men of the 7th cavalry Went…
Sir Thanks-A-Lot With a "hey, nanny nanny!" and a "hi ho ho!" He…
Yakety Yak He's free as the breeze He's always at ease He lives in…
David W.
on The Ballad of Jake McClusky
Verse 1
Well every friday evening, when Jake McClusky’d finished eating,
he’d excuse himself and hurry off to his weekly lodgehall meeting.
Till Ethel Mae his wife found out what no one could dispute;
That that lodgehall was no lodge at all, but a house of ill repute.
Now I don’t think I've ever seen a woman quite that mad before.
She marched right down to that evil place and started kicking in the door.
She yelled, “I know you’re in there, Jake McClusky, you low down philanderin’ liar.”
And then she soaked her down with kerosene, and set the whole dang place on fire.
Well the crowed had gathered up outside but no one moved or spoke.
Till a trembling voice from deep inside said, *cough* *cough* “I smell smoke.”
Then that ole house started shaking, folks began to scream and shout.
Then the door flew off its hinges and, Lord, folks start spewin’ out.
Chorus
Oh the flames (oh the flames), of retribution.
Could be seen (could be seen), from miles around.
Yea there never was so much confusion in a lil’ Georgia town,
As the day that Ethel Mae McClusky burned the lodgehall down.
Verse 2
First judge Oliver Wendell Justice came out runnin’ for his life,
But he turned and ran back in the flames when he caught sight of his wife.
And self ordained Elijah Bane, and evangelist of sorts,
Claimed he’s down there savin’ souls in his pinstripe jockey shorts.
Then out came the mayor, and a banker we all knew.
The police chief, and the sheriff, and a deputy or two.
And when they asked the sheriff what he was doin’ in that den of degradation
He said, “Well me and the boys just carrying out a little undercover investigation.”
And then the ladies of the evening clad in just their lingerie,
Were crying, “We’ve lost everything, how’ll we live, where’ll we stay?”
And then a lawyer said, “I’ll help you file for welfare so you can eat,
And you can all stay out at my place till you can get back off your feet.”
Chorus
Oh the flames (oh the flames), of retribution.
Could be seen (could be seen), from miles around.
Yea there never was so much confusion in a lil’ Georgia town,
As the day that Ethel Mae McClusky burned the lodgehall down.
Verse 3
Now where ole Jake McClusky is today, is anybody’s guess.
He came smokin’ out that back door, in a state of complete undress.
Ran streaking off into the night and no one’s seen him since.
But I’ll always recall how he mooned us all as he cleared the backyard fence.
Chorus x2
Oh the flames (oh the flames), of retribution.
Could be seen (could be seen), from miles around.
Yea there never was so much confusion in a lil’ Georgia town,
As the day that Ethel Mae McClusky burned the lodgehall down.
Ron Moon
on The Booger Man
I have copied the lyrics from the original recording if you want them.