"Alexander's Ragtime Band" is the name of a song by Irving Berlin. It was h… Read Full Bio ↴"Alexander's Ragtime Band" is the name of a song by Irving Berlin. It was his first major hit, in 1911. There is some evidence, although inconclusive, that Irving Berlin borrowed the melody from a draft composition submitted by Scott Joplin that had been submitted to a publisher. "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is not itself an example of the ragtime musical idiom; apart from some mild syncopation, it has almost none of ragtime's characteristic features. Nonetheless, the lyrics clearly refer to the arrival of African-American musicians on the popular scene with their then-new idea of playing standard songs in a more exciting up-tempo style.

Alexander's Ragtime Band
Bessie Smith Lyrics

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Come on and hear, come on and hear
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Come on and hear, come on and hear
It's the best band in the land

They can play a bugle call
Like you never heard before
So natural that you want to go to war

That's just the bestest band what am, Honey Lamb

Come on along, come on along
Let me take you by the hand
Up to the man, up to the man
Who's the leader of the band

And if you want to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime

Come on and hear, come on and hear
Alexander's Ragtime Band

Overall Meaning

Bessie Smith's song Alexander's Ragtime Band is a lively and enthusiastic tribute to a popular ragtime band of the era. The song begins with an invitation to the listener to come and hear the band, emphasizing that it is widely regarded as the best in the land. The lyrics mention how natural the band sounds while playing a bugle call, eliciting the desire to go to war in listeners. This reflects the patriotic fervor of the time, with the song serving as a rallying cry for both the band and its supporters.

The chorus of the song, "That's just the bestest band what am, Honey Lamb," is a playful nod to the casual vernacular of the time. Through all the lyrics, the band's leader, Alexander, is repeatedly praised and is held in great esteem, as he should be, as he is capable of giving such an enthralling performance that it inspires people to dance and cheer. The song's finale invites the listener to hear the band play a ragtime version of the classic song, "Swanee River," which would have been a crowd-pleaser at the time.

Line by Line Meaning

Come on and hear, come on and hear
Please listen to my plea to come and enjoy the music being played

Alexander's Ragtime Band
The band performing the ragtime music is called Alexander's Ragtime Band

Come on and hear, come on and hear
I am urging you to come and listen to the music being played

It's the best band in the land
This band is the best in the whole country

They can play a bugle call
The band members are skilled enough to play even complex tunes like a bugle call

Like you never heard before
They perform in a unique style that you haven't heard before

So natural that you want to go to war
Their music is so natural and impressive that hearing it makes you want to fight for your cause and go to war

That's just the bestest band what am, Honey Lamb
This band is the best one I have come across, my dear

Come on along, come on along
I urge you to join me and come along to listen to the music being played

Let me take you by the hand
I am willing to personally guide you to the venue

Up to the man, up to the man
Let me take you to the bandleader

Who's the leader of the band
The person who leads the band is the bandleader

And if you want to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime
If you are interested in hearing the classic tune 'Swanee River' being played in ragtime style

Come on and hear, come on and hear
I urge you to come and listen to the performance

Alexander's Ragtime Band
The band performing the music is Alexander's Ragtime Band

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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