Harry Roy, born Harry Lipman (January 12, 1900, in Stamford Hill, London –F… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Roy, born Harry Lipman (January 12, 1900, in Stamford Hill, London –February 1, 1971, in London) was a British dance band leader and clarinetist from the 1920s until the 1960s.

Harry and his brother Syd formed a band which they called The Darnswells. When the Original Dixieland Jazz Band left the Hammersmith Palais, they were replaced by the Roy Brothers Original Lyrical Five. They again changed name, becoming the Original Crichton Lyricals. At times, the band recorded as "The Lyricals", "Sid Roy's Crichton Lyricals", and just "The Crichton Lyricals". Harry Roy later said that his idol was the clarinetist for the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Larry Shields. The Roy's band was very popular in London where they played all the better spots including the Alhambra; the London Coliseum; Rector's Club; Oddenino's; and the Cavour Restaurant.

In February 1927, they were booked into the Café de Paris. During 1928, they toured to South Africa and to Australia. In 1930 they made some recordings in Germany. In 1931, Harry Roy left to form his own band, with Syd becoming manager of the Harry Roy band. In 1932, the Harry Roy band was at the London Pavilion; in January 1933 they were at the Café Anglais, where they began remote BBC broadcasts. From July 1933 through June 1936, the band was resident in the May Fair Hotel. In 1935, Roy received publicity when he married H.H. Dayang Elizabet of Sarawak, the second daughter of Charles Vyner Brooke, the then Rajah of Sarawak. In 1935, the band was in the film Everything Is Rhythm and again in the 1936 film Rhythm Racketeer.

In 1938, Roy took his band on a three-month tour of South America. On October 16, 1939, the band was booked into the Café Anglais for a month. They then continued touring and theatre performances, going into the Embassy Club in October 1940. During the war years, Harry toured around. He was in the Embassy Club in 1942, and a little later, toured the Middle East. In 1948 Harry went to the U.S., but was unable to get a work permit. Returning to England, he formed a new band for the Café Anglais in 1949. By the early 1950s the big band era had come to an end. The band split up, but Roy still drifted in and out of the music scene. In the '50s, he was running his own restaurant. In 1969, he led a quartet in the London Lyric Theatre's show Oh Clarence. He was 69 years of age then, and in failing health. In February, 1971, he died in London.

He wrote and sang a Song in 1931 called My Girl's Pussy. It has been the subject of many covers and remakes along with being featured in Hollywood films, radio programs and blogs.

Tiger Rag
Harry Roy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Where's that tiger? Where's that tiger?
Where oh where can he be?
Low or highbrow, they all cry now
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"

Low or highbrow, they all cry now
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harry Roy's song "Tiger Rag" are a call and response between the singer and the audience, asking for the beloved Tiger to be found and celebrated through the playing of the "Tiger Rag." The repeated phrases "Where's that tiger!" and "Hold that tiger!" create an energetic and enthusiastic tone, urging the audience to join in the search for the Tiger. The commands to "Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!" suggest a wild and unrestrained celebration of the Tiger, emphasizing the primal and powerful nature of the animal.

The final lines of the song, "Low or highbrow, they all cry now / 'Please play that Tiger Rag for me'" suggest that the Tiger and its associated music hold a universal appeal, transcending social and cultural boundaries. The Tiger Rag, with its infectious rhythms and fast-paced melody, has become a classic jazz standard, often played at sporting events as an anthem of victory and celebration.

Line by Line Meaning

Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where is the excitement and energy we crave?

Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Let us capture and contain the unbridled spirit of the tiger.

Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Let us do whatever it takes to tame and harness the tiger's power.

Where oh where can he be?
Where can we find the elusive and enigmatic tiger?

Low or highbrow, they all cry now
People of all backgrounds and social statuses are yearning for the tiger's presence.

"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"
We desire to hear the pulse-pounding beat of the Tiger Rag, and feel the power of the tiger move us.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Antonio Sbarro, Edwin Edwards, Henry Ragas, Larry Shields, Sidney Bechet

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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