Formed to play proms in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the group originally consisted of the three McMichael brothers: tenors Judd (1906-1989) and Joe (1916-1944), and baritone Ted (1908-2001). They were discovered by singer-bandleader Eddie Dunstedter. In 1930 the McMichaels, after performing as The Mystery Trio and The Personality Boys, added a female lead singer, Cheri McKay, and changed their name to The Merry Macs.
In 1936 they appeared on several national radio programs, and Cheri McKay was replaced by Helen Carroll. (McKay trained her successor in the group's singing style.)
Vocal quartets had customarily harmonized like barbershop quartets. The Merry Macs revolutionized vocal harmony with closer harmonic chords. This style inspired other groups, like The Modernaires and Six Hits and a Miss. In 1938 The Merry Macs signed with Decca Records and recorded “Pop Goes the Weasel.” The Merry Macs (with Carroll) sang a swing version of "Down by the Old Mill Stream" in the 1939 Vitaphone musical Seeing Red, Red Skelton's first film.
In 1939 Mary Lou Cook (b. 1910) replaced Helen Carroll. This is the foursome that most listeners know from film appearances. The McMichael brothers and Cook appeared as a specialty act in Hollywood movies, including 1940's Love Thy Neighbor, and Universal Pictures gave The Merry Macs their own feature-film series in 1941. Their most famous film is Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942), an Abbott and Costello comedy in which The Merry Macs offer musical interludes. At the time, Mary Lou was married to actor Elisha Cook, Jr.; evidently there were problems because Mary Lou ended both her marriage and her affiliation with The Merry Macs at about the same time.
Marjory Garland (1923-1991) replaced Mary Lou Cook after Ride 'Em Cowboy was filmed. The Merry Macs continued to score on the hit parade; their rendition of "Mairzy Doats" was a best-seller. Garland, who later married Judd McMichael, remained with the group until the 1960s.
Youngest brother Joe McMichael served in the armed forces and was killed in 1944. He was replaced by Clive Erard, then Dick Baldwin, and finally Vern Rowe. The foursome of Judd, Ted, Marjory and Vern continued performing until they retired from show business in 1964.
The Hut-sut Song
The Merry Macs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A boy would sit and fish and dream when he should have been in school.
Now, he couldn't read or write a word but happiness he found
In a little song he heard and here's how it would sound;
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit,
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla sooit.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit,
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla sooit.
The brawla is the boy and girl,
The Hut-Sut is their dream.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla sooit.
The lyrics to The Merry Macs's song The Hut-sut Song describe a boy in a town in Sweden who would often skip school to fish and dream by a clear and cool stream. Despite being unable to read or write, he discovered happiness through a little song he had heard. The song, titled "Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit," consists of repeated lines that describe the boy's dream of himself and a girl named Brawla in the town of Rawlson by the stream.
The song's title and lyrics are made up of nonsense words and phrases that don't have any real meaning, but they are arranged in a way that sounds catchy and enjoyable. The Hut-sut Song became a popular hit song in the 1940s and has since become a classic example of the novelty song genre. It is an upbeat and lively tune that showcases the Merry Macs' vocal harmonizing abilities and their ability to make silly, carefree music that people love to sing along to.
Overall, The Hut-sut Song is a lighthearted tribute to childhood dreams and the power of music to transport us to other places and times. The song may not have any deep or profound meaning, but it still brings joy to listeners decades after its initial release.
Line by Line Meaning
In a town in Sweden by a stream so clear and cool
There's a quaint little town in Sweden by a sparkling stream.
A boy would sit and fish and dream when he should have been in school.
A boy would skip school and spend his time fishing and daydreaming.
Now, he couldn't read or write a word but happiness he found
Although he was illiterate, the boy still found joy.
In a little song he heard and here's how it would sound;
He found comfort in a song that sounded like this:
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit,
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the riverbank and a ruckus, ruckus suit.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla sooit.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the riverbank and a ruckus suit.
Now the Rawlson is a Swedish town, the rillerah is a stream.
Rawlson is the name of the Swedish town and the rillerah is the stream he fishes in.
The brawla is the boy and girl, The Hut-Sut is their dream.
The brawla represents the young boy and girl, and their dream is the Hut-Sut.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit,
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the riverbank and a ruckus, ruckus suit.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla sooit.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the riverbank and a ruckus suit.
Writer(s): OWENS JACK, KILLION LEO V, MC MICHAEL TED W
Contributed by Jonathan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
music girl
on Jingle, Jangle, Jingle
People bop their heads and hum along to these oldies, often not realising what the song's actually about.