Dill Pickles (a rag)
Music (1906) by: Charles E. Johnson
Lyrics (1910) by: Alfred Bryan

Verse 1:
Listen Maxie, to that lazy rag! It's a daisy, ain't it,
That dill pickle, lovin' tickle, Just sets them crazy, don't it?
It just keeps you prancing around and around,
Honest, I can't keep my feet off the ground.
Come on Kiddo, don't refuse me, Say don't you love me, baby?
If I get too looney, spooney, You must excuse me, baby.
Dance me, prance me around, around and around,
Around and around and around.

Refrain:
Listen to that tune, O you angel face!
Slide me glide me now, O you baby doll!
Be my lovin' coon, Show me, show me how.
That dream motion, ain't it devine?
Make those loving eyes, keep on swaying, kid,
keep on swaying, kid, I just love it, kid!
Make those tempting eyes, Keep on playing, kid,
That dill pickle rag.

Verse 2:
If your Tillie's getting chilly, say don't act silly, Willie,
If she's fickle, play that tickle, I'll bet a nickle, Willie,
She'll just start a-rolling her eyes to the skies,
Do the Salomy in front of my eyes.
She'll get rowdy like a dowdy, chuck full of champagne brimming,
You just feel that you are swimming With twenty pretty women,
Prancing, dancing around, around and around,
Around and around and around.


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An Internet prowl has uncovered the lyrics to this 100 year old favorite at this site: http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/cgi-bin/sheetmusic.pl?RagDill&Rag&main

It appears the music was self-published in 1906 by composer Charles E. Johnson, then published again in 1907 by Jerome H. Remick, then a third time by Remick in 1910 with lyrics added.

The lyricist, Alfred Bryan (1871-1958), was a Canadian from Brantford, Ontario, who later moved to the United States to pursue his musical interests. He is said to have written over 400 lyrics, most of which have drifted into obscurity except for a couple, 'Peg O' My Heart' and 'Come, Josephine, In My Flying Machine' which are still on the play list of seniors entertainers. A WWI lyric of his 'I Didn't Raise My Boy to be a Soldier' was controversial for being contrary to patriotic thinking at that time.

The music composer is listed as Chas. E. Johnson on the sheet music cover but as Charles Leslie Johnson (1876-1950) at ragtime history site. Johnson was attracted to the piano at an early age and took formal study in classical music until his teens, when popular music pulled him away. He spent his entire life in Kansas City which was the center of a great deal of ragtime activity. Many of Johnson's later rags utilized the secondary rag, or three over four pattern he had first used in Dill Pickles, but since they were generally easy to play and memorize, his products sold briskly. He was just as adept at turning out a ballad or intermezzo as a popular rag.