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What's a 'rigadoo'? |
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Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Date: 16 Nov 99 - 01:22 PM Heard this song since childhood, many versions and the best by a travelling musician. Rigadoo - I never did bother to try figure what it meant since nonsense words are so common in that tradition. The song was widely sung and played as a dance tune in Ireland since before the flood. Played the Piece way in the normal key it is a great tune too!
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Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Jeremiah McCaw Date: 16 Nov 99 - 12:30 PM Sidebar, thread creep, irrelevancy, trivia, etc ... Re: the hobo's "kerchief on a stick"... That bundle is called a "bindle". The worst thing one hobo could call another was a "bindlestiff" - someone who was so low that he'd steal from other hobos. |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Graham Pirt Date: 15 Nov 99 - 07:36 PM The version I know mentions being able to, "do it in the Kitchen and do it in the hall, Do it in the bedroom and up against the wall" and all with his rigadoo - Dancing? - perhaps! Aah, there was a time...... Graham |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Mbo Date: 15 Nov 99 - 03:28 PM Thanks for all the info, guys. I feel much more enlightened now! --Mbo |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Lonesome EJ Date: 15 Nov 99 - 02:36 PM Gary, I think you're on the right track, rigadoo being his "rig" or "kit"=possessions. However, I always got a laugh out of the concept that the Little Beggarman had more to offer the housewife mentioned in the song than just his song,dance,OR his kit. I think the charm and humor of the song lie in the playful suggestiveness of the encounter between Johnny and the lady. |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: lamarca Date: 15 Nov 99 - 02:29 PM Well, in these days we refer to "The old song and dance" as a description of a habit or routine. Perhaps "the old rigadoo" is a similar construction.... |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Gary T Date: 15 Nov 99 - 02:12 PM Thanks, MMario, it's nice to not have to re-invent the wheel. They seem to have settled on "rigadoo" being a corruption of "rigadoon", a country dance, and made a pretty good argument for that meaning. But I'm in one of those moods, so I'll stir things up a bit. The other suggested meanings were a walking stick or a pack. Let's go one better. I sense that the rigadoo comprised the walking stick and the pack and the sack--in other words, all his gear as an assemblage. Here's my reasoning: "You sing for your supper and there's nothing left to do, but to go around the corner with your old rigadoo." Singing is mentioned, but not dancing. Now there's nothing left to do (i.e., you're done singing--and if you'd been dancing that's done too) so you head out, carrying your stuff. "Hello, Mr. Beggarman, and how do you do, with your rags and your tags and your old rigadoo?" She's enumerating his possessions--it would be very odd to include a dance in this question. "So now you've heard the story of my old rigadoo" We've heard about some of his things and about his lifestyle, but no mention of dancing. So I contend that "rigadoo" as a dance does not make much sense in the contexts where it is used. It makes sense to me if it means his gear as a whole. I am now prepared for the onslaught from those who see it differently and/or know better than I (G).
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Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: MMario Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:55 AM previous thread on this subject is at this location: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=6002&messages=15 or you can click here MMario |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Gary T Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:33 AM From the context, I always assumed the rigadoo was his bundle of belongings, akin to the stereotypical hobo's "kerchief on a stick". |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Allan C. Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:25 AM Amos, that could have been an honest mistake, but I was, indeed aware of the diggeri kind of _doo. I simply thought that there might be yet another kind of _doo. (I'm sort of kidding here - but not entirely.) |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Roger the skiffler Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:24 AM Thankfully, it's nothing to do with Agadoo (a truly dreadful song of the sort sung in clubs in the sort of holiday resorts frequented by Club 18-30). RtS (pompous old fart of the Club 50-90 variety) |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Judy Cook Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:19 AM A rigadoon is a lively 17th/18th century dance or the music for it. Maybe the little beggerman is making a little mouth music. I haven't looked at the DT version, but I know sometimes he's singing something that sounds pretty much like nonsense syllables (skina marink adoodle - Don't quote me on the spelling, I've not seen it in print). That seems like a stretch to me. I'd be interested to hear from someone who knows. |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Amos again Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:10 AM From the context it sounds like a mojo euphemism, not one for whiskey. But I may just be projecting :>). Your guess is as good as mine. A. |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Amos Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:05 AM Don't be mixing it up with the diggeridoo, the Australian bushman's amazing bass horn. A |
Subject: RE: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Allan C. Date: 15 Nov 99 - 09:57 AM For the curious, a version of the song in question is in the DT and listed as THE BEGGARMAN'S SONG (JOHNNY DHU) Mbo, your guess sounds plausible to me. I really don't know. I thought it was a musical instrument. |
Subject: What's a 'rigadoo'? From: Mbo Date: 15 Nov 99 - 09:43 AM I've been trying to figure out what "rigadoo" means in the song "The Little Beggarman." Is it a euphemism for whisky? --Mbo |
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