You probably have heard this song many times on the radio and have utterly no clue what this song is about.
You're not the only one. In fact, almost everyone who's ever heard this song has scratched their heads wondering what this song is about.
For example, here's the opening lyrics:
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Sloopy lives in a very bad part of town
And everybody, yeah, tries to put my Sloopy down
Sloopy, I don't care what your daddy do
'Cause you know, Sloopy, girl, I'm in love with you....
HUH?
Sloopy?
Now wait a minute. OK, the song is about a poor girl who "lives in a very bad part of town"
But Sloopy?
Was it a typo? And she was really Sleepy? Or Sloppy? Or even a vague reference to Snoopy, the Peanuts comic dog? Or even Soupy, as in the comedian Soupy Sales?
But even if it was, the song would still be way off. Certainly not the most charming way to seduce a poor girl in even the very worst part of town (try it and see.)
Sloopy?
There aren't any girls whatsoever I can recall even nicknamed "Sloopy". And even fewer who would put up with a guy who would call her that without filing a court order.
Why Sloopy?
So it was finally time to get answers once and for all.
She recorded an album, "Sloopy Time" Featuring Dixie and Sloopy, in 1957 with Yvonne "Dixie" Fasnacht, a jazz vocalist and clarinetist.
However, The McCoys weren't the first to record this song. It was originally recorded by The Vibrations in 1964 and titled "My Girl Sloopy". It's been performed by hundreds of rock acts, under both titles.
The Vibrations' version charted in the Top 30. After The McCoys version topped the charts, The Ohio State University Marching Band adopted "Hang On Sloopy" as it's theme song (Dorothy Sloop was also an OSU alum.)
Dorothy "Sloopy" Sloop died in 1998. She never earned a penny in royalties from "Hang On Sloopy" and never sought out publicity from the song. Tragically, her personal memorabilia were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.
More On "Hang On Sloopy"
Another nice sound. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBizarre timing. I was visiting my ailing dad today, and he asked me to turn on his cd player. I immediately recognized the Best Damn Band in the Land - the OSU Marching Band's "Buckeye Battle Cry." Eventually "Hang On Sloopy" came on.
ReplyDeleteDad asked me if I knew the history of the song. I couldn't remember the name of the McCoys, but I remembered the video. He said that Sloopy was from Steubenville, Ohio.
When I got home I axed Mr. Google. He told me that an R&B group from L.A. (The Vibrations) recorded it a year earlier as "My Girl Sloopy," so I thought it was a typical ripoff by a pop band. How could a group from L.A. know about a girl from Steubenville Ohio?
Then I spotted the names of the song writers and it all made sense.
Nice sleuthing. You beat me to it.
Sloopy attended Ohio University in Athens, not Ohio State. http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/switch.php?str=Sloopy&imageField.x=0&imageField.y=0&control=gsearch.c&c=articles
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