We had to dance to "Oh Johnny Oh Johnny Oh" in high school PE. After they had made sure that all team sports and lifelong activities (bowling, badminton, etc) became hateful, trauma-associated activities, they started in on dancing, and they were quite successful in making my peers lifelong dance-avoiders. However, they messed up, perhaps it's the elimination of the arts and other frills in public education, now they concentrate on making people hate math and science. My daughter, never forced to dance in school, became an amazing swing dancer, it totally blew me away to see the fruit of my loins dancing that way, rather than in the manner of a three-legged hippo as I do.
The old-timers came to square dancing before it was enforced in the schools, I assume. Thank goodness I never took music (beyond one extremely awful, damaging required class in 7th grade) - they would have stomped out a love of music before I ever got started on a lifetime of pleasure.
Dancing in PE was so traumatic, I still remember some of the words to "Oh Johnny", different than the ones you present:
Well, we all join hands and we circle the ring
Stop where you are, give your honey a swing,
Swing that little gal behind you...
After that, it gets a little spotty, but I found more of the lyrics, and more useful information about square dancing at: public.sd38.
It appears your version is related to Johnny B. Goode. That's a connection I never would have made...
I don't know a thing about either, nor have any midi backing files.
Need help with a few popular standard files of each.
you experienced musicians should know what will go over best!
Even be happy with the name of some good ones to use and I wil search
them out.------Square dance tunes are often common songs, usually country flavored tunes, where the lyrics have been changed to 'call' the dance patterns.My mother was a square dancer/caller and teacher for a while and naturally, anything she gets into she trys to drag me into as well, so I learned a couple singing calls way well over 25 years ago!One of them was to a tune called "Oh Johnny Oh". This was a beginners dance.Here's the lyrics:Now you all join hands and you circle the ringStop where you are, give your honey a swingYou swing that little gal behind youyou swing your own if you have found that she's not flownAllemande Left with the corner galDo-se-do your ownNow you all Promenade with the sweet corner maidSinging Oh Johnny Oh Johnny OhRepete 4 times so the original couple are back with each other.===================== ========= ====== Here's a website that will give you a lot of lyrics for singing calls. I've included a couple sets of lyrics below.Cat >^..^<===================== ========= ====== Johnny B. GoodCircle left
He's down in Louisiana close to New Orleans
Well back up in the woods among the evergreens
Do an allemande left the corner, dosado your own
Left allemande and weave the ring
He carries his guitar in a gunny sack
Swing your lady round and promenade back
He plays in a big band, playing his guitar
Go...
Johnny Go...
Go Johnny Go
FIGURE 1
Heads touch 1/4, boys run, touch 1/4
Follow your neighbor and spread
Girls run, boys single hinge
Diamond circulate, girls single hinge
Tag the line all the way, girls U-turn back
Swing that corner, promenade
He sits beneath the trees by the railroad track
Strumming to the rhythm that the engines make
MIDDLE BREAK
Four ladies chain across
Chain them back to a dopaso
Partner by the left, corner by the right, partner left
Head ladies center teacup chain
Go Johnny Go
Who never, ever learned to read & write so well
But he could play a guitar just like a ringing bell
Go Johnny Go...
Go Johnny Go...
Go Johnny Go
FIGURE 2
Sides square thru 4, swing thru, boys run
Ladies single hinge, diamond circulate
Flip the diamond, ladies trade, linear cycle
Slide thru, swing and promenade
The people passing by they would stop, and say
Oh my what that little country boy could play
CLOSER
Sides face grand square
His mother told him some day you'll be a man
And you will be the leader of a big old band
Many people coming from miles around
And hear your music when that old sun goes down
Circle left
Some day your name will be in lights
Allemande left, swing, promenade
Saying Johnny be good tonight
Go Johnny Go ...
Go Johnny Go ...
Go Johnny Go===================== ========= ========= ========= ===== Ain't Misbehavin'
- OPENER - MIDDLE BREAK - CLOSER
Circle left
*No one to talk with - all by myself
No one to walk with - but I'm happy on the shelf
Left allemande, box the gnat, 4 ladies promenade
(Music only)
Turn partner right, full turn around
Left allemande, promenade the town
Ain't misbehavin', savin' my love for you
(Music only)
- FIGURE
4 ladies chain cross the ring
Heads/sides promenade 1/2 way I sing
Walk in, pass thru, cloverleaf and then
Centers square thru 3/4 go
Left allemande, dosado
Swing your corner, promenade you know
Ain't misbehavin', savin' my love for you
(Music only)
- ALTERNATE LYRICS
**Now I know for certain you're the one I love
I'm through with flirtin' just you I'm dreamin' of
***I don't stay out late, I don't care to go
I'm home about eight, just me and my radio
- TAG
Ain't misbehavin', savin' my love for you
===================== == Ace in the Hole
- OPENER - MIDDLE BREAK - CLOSER
Circle left
Well, you got to have an ace in the hole
A little secret that nobody knows
Well left allemande the corner, dosado
Left allemande the corner of the hall and weave that ring
Well, you got to learn to play your cards right
You swing your own round and promenade
Don't put it on the line for just one roll
You got to have an ace in the hole
- FIGURE
Why don't those heads square thru and get me 4 hands ya know
Around that corner lady dosado
Why don't you swing thru and then, the boys run right
You bend the line, a right and left thru, you turn the girl tonight
Well flutter wheel go full around now slide thru and swing
Swing that girl and promenade her
Well life is a gamble, they all say
You got to have an ace in the hole
- TAG
You got to have an ace in the hole===================== ========= =======
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