Band, The - Rag Mama Rag Lyrics






Rag Mama rag, I can't believe its true
Rag Mama rag, what did you do?
I crawled up to the railroad track
Let the 4:19 scratch my back

Sag Mama sag, what's come over you
Rag Mama rag, I'm pullin' out your gag
Gonna turn you loose like an old caboose
Got a tail I need to drag
I ask about your turtle
And you ask about the weather
I can't jump a hurdle and
We can't get together
We could be relaxin'
In my sleepin' bag
But all you want to do for me, Mama, is

Rag Mama rag, there's no where to go
Rag mama rag, come on, rosin up the bow

Rag Mama rag, where do you roam
Rag Mama rag, bring your skinny little body back home
It's dog eat dog and cat eat mouse
You can rag Mama rag all over my house

Hailstones beatin' on the roof
The bourbon is a hundred proof
And you and me and the telephone
Our destiny is quite well known
We don't need to sit and brag
All we gotta do is rag, Mama, rag, Mama, rag

Rag Mama rag, where do you roam
Rag Mama rag, bring your skinny little body back home





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Band, The Rag Mama Rag Comments
  1. K.... S....

    Man Richard's drumming dagnabbit he actually gets a drum break in there! Huffing and puffing away with that damn tuba get them boys

  2. C.... M....

    It was a really old fashioned sound even in 1970, now in 2019 it sounds bang up to date! One of my favourite songs of all time, pure brilliance

  3. R.... O....

    Sofy Thailand

  4. P.... A....

    Saw them once in central park nyc.....quite by accident.... came upon a free concert! Lucky New Yorker! Simon & Garfunkel too!

  5. R.... G....

    yeah...today I went to take the trash out and I saw a path of stones and grass on the walk. I cleaned my cat's litterbox and I wiped up the spills on my stove and I sat down to relax and I played the Rag.

  6. R.... U....

    Rag Mama rag, I can't believe its true
    Rag Mama rag, what did you do?
    I crawled up to the railroad track
    Let the 4: 19 scratch my back
    Sag Mama sag, what's come over you
    Rag Mama rag, I'm pullin' out your gag
    Gonna turn you loose like an old caboose
    Got a tail I need to drag
    I ask about your turtle
    And you ask about the weather
    I can't jump a hurdle and
    We can't get together
    We could be relaxin'
    In my sleepin' bag
    But all you want to do for me, Mama, is
    Rag Mama rag, there's no where to go
    Rag mama rag, come on, rosin up the bow
    Rag Mama rag, where do you roam
    Rag Mama rag, bring your skinny little body back home
    It's dog eat dog and cat eat mouse
    You can rag Mama rag all over my house
    Hailstones beatin' on the roof
    The bourbon is a hundred proof
    And you and me and the telephone
    Our destiny is quite well known
    We don't need to sit and brag
    All we gotta do is rag, Mama, rag, Mama, rag
    Rag Mama rag, where do you roam
    Rag Mama rag, bring your skinny little body back home

  7. c.... ....

    Quietly revolutionary then, a stone pleasure now!

  8. d.... t....

    N...r, ThankYou for Posting & Numbering & Lyrics etc!!!!!~Helped wake me tf Up again! Very Motivational & ÏnŠpirational song in my Yute & had much FM RADio airplay & gave me a few more things to look Forward to && LEVON's Killer Singing & Tight Strong Snappy Drumming.

  9. G.... S....

    It's dog eat dog and cat eat mouse!

  10. j.... ....

    "hail stones beatin' on the roof, the bourbon is a 100 proof, it's you and me and the telephone, our destiny is quite well known, we don't need to sit and brag, all we got to do is rag mama rag mama rag" - pure genius!

  11. t.... s....

    read Robbie Robertson's book, you will feel like part of the band before you are thru

  12. J.... B....

    Love skinny body

  13. L.... C....

    I have the feeling I’m the only 12 year old in the comments huh might be wrong though

  14. d.... w....

    They use to play up down hiway 6 up here Ontario Canada at all the bars back in the late 60s the were known as the Hawks back then

  15. A.... A....

    L evon Helm was a very different style, a drumming vocalist

  16. J.... D....

    ' I ask you about your turtle you ask me bout the weather"!

    J.... D....

    The chair is NOT my son

  17. d.... g....

    Either you're in your late 70's at the least, or that was one hell of a throw-back, old school.

  18. T.... ....

    So this is where One More Saturday Night came from...

  19. A.... A....

    Gotta add, the band was so much fun.....

  20. 3.... M....

    I grew up in pine grove down the road from the Danko's. Magical Times in west simcoe

  21. N.... K....

    Robertson, Danko, Helm....classic American folk music.....simply put, pure genius and such a mellow old south feel. Pictures of cotton fields and old farmsteads in my head. Reminds me of long road trips across the USA. Can't get enough of these guys !!!

  22. K.... C....

    Remember that - do you? Might not be old enough! Up on the mountain in the snow 100 proof bourbon, REMEMBER THAT - DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS? THE RAG? You must stand up to do that, like the Charleston - RAG MAMA RAG - TELL ME IF YOU KNOW HOW -

  23. P.... A....

    March 2018....still listening...anyone else??

    P.... A....

    I am, until I die!

  24. S.... J....

    The best

  25. D.... W....

    I love The Band but in my opinion this version doesn't hold a candle to Blind Boy Fuller's.

  26. G.... ....

    memories of listening to this song when growing up, so infectious and it has lost none of its magic in 2018

  27. R.... ....

    rory's was better.

    R.... ....

    good song tho

  28. J.... B....

    Nothing like a nice fall apart ending. Makes it real. You'd never heard that in a studio recording today

  29. U.... M....

    Nice bit of brass

  30. T.... H....

    Forty years after I last heard this tune, an earworm just sorta started.

  31. L.... W....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn_ecksA0qI&t=972s

    The full thing

  32. B.... R....

    Good dancing music & having some fun

  33. C.... ....

    If its got a tuba going, it's good by me

    C.... ....

    Sometimes a tuba works even with nothing but an acoustic guitar:

    https://youtu.be/F2l8shdt14U

  34. d.... g....

    The Silver Setter loves the Bourbon at 100 proof.

  35. G.... M....

    This song shows how talented they were. Manuel on drums, Levon on mandolin, Garth on piano, Rick on fiddle.

  36. B.... M....

    Best band to come out of Huron/Perth counties.

  37. D.... H....

    Without a doubt one of the GREATEST songs EVER! Thanks guys...

  38. d.... g....

    Jump a hurdle!

  39. M.... M....

    Time to break out 'yer rock and roll fiddles and strike up the Band...
    Levon, Rick, and Richard RIP
    gone, not forgotten & the music lives on 🎸🎻

  40. l.... m....

    What a great bunch of musicians

  41. F.... E....

    feeblemindedness

  42. F.... E....

    This rocks into feebleness,

  43. S.... B....

    jist ficking A!!!!!

  44. s.... ....

    Saw the Band with the Allmans and the Dead at Watkins Glen July 1973, Summer Jam :)

  45. t.... ....

    We don't need to sit and brag? We don't need to celebrate.

  46. D.... O....

    Manuel on drums?

  47. a.... ....

    Probably the best assortment of blues, rag, rock, country in one song on the planet.

    a.... ....

    the truth

  48. Z.... G....

    to quote the song "nigga nigga nigga", "mama rag is a nigga"

    Z.... G....

    ..how sad you are

    Z.... G....

    You should know better !

    Z.... G....

    ?
    what does that mean
    ???????????????

    Z.... G....

    Do you real have to ask ?

  49. N.... Z....

    Now, this just puts a huge smile on this old face. Great, great memories.

  50. R.... M....

    God I love this, since I was a kid, brilliant xx

  51. a.... ....

    One of my all time favs to dance around to - kick up some dirt shake it and have fun... oldie but goody

  52. G.... M....

    Bring your skinny little body back home!!!

  53. S.... H....

    Always a Great song--miss this !

  54. T.... ....

    If Anybody has Heard "Dexy's Midnight Runners" Song "Show Me" Listen To to The Music Playing in the Background It's The Same as Rag Mama Rag.

    T.... ....

    good call!

  55. G.... M....

    About as good as it gets.

  56. B.... ....

    So great to hear real instruments played by good musicians who have a passion... Look up and 'feel'the other players.. The sum of the whole is .....

  57. B.... E....

    is this helm singing?

    B.... E....

    @michael moon Robbie only sang lead on To Kingdom Come (Big PInk), and Out Of The Blue (The Last Waltz). And I think he sang the second verse on Ain't No More Cane (The Basement Tapes). I think so, at least.

    B.... E....

    Who else would it be? Lol Robbie couldn’t sing for shit haha

    B.... E....

    @Ween Fain Additionally, according to the book Across The Great Divide, he chose not to sing at all (not even backup) for the second album. He's credited strictly as guitarist and engineer. In my estimation, though, Richard Manuel was the best singer.

    B.... E....

    @Guy Sharwood They were all great but Levon just had such a genuine authenticity to his voice it gave incredible life to the music. I mean when he sangs The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down he really sounds like a guy that was in the Civil War. I'm from east TN and Levon sounds like people I've heard in my every day life for all of my life and maybe that breeds "familiarity" and makes me favor him the most. I LOVE them ALL though. Nothing can be taken away from any of them.

    B.... E....

    Not going to debate you there. Only Levon could have pulled Dixie off.

  58. K.... K....

    As a young girl growing up in Santa Barbara California this is the music that influenced who I became. Thanks to the dedicated musician and a great mom for exposing up as young kids the great music.

  59. t.... ....

    Com'on rosin up the bow!

    t.... ....

    +tommotd One of the sneakiest double entendres in rock !

    t.... ....

    tommotd : Brian colon here. Great song!! Hmmmm, "rag"? Do they actually mean ahem, (the) rag?🤔

  60. D.... V....

    don't you people realize that not having all that techno shit is what made our music so great lyrics a guitar bass drums and and piano organ is all the groups then needed they sounded the same live or in the studio pure music and talent

    D.... V....

    +Daniel Viola There is good ''techno shit'',as you put it,out there.It just so happens that the radio only plays the biggest piles shit out there.

    D.... V....

    +brains481 not true

  61. M.... T....

    Cest tres bon

  62. J.... S....

    My favorite Band song! Rag Mamma Rag!

    J.... S....

    Judy Silver one of my favs.....u can rag, mama.rag all over this house

  63. C.... P....

    Rag Mama Rag!!

  64. C.... J....

    Does anyone know where i can get the Little Feat version of this.

  65. P.... S....

    You are absolutely right andrew. What I meant to say, but rather clumsily didn't, was that I have read more than a few times that BoRhaps was the first pop video and, as you pointed out, there were loads of earlier vids or promos. Being an old fart I can personally attest to having seen quite a number of them.

    P.... S....

    @Paul Smith Just heard this on Flashback this Sunday morning

  66. P.... S....

    A lot of people think that Bohemian Rhapsody was the first pop video but I remember this having it's own video when it came out in Britain. I think it was shown on Top of the Pops.

    P.... S....

    @Paul Smith Pink Floyd had a video of ''See Emily Play'' 1967.

    P.... S....

    +Cliff Jones elvis presley had a music video for jailhouse rock in 1957

    P.... S....

    The Elvis video is actually part of the movie Jailhouse Rock and not a video.  To add another video that came out before Rag Mama Rag, the Stones had a wild video for Jumping Jack Flash where they were all wearing makeup.  The Beatles had some videos too.

  67. C.... m....

    Stuff like this,fresh amd rootsy,earned the band a cover on time mag. I could be wrong but I'd say Dec. 1969. Anybody know?

    C.... m....

    @Connie mccormack I think you're correct. At first I wanted to say 1968, but I believe you're right.

  68. T.... C....

    I let my friends at school listen to this song. They didn't like it and they said I don't like good music. No. They don't like good music.

    T.... C....

    You need new friends bubba

    T.... C....

    What do they listen to? Raphiphop? What is the difference anyway? You've got class, & are a rare example of your generation!

    T.... C....

    l dont know anybody apart from me who likes it who cares you dont have to have permission or a hunting licence to like it

    T.... C....

    I can realte

    T.... C....

    no one cares.

  69. h.... d....

    great great track !

  70. R.... ....

    DANKO on violin. Go Ricky!

    R.... ....

    @Random21 Just heard this on Flashback this Sunday morning

    R.... ....

    Manuel on drums?

    R.... ....

    Random21 the band are the real deal get use to it. I still collect those guys now. They are gone ain’t twilight a heartbreaker? Hacksaw sign off

  71. J.... I....

    It's just a lot of fun from guys whom I don't think took themselves too seriously. They were havin fun too.

    J.... I....

    John Ihrig The band....pure and simple

  72. J.... B....

    The tuba makes this song.  So raw and wonderful.

    J.... B....

    John Burns didn't notice it until I read your comment! so that's why...
    .... Yeah.... y'right!

  73. T.... T....

    good whiskey drinking tune!

    T.... T....

    I think every tune is a good one for whiskey drinking.
    Iron-Man by Black Sabbath in particular.

  74. J.... W....

    awesome classic rock track, i always loved the band, just pure magic.

  75. I.... S....

    4 people are still waiting to bring their skinny little bodies back home

    I.... S....

    make sure they are skinny cause fat females are frustrated

  76. Y.... ....

    The song begins perfectly. Richard Manuel kickin' in that drum in underneath all that fiddlin'... woooo

  77. t.... t....

    Best Band ever

  78. o.... ....

    You do know that Levon was the only American in the Band?Rick,Richard,Garth,and Robbie were all Canadian.And Levon was living in Toronto when they got together.

  79. o.... ....

    Garth goes totally mental on the piano.It's like they took the reins off.Finally.

  80. D.... S....

    damn cancer!!!!

  81. g.... f....

    I just finished watching Levon Helm in the documentary "I'm not in it for my health" it is pretty good stuff, sad and glad all at once...check it out if you love the Band. So, I had to listen to some favorite "Band" stuff. They were a super group there is no doubt. What a beautiful sound their voices make...and the music is classic. Thanks to "Nalencer" for this one.

  82. G.... E....

    That fiddle riff is one for the ages.

  83. T.... ....

    lady gaga is directional but she can at least sing rock and has an amazing voice which is wasted on pop. madonna is the enemy of all great music.

  84. K.... ....

    It was this song that first brought the Band to my attention even though they were already established. From then on I fell in love with their very talented music and brought most of their early albums including the great one this tune is from.

  85. D.... G....

    Man these dudes made American music. "Hailstones beatin on the roof the Bourbon is a 100 proof!!" Try Maodnna, Gaga and all the other shit on the market always come back to this.

    Elton John was a great fan of theirs. In fact his Tumbleweed connection album was a dedication to them. Pity he turned to playing with mens turds and bums.

    D.... G....

    You are the turd

  86. K.... B....

    It's both; it's a pun. Resin (pronounced rosin) is used to grease up fiddle bows. It's the same stuff that's in the resin bag baseball pitchers use. So, Rick plays fiddle on this tune. Then there's the folk song, "Old Roisin the Beau," which the Band learned from Bob Dylan in the basement sessions (it's on the 5 volume Genuine Basement Tapes bootleg set). So, Robbie (or whoever contributed that line) was having a little fun with words.

  87. S.... J....

    The Band is one of the greatest ensembles of all times dammit!

  88. s.... e....

    uplifting, love fiddle , love it,

  89. s.... e....

    my fave band song, off my fave band lp, got lp when came out, 69, still enjoy

  90. S.... H....

    Korvettes, YEAH! I bought my first Rolling Stones record at Alexanders!

  91. M.... ....

    there is the weight :)

  92. K.... ....

    I didnt have too much knowledge about The Band until I heard this number, then bought the album and got to really appreciate the music and the talent. I was a "Band" aficionado from that point onwards. Those were the days!

  93. k.... l....

    Not one of my favorites

    k.... l....

    Who cares ?

  94. a.... ....

    No, my friends. Like most great songs, the lyrics are good old sexual innuendo. Either that, or its about ragtime dancing. At any rate it's about 3 minutes long and its about one of the best songs ever written.

  95. W.... B....

    They were so good live. consummate musicians.

  96. I.... C....

    42 years on and this is still in the top ten of the greatest rock'n'roll masterpieces ever.

  97. o.... ....

    Garth is finally let loose on the piano.Weird that a piano virtuoso is almost never let near one.He plays organ,clavinet,alto sax,tenor sax,synth,almost everything under the sun,except piano.

    o.... ....

    Yeah. You can really hear him here. Never noticed his playing before.

  98. R.... T....

    Ok Bro I'll do the translation: It's about bitchin wife that will not cease and guys ie you /me must and do mean must evacuate!!!!!!!!!!!