Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

Spring Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

MMD > Archives > November 1999 > 1999.11.13 > 05Prev  Next


"Roll 'Em Girls" & Girls Bloomers At College
By Joyce Brite

Robbie Rhodes wrote the chorus lyric in 99112 MMD:

 > Roll 'em girls, roll 'em girls, go a-head and roll 'em.
 > Roll 'em down and show your pret-ty knees,
 > Roll 'em girls, roll 'em, ev-'ry bod-y roll 'em
 > Roll 'em high or low just as you please
 >
 > Don't let peo-ple tell you that it's shock-ing,
 > Paint your own Sweet-ie's pic-ture on your stock-ing
 > Laff at Ma, laff at Pa, give them all the Ha-Ha,
 > Roll 'em girl-ies, roll 'em,  roll your own.

I got a chuckle out of this little tune.  During the 1920's, it was
scandalous in some parts of the country for a woman to roll down her
stockings and expose her bare knees.  At a midwestern college, which
shall remain nameless, the following occurred:

  "A 1927 incident of campus regulation which received ridiculously
  widespread publicity (including a report in the Chicago Herald) was
  that known as the 'bloomer' or 'bare knees' issue.  When the Dean of
  Women found that coeds were removing their bloomers while dancing,
  she issued a stern warning that they should wear bloomers and that no
  part of the bare knee should show.  Rolled stockings which displayed
  part of the leg below the bloomer were also ruled out by the dean,
  who considered such exposure disgraceful.  [Humorist] Will Rogers,
  visiting the campus in April of that year, commented, 'I agree with
  her.  I think she should.' "

Note the double meaning in Rogers' comments.  (The source of the
quotation above is available on request.)

The copyright date of the song is 1925, which means it predates the
college "bloomer" incident.  Too bad, because it seems as if the song
was specially written in response to the incident.

Joyce Brite
Player Piano and Mechanical Music Exchange
http://mmd.foxtail.com/Exchange/

 [ Not too many years later comedian Jimmy Durante sang about
 [ "Skirts" and how he appreciates them!  -- Robbie


(Message sent Sun 14 Nov 1999, 03:03:36 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.)

Key Words in Subject:  Bloomers, College, Em, Girls, Roll

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page