Mairzy Doats

Saturday 9: Mairzy Doats (1944)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.



1) While today this is considered a children's song, "Mairzy Doats" was a #1 hit and a staple on radio stations in 1944. Do you know any of today's most popular songs? (Here's this week's Hot 100.)
 I know a lot of them as I keep up with things like that and I have teens in my life.

2) One of the song's writers recalled that the song was inspired by an old English nursery rhyme. Tell us a rhyme you remember from childhood.

"Mary had a little lamb, his fleece was black as soot! And everywhere that Mary went his sooty foot he put!"

3) This week's group, The Merry Macs, was formed by three brothers -- Judd, Joe and Ted McMichael -- who learned to harmonize at home. Did you grow up in a musical household?
Yes. My grandmother was a piano teacher and professional pipe organist. My mother played piano very well and my father played honky  tonk piano. My brother sang with a band.

 
4) When the McMichaels decided their new group needed a woman's voice, they asked Cheri McKay to join them. Realizing all their names began with Mc, they began calling themselves The Merry Macs. Have you ever performed with a singing group? (Yes, that garage band you played in after school counts.) If yes, what was your band called?

Yes I was in an acapella group.

5) The Merry Macs' first gigs were playing high school dances. Do you have any memories of school dances you'd like to share this morning?
Yes, a certain boy would always ask me to dance to the song Sleep Walk which was played at school dances for decades for some reason.  It's a lovely song.  I was "master of ceremonies/DJ" for dances with an organization I belonged to in High school also.

6) Once their recording career took off, The Merry Macs went to Hollywood. They appeared in a film with the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. Who last made you laugh?

My friend Lee who always makes me laugh until my tummy hurts.

7) In 1944, when "Mairzy Doats" topped the charts, sunscreen was invented. It was first developed to protect soldiers during WWII, and that original formula was sold to Coppertone. Do you regularly use sunscreen?    

No, I've heard some bad things about it.

8) Also in 1944, a board game called Murder! was introduced in England. In 1949 it made its way to the United States and was renamed Clue. It's still popular today. Can you name any of the original 6 "characters" in the Clue game? (Extra credit: One was replaced in 2016; who was it?)
Miss Scarlett, Mrs Peacock, Col. Mustard, Prof. Plum. 

In 2016 Dr. Orchid replaced Mrs. White but the game had changed in other ways too and is just not as good anymore.

9) Random question: The new house you just bought comes with a big mirror on the ceiling of the master bedroom. Would you take it down or leave it there?
It will come down. If there was ever an earthquake it would be too dangerous. The Feng Shui is horrible with that as well.