On Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 12:55:05 PM UTC-4, Joel Polowin wrote:   
   > I've enjoyed listening to Arlo Guthrie's "Ring-Around-A-Rosy   
   > Rag" for a long time; it's upbeat and catchy.  But I've never   
   > been able to figure out what it's really *about*.  (Not the   
   > nursery rhyme, which according to incorrect folklore refers   
   > to the Black Death; Guthrie's unrelated song.  "Ring around,   
   > ring around Rose / Touch your nose and blow your toes /   
   > And mind after doin' the Ring-Around-A-Rosy-Rag.")  Can   
   > anyone here help?   
   >    
   > Thanks!   
      
   There's whole tale which I've recorded numerous times about the incident at   
   Rittenhouse Square, in Philadelphia. Short version is that a few of my friends   
   (about 6) were arrested for playing Ring-A-Round-A-Rosy in the square. I   
   wasn't arrested as I was    
   straggling behind. I had a gig to do at The 2nd Fret, a folk club around the   
   corner, and wrote the song onstage that night about the incident that had just   
   taken place. The song doesn't go into the details, but I've always had a   
   preamble that proceeds    
   the song, so that the song makes sense. On the original recording they didn't   
   allow any preambles, so it ends up being kind of silly. Arlo Guthrie   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)