Hang On Sloopy

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“Hang On Sloopy” is a 1964 song by Wes Farrell and Bert Russell, originally titled “My Girl Sloopy”. The song gained an association with The Ohio State University after its marching band began playing it at football games; it first played it October 9, 1965 after a band member, John Tatgenhorst, begged the director to try playing it.

Hang on Sloopy – song lyrics

Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on

Sloopy lives in a very bad part of town (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
And everybody, yeah, tries to put my Sloopy down (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
Sloopy, I don’t care what your daddy do (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
‘Cause you know, Sloopy, girl, I’m in love with you (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)

And so I sing out
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on

Sloopy wears a red dress, yeah, as old as the hills (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
But when Sloopy wears that red dress, yeah, you know, it gives me the chills, oh, oh (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
Sloopy, when I see you walking, walking down the street (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
I say, “Don’t worry, Sloopy, girl, you belong to me” (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)

And so I sing out
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Give it to ‘em right now

Sloopy, let your hair down, girl
Let it hang down on me (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
Sloopy, let your hair down, girl
Let it hang down on me, yeah, yeah (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)

Come on, Sloopy (Come on, come on)
Well, come on, Sloopy (Come on, come on)
Well, come on, Sloopy (Come on, come on)
Well, come on, Sloopy (Come on, come on)

Well, it feels so good (Come on, come on)
You know, it feels so good (Come on, come on)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, Sloopy (Come on, come on)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, yeah (Come on, come on)
Oh

Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hang on, Sloopy
Sloopy, hang on

ORIGIN OF AN ANTHEM: How Sloopy became a Buckeye Source: OSU.edu
Over the last 50 years, a simple rock ’n’ roll song has become synonymous with Ohio State.

The Ohio State University Marching Band played “Hang on Sloopy” on Oct. 9, 1965 – one week after The McCoys’ version hit No. 1 on the pop charts. The band’s halftime show that day was honoring the arts, and they formed a ballerina while playing Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” before dancing Watusi-style and playing “Hang on Sloopy.” Director Charles “Charlie” Spohn that the juxtaposition would amuse the crowds in Ohio Stadium, never realizing it would become a tradition at Ohio State.

The Legendary Vibrations sing “My Girl Sloopy”

Carl Fisher, at right, was the lead singer of The Vibrations when they recorded the 1964 rhythm and blues song “My Girl Sloopy” for Atlantic Records. Here, he performs that song 50 years later with The Legendary Vibrations in Los Angeles, California in November 2014.

John Tatgenhorst ’70 was honored by The Ohio State University Marching Band on Sept. 13, 2014. Tatgenhorst was a percussion student when he arranged The McCoys’ 1965 hit “Hang on Sloopy” for the marching band. He never expected it to become an Ohio State tradition that would endure for more than 50 years. Courtesy of The Ohio State University Marching Band.