High Born lady

Dominic Vautier
updated  1/2015
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My Gal is a High-Born Lady (1896) had everything needed to make it a first class ragtime hit, some argue the first true ragtime hit ever; great melody, good lyrics, and something altogether unique--syncopation.  The song is significant not only because it was considered the first ragtime song, but because it influenced many more songs that came later in the ragtime era.  The unusual dance step that it produced was like a fox trot.  Its slow-slow-quick-quick rhythm was not to get an appropriate name for at least another 17 years, when Harry Fox introduced his fox trot dance step.  The ragtime trend that My Gal started was to continue unabated for the next 20 years.  Soon after its popularity came even bigger and better hits such as Hello, My Baby and Bill Bailey.

Barney Fagan got the inspiration for this syncopated song from, of all things, a broken bicycle pedal.  He was riding home on his bike, dividing his attention between the song he was trying to complete and the worries he had about finding enough money to buy his wife a birthday present.  He was immediately struck by the unusual floppidy-flop rhythm that the loose bike pedal created.  Barney suddenly realized that he could make the music he was working on fit into this crazy “ragged” or "rag-time" floppidy-flop rhythm.  He stopped, sat down by the side of the road, and composed several measures around the words that had been repeating themselves in his head.  When Barney got home he finished the first popular ragtime song, sold the piece for $100, and bought his wife a birthday present.

My Gal today would be considered country or Memphis Grand ole opry type music today but it was definitely ragtime at that time and often performed in black-face at minstrel shows.