Tessie
a.k.a. Tessie (You Are The Only, Only Only)
Words & Music:
Will R. Anderson (1902)
This has become a classic
simply by virtue of being spoofed.
It was originally from the Broadway show "The Silver
Slipper". However, Boston Red
Sox fan club "The Royal Rooters" adopted it and changed the lyrics to
heckle Honus Wagner & the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1903 World
Series. "That damn Tessie
song" did the trick and Boston took the series. They kept the song as a good-luck charm and it worked as the
Boston Red Sox dominated the early years of the 20th century. The Rooters abandoned the song in 1918
and that was the last it was sung in Fenway until 2004, when the Dropkick
Murphys resurrected their own punk-pub version. Lo and behold, the Sox finally won the series for the first
time since 1918. (I'm an unabashed
Boston homer and remembering that still makes me tear up with joy.) Anyway, I just read the obit of
Katherine Mary "Kitty" Dooley whose father John Dooley was one of the
Royal Rooters and instrumental in bringing the Red Sox to Boston. She & her sister "Lib"
remained legendary Sox fans their whole lives. Enjoy.
1. Original Broadway
version:
(chords obtained with the
help of the Levy Sheet Music Collection at Johns Hopkins University)
G
Tessie is a maiden with a sparkling eye;
G
Am D7/A C/G D7/F#
Tessie is a maiden with a laugh.
D7
Tessie doesn't know the meaning of a sigh;
D7
G G/B A#dim7 G/B
Tessie's lots of fun & full of chaff.
G
But sometimes we have a little quarrel, we two.
G
C E7 Am
Tessie always turns her head away.
Am
G
Then it's up to me to do as all boys do.
A7
D Daug
So, I take her hand in mine and say:
CHORUS:
G
D
"Tessie, you make me feel so badly.
G
Why don't you turn around?
D7
Tessie, you know I love you madly.
G
G D Em7 D7
Babe, my heart weighs about a pound.
G
D7 D#dim7
Don't blame me if I ever doubt you,
E7
Am
You know I wouldn't live without you.
G
G C E7 A7 D7 G
Tessie, you are the only, only, on-----ly."
Tessie has a parrot that she loves quite well.
Polly's just a-learning how to woo.
Tessie tells him ev'rything she has to tell.
Polly thinks he knows a thing or two.
Tessie gave a party at her home one night.
Polly said he'd like to sing a song.
Tessie thought she'd never seen a bird so bright,
When Polly started off in accents strong:
CHORUS:
2. Dropkick Murphys variation (2004)
Words are by Jeff Horrigan,
a writer for the Boston Herald.
Tabbed by James F Brown.
The song was written in hopes of breaking the 86-year curse of the Red
Sox.
The Royal Rooters' heckling
version in 1903 was specifically to Honus Wagner, the Pittsburgh Pirates'
superstar shortstop. It started
"Honus, why do you hit so badly?
Go on and sit down"
Apparently, they sang it relentlessly. This version accurately tells the whole story of the 1903
Series. And, yes, it is "Nuf Ced McGreevy" - spelled just that way by
the man himself. Michael T.
"Nuf Ced" McGreevy was the owner of the Third Base Saloon, home of
the Royal Rooters. His nickname
came about because whenever an argument got out of hand, he would bring it to
an immediate end by slamming his hand on the bar and saying " 'Nuff
said!". Notes provided where
needed.
F Bb F
Bb
"Tessie!" is the
Royal Rooters rally cry.
F
"Tessie" is the tune
they always sung.
F
"Tessie" echoed April
through October nights
Bb
F
After serenading Stahl,
Dinneen and Young. [3 star Red Sox in 1903]
Bb
Tessie is a maiden with a
sparkling eye,
F
Tessie is a maiden with a
love.
F
She doesn't know the meaning
of her sight,
Bb
F
She's
got a comment full of love. [who
knows what these lines mean]
Bagpipe solo over: Bb F | F Bb F
And sometimes when the game is
on the line,
"Tessie" always
carried them away
Up the road from Third Base to
Huntington [the Sox' 1903 ballpark]
The boys will always sing and
sway.
CHORUS:
[shouted] Two! Three! Four!
Bb
"Tessie", Nuf Ced
McGreevy shouted,
Eb
"We're not here to mess
around.
Bb
F
Boston, you know we love you
madly.
Bb F
Hear the crowd roar to your
sound.
Bb
Don't blame us if we ever
doubt you.
Eb
You know we couldn't live
without you.
F
Bb F
Tessie, you are the only,
only, on----ly!"
The Rooters showed up at the
grounds one day;
They found their seats had all
been sold.
McGreevy led the charge into
the park;
Stormed the gates and put the
game on hold.
The Rooters gave the other
team a dreadful fright.
BostonŐs tenth man could not
be wrong.
Up from third base to
Huntington, theyŐd sing another victory song:
CHORUS:
The Rooters gave the other
team a dreadful fright.
BostonŐs tenth man could not
be wrong.
Up from third base to
Huntington, theyŐd sing another victory song:
CHORUS:
PIANO SOLO:
CHORUS: [these words only]
DonŐt blame us if we ever
doubt you,
You know we couldnŐt live
without you
Boston, you are the only,
only, only.
DonŐt blame us if we ever
doubt you
You know we couldnŐt live
without you
Red Sox, you are the only,
only, only.