That Epidemic Rag

A 1911 novelty song.
Words by Billy Foran.
Music by Edna Williams.

The sheet music:

That-Epidemic-Rag – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:

That_Epidemic_Rag – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. Have you heard about the new disease
    That’s spreadin’ ’round the universe?
    It’s nothing like the influenza sneeze
    It’s not the eppizudy, but it’s twice as worse
    Folks are stricken with it ev’ry where
    The germ is in the atmosphere
    You can fumigate, camphorate
    Vaccinate, emigrate
    But it’s bound to overtake
    And sting you in the ear

Chorus
It’s that epidemic rag
That contagious melody
That delirious drag
That makes you dance, makes you prance
In a feverish trance
It’s raging, that raving ragtime
Oh! Doctor joyous convulsions of melodious pain
Oh, spasms of ecstasy come get me again
I’m passing away, let me swoon
To the tune of that strain
(Oh! lawdy come and get me)
Oh that epidemic rag

  1. When the symptom of that chronic craze
    Once fondles and embraces you
    You’re quarantined with joy for sixty days
    No matter where you go this microbe chases you
    And your eyes begin to shake and roll
    You heart longs for your turtle dove
    It goes Pumpin’ and bumpin’
    Thumpin’ and jumpin’
    And Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawdy
    How it makes you spoon and love

Sung here by Fred Feild: