"He instinctively can find the shining greatness of our American culture and does a good job of highlighting it (although he also does have those rare lapses when he writes about hockey, but that is something caused by impurities in the Eastern waters or something)." Erik Keilholtz
Under the patronage of St. Tammany
Mark C. N. Sullivan is an editor at a Massachusetts university. He is married and the father of three children. Email
When the fans stopped singing "Tessie," the Sox stopped winning the World Series. So now, the newly recordedversion by the Boston bagpipe punk band is played along with the Standells' "Dirty Water" after Sox wins at Fenway.
Seems to be working: The Sox just wrapped up a 9-1 homestand, and are two-and-a-half behind the Yanks.
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The original "Tessie" is something of an acquired taste. "It was the worst thing that I've ever heard," said Dropkicks' bassist-singer Ken Casey. "But who knows what was hip in 1903?"
You can listen to a vintage 1903 Victor recording of the song by John Bieling and Harry Macdonough (via the National Library of Canada) by clicking on the link under "Sport" on the left-hand side of this page, or by visiting RoyalRooters.com.
Another recording of "Tessie," done on Columbia cylinder in 1902 by one Dan Quinn, may be heard here.
Meantime, the Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music has covers (**) and music.
The Dropkicks' version is a departure, as this clip suggests.
![[SMMMHDH]](http://www.mgilleland.com/music/smmmhdh.png){kind=small}
