‘Sloopy’ step closer to being Ohio’s rock song

“Hang On Sloopy” — a standard in the Ohio State University Marching Band repertoire — may be named the official rock song of Ohio.

The Ohio House on Wednesday voted unanimously for a bill to give it that lofty designation.

The song, written by Wes Farrell and Bert Russell, was a 1964 hit performed by The Vibrations, a Dayton rock band. It was first performed by the OSU band in 1965, and the current band members performed the tune in person for lawmakers on the House floor Wednesday.

The back story is that Farrell and Russell’s song is about Steubenville native Dorothy Sloopy, who was a singer and piano player at Dixie’s Bar of Music in New Orleans, according to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.

The bill now moves to the Ohio Senate for consideration.

Here are the lyrics:

“Hang on Sloopy, Sloopy hang on; Sloopy lives in a very bad part of town; All the girls I know they try to put my Sloopy down; Sloopy, I don’t care what your daddy do; Don’t you know little girl, I’m in love with you; Sloopy, let your hair down, let it down on me; Come on Sloopy let your hair down, Girl it down on me.”

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