Shaggy

Based on a true story! So during the Covid-19 quarantine, a lot of people went without haircuts, including our own John Riggio. One day he looked in the mirror after not seeing his stylist for several weeks and inspiration struck! "Shaggy" is meant to have that late '60s/early '70s vibe, when things were more… groovy. Hair styles were longer back then and perhaps a bit wilder. Kinda like John's when he wrote this song!

Like many songs, this one starts simple and gets more intense as you go. The melody will require your students to count a bit. For instance, the verse in bar 8 begins on the and of beat one. Fortunately, that rhythm repeats a lot. The melody at the chorus is very syncopated, but it's the same rhythm over and over. Some things to watch for – honor the scoops, slurs, and accents. They really help with the style of the song. Also, don't be too concerned about the two and three part divisis during the chorus, as they are optional. The melody always is D to Eb, and everything else is gravy. That said, if your students are able to sing the divisis, it adds fun and intensity to the chorus. In the recording studio, by the time our singers got to the line "Help me!," they added a bit of desperation to their tone, and you can certainly do the same with your students.

In performance, singers could wear all manner of shaggy wigs. This tune is pretty silly and your kids should have fun with it! A shout-out goes to our drummer Dane Clark who really ramped up the accents and fills towards the end of the song!