Lyrks
Lyrks
Sign In
Cover Art

5. Ragtime Lyrics by Luke Davis

Black On Both Sides: Should the term “black music” be used in the music industry today?

0

Ragtime was another offshoot of the negro spirituals as the Fisk Jubilee Singers became more popular with their European tours and dance became an integral part of the musical experience. From the late 19th century, African Americans began dancing to “rhyme-dance songs”, folk medleys and other spirituals and these medleys became known as “rags” and the performances, “ragging” (Floyd, 1995, p.66). Ragtime echoed the stylistic qualities of marches and dances from the 1890’s (such as the cakewalk), with its short repetitive melodies in patterns like AABBACCC′, AABBCCDD and AABBCCA (Berlin, 2001) but the main emphasis of the genre was on its “highly developed rhythmic syncopation” and the infusion of Negro folk elements (Danberg Charters, 1961, p.174). The two most famous rags were the Mississippi Rag (1897) and the Maple Leaf Rag (1899), the latter written by ragtime pioneer Scott Joplin. According to Danberg Charters (1961), classic rags - rags written by pioneers of the genre like Joplin, Scott, Lamb, contained imaginative harmonic variations and a high level of dissonance due to the use of the Negro folk elements (as explained before), however he discusses the pentatonic scale, taken from African music, and its implementation within classic rags and the possibility of a commonality with white hymns
For example, in Scott Joplin’s famous Maple Leaf Rag, the pentatonic scale features in the melody of the trio:

(Figure 1: Danberg Charters, 1961, p.176)

In “Maple Leaf Rag”, the song is in Db major in the form AABBACCDD. Because of its heavy influence on the rest of the genre, Maple Leaf Rag is seen as the magnum opus of ragtime. Its use of syncopation was extensive, with most of the composition consisting of eighth and sixteenth notes. The repetition of the first motif was in tandem with ragtime’s original links to march music

From there, composers like Joplin and (James) Scott were able to absorb chromaticisms and harmonic major and minor scales from “white American culture” into their compositions (Danberg Charters, 1961, p.178). This early example of “Negro” and white music being mixed together raises a question: did the African elements enhance the “white” music or did the “white” music enhance the African elements?

Although Scott Joplin’s name is synonymous with ragtime, it was a white musician who claimed the biggest accolade of all: the originator of ragtime. Harney was so adamant that he had fathered the genre; he offered to quit his profession and offer $100 to anyone who could find a composition predating his ragtime classic You’ve Been a Good Wagon but You’ve Done Broke Down (Berlin, 2002). However, Ben Harney’s ethnicity was subject to scrutiny, even if his claim of being the originator of ragtime wasn’t. He identified himself as white despite claims that he was African American
Credits
Luke Davis

Luke Davis

About “5. Ragtime” by Luke Davis

Read the complete lyrics to "5. Ragtime" by Luke Davis from the album "Black On Both Sides: Should the term “black music” be used in the music industry today?". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rap.

"5. Ragtime" is performed by Luke Davis. from the album "Black On Both Sides: Should the term “black music” be used in the music industry today?" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "5. Ragtime", explore more songs by Luke Davis using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Luke Davis · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"5. Ragtime" is credited to Luke Davis. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"5. Ragtime" appears on "Black On Both Sides: Should the term “black music” be used in the music industry today?".

Visit the Luke Davis artist page at /artist/luke-davis for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

11.1. Sampling and drum machines
10.3. The Message
10. Hip hop
10.2. Turntablism
10.4. Black On Both Sides – an analysis
1. Introduction - 1.1 Overview
10.1. The origins of hip hop
11. Technology
Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features

Company

About

Artists

Trending

Legal

Privacy

Terms

Copyright

Support

Contact

Features

Charts

© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.