Back Up and Push

A standard bluegrass instrumental whose melody derives from the ragtime song “Creole Belles” composed by Danish-born American violinist Jens Bodewalt Lampe and published in 1900. The tune represents one of the most remarkable cultural cross-pollinations in American musical history, evolving from ragtime through country and Western swing into a cornerstone of modern bluegrass repertoire. The catchy melody of the second strain of “Creole Belles” was picked up by fiddlers across America who adopted alternative names including “Back Up and Push” and “Rubber Dolly.” Most Appalachian string bands recording in the 1920s and 1930s released some version of it. Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers recorded their version in 1934, and Bill Monroe recorded an instrumental version in 1940, helping establish it in the bluegrass repertoire. The song was performed with gospel lyrics by June Carter, with rumors that the lyrics were written by Raymond McLain of the McLain Family Band. The double shuffle or “hokum bowing” heard in Western and bluegrass versions has connections to jazz fiddler Joe Venuti. The composition is generally led by the fiddle or mandolin and typically played in C Major with a unique 4-1-5 chord progression that starts on the 4 rather than the 1, making it essential repertoire for bluegrass jam sessions and festivals.