Okay, not only was my riddle “not very funny,” it was also completely stupid.
Try “What’s black and WHITE and red all over?”
Currently, when Brian Roberts comes to the plate, they play “Hypnotize” by Biggie Smalls. I don’t know that we’ll see that last as long.
At the game I went to Tuesday (markakis’ big game), Roberts hit a wicked sweet ding dong to opposite field. I also saw some Mennonites there. Don’t know what they thought about “Country Boy”.
I hope we’re not talking about one of these. 
If the O’s are like many other teams, it will last until he picks a different song. I think Billy Mueller used “Tom Sawyer” for his at bat music the whole time he was with the Sox. Anyone know if he still uses it in LA?
Oh. I was going to say, “A sunburned panda that’s just been mugged.”
Considering he’s been injured since about the second week of the season, I have no idea. I only got to see him play in a pre-season game, and it was raining, and I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what he had chosen.
However, it constantly amuses me when a player has picked a song that is definitely not…er…“family friendly.” Somehow, they always seem to cut it off on time, though. 
And I thank you for putting THAT into my head for the rest of the day.
All Philly hoes, dough an’ moschino
Every cutie wit a booty bought a Coogi
When I used to live in Dallas, they would play Take Me Out To The Ballgame, followed by Cotton Eyed Joe. IIRC everyone pretty much clapped and stomped at the correct time. This would’ve been Arlginton Stadium. Anybody know if they still do that in The Ballpark?
Of course, at Busch it was all Ernie Hays, all the time.
Coincidentally, there’s another Appalachian number with a strong backbeat. Very similar structurally to “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.”
Gosh. “Sweet Caroline” in the 8th inning at Fenway is sounding a lot better now.
Now, THAT was funny! Just one “funny,” but it’s a start. And, while Scupper’s riddle was not funny, he/she made a good point about my misuse of “oxymoron.”
(inhale…exhale) I’m breathing so it’s safe to say I’m being obstinate, but I’m not the one who objected to my original post, which was just a drive-by and not intended to start anything.
I still submit that the “correct” clap –while fully acknowledging that with music, there isn’t always a one right way of doing anything- should be on what you all are referring to as the down-beat.
Unless Johnny boy released a reggae version of the song, putting the accent on the off-beat sounds, well… off.
Let me try to illustrate this another way.
Have you ever noticed that when a group of people is doing jumping jacks, they will all start in sync, then the ripple effect takes over and then you have people who are not only out of sync but performing the exercise at the complete opposite interval? Watch the scene from **Animal House ** and you can see this in effect.
Now I’m not exactly sure where I’m going with this here but I think with certain songs, people start off clapping together, things get a little bit jumbled and then you have one crowd of people keeping time on one beat while the other is happily keeping time on the other.
Does this make any sense to anyone?
Anyone?
Well, that’s the thing. There is no “correct” answer. This instructor says it better than I:
And from here::
And here’s more about the syncopated rhythms (emphasis on backbeat) of Apalachian music.
Well, as far as this specific song goes, let’s go to the source
Point the first:
I for one am not convinced that “funny riddles” is not an oxymoron. Riddles make me groan, and groaning could be the opposite of “funny,” or at least, groaning works as an opposite for laughing. Lauging/crying is probably more traditional as far as opposites go, but if you start with groaning … I think you could get as far as groan/giggle.
Point the second:
I am known for my complete lack of musical ability, and I would clap with the vocal emphasis, so LIFE on a FARM is kinda … etc. I can’t even clap on the other beats if I try (and a hearty thank you for making me sit at my desk singing John Denver quietly to myself while clapping like Ruprick the Monkey Boy). While I appreciate the concept that my clapping isn’t wrong, it’s probably safe to say that it’s also the way of Persons With Limited Musical Prowess.
OK, I’m somewhat musical, but often rhythmically-challenged, at least in the sense that I frequently have trouble clapping on the back-beats, even when I know I “should” be. With that disclaimer, here’s the way I saw that. It looked to me like Denver was stomping on the down-beats and slapping his thigh on the back-beats at the beginning. I sensed that the crowd was largely clapping on his slap (i.e., the back-beat). But when he stopped slapping and starting just playing, it looked to me like the crowd pretty much switched over and started clapping on the down-beats. Does that seem to be what other people saw/heard? (BTW, in my rhythmically-challenged way, I actually had a hard time sticking to the back-beat even with John to lead me. When he stopped, all was lost and I was on the down-beat along with everybody else).
Denver told the audience to clap, and he started them out with syncopated clapping.
But you’re right Aholibah. After Denver stopped slapping his thigh and started playing fiddle, the audience lost the backbeat and started clapping on the downbeat.
That is freakin bizarre to watch, especially when they cut to moments when the crowd is clapping on the one (downbeat) but because the snare is hitting on the 2 and 4 they look like they are all WAY off beat. Very strange.
Rule of thumb that has never steered me wrong: when in doubt, follow the drummer. I always assume that the drummer knows better than me when it comes to the rythm of the music he is perfoming and clapping should follow the snare drum (which is the instrument in the band that the clap is supposed to emulate 9 times out of 10).
So the video clenches it, clap on the 2 and the 4 so you can give the song a rockin backbeat.
Exactly.
Though another thing to try is listen to the actual song and ignore the clapping – specifically, listen for the percussion and the instrumentation. Listen carefully enough and you can hear some of the music emphasizing the downbeat, and other parts emphasizing the upbeats.
The drummer usually does both – bass on the downbeats and snare on the upbeats is a common pattern to find. Also you can see on the verses (where the fiddle part is not complex), Denver is hitting his notes on the upbeats.
It also sounds like a lot of the crowd gave up clapping entirely (some still did, but fewer), as is common in a crowd situation when the music kicks up more and the guy on stage stops leading you in it.
Well Monstre’s video does appear to clinch it. –Sort of.
Denver certainly leads the charge by clapping on the backbeat. Since he appears to be in charge, I’m inclined to figure that this puts an end to debate. Clapping on the off-beat it is.
BUT-
As Aholiba points out, the audience, evidently absent at the sound-check, appears to switch over to the on-beat. This is the risk one runs when working with non-professionals.
So after much thought and deliberation, I would theorize that the properly syncopated hand-clapping conundrum is best resolved with going with whatever the hell feels right.
Peace.
Life is a funny, funny riddle.
Ain’t nuthin’ butt.