# What Did/Does '8 to the Bar' Mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224 "2002-09-13T04:22:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/1 "2002-09-13T04:22:31Z")
This question is actually my father’s. In at least a couple of the Andrews Sisters’ songs they use the phrase “8 to the bar”, as in “he blows 8 to the bar”. What does “8 to the bar” mean? The Andrews Sisters were popular in the 1940s and 50s and even the 60s to a certain degree. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![octothorpe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@octothorpe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octothorpe)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/2 "2002-09-13T04:24:04Z")
Eight beats to the measure. # ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/3 "2002-09-13T04:53:11Z")
“Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar.” ---
**Author:** ![TSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e8c25b/32.png) [@TSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSO)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/4 "2002-09-13T04:58:37Z")
Actually, 8 notes to the (usually) 4 beat bar, or measure, or twice as fast as the beat (or two notes to each beat). One element of marking musical time is the measure, which can have a variety of number of beats in it, the most common being four. In swing and jazz music, which was popular when this phrase was used, the 4 beat measure was used most of the time. When counting the beats per measure, you would count 1-2-3-4-, one per beat. 8 notes to the measure or bar would be counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & . When doing an ad lib solo, a common occurance in jazz, where a player played a solo that is made up on the spot, with the melody and rhythm being created by the player (but within the harmonic structure of the rest of the accompaniment). The soloist had the choice of playing fast within the beat pattern and harmony, or slow, or any combination. Generally speaking, the faster, or the more notes played, the more difficult and energetic the solo was. Thus, an excited fan or listener, or fellow band member, might call out to a soloist this phrase, which I’ve actually heard as part of an several old Big Band songs - “Beat me, Daddy, 8 to the bar!” . Or, in more modern vernacular, “Wail on that axe (guitar), dude, speed-metal style!” Trivia question - The name and performer of the song in which “beat me, Daddy, Eight to the bar!” is a prominent phrase??? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/5 "2002-09-13T06:04:04Z")
[Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy](http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/boogiewo.htm) He was a famous trumpet man from old Chicago way He had a boogie style that no one else could play He was the top man at his craft But then his number came up and he was gone with the draft He’s in the army now, a-blowin’ reveille He’s the boogie-woogie bugle boy of Company B They made him blow a bugle for his Uncle Sam It really brought him down, because he couldn’t jam The Captain seemed to understand Because the next day the Cap’ went out and drafted a band And now the company jumps when he plays reveille He’s the boogie-woogie bugle boy of Company B . . . . And when he plays he makes the company jump Eight to the bar He’s the boogie-woogie bugle boy of Company B ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/6 "2002-09-13T08:10:05Z")
Can’t find the lyrics, but a cursory search on Google suggests that Beat Me Daddy 8 To The Bar is a song in its own right. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/7 "2002-09-13T09:59:24Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **aldiboronti** _ > Can’t find the lyrics, but a cursory search on Google suggests that Beat Me Daddy 8 To The Bar is a song in its own right. Your right, it is. My father and I have one of their tapes at home, and it’s on there. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/8 "2002-09-13T10:02:33Z")
[Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar](http://ntl.matrix.com.br/pfilho/html/lyrics/b/beat_me_daddy_eight_to_the_bar.txt) lyrics as sung by the Andrews Sisters. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/9 "2002-09-13T10:09:36Z")
You can [hear](http://www.geocities.com/makebelieveballroom2002/easy66/beatme8.htm) the melody here if you want. (I think the Andrews Sisters sing it faster though.) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/10 "2002-09-13T21:23:45Z")
**TSO** Nice post. Once again, this mesmerizing board sucks another one into its vortex. Welcome. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/11 "2002-09-13T21:37:40Z")
Or if the Andrews Sisters is a tad too dated for your taste, the baseline from the “Peter Gunn Theme” would be another example. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![billybobber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@billybobber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billybobber)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/12 "2014-07-18T21:04:43Z")
I have an old record of Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar. Artist is Woody Herman Album is Classic Swing ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/13 "2014-07-19T02:17:48Z")
I always figured it was referring to using eight 8th notes per measure in 4/4 time. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/14 "2014-07-19T03:21:39Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Note that this thread was started in 2002. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/15 "2014-07-19T10:59:02Z")
This thread is from the ancient pre-YouTube days. [Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar-The Andrews Sisters](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZv6hL6aYfQ) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/16 "2014-07-19T11:19:42Z")
> [@Sir\_Prize](#): > > This thread is from the ancient pre-YouTube days. [Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar-The Andrews Sisters](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZv6hL6aYfQ) My Beloved is wondering why the Andrews Sisters is drifting through the house now. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/17 "2014-07-19T14:01:23Z")
Or as the Sisters so elegantly put it: Toot toot toot-diddelyada, toot-diddelyada, toot-toot ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/18 "2014-07-20T06:10:53Z")
Not nearly as far back in time as the Andrews Sisters (1971) was Commander Cody and The Lost Planet Airmen with the album **Lost in the Ozone**. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/19 "2014-07-20T06:15:44Z")
When you hear the whistle blowing eight to the bar, then you know that Tennessee is not very far. Shovel all the coal in, got to keep it rollin’, woo hoo, Chattanooga, there you are! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-does-8-to-the-bar-mean/128224/20 "2014-07-20T15:49:17Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I always figured it was referring to using eight 8th notes per measure in 4/4 time. Right, as stated here: > [@TSO](#): > > Actually, 8 notes to the (usually) 4 beat bar, or measure, or twice as fast as the beat (or two notes to each beat). … 8 notes to the measure or bar would be counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &