'Messin' Around' is a super number, with an interesting structure. It was composed in 1926 by Charles L. 'Doc' Cooke, with Johnny St. Cyr adding the words.
You can hear what is probably the first recording of it - made by Doc Cooke's own band - Cookie's Gingersnaps: CLICK HERE.
After a vamping Introduction, it starts properly at 20 seconds with THE CHORUS rather than the Verse. This has a 32-bar (16 + 16) structure. This is followed by the VERSE (16 bars) which leads neatly via the dominant seventh chord back into the Chorus.
It is a bright, catchy tune. I think the Gingersnaps played it in the key of C, though - because of the pitch of instruments at the time and also because of early recording techniques - it sounds to the modern ear more like B.
For an energetic and exciting version played by a Twenty-First Century band, try Tuba Skinny. They follow the original quite closely:
I had a go at working it out. It was a struggle and the result is probably inaccurate and a bit messy. I also put it into D, which is fine for my cornet.
