Introduction to Polly Wolly Doodle Rhyme
Although there is speculation that the song was originally a slave song from the South, the words are undefined, and the moniker "Polly Wolly" may just be a nickname. Shirley Temple performed the most well-known reinterpretation of the song in 1935's "The Littlest Rebel." The song's melody was eventually used for Boney M's smash single "Hooray, Hooray, It's a Holi-Holiday" in the 1970s.
Polly Wolly Doodle Lyrics
Oh, I went down south to see my Sal,
Sing Polly Wolly Doodle all day.
My Sally she am a spunky gal,
Fare thee well, Fare thee well,
Fare thee well, my fairy fay,
For I'm off to Louisiana, For to see my Susyanna,
Oh, my Sal, she is a maiden fair,
Sing Polly Wolly Doodle all day.
With curly eyes and laughing hair,
Fare thee well, Fare thee well,
Fare thee well, my fairy fay,
For I'm off to Louisiana, For to see my Susyanna,
Oh, I like watermelon and I have for years
I eat watermelon cause it gets on my ears
Fare thee well, Fare thee well,
Fare thee well, my fairy fay,
For I'm off to Louisiana, For to see my Susyanna,
Oh a grasshopper sitting on a railroad track
A-picking' his teeth with a carpet tack
Behind the barn down on my knees
I thought I heard the chicken sneeze
Oh he sneezed so hard and had a whooping cough
He sneezed his head and his tail right off
Sing Polly Wolly Doodle all day.
Polly Wolly Doodle History
The American children's song "Polly Wolly Doodle" is a classic. The song appears to have its roots in blackface minstrel shows, where it was used as a "walk-around," a standard component of the show (often the finale), in which each member of the troupe would step out to perform a verse, to which the cast and audience would respond before everyone joined in clapping and dancing during the song's final verse. Without solid proof, it is occasionally assigned to American minstrel Dan Emmett (1815–1904), and authorship is still up for debate. The song "Polly Wolly Doodle" gained popularity during the American Civil War and again in 1866, just after the war ended, thanks to the well-known minstrel Billy Emerson. A published version—possibly the first—of the song may be found in William H. Hills' Student Songs (1880), a songbook for Harvard students.
Polly Wolly Doodle
Conclusion
The song "Polly Wolly Doodle" has its roots in the south as a slave song. Most likely a meaningless term with no underlying significance, Polly Wolly Doodle. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder's manuscript uses the tune precisely as it does in the final product.
Do It Yourself
1. What rhymes with wolly?
2. When was the poem “Polly Wolly Doodle” first published?
1935.
1880.
1970.
None.
Sample Questions
1. What does Polly Wolly Doodle all the day signify anything?
Ans: Although there is speculation that the song was originally a slave song from the South, the words are undefined, and the moniker "Polly Wolly" may just be a nickname. Shirley Temple performed the most well-known reinterpretation of the song in 1935's "The Littlest Rebel."
2. What university is connected to Polly Wolly Doodle?
Ans: A song called Polly Wolly Doodle was initially included in a songbook for Harvard students in 1880.
FAQs on Polly Wolly Doodle
1. What year was Polly Wolly Doodle all day released?
The tune "Polly Wolly Doodle" is a classic American children's song. Polly Wolly Doodle, an day song, was performed by Dan Emmett's Virginia Minstrels, whose show debuted in February 1843 at New York's Bowery Amphitheatre. Emmett is sometimes given credit for the song.
2. What was the origin of the Polly Wolly Doodle?
A songbook for Harvard students initially featured Polly Wolly Doodle in 1880. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder's manuscript uses the tune precisely as it does in the final product.
3. What type of tune is Polly Wolly Doodle?
American children's song "Polly Wolly Doodle" is a classic. It was performed by Dan Emmett's Virginia Minstrels, whose February 1843 Bowery Amphitheatre debut is sometimes given as the song's source (1815–1904).
