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Polly Wooly Doodle
Popular song dating 1880, probably of minstrel origin; Widely known
ARTIST: Carmina Princetonia: The Princeton Song Book (New York: G. Schirmer, [1898]; 21th ed., 1927, p. 136).
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes;
DATE: Gus Meade's earliest date is 1882 in the "Yale Songster." Probably from earlier minstrel source
RECORDING INFO: Gid Tanner & his Skillet Lickers, "Polly Woddle Doo" (Columbia 15200-D, 1927); Vernon Dalhart (Mack Allen) 1928; Walter Coon and his Joy Boys 1929 Gennett; Pete Seeger, "Polly Wolly Doodle All Day" (on LonesomeValley)
Brother Oswald and Charlie Collins. Oz and Charlie, Rounder 0060, LP (1976), trk# 9
Cork Lickers. Music of North Carolina, Heritage (Galax) 024 (XXIV), LP (1979), trk# B.08
Herren, Ruth Burton. Solomon, Jack & Olivia (eds.) / Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p 97 [1975ca]
Lipscomb, Mance. Texas Songster, Live, Vol. 3, Arhoolie 1026, LP (1965), trk# 10
Parker, Chet. Hammered Dulcimer, Folkways FA 2381, LP (1966), trk# 8b
Redbone, Leon. On the Track, Warner BS-2888, LP (1975), trk# 11
Reser, Harry. Banjos Back to Back, RCA (Victor) LPM-2515, LP (1962), trk# B.01c
Stringer, Elliot. Steamboat Coming, National Geographic Soc. 07787, LP (1976), trk# 20
OTHER NAMES: Good Bye My Love/Lover, Good Bye; Pretty Polly Ann
SOURCES: A Fiddler’s Companion; Mudcat DT; Traditional Ballad Index; BrownIII 462, "Sing Polly Wolly Doodle" (1 text); Spaeth-ReadWeep, pp. 82-83, "Polly-Wolly-Doodle" (1 text, 1 tune); Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 274, "Polly Wolly Doodle" (1 text); Silber-FSWB, p. 240, "Polly Wolly Doodle" (1 text); Fuld-WFM, pp. 434-435, "Polly-Wolly-Doodle." Spaeth, Sigmund / Read 'Em and Weep, Arco, Sof (1959/1926), p 82
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p 66c
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p420
Lynn, Frank (ed.) / Songs for Swinging Housemothers, Fearon, Sof (1963/1961), p190
Best, Dick & Beth (eds.) / New Song Fest Deluxe, Hansen, Sof (1971/1948), p 35
Chapple, Joseph Mitchell / Heart Songs, Chappell, Bk (1909), p436 Fields, Arthur; & Fred Hall (eds.) / 50 Favorite "Get Together" Songs, Piedmont Music, sof (1933), #40
Kennedy, Charles O'Brien (ed.) / American Ballads - Naughty, Ribald and, Premier Book, sof (1956/1952), p167
Kennedy, Charles O'Brien (ed.) / Treasury of American Ballads; Gay, Naug, McBride, Bk (1954), p302
Herder, Ronald (ed.) / 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, Dover dn500/500, Sof (1998), p280
NOTES: Seemingly, "Polly-Wolly-Doodle" spread as a college song. It comes from the minstrel tradition but no earlier sources have been found. It was included in The Most Popular College Songs (New York: Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, 1904, 1906, p. 72) and Carmina Princetonia: The Princeton Song Book (New York: G. Schirmer, [1898]; 21th ed., 1927, p. 136). Both, along with the Heart Songs version, are the same, with seven verses.
In Fuld's 'The Book of World Famous Music' he says the song first appeared in the 1883 edition of Harvard's 'Student Songs', and is not in the 1880 or 1881 edition. No author credited. Book compiled and edited by William H. Hills and copyrighted May 14, 1883, by Moses King. Gus Meade's earliest date is 1882 in the "Yale Songster."
Here are the lyrics to Polly Wolly Doodle:
POLLY-WOLLY-DOODLE
1. (Solo) Oh, I went down South for to see my Sal,
(Chorus) Sing Polly-wolly-doodle all the day;
(Solo) My Sally am a spunky gal,
(Chorus) Sing Polly-wolly-doodle all the day.
(Chorus) Fare thee well, (Farewell,) fare thee well, (farewell,)
Fare thee well, my fairy fay,
For I'm goin' to Lousiana, For to see my Susyanna,
Sing Polly-wolly-doodle all the day.
2. Oh, my Sal, she am a maiden fair,
With curly eyes and laughing hair.
3. Oh, I came to a river, an' I couldn't get across,
An' jump'd upon a *beaver, an' I tho't he was a hoss.
4. Oh, a grass-hopper sittin' on a railroad track,
A-pickin' his teef wid a carpet tack.
5. Oh, I went to bed, but it wasn't no use,
My feet stuck out for a chicken roost,
6, Behind de barn, down on my knees,
I thought I heard that chicken sneeze.
7. He sneezed so hard wid de 'hoopin'-cough,
He sneezed his head an' his tail right off,
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