Tune of the Day: Polly Wolly Doodle
This traditional American song is thought to have its origins as a slave song in the South, and its title is most likely a nonsense one without hidden meaning. It was first published in a Harvard student songbook in 1880, and it was not credited to any songwriter; today it is sometimes credited to Dan Emmett (possibly the most famous Blackface minstrel songwriter), but there's no evidence to that. We will probably never know where the college students got the tune and the words for this song.
“Polly Wolly Doodle” has become a common standard in children's music, and was also sung by Shirley Temple in the 1935 film, The Littlest Rebel. More recently, the melody of this song formed the basis for Boney M.'s 1979 hit “Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday”
Thanks to Emma for suggesting this song!