Talk:Polly Wolly Doodle

Alternative verses
I've never heard or read the watermelon verse, but in placement itsmreplaced with this one:

Oh, I came to a river and I couldn't get across / singing Polly wolly doodle all the day / so I jumped upon a man 'cause I thought he was a horse / sing Polly wolly doodle all the day

I'm assuming the watermelon reference is removed because it can be found offensive. BethEnd 23:49, 13 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Well, I've heard or seen the verse you give above with the word "man" replaced with the "N" word, so I'm not sure what's more offensive. 140.147.160.34 (talk) 16:18, 14 March 2008 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

Perhaps the more common resolve is "jumped upon a 'gator..." which keeps the vernacular element funny & brief. That's how I've heard it. 19 January 2009 jonart@sti.net


 * That's interesting especially if the same author wrote Turkey in the Straw, which makes a very similar rhyme. Although "upon a man" seems to have one syllable too many.  — Soap — 22:41, 28 May 2020 (UTC)

These Happy Golden Years
Could whoever have mentioned this book flesh out this paragraph a little? It makes no sense in this context. Is this the book by Laura Ingalls Wilder? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.95.235.240 (talk) 19:22, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

Virginia Minstrels
I'm taking out the line "introduced by Daniel Decatur Emmett's Virginia Minstrels in the 1840s and is a popular children's song today. The origin of the song is unknown, but it may well have its origins as a song sung by slaves in the south." since it is unsourced.

The part about Dan Emmett writing the song is back in the article, with 3 citations, all of them in the last 12 years and none of them sourced in any way. One is a Civil War blog, and another is an essay about racism. They appear to be based on the first citation, "Complete Idiot's Guide to Music History" by Michael Miller, p. 148, published 2008. Appears to me quite possible that Miller made a mistake in attributing it to Emmett. The oldest confirmed sources I've been able to find are a Harvard student songbook and a Yale student songbook, from the period 1880 to 1883. Where these Ivy League students got it from is anybody's guess. I am not going to be presumptuous enough to remove the Emmett reference in this article, but somebody should, before this apparent misinformation gets even more rooted. Ramseyman (talk) 19:35, 19 September 2020 (UTC)

What citation?
Why did someone add "citation needed" to the article? Just listen to the 2 songs! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.112.88.205 (talk) 17:08, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

The source appears to be a weblog A History of the Musical Minstrel Shows by John Kenrick who gives absolutely no basis for his statement. Most source can't date it prior to a Harvard student songbook published in 1880. ViewTheRobots (talk) 22:57, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

But what does it mean?
I didn't find anything about what I was really wanting to know. Is Polly a person? What is wolly? Doodle in what sense? What does it all mean? I'd like an Interpretation chapter.--Dbjorck (talk) 16:13, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

While we're at it, what is "fairy fay"? In the musicology things I've read there appears to be no agreement about the meaning of this. And people just sing it without any conception of the meaning, So I think we can take all of it as currently signifying no more than children's nonsense lyrics, at least in the minds of those who sing it. Ramseyman (talk) 19:39, 19 September 2020 (UTC)

Without any hidden meaning?
"Although the songwriter is unknown, it is often thought that Daniel Decatur "Dan" Emmett was the author. He was an American songwriter and entertainer, founder of the first troupe of the blackface minstrel tradition. Emmet wrote Dixie and is also credited with the song Turkey in the Straw. Polly Wolly Doodle has its origins as a slave song in the south [if so, it must be older than 1865. My comment.]. Polly Wolly Doodle is mostly likely a nonsense word without hidden meaning."
 * Pål Jensen (talk) 19:41, 16 September 2016 (UTC)

I wouldnt read too much into it. Its a good children's song, and children's songs don't always make sense. I mean, I just noticed now that the singer refers to "Sal" in the first verse and "Susianna" in the chorus. — Soap — 22:41, 28 May 2020 (UTC)

Soap Opera Theme
The tune, played - rather badly - on a harmonica, was the theme song of the long-running radio soap opera Just Plain Bill.76.195.223.57 (talk) 22:57, 27 December 2014 (UTC)

Offensive content posted
The picture of the song from the 'Student's Songs, Cambridge Mass. 1884' posted in the article contains at least one extremely offensive verse, using the n-word, and in a very offensive way. I don't know wikipedia's policies well, but in the article, it is not even listed as a particularly notable record of the song. I think it is unnecessary, and of little value, to post this particular picture. 69.112.150.196 (talk) 00:15, 24 April 2023 (UTC)

Ref #7 is stale
When I try it, it's the one that goes to CMT, it comes up as CMT, but says the page was not found. Egreena42 (talk) 16:26, 19 December 2023 (UTC)