Do Your Ears Hang Low?

"Do Your Ears Hang Low?" is a traditional children's novelty song and popular campfire chant. Widely sung in summer camps, scouting groups, and schools, the song is loved for its silly lyrics, fast tempo, and corresponding physical hand actions.

The song has a long and varied oral history, traveling from military regiments to children's outdoor gatherings.

Origins

Because the song evolved as oral folklore, it has no official composer or single publication date. The lyrics are a sanitized adaptation of an early twentieth-century soldier's parody titled "Do Your Balls Hang Low?" which was popular among British and Commonwealth troops during the First World War. Soldiers are documented to have sung versions of the parody as early as 1900, notably while marching during campaigns. After the war, the lyrics were cleaned up, and the song was adopted by the international Scouting movement, transforming it into a popular children's campfire staple.

Meaning & Interpretation

The lyrics are pure nonsense, describing ears that are long enough to wobble, tie in knots, and swing over one's shoulder. To match the words, children perform actions such as pulling on their ears, waving their hands, and pretending to march like a soldier. The tune is traditionally set to the melody of the nineteenth-century American folk song "Turkey in the Straw," which itself evolved from older British and Irish fiddle tunes like "The Old Rose Tree."

What is the origin of the song Do Your Ears Hang Low?

The children's song was adapted from a British military marching song popular around 1900. After the First World War, the Scouting movement sanitized the lyrics, turning the tune into a popular campfire song.

What melody does Do Your Ears Hang Low use?

The song is most commonly sung to the tune of the traditional American folk song "Turkey in the Straw," which was popularized in the nineteenth century and is based on older British fiddle tunes.