Old MacDonald Had a Farm

"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" has a surprisingly long and evolving history that predates its familiar form by centuries. The earliest known variant, "In the Fields in Frost and Snow," appeared in Thomas d'Urfey's 1706 opera "The Kingdom of the Birds or Wonders of the Sun," though it's uncertain whether he composed it originally or adapted an existing folk song. Over the following two centuries, the song circulated in various forms across Britain, Ireland, and North America under different titles such as "The Farmyard Song" (1880s) and "Father's Wood I O" (1906), with one World War I-era variant even naming the farmer "Old MacDougal." The specific name "Old MacDonald" and the now-standard tune became widely recognized through early recordings in the 1920s, particularly those by the Sam Patterson Trio (1925) and Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers (1927), which are considered the first to use the iconic "E-I-E-I-O" refrain. Today, this repetitive and educational song, which helps children learn animal sounds, has become a global favorite with translations in numerous languages, from "Uncle Fritz Had a Farm" in Germany to "Mr. Wang Has a Patch of Land" in China.