Polly Wolly Doodle

"Polly Wolly Doodle" is pure nonsense set to a galloping chorus: a trip down south to see Sal, a grasshopper, a "fairy fay." It came out of 1840s minstrel shows, reached print in an 1880 Harvard songbook, and stuck as a children's song after Shirley Temple sang it in 1935.

Origins

The song has its roots in nineteenth-century American minstrelsy. It was performed as early as the 1840s by Dan Emmett's Virginia Minstrels. Despite being performed for decades in oral tradition, the song was first published in print in 1880 in the collection Student Songs at Harvard University. In the twentieth century, it gained renewed fame when it was performed by Shirley Temple in the 1935 musical film The Littlest Rebel, cementing its status as a childhood classic.

Meaning & Interpretation

The lyrics are written as a series of playful nonsense verses describing comical encounters, such as meeting a grasshopper or a singing frog. The chorus contains the phrase "fairy fay," which is an old English term for a fairy or sprite. The song is meant to be lighthearted and humorous, using absurdity to entertain audiences. Its simple, repetitive chord structure makes it easy for beginners learning to play the banjo, guitar, or ukulele.

When was "Polly Wolly Doodle" first published?

The song was first published in written form in 1880 within a collection of college student songs compiled at Harvard. However, it had been performed in theaters and minstrel shows for nearly forty years prior to its printing.

What is the meaning of the phrase "fairy fay" in the lyrics?

The phrase "fairy fay" refers to a fairy or sprite, derived from older English and French words for mythical creatures. In the context of the song, it is used as a term of endearment or simply as a rhyming lyric to keep the song's whimsical tone.