Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me

A popular song from the 1860s that likely originated as a minstrel song and became a popular children's song and square dance tune, with the song gaining significant popularity on the minstrel stage in 1869 and first published as sheet music that same year. While its exact origins are disputed, Thomas Brigham Bishop claimed to have written the song during the American Civil War after hearing a Black soldier say "Shoo fly, don't bother me," reportedly incorporating "Company G" into the lyrics based on the soldier's unit, though other sources credit Billy Reeves for the lyrics and Frank Campbell or Rollin Howard for the music, and an 1895 article suggests the song may have originated in Panama. It's important to note that the song's origins are rooted in controversial blackface minstrelsy, with Bryant's Minstrels playing a key role in popularizing it around 1869-1870 and adding a specific dance, and early versions of the lyrics contained offensive racist language and were sometimes delivered in mock African American vernacular. Despite its problematic origins, "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me" has become a widely recognized American folk song and nursery rhyme predominantly sung by children today, with the offensive racist language from earlier versions gradually changed over the years, leading to its current, sanitized form. Its simple, repetitive lyrics make it easy for children to sing and memorize, often accompanied by clapping or hand motions, and the tune's enduring popularity led to its adaptation for banjo and fiddle reels and use in basic square dance routines as a "singing square" dance song.