Turkey in the Straw

An American folk song from the early 19th century with a complex and controversial history rooted in blackface minstrelsy and the character "Zip Coon," with the tune gaining popularity in early 19th century and origins that may trace back to older British and Irish dance music. Early versions of the song, titled "Zip Coon," were first published around 1834, with the character popularized by performers like George Washington Dixon as a blackface minstrel caricature that offensively parodied free Black individuals, often depicting them as pretentious "dandies" with deeply racist lyrics that contributed to harmful stereotypes. The melody of "Zip Coon" eventually became known as "Turkey in the Straw" when in 1861 sheet music combined the "Zip Coon" tune with the "Turkey in the Straw" title, solidifying the connection. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, "Turkey in the Straw" was frequently adapted, sometimes with non-racial lyrics and sometimes with explicitly racist ones, with a notable 1916 adaptation using racist stereotypes promoted by Columbia Records. The tune is extremely famous, notably used by ice cream trucks in the mid-20th century (often via the song "Zip Coon"), cementing it in American popular culture, though in recent years awareness of the song's racist origins has led to significant controversy. This has prompted several ice cream truck companies, including Good Humor, to cease using the "Turkey in the Straw" melody for their jingles and collaborate on creating new, non-controversial tunes, as critics argue that its continued use perpetuates historical racial stereotypes even when played instrumentally.