turkey in the straw (first version 1942)
old time folk music
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Pancocojams Editor's Note: This actually isn't the first version of "Turkey In The Straw".
Read information about this song that is presented below.
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Latest Update- April 23, 2025
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the song "Old Zip Coon" and the song "Turkey In The Straw". Both of these songs use the same tune.
This post provides information about early sources of the song "Turkey In The Straw". This post also include lyrics & videos of versions of the song "Turkey In The Straw".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/two-versions-of-song-old-zip-coon-sound.html for Part I of this post. That 2013 post showcases the United States Old time music song "Old Zip Coon".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composers of this song and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who are featured in these showcased videos.
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This is an April 23, 2025 reprint of a 2013 pancocojams post with some additional content. That 2013 post is still published in this blog with some added content. As of April 23, 2025 there are no comments for that 2013 post.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE ABOUT MINSTREL SONGS
Since this pancocojams blog focuses on African American culture and other Black cultures throughout the world, I would like to share the reason why I'm publishing posts on 19th century minstrel songs.
My focus on 19th century minstrel songs in this pancocojams blog shouldn't be interpreted to mean that I believe that Black Americans composed these songs.
However, I believe that some themes, terms, and some previously existing floating verses that Black Americans did compose (largely as Southern plantation secular dance/work songs) were taken from those sources by White composers and used in a number of minstrel songs. White men are named as the composers of those songs without any acknowledgement of those Black sources.
I recognize those Black contributions through these posts and I also recognize that some blackfaced minstrels were Black Americans. The influence of Black Americans in minstrelsy extends from the United States South to music traditions in other parts of the world including Great Britain and South Africa.
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INFORMATION ABOUT & EARLY LYRICS FOR THE SONG "TURKEY IN THE STRAW"
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
"Turkey In The Straw" is a very well known American fiddle tune (instrumental). "Turkey In The Straw" used to be a dance song for people of all ages. However, it now is mostly considered to be a children's song.
"Turkey In The Straw" 's lyrics can be rightly considered to be "nonsense" verses. While the tune for "Turkey In The Straw" is the same as that used by a song which originally had racist lyrics, it appears that the early & the later lyrics for "Turkey In The Straw" weren't and aren't racist.
Like other songs of that era, it's difficult to determine how much of the early versions of "Turkey In The Straw" originated with African Americans or with White Americans. However, it's clear from documentation that early versions of "Turkey In The Straw" contain floating verses that are found in a number of songs that were sung by (Southern) Black Americans.
Here's a lengthy quote about "Turkey In The Straw" from http://www.contemplator.com/america/turkeyis.html
"Turkey In the Straw was one of the earliest American minstrel songs. It was a fiddle tune named Natchez Under the Hill befoe [sic] it was published with words in 1834 as Old Zip Coon. It was very popular during Andrew Jackson's presidency.
The first verse of Old Zip Coon is:
There once was a man with a double chin
Who performed with skill on the violin,
And he played in time and he played in tune,
But he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.
According to Linscott, the tune is derived from the ballad My Grandmother Lived on Yonder Little Green which in turn derived from the Irish ballad The Old Rose Tree
[LYRICS]
As I was a-gwine down the road,
With a tired team and a heavy load,
I crack'd my whip and the leader sprung,
I says day-day to the wagon tongue.
Turkey in the straw, turkey in the hay,
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up a high tuckahaw
And twist 'em up a tune called Turkey in the Straw.
[The words in italics are henceforth given "Chorus"]
Went out to milk, and I didn't know how,
I milked the goat instead of the cow.
A monkey sittin' on a pile of straw,
A-winkin' at his mother-in-law.
Chorus
Met Mr. Catfish comin' down stream.
Says Mr. Catfish, "What does you mean?"
Caught Mr. Catfish by the snout,
And turned Mr. Catfish wrong side out.
Chorus
Came to a river and I couldn't get across,
Paid five dollars for a blind old hoss;
Wouldn't go ahead, nor he wouldn't stand still,
So he went up and down like an old saw mill.
Chorus
As I came down the new cut road,
Met Mr. Bullfrog, met Miss Toad
And every time Miss Toad would sing,
Old Bullfrog cut a pigeon wing.
Chorus
Oh I jumped in the seat and I gave a little yell
The horses ran away, broke the wagon all to hell
Sugar in the gourd and honey in the horn
Chorus"
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Click http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm for song examples from Thomas W. Talley's 1922 collection Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise & Otherwise [henceforth referred to as "Talley: Negro Folk Rhymes"] that refer to going down a new cut road, "went to a river" etc, "milking a goat instead of a cow" etc, and dancing the pigeon wing.
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[Note added April 23, 2025-
From https://englishteststore.net/lesson/english-idioms/cut-the-pigeon-wing-idiom-meaning-and-example-usage-in-sentences/ "Idioms often have intriguing origins, and this one is no exception. ‘Cut the Pigeon" " Wing’ finds its roots in the world of dance. In the 18th century, dancers would perform intricate moves, and one of them was the ‘Pigeon Wing.’ It was a swift, elegant motion, symbolizing grace and precision.
Meaning: Beyond Literal Interpretation
While the literal meaning of ‘Cut the Pigeon Wing’ refers to
the dance move, its figurative interpretation is quite different. It signifies
someone showing off or flaunting their skills or abilities, often in an
ostentatious manner. It’s like a peacock spreading its feathers to attract
attention."...
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ADDITIONAL EARLY SOURCES FOR SOME VERSIONS OF "TURKEY IN THE STRAW"
From http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/turkey-in-the-straw--version-9-old-zip-coon.aspx
"Turkey in the Straw/Old Zip Coon/Natchez Under the Hill/Old Bog Hole
ARTIST: by either? George Washington Dixon, George Nichols, or Bob Farrell- Old Zip Coon (1834) CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: 1834 (Five publications) as “Old Zip Coon;” Fuld reports the title "Turkey in de Straw" appeared in 1861; Earliest recording c. 1901 Silas Leachman;
RECORDING INFO “Old Zip Coon”: Arkansas Charlie [pseud. for Charlie Craver], "Old Zip Coon (Vocalion 5384, c. 1930); Hindermyer & Tuckerman [Goldy & Dusty], "Zip Coon" (Edison 51830, 1926)...
SOURCES “Turkey in the Straw”: Ceolas; Digital Tradition; Folk Index; Traditional Ballad Index; Randolph 274, "Turkey in the Straw" (2 texts plus a fragment, 1 tune); Randolph/Cohen, pp. 234-237, "Turkey in the Straw" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 274A); BrownIII 94, "Turkey in the Straw" (1 fragment); also 511, "The Preacher Song" (1 text, a complex mix of verses from "Turkey in the Stray" and "Some Folks Say that a Preacher Won't Steal" with the "Uncle Eph" chorus)"...
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My focus is on the songs "Some Folks Say that a Preacher Won't Steal" with the "Uncle Eph [Got A Coon & Gone].
Click http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/Br3423.html for information about & some lyrics of the song "Some Folks Say that a Preacher Won't Steal". Warning: What is now known as the n word is fully spelled out on that page.
A version of that song is also found in "Talley: Negro Folk Rhymes" under the name "They Steal Gossip". There’s an ongoing debate as to whether the word “preacher” was a substitution for the "n word" or vice versa.
Click http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=9197#1003259 for information about "Uncle Eph Got A Coon And Gone". That link is just one of the comments on that discussion thread about that song. Warning: What is now known as the n word is fully spelled out in that discussion thread.
The word "coon" in this song rerfers to "racoon". That said, it should be remembered that "coon" also was a 19th century referent for Black people that was used by some Black Americans & some White Americans, particularly in the South.
A YouTube video of "Uncle Eph Got A Coon And Gone" can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acle20uGn1E
Floating verses found in "Uncle Eph Got A Coon" are also found in "Old Dan Tucker", "Possum Up A Gum Stump", "Liza Jane", "Shake Them 'Simmons" and a parody of Golden Slippers also have contributed. [from cited Mudcat link posted by Q, 2003]
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QUOTES FROM WIKIPEDIA [added April 23, 2025]
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_in_the_Straw
" "Turkey in the Straw" is an American folk song that first gained popularity in the 19th century. Early versions of the song were titled "Zip Coon", which were first published around 1834 and performed in minstrel shows, with different people claiming authorship of the song. The melody of "Zip Coon" later became known as "Turkey in the Straw"; a song titled "Turkey in de Straw" with different music and lyrics was published in 1861 together with the wordless music of "Zip Coon" added at the end, and the title "Turkey in the Straw" then became linked to the tune of "Zip Coon".[1][2]
The song is related to a number of tunes of the 19th century and the origin of these songs has been widely debated.[3][4] Links to older Irish/Scottish/English ballads have been proposed, such as "The Old Rose Tree". The song became highly popular and many variations of the song exist. It was also frequently adapted and used in popular media.
Origin
"Turkey in the Straw" is thought to be originally
a tune from 19th century minstrel shows, "Zip Coon" or "Old Zip
Coon", published around 1834. The authorship of the song has been claimed
by George Washington Dixon who popularized the song, as well as Bob Farrell and
George Nicholls.[2] "Zip Coon" in turn has been linked to a number of
19th century folk songs believed to have older antecedents in
Irish/Scottish/English folk songs. Songs proposed it has links to include
"Natchez Under the Hill", "The Old Bog Hole", "The
Rose Tree", "Sugar in the Gourd", "The Black Eagle",
"Glasgow Hornpipe", "Haymaker's Dance", "The Post
Office", "Old Mother Oxford", "Kinnegad Slasher" and others.[5][6]
Eloise Hubbard Linscott believes the first part of the song is a contrafactum of the ballad "My Grandmother Lived on Yonder Little Green", published in 1857 by Horace Waters, which is in turn said to be a contrafactum of the Irish/Scottish/English ballad "The Old Rose Tree" published by at least 1795 in Great Britain.[7] The link to "The Old Rose Tree" has been questioned,[4] but a number of musicologists suggest that it may be a composite of "The Rose Tree" and "The (Bonny) Black Eagle".[6] Similar tune was popular with fiddle players as early as 1820, and the tune of "Turkey in the Straw"/"Zip Coon" may have come from the fiddle tune "Natchez Under the Hill" believed to have been derived from "Rose Tree".[8][9]
The title "Turkey in the Straw" later became associated with the tune of "Zip Coon" in an unusual way. According to James J. Fuld, Dan Bryant copyrighted a song with new lyrics and music titled "Turkey in the Straw" on July 12, 1861, but with the wordless music of "Zip Coon" (titled "Old Melody") attached at the end. The tune of "Zip Coon" then became known as "Turkey in the Straw".[2]"...
Example #1:- RARE 1945 FOOTAGE! Callahan Brothers - TURKEY IN THE STRAW
OldTimeMusic, Feb 23, 2009
Callahan Brothers perform Turkey In the Straw in the 1945 Jimmy Wakely western "Springtime in Texas".
KiddieRecordKrazy, Uploaded on Mar 26, 2010
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Merry Records
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Example #3: The Skillet Lickers-Turkey In The Straw
BBYMRLCCOTN, Uploaded on Feb 3, 2010
The Skillet Lickers-Turkey In The Straw
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