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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases nine videos of the United States play party song "Alabama Gal".
This post provides lyrics, performance instructions for and information about the origin and history of the play song "Alabama Gal",
In addition, this pancocojams post presents definitions about some terms that are used for this play party songs and explanations for some of this song's lyrics.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, and recreational purposes..
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown original composers of this song, and thanks to those who collected examples of this song. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and all those wo are featured in these embedded videos. Thanks also to the producers and publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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This 2026 post is a complete reprint of the updated 2014 pancocojams post with a similar title. That post is still available on this blog. As of June 1, 2026 it doesn't have any visitor comments.
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ORIGIN OF THE PLAY PARTY SONG "ALABAMA GAL"
From AI Overview [This write-up is a result of my June 1, 2026 query "What is the origin of the play party song "Alabama Gal"?]
"The play party song "Alabama Gal" is a regional variation of the 1844 minstrel song "Lubly Fan" (later popularized as "Buffalo Gals"). Its earliest documentation comes from 19th-century oral tradition. The tune and dance were adapted by pioneer settlers during the 1850s westward expansion to bypass community bans on dancing.
Origins and Early Documentation
Because "Alabama Gal" began as folk tradition, it was initially passed down orally rather than recorded in print.
Mid-1800s: "Play parties" became popular in rural American communities. Because many religions and communities viewed instrumental dancing as sinful, people gathered for parties where they sang and clapped to accompany their movements instead of playing instruments.
Localization:
Traveling minstrel shows and pioneer families would change the lyrics to fit local areas, altering names to "Boston Gals," "Chicago Gals," or "Alabama Gals" to appeal to the local crowds
1949: The first widely documented written instructions and formalized arrangements for the dance appeared. It was taught at the University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp and later documented in American folk dance anthologies like The Chimes of Dunkirk by the New England Dancing Masters.
1959: Folklorists Pete Seeger, Mika Seeger, and Rev. Larry Eisenberg released one of the first widely distributed audio recordings of the song on the Smithsonian Folkways album American Playparties."...
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LYRICS AND PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS: "ALABAMA GAL"
These online write-ups are presented in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Source #1
From https://halesharmonies.com/2021/06/03/alabama-gal/ "Alabama Gal"
Posted bymrshalesharmonies, June 3, 2021Posted in2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, Folk Dance, Play-Party, Singing Game
[…]
…History:
This is a true southern American gem. This folk dance appeared in the mid-1800s and was specifically referred to as a play-party. Many communities believed that some activities, like dancing, were too dangerous and would corrupt the morals of young people. So rather than having am immoral dance celebration, people decided it was more appropriate to come together for “play-parties” where they sang instead of playing instruments. Now people of all ages are able to participate in this enjoyable social dance.
Formation: There are 4 verses/sections of this dance.
Verse 1: “Come through in a hurry!“
Have children form two lines facing each other. The head couple (use the language “pair” or “partners” to avoid complaints/silliness) will link hands and sashay down the center of the lines and then back up to their original spots. (16 beats total)
Verse 2: “I don’t know how, how.”
Partners move forward and hook elbows for a right elbow turn (8 beats) and then switch for a left elbow turn (8 beats). By the end, they must return to their original spots. (16 beats total)
Verse 3: “I’ll show you how, how!”
The head partners cast-off and lead their line in a circle. They will stop at the original end of the line and create an arch for the rest of the partners to go under. (16 beats total)
Verse 4: “Ain’t I rock candy?”
The first set of partners to go under the arch will stop at the top of the line. Everyone else follows and recreates the lines from the beginning. The original head partners are now at the end of the line and a new head partners are leading the sashay at the front.
Repeat as many times as you’d like!
Classroom Applications:
–Really good folk dance if you need your kids MOVING
–Great way to teach dance terminology (ex. sashay, cast-off/”peel the banana”, right/left elbow turn, arch, etc.)
–Song has syncopation in each verse
–Pentatonic scale
–Historical discussions about what used to be appropriate in dance and entertainment"...
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Source #2
From AI Overview [This write-up is a continuation of the result of my June 1, 2026 query "What is the origin of the play party song "Alabama Gal"?]
"How the Play Party Game is Played
The game is played in a longways set where two lines of partners face each other. As the group sings, they execute specific movements:
The Sashay: The head couple joins hands and sashays down the center of the lines and back.
Elbow Turns: Partners hook right elbows and turn, then switch to left elbows.
The Bridge: The head couple leads the lines in a loop to the end, forming a bridge out of their arms, while the rest of the lines pass through.”…
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EXPLANATION OF TERMS
1. Play party songs
From https://grokipedia.com/page/play_parties_in_song_and_dance
"Play parties in song and dance refer to traditional American social gatherings characterized by group singing accompanied by simple, non-instrumental movements and games, serving as a form of recreational entertainment that emphasized community bonding and physical activity without formal dancing.[1][2] Emerging in the 19th century among rural settlers and pioneer families during westward expansion, these events provided wholesome alternatives to instrumental dances, which were often prohibited by religious groups such as Methodists and Mormons due to associations with sinfulness; participants framed the activities as "play" to align with moral standards, hosting them in homes, barns, or fields with vocal-only music and actions like circling, clapping, and partner swinging.[1][2].
[...]
History
Origins in Early America
Play parties emerged in early America as non-instrumental singing games designed to imitate the movements of traditional dances while avoiding physical partnering between individuals, thereby circumventing Puritan and other Protestant prohibitions against "worldly" or lascivious dancing viewed as sinful and promiscuous.[3][2] These activities allowed communities to engage in rhythmic, social recreation without violating religious strictures that equated partnered dancing with moral corruption, particularly in regions dominated by Calvinist influences where even instrumental music was often condemned.[1]
The historical roots of play parties trace back to European folk traditions imported by settlers, including English country dances, Scottish and Irish reels, and other communal forms that were adapted into acapella song structures to fit American religious contexts.[1] These adaptations transformed partnered dances into group-oriented singing games, preserving the energetic motions and social bonding of their Old World predecessors while aligning with New World piety. Oral transmission played a crucial role in their preservation, especially among rural populations with limited access to musical instruments, as families and communities passed down the songs and movements informally through generations without written notation.[1]
Play parties emerged in the early to mid-19th century, particularly during the 1830s in regions like the Midwest and Appalachia, where they featured prominently at community gatherings such as barn raisings and quilting bees that combined labor with leisure.[1][2] These events provided opportunities for young people to participate in structured yet joyful activities that fostered social ties without contravening local religious norms. By the early 19th century, play parties evolved into more formalized expressions amid broader cultural shifts"...
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2. "Head couple"
The couple that is standing at the head (the top) of two lines facing each other. Traditionally, there was one line for females and one line for males.
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3. Contra Dance terms
From http://users.fred.net/tds/contra-the-short.answer/glossary.htm
"Set: The overall arrangement of couples for a given dance, such as a big circle, square formation, longways, etc.
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4. "Shashay"
From https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/sashay
"To sashay is to walk with an exaggerated flounce. Fashion models sometimes sashay down the runway.
When you sashay, you're showing off — but in a deliberately casual way. Kids playing dress up might sashay, and the most popular middle school students might sashay into class on the first day. You can also use sashay to describe a dance step, both a sideways square dance move and a ballet step; it's a mispronunciation of the French ballet term chassé, "gliding step," from chasser, "to chase," since one foot "chases" the other."
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The word "strut" is often used in contemporary (2000s) United States as a synonym for "sashay". That may be, in part, because most American children (including Black Americans) appear to be more familiar with the word "strut" than the word "sashay". However, the movements for "sashay" and "strut" aren't the same.
Here's an excerpt from the results of a June 1, 2026 AI Overview about the differences between "sashay" and "strut":
" While both words describe a highly confident, attention-getting walk, a sashay features exaggerated hip movements and a fluid, gliding motion, whereas a strut is defined by a stiff, upright, and chest-out stride that projects authority and pride.
Key Differences:
Sashay
Style: Fluid, flouncing, and often side-to-side
Primary Focus The hips (swaying and gliding)
Vibe/Attitude - Seductive, casual, or playfully flashy
Strut:
Style: Upright, rigid, and forward-marching
Primary Focus: Proud, arrogant, or authoritative
Vibe: Proud, arrogant, or authoritative"...
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5. "Come through in a hurry" = "Hurry up and join me where I am".
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6. "Ain't I rock candy" = Aren't I as sweet as candy. In the United States, "rock candy" is commonly referred to as "hard candy".
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7. "Peel the banana"
"Peel the banana" is an informal, contemporary (2015 or later) United States term that some elementary school music teachers in the United States use to explain the movement in "Alabama Gal" when the words "I'll show you how" is sung. This occurs when the two lines separate and each couple travels to the arch and under the arch that is formed by the head couple. These couples move to the top of their separate lines and the play party song continues until every couple has had a turn as the "head couple".
Another (contemporary?) term that is used for this "peel the banana" movement is "cast off" (as in the students cast off -travel to the arch in their separate lines".)
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ADDITIONAL SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube with the oldest date given first.
Laurie Rocconi, Uploaded on Mar 27, 2009
school dance
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Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29OtTyHZrSM
Shanalikefergie. 2009
"Aw this is cute! I did this in 4th grade. Ha ha me and one boy were the only ones who understood the dance. Hahaha. Run through the hurry, Run through the hurry. Run through the hurry, Alabama Gal. I dont know how how I dont know how how I dont know how how Alabama Gal. I'll show you how how, I'll show you how how. I'll show you how how Alabama Gal..."
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Example #2: Mountain Folk Festival, 1993 Alabama Gal
John M Ramsay, Uploaded on Feb 12, 2011
Alabama Gal is an American play party game or dance. It is a traditional dance form which, in the old days, was popular among teenagers. The dancers supply their own music.
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Example #3: Alabama Gal
Vincent Bates, Published on Apr 5, 2012
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Example #4 - Alabama Gal- School Folk Dance
Lauren Holum, Dec 6, 2021
At our Fall 2021 Gratitude Assembly at Bay Harbor, 3rd Grade students performed the play party to go along with the song Alabama Gal. It was taught to students by our music sub, Emily Mauro during my maternity leave.
****Example #5 -Alabama Gal - 3rd Grade Music Program at LPE
Remi Vlogs, Sep 16, 2022
****Example #6 - Alabama Gal folk dance from The New England Dancing Masters
Bow Tie Music, Nov 2, 2022
This video features a group of third graders taught by William C Doublestein at Boone Meadow Elementary. "Alabama Gal" can be found in The New England Dancing Masters book/album by the same title, available here: https://dancingmasters.com/product/al...
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Notice that the children aren't singing but are following the directions in a recorded version of this play party song.
Example #7 - ALABAMA GAL 🍬 Longways Set Partner Folk Dance for Elementary Concert #orffschulwerk #folkdance
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Example #8- Alabama Gal Tutorial
Hilary Shore, Apr 14, 2025
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Visitor comments are welcome.
Notice that the children in the YouTube video given above as #4 are wearing masks as protection during the Covid 19 pandemic.
ReplyDeleteAccording to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID 19 to be a pandemic in March 2020 and declared the ending of that COVID-19 pandemic in May 2023.
I'm sure that I'm not the only person who believes that a folk dance performance wasn't the wisest thing to occur during the pandemic whether or not the children wore masks.
Weren't people still being encouraged to follow social distancing recommendations in 2021?