"Polly Wolly Doodle" is a traditional American children's song. It was sung by Dan Emmett's Virginia Minstrels, who premiered at New York's Bowery Amphitheatre in February 1843, [1] and is often credited to Emmett (1815–1904). [2] [3]
It was known to have been performed by the Yale Glee Club in 1878, [4] and was first published in a Harvard student songbook in 1880.[ citation needed]
"Polly Wolly Doodle" appears in the manuscript for Laura Ingalls Wilder's novel, These Happy Golden Years (1943), exactly as it is used in the published version.[ citation needed]
The melody of the song, as it is usually sung, formed the basis for Francis Blanche's 1946 song (recorded by Lily Fayol) " Le Gros Bill", Boney M.'s hit " Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" in 1979, [5] as well as for Alexandra Burke's song " Start Without You". The tune is also found in children's music, including the Sunday school song "O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E", "Radio Lollipop" by the German group die Lollipops, and the Barney & Friends songs "Alphabet Soup" (using only the tune of the first verse) and "If I Had One Wish" (which uses both verses).
"Polly Wolly Doodle" is a traditional American children's song. It was sung by Dan Emmett's Virginia Minstrels, who premiered at New York's Bowery Amphitheatre in February 1843, [1] and is often credited to Emmett (1815–1904). [2] [3]
It was known to have been performed by the Yale Glee Club in 1878, [4] and was first published in a Harvard student songbook in 1880.[ citation needed]
"Polly Wolly Doodle" appears in the manuscript for Laura Ingalls Wilder's novel, These Happy Golden Years (1943), exactly as it is used in the published version.[ citation needed]
The melody of the song, as it is usually sung, formed the basis for Francis Blanche's 1946 song (recorded by Lily Fayol) " Le Gros Bill", Boney M.'s hit " Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" in 1979, [5] as well as for Alexandra Burke's song " Start Without You". The tune is also found in children's music, including the Sunday school song "O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E", "Radio Lollipop" by the German group die Lollipops, and the Barney & Friends songs "Alphabet Soup" (using only the tune of the first verse) and "If I Had One Wish" (which uses both verses).