Polly Wolly Doodle is a kid’s song dating back to the 19th century. It was first performed at the Bowery Amphitheatre in New York in 1843 sung by Dan Emmett. It was first published in written form in a Harvard song book in 1880. The song is thought to be originally a slave song from the south but there is not any particular meaning to the lyrics and the term “Polly Wolly” might be a random name.
The song was reinterpreted many times, most famously by Shirley Temple in 1935 in “The Littlest Rebel”. The tune of the song was later used in the 70s for the Boney M hit song “Hooray, Hooray, It’s a Holi-Holiday”.
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
