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GUEST,soderbo Lyr ADD: Ging Gang Goolie (Robert Baden-Powell ??) (71* d) RE: Lyr ADD: Ging Gang Goolie (Robert Baden-Powell ??) 12 Apr 19


1905 occurrence of the Ging Gang song verified; Baden-Powell not involved in its creation

It is now proven beyond reasonable doubt that the well known gibberish song Ging Gang (Goo/Gooli/etc) was performed at a New Year´s cabaret in 1905 (the Folkteater in Gothenburg, Sweden). For that occasion it was named "Nxxxxxx Morning Song" and had "Scandinavian" spelling (e.g. "Hinkan"/"Kinkan" instead of "Ging Gang"; there have been so many different names and spellings all over the world).

Web links (digitized documents, both provided by the National Library of Sweden):

page 12 in a jubilee edition 1895-1920 from 1920
http://runeberg.org/eajubileum/0013.html

download of the entire cabaret brochure from 1905 (60 MB), ref. the cover page for location and year, and page 21 in the actual brochure
for the song (digitized page 25/31)
http://libris.kb.se/bib/ktghzvx2h8f753cg

and link to the Wikipedia Ging Gang article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ging_Gang_Goolie

The 1905 occurrence means of course that the claim that Robert Baden-Powell (supposedly inspired by South African songs and a Mozart piece) wrote the song for the 1st World Scout Jamboree 1920 simply is not true. It also means that whatever claims on origins that post-date 1905 are untrue. And further, that claims for earlier origin than 1905 need be well documented,

It seems very true, however, that the song is part of a family (lyrics-wise and/or tune-wise) of gibberish? songs that were documented primarily in Europe during the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century: some so called Anstich Lieder (drinking songs in Germany), Em Pom Pee, Hi Politi, Nicodemo, Kili-Watch, so called Wumba-songs, In Chinesien, etc.

(The National Library of Sweden is both a library and a government agency. It collects, preserves, and provides access to everything published in Sweden - and has been doing so for 350+ years.)


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