Hey, this is interesting - in Best Loved American Folk Songs John and Alan Lomax say that Buffalo Gals comes from a minstrel song published in 1844 by Cool White, a song called LUBLY FAN WILL YOU CUM OUT TO NIGHT?. The Lomaxes suspect White got it from traditional sources. The minstrel boys soon began changing it to "New York Gals," "Philadelphia Gals," or "Bowery Gals," depending on the theater they were playing. The Lomaxes don't exactly say it, but the implication is that the "Buffalo" in the song is the city in the State of New York.
-Joe Offer-
Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:
Buffalo Gals
DESCRIPTION: As requested, the Buffalo [Bowery, etc.] girls promise to come out tonight, to dance or otherwise disport themselves by the light of the moon.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: A Christy Minstrels' version was copyright in 1848
KEYWORDS: bawdy playparty dancing
FOUND IN: US(MW,SE,So) Tobago
REFERENCES (19 citations):
Wolford, p. 32=WofordRev, p. 227, "Cincinnati Girls" (1 text)
Randolph 535, "Buffalo Gals" (2 texts plus an excerpt and a fragment, 1 tune)
Owens-2ed, p. 159, "Buffalo Girls" (1 text, 1 tune)
BrownIII 81, "Buffalo Gals" (2 short texts); also 491, "We'll Have a Little Dance Tonight, Boys" (1 fragment, too short to properly classify but it might go here)
Scarborough-NegroFS, pp. 112-114, (no title) and "Buffalo Gals" (2 texts plus a fragment possibly from this, 1 tune)
Randolph-Legman I, pp. 424-425, "Buffalo Gals" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Lomax-FSUSA 33, "Buffalo Gals" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-ABFS, pp. 288-290, "Louisiana Girls" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fife-Cowboy/West 101, "Buffalo Gals" (3 texts, 1 tune)
Botkin-AmFolklr, p. 841, "(Buffalo Gals)" (1 text, 1 tune)
MHenry-Appalachians, p. 233, (fourth of four "Fragments from Maryland") (1 fragment)
Elder-Tobago 22, "Lambeau Gal Le' A-We Go" (1 text, 1 tune)
Arnett, p. 58, "Buffalo Gals" (1 text, 1 tune)
Spaeth-WeepMore, pp. 107-108, "Buffalo Gals" (1 text, 1 tune)
Coleman/Bregman, pp. 38-43, "The Cowboy's Christmas Ball" (1 text, 1 tune, with elements of "Buffalo Gals" and "Skip to My Lou" as bridges)
Scott-EnglishSB, pp. 74-75, "Buffalo Gals" (1 text, 1 tune, "Sung by the Ethiopian Serenaders)
PSeeger-AFB, p. 34, "Buffalo Gals" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 36, "Buffalo Gals" (1 text)
ADDITIONAL: Charles Edward Russell, _A-Rafting on the Mississip'_, 1928 (republished 2001 by the University of Minnesota Press), pp. 211-213, "Buffalo Gals" (1 text, 1 tune); also a "Cornfed Gals" stanza on p. 219
ST R535 (Full)
Roud #738
RECORDINGS:
Fiddlin' John Carson, "Alabama Gal" (OKeh 40204, 1924)
Collins & Harlan, "Ain't You Coming Out To-Night?" (CYL: Edison [4-min.] 480, n.d.)
Crockett's Kentucky Mountaineers, "Buffalo Gal's Medley" (Crown 3075, c. 1930)
Harlan Miner's Fiddlers [pseud. for Crockett's Kentucky Mountaineers], "Buffalo Gals" (Montgomery Ward M-3022, 1931) [I am assuming this is a different recording from Crown 3075, as the latter is a medley]
Vernon Dalhart, "Ain't-Ya Comin' Out Tonight?" (Columbia 257-D, 1924)
Vernon Dalhart & Co., "Ain't You Comin' Out Tonight?" (Edison 51430, 1924)
Frank Hutchison, "Alabama Gal Ain't You Coming Out Tonight" (OKeh 45313, 1929; rec. 1928)
Earl Johnson & his Dixie Entertainers [or Earl Johnson and his Clodhoppers], "Alabama Girl Ain't You Comin' Out Tonight" (OKeh 45300, 1929; rec. 1928)
Guy Massey, "Ain't Ya Comin' Out Tonight" (Perfect 12170, 1924)
Shorty McCoy, "Buffalo Gals" (Bluebird 33-0511, 1944)
Pickard Family, "Buffalo Gals" (Brunswick 363/Banner 6371/Conqueror 7326, 1929)
Riley Puckett, "Alabama Gal" (Columbia 15185-D, 1927)
Bookmiller Shannon, "Buffalo Gals" [instrumental] (on LomaxCD1707)
Pete Seeger, "Buffalo Gals" (on PeteSeeger17)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Hangtown Gals" (tune)
cf. "Horsham Boys" (tune)
cf. "Gwine Follow" (partial form)
SAME TUNE:
Birdie in the Cage / Buffalo Gals (Square dance calls) (Welsch, pp. 87-89)
Quadrille/Variant (square dance call) (Welsch, p. 119)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Alabama Gals
NOTES: According to Spaeth (A History of Popular Music in America, p. 101), this originated as the Cool White (John Hodges) song "Lubly Fan" (1843). From the present perspective, it's hard to prove whether Hodges actually did write the thing or borrowed an existing piece -- but I rather suspect the latter. - RBW
The tune to Elder-Tobago is close to the usual one and has the same structure. Here, the Lambeau gals are called to dance at Carnbee Hall, at what was once a great sugar plantation. - BS
Last updated in version 3.7
File: R535Go to the Ballad Search form
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Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or DiscographyThe Ballad Index Copyright 2015 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.
And the Digital Tradition lyrics:
BUFFALO GALS
Buffalo gals, woncha come out tonight,
Woncha come out tonight, woncha come out tonight?
Buffalo gals, woncha come out tonight,
And dance by the light of the moon?
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stockin',
And her heel kep' a-rockin' and her toe kep' a-knockin',
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stockin',
And we danced by the light of the moon.
O yes, pretty boys, we're comin' out tonight,
We're comin' out tonight, we're comin' out tonight,
O yes, pretty boys, we're comin' out tonight,
And dance by the light of the moon.
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stockin',
And her heel kep' a-rockin' and her toe kep' a-knockin',
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stockin',
An' her heel kep' a-rockin' to the moon."
Other verses - In most cases the last part of the first line
is repeated 3 times, these phrases are in ()
As I was walking ( down the street)
A pretty girl I chanced to meet under the silvery moon
I asked her if she'd ( stop and talk)
Her feet covered up the whole sidewalk, she was fair to view
I asked her if she'd stop and dance, Have a dance, care to dance
I thought that I might get a chance to shake a foot with her
I asked her if she'd (be my wife)
Then I'd be happy all my life if she'd marry me
ALT. (I'd be so very happy all my life, if she were by my side)
I danced with the dolly with a hole in her stocking
And her feet kept a-rocking & her knees kept a-knocking
O I danced with the dolly with a hole in her stocking
And we danced by the light of the moon.
note: The song was a popular play party or square dance song in many
parts of the country. The following verses are some of the varaiants
that were used directly in the dance calling. RR
Break and bounce with (the couple on the right)
Break and bounce with the couple on the right and swing four hands around.
Everybody wait ('til we get all around)
Everybody wait 'til we get all around and swing four hands around.
First lady swing with the right hand gent, with the right hand round,
with the right hand round
Partner with the left and the left hand round, lady in the center and
seven hands round
ALT....(birdie in a cage and seven hands round.)
Ain't you coming out tonight, ain't you comin out tonight?
and birdie hop out and a crow hop in
lady swing out and the gent swing in
and join your hands (paddies) and go round again.
from ""Folk Song USA"" John and Alan Lomax
@minstrel
filename[ BUFFGALS
RB, RR
OCT98