Lyr Add: Hoop De Dooden Do

Subject: Lyr Add: HOOP DE DOODEN DO
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 02:10 PM

I would like more information on this old song, which was around during the US Civil War.

HOOP DE DOODEN DO

One hundred years ago today,
My old massa set me free,
My old missus she did cry:
Hoop de dooden do.

I put my trunk upon my back,
And started for the railroad track,
I never stopped for to look back:
Hoop de dooden do.

I walked about a mile or two,
Without a boot, without a shoe,
Then my feet dey hurt me so:
Hoop de dooden do.

I put my trunk upon de ground,
Then I take a look around,
Soon I heard the whistle sound:
Hoop de dooden do.

I hadn't trabelled very far
Before I see de railroad cars,
Jumping over a pair of bars,
Screeching: Hoop de dooden do.

I heard a noise, see'd a sight,
Den I ran with all my might,
All de cars run off de track:
Hoop de dooden do.

I went to pick a baby up,
And looked to see if it was hurt,
Very soon it hollar'd out:
Hoop de dooden do.

Another feller broke his leg,
And now goes on a wooden peg,
All de words your uncle said was:
Hoop de dooden do.

"As sung by Harry Fox, the celebrated banjoist at Hitchcock's Concert Hall, 172 Canal St." No author cited.
Nineteenth Century Song Sheets, American Memory, America Singing: Printed by H. De Masran, NY (n. d.)

Sheet music at PDMusic, slightly different words, credited to A. Nish, at: Hoop de Dooden Do

Sheet music (2/4) in "Heart Songs, Melodies of Days Gone By," 1909, pp. 110-111, credited to A. Nish. Four verses.

Sheet music (2/4) and lyrics in: Gilbert C. Noble, 1911, "The Most Popular Plantation Songs," p. 105. Hinds, Noble and Eldridge, NYC, 108 pp.

Listed as a 2/4 country dance at folktrax, Westrop #. 43, p. 15(c).

Folk version in Collection of A. and A. Fife, Utah State Univ., from Edwin Ford Piper Coll., PC-F86, Folk Coll. 4, no. 2, vol. 33.

Mentioned in an article (book?) by George Augustus Sala, 1859, "Twice Round the Clock, or the Hours of the Day and Night in London."
"Wih respect to the remaining harmonic attractions of Evan's, I shall be very brief. I believe that on some evenings individuals of the Ethiopian way of thinking, and accoutered in the ordinary amount of lamp-black, Welsh wig, and shirt-collars, and provided with the usual banjo, accordian, tambourine, and bones, are in the habit of informing the audience that things in general are assuming an appearance of "Hoop de dooden do," also of lamenting the untimely demise of one Ned, an aged blackamoor, who stood towards them in an avuncular relation, and of passionately demanding the cause of their master effecting the sale of their persons, by auction or otherwise, on the day they entered into the state of matrimony." Sala goes on to speak of the "immense applause," but admits that he is not qualified to speak, etc.
From the website Victorian London: Evan's

Bob Flesher, the banjoist, plays the song on his cd, "Civil War Banjo," Countrysales.com.

Music exists as a piano piece, without words. The polka, "Hoop-de-doo," thread 39539, may be related. Hoop-de-doo
Sheet music was still published in 1918, copyrighr Carl Fischer, NY, no attribution.

This seems to be a pre-Civil War minstrel-music hall song. Who was A. Nish? Earliest recorded date?

"Hoop de dooden do!" seems to have a popular expletive during and following the Civil War.
An example from a story in rhyme by James B. V. Thomson (English), written 1863, "Sunday at Hampstead": A Very Idle Idyll."

We went to church one Sunday
But felt we had no right there;
For it's only a place for the grand folk
Who come by carriage and pair.

And I laughed out loud- It was shameful!
But Fanny said, Oh, what lives!
He must have been clever, the rascal,
To manage seven hundred wives!

'Suppose we play Hunt the Slipper?'
'We can't, there's the crinoline!'- Phew!
Bother it, always a nuisance!
'Hoop-de-dooden-do!'

Sunday

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hoop De Dooden Do
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 02:20 PM

The 'stolen' link was in Google: http://www.web-helper.net/PDMusic/H/images/h0063.gif

This is not Tubb's pdmusic.org

Subject: ADD Version: Hoop De Dooden Do
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 04:20 AM

I think it's worth transcribing the version from Heart Songs (1909).

Hoop de Dooden Do
(A. Nish)

Some hundred years ago or so, Good ole Massa set me free,
Den de missus she did cry; "Hoop de dooden do!"
I clap't my trunk upon my back, And started for de railway track.
And soon I heard the whistle holler;
"Hoop de dooden do!"

I walk'd along a mile or two, Widout a boot, widout a shoe;
Den my feet did hurt me so, -- "Hoop de dooden do!"
I stood my trunk down on de ground, Just for to take a look around,
De whistle scream'd wid all his might,
"Hoop de dooden do!"

I didn't go so berry far, Before I seen de railroad car,
Jumping ober a turnpike bar; "Hoop de dooden do!"
I heard de noise and see de sight, Den run away wid all my might;
(All de cars went off de track)
"Hoop de dooden do!"

I went to pick a baby up, And look to see if it was hurt,
Soon it began a squealing out; "Hoop de dooden do!"
Another fellow broke his leg, He now goes on a wooden peg;
Don't ask for any more I beg --
"Hoop de dooden do!"

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hoop De Dooden Do
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 01:41 PM

Who was A. Nish? Probably a writer for minstrels, but I have found no information.
Thanks for the Click to Play, Joe.