The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #119173   Message #3909213
Posted By: Lighter
03-Mar-18 - 09:43 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Old King Cole
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old King Cole
The military version (with somewhat different dialogue) was known in the U.S. Army in WW1 - according to Edward Arthur Dolph's "Sound Off!" (1929).

With words closer to Belafonte's, I believe it was first recorded on Oscar Brand's "G.I. Songs" around 1956.