I don't know why that old song popped into my head this morning. So I looked it up. The song has it origins in American slave culture. It transitioned into the very politically incorrect and, what were rightly described as racist, minstrel shows of the early nineteenth century. The shows fell out of favor after the Civil War and, by the turn of the century, all but disappeared from American theater.
I only bring this up because of the actor/comedian/singer Bette Midler who, back in the 1970s, spoke this line in one of her shows on HBO, recorded in Cleveland, no less, and viewed one late night during a sleep-over at my cousin's house. I quote: "Life is real, life is earnest, sing Polly Wolly Doodle all the day." The "real" and "earnest" part was, I found out much later, penned by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in "A Psalm of Life." Since seeing Midler's show on tv, that line has been seared into my memory. It pops out every now and then, like today. As I said, I don't know why.
I immediately thought of Bette Midler when I read the title. I had no idea the history of the ditty. I’m off to read more.
ReplyDeleteWill man ever understand how memory works? And when he does will he remember to write it down?
ReplyDeleteLife seems unreal in the USA right now- maybe I need to sing little Polly Wolly right now.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photo, and, as Evelyn said, life does seem unreal in the U.S. right now.
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