Old MacDonald Had a Farm: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Children's song}} |
{{short description|Children's song}} |
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{{about||the science fiction story by Mike Resnick|Old MacDonald Had a Farm (short story)|the 1946 Noveltoons film|Old MacDonald Had a Farm (film)}} |
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{{about|the song|the science fiction story by Mike Resnick|Old MacDonald Had a Farm (short story)|the 1946 Noveltoons film|Old MacDonald Had a Farm (film)}} |
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{{Infobox song |
{{Infobox song |
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| name = Old MacDonald Had a Farm |
| name = Old MacDonald Had a Farm |
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| cover = |
| cover = |
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| alt = |
| alt = |
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| type = [[Nursery rhyme]] |
| type = [[Nursery rhyme]] |
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| written |
| written = Unknown |
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| published = |
| published = Unknown |
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|recorded=1925| writer = [[Thomas |
| recorded = 1925 |
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| writer = [[Thomas d'Urfey]] (suggested) |
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| lyricist = Frederick Thomas Nettlingham |
| lyricist = Frederick Thomas Nettlingham |
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}} |
}} |
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{{listen |
{{listen |
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| filename = |
| filename = |
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| title = "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" |
| title = "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" |
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| description = A 1927 recording of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" by [[Gid Tanner|Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers]] |
| description = A 1927 recording of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" by [[Gid Tanner|Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers]] |
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}} |
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"'''Old MacDonald Had a Farm'''" (sometimes shortened to '''Old MacDonald''') is a traditional [[children's music|children's song]] and [[nursery rhyme]] about a [[farmer]] and the various [[animal]]s he keeps. Each verse of the song changes the name of the animal and its respective noise. For example, if the verse uses a cow as the animal, then "moo" would be used as the animal's sound. In many versions, the song is [[cumulative song|cumulative]], with the animal sounds from all the earlier verses added to each subsequent verse.<ref name=Index>{{cite web|url=http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/R457.html|title=Old MacDonald Had a Farm|website=www.csufresno.edu|access-date=2007-08-01|archive-date=2016-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512160804/http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/R457.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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The song was probably written{{according to whom|date=November 2024}} by [[Thomas d'Urfey]] for an opera in 1706, before existing as a folk song in Britain, Ireland and North America for hundreds of years in various forms then finally being standardised in the twentieth century. It has a [[Roud Folk Song Index]] number of [[List of folk songs by Roud number|745]]. |
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"'''Old MacDonald Had a Farm'''", sometimes shortened to '''Old MacDonald''', is a traditional [[children's music|children's song]] and [[nursery rhyme]] about a [[farmer]] and the various [[animal]]s he keeps. Each verse of the song changes the name of the animal and its respective noise. In many versions, the song is cumulative, with the animal sounds from all the earlier verses added to each subsequent verse.<ref name=Index>{{cite web|url=http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/R457.html|title=Old MacDonald Had a Farm|website=www.csufresno.edu}}</ref> For example, the verse uses a cow as an animal and "moo" as the animal's sound. |
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The song was probably written by [[Thomas d'Urfey|Thomas D'Urfey]] for an opera in 1706, before existing as a folk song in Britain, Ireland and North America for hundreds of years in various forms then finally being standardised in the twentieth century. It has a [[Roud Folk Song Index]] number of [[List of folk songs by Roud number|745]]. |
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The lyrics to the standard version begin as follows, with the animal sound changing with each verse: |
The lyrics to the standard version begin as follows, with the animal sound changing with each verse: |
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{{Farm}} |
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{{poemquote|Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O! |
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And on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O! |
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With a moo-moo here and a moo-moo there, |
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Here a moo, there a moo, |
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Everywhere a moo-moo, |
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Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!}} |
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==History== |
==History== |
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[[File:Google Books Thomas D'Urfey.jpg|thumb|347x347px|Thomas |
[[File:Google Books Thomas D'Urfey.jpg|thumb|347x347px|Thomas d'Urfey (1653-1723)]] |
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=== Thomas D'Urfey === |
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The earliest variant of the song is "In the Fields in Frost and Snow'''"''' from a 1706 [[opera]] called ''The Kingdom of the Birds'' or ''Wonders of the Sun'' written by the English writer and composer [[Thomas D'Urfey]]. This version begins:<blockquote>In the Fields in Frost and Snows, |
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Watching late and early; |
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There I keep my Father's Cows, |
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There I Milk 'em Yearly: |
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Booing here, Booing there, |
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Here a Boo, there a Boo, every where a Boo, |
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We defy all Care and Strife, |
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===Thomas d'Urfey=== |
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The earliest variant of the song{{according to whom|date=November 2024}} is "In the Fields in Frost and Snow" from a 1706 [[opera]] called ''The Kingdom of the Birds'' or ''Wonders of the Sun'' written by the English writer and composer [[Thomas d'Urfey]]. This version begins:<blockquote>In the Fields in Frost and Snows,<br> |
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Watching late and early;<br> |
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There I keep my Father's Cows,<br> |
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There I Milk 'em Yearly:<br> |
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Booing here, Booing there,<br> |
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Here a Boo, there a Boo, every where a Boo,<br> |
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We defy all Care and Strife,<br> |
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In a Charming Country-Life.</blockquote>It is unknown whether this was the origin of the song, or if his version of the song was based on a traditional song already in existence. Like modern versions, the animals change from verse to verse and the rhythm is very similar, but it uses a different minor key melody. |
In a Charming Country-Life.</blockquote>It is unknown whether this was the origin of the song, or if his version of the song was based on a traditional song already in existence. Like modern versions, the animals change from verse to verse and the rhythm is very similar, but it uses a different minor key melody. |
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D'Urfey's opera was largely unsuccessful, but the song was recycled, being expanded and printed in |
D'Urfey's opera was largely unsuccessful, but the song was recycled, being expanded and printed in d'Urfey's own ''Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy'', vol. 2 (1719) and appearing in several operas throughout the eighteenth century such as [[John Gay]] and [[Johann Christoph Pepusch]]'s [[Polly (opera)|Polly]] (1729). It also appeared on song sheets for decades, so it was presumably popular among ordinary English people in the eighteenth century whether it originated from the opera or not.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-05-06|title=In the Fields in Frost and Snow|url=https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:In_the_Fields_in_Frost_and_Snow|access-date=2021-03-04|website=[[The Traditional Tune Archive]]|language=en}}</ref> |
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=== |
===Traditional English versions=== |
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Several versions were collected in [[England]] in around the turn of the twentieth century by folklorists, such as one called "The Farmyard Song" taken from a John Lloyd of [[Manchester]] in the 1880s by [[Anne Gilchrist (writer)|Anne Gilchrist]], and another called "Father's Wood I O" collected in 1906 in [[Scotter]], [[Lincolnshire]] by [[Percy Grainger]]; both of the original transcriptions of these versions are available via the [[Vaughan Williams Memorial Library]] website.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Farmyard Song (Harry Albino Manuscript Collection HHA/21/1)|url=https://www.vwml.org/record/HHA/21/1|access-date=2021-02-27|website=The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Father's Wood I O (Percy Grainger Manuscript Collection PG/5/155)|url=https://www.vwml.org/record/PG/5/155|access-date=2021-02-27|website=The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library|language=en-gb}}</ref> |
Several versions were collected in [[England]] in around the turn of the twentieth century by folklorists, such as one called "The Farmyard Song" taken from a John Lloyd of [[Manchester]] in the 1880s by [[Anne Gilchrist (writer)|Anne Gilchrist]], and another called "Father's Wood I O" collected in 1906 in [[Scotter]], [[Lincolnshire]] by [[Percy Grainger]]; both of the original transcriptions of these versions are available via the [[Vaughan Williams Memorial Library]] website.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Farmyard Song (Harry Albino Manuscript Collection HHA/21/1)|url=https://www.vwml.org/record/HHA/21/1|access-date=2021-02-27|website=The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Father's Wood I O (Percy Grainger Manuscript Collection PG/5/155)|url=https://www.vwml.org/record/PG/5/155|access-date=2021-02-27|website=The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library|language=en-gb}}</ref> |
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[[File:St Marylebone workhouse (1).jpg|thumb|301x301px|St. Marylebone Workhouse, 1867]] |
[[File:St Marylebone workhouse (1).jpg|thumb|301x301px|St. Marylebone Workhouse, 1867]] |
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The famous folk song collector [[Cecil Sharp]] collected a version called "The Farmyard" in 1908 from a 74-year-old named Mrs. Goodey at [[Marylebone]] Workhouse, [[London]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Farmyard (Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) CJS2/10/1984)|url=https://www.vwml.org/record/CJS2/10/1984|access-date=2021-02-27|website=The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library|language=en-gb}}</ref> and the lyrics began with the following verse:<blockquote>Up was I on my father's farm |
The famous folk song collector [[Cecil Sharp]] collected a version called "The Farmyard" in 1908 from a 74-year-old named Mrs. Goodey at [[Marylebone]] Workhouse, [[London]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Farmyard (Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) CJS2/10/1984)|url=https://www.vwml.org/record/CJS2/10/1984|access-date=2021-02-27|website=The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library|language=en-gb}}</ref> and the lyrics began with the following verse: |
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<blockquote>Up was I on my father's farm<br> |
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On a May day morning early;<br> |
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Feeding of my father's cows<br> |
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On a May day morning early; |
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On a May day morning early,<br> |
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With a moo moo here and a moo moo there,<br> |
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Feeding of my father's cows |
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Here a moo, there a moo, Here a pretty moo.<br> |
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Six pretty maids come and gang a-long o' me<br> |
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On a May day morning early, |
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To the merry green fields of the farm-yard. |
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</blockquote> |
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With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, |
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Here a moo, there a moo, Here a pretty moo. |
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Six pretty maids come and gang a-long o' me |
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To the merry green fields of the farm-yard.</blockquote> |
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Frederick Thomas Nettleingham's 1917 book ''Tommy's Tunes'', a collection of [[World War I]] era songs,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005894433 |title=Catalog Record: Tommy's tunes; a comprehensive collection of... |publisher=Catalog.hathitrust.org |access-date=25 June 2016}}</ref> includes a variant of the song called "Ohio" which lists nine species: [[horses]] (neigh-neigh), [[dogs]] (bow-wow), [[chickens|hens]] (cluck cluck), [[ducks]] (quack quack), [[cows]] (moo moo), [[pigs]] (oink oink), [[cats]] (meow meow), a [[goat]] (baa baa) and a [[donkey]] (hee-haw).<ref>"Ohio," ''Tommy's Tunes'', collected and arranged by F. T. Nettleingham (London, W.C. 1: Erskine Macdonald, Ltd., October 1917), [https://books.google.com/books?id=spNQAAAAYAAJ&q=Ohio pp. 84–85].</ref> The farmer is called "Old Macdougal", unlike in most other traditional versions where the farmer is unnamed.<blockquote>Old Macdougal had a farm. E-I-E-I-O, |
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And on that farm he had some dogs. E-I-E-I-O, |
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With a bow-wow here, and a bow-wow there, |
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Here a bow, there a wow, everywhere a bow-wow. |
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Frederick Thomas Nettleingham's 1917 book ''Tommy's Tunes'', a collection of [[World War I]] era songs,<ref>{{cite web |last=Nettleingham |first=Frederick Thomas |title=Tommy's tunes: a comprehensive collection of soldiers' songs, marching melodies, rude rhymes, and popular parodies |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005894433 |access-date=25 June 2016 |website=Catalog.hathitrust.org |publisher=E. Macdonald |publication-place=London |publication-date=1917}}</ref> includes a variant of the song called "Ohio" which lists nine species: [[horses]] (neigh-neigh), [[dogs]] (bow-wow/woof woof/ruff ruff), [[chickens]](hen=cluck cluck/[[Chick (young bird)|chicks]]=chick chick), [[ducks]] (quack quack), [[goose]] (Honk Honk), [[cows]] (moo moo), [[pigs]] (grunt grunt), [[cats]] (meow meow), sheep/[[goat]] (baa baa) and a [[donkey]]/[[mule]] (hee-haw).<ref>"Ohio," ''Tommy's Tunes'', collected and arranged by F. T. Nettleingham (London, W.C. 1: Erskine Macdonald, Ltd., October 1917), [https://books.google.com/books?id=spNQAAAAYAAJ&q=Ohio pp. 84–85].</ref> The farmer is called "Old Macdougal", unlike in most other traditional versions where the farmer is unnamed.<blockquote>Old Macdougal had a farm, E-I-E-I-O<br> |
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And on that farm he had some dogs, E-I-E-I-O<br> |
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With a bow-wow here, and a bow-wow there,<br> |
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Here a bow, there a bow, everywhere a bow-wow. |
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</blockquote> |
</blockquote> |
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===Traditional Ozark versions=== |
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The song seems to have been particularly popular in the [[ |
The song seems to have been particularly popular in the [[Ozark]] region of the [[United States]] before being standardised. A version was published in [[Vance Randolph]]'s ''Ozark Folksongs'' (1980) called "Old Missouri", sung by a Mr. H. F. Walker of [[Missouri]] in 1922. This version names different parts of the [[mule]] rather than different animals:<blockquote>Old Missouri had a mule, he-hi-he-hi-ho,<br> |
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And on this mule there were two ears, he-hi-he-hi-ho.<br> |
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With a flip-flop here and a flip-flop there,<br> |
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And on this mule there were two ears, he-hi-he-hi-ho. |
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And here a flop and there a flop and everywhere a flip-flop<br> |
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With a flip-flop here and a flip-flop there, |
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And here a flop and there a flop and everywhere a flip-flop |
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Old Missouri had a mule, he-hi-he-hi-ho.</blockquote>Several traditional [[Ozarks|Ozark]] versions which differ significantly from the standard version were recorded in the 1950s and 60s by different collectors; these recordings are available on the [[University of Arkansas]] online digital collection.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/1633|access-date=2021-02-27|website=digitalcollections.uark.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/3687|access-date=2021-02-27|website=digitalcollections.uark.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/292|access-date=2021-02-27|website=digitalcollections.uark.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/4838|access-date=2021-02-27|website=digitalcollections.uark.edu}}</ref> |
Old Missouri had a mule, he-hi-he-hi-ho.</blockquote>Several traditional [[Ozarks|Ozark]] versions which differ significantly from the standard version were recorded in the 1950s and 60s by different collectors; these recordings are available on the [[University of Arkansas]] online digital collection.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/1633|access-date=2021-02-27|website=digitalcollections.uark.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/3687|access-date=2021-02-27|website=digitalcollections.uark.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/292|access-date=2021-02-27|website=digitalcollections.uark.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/4838|access-date=2021-02-27|website=digitalcollections.uark.edu}}</ref> |
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[[File:TheSkilletLickers.jpg|thumb|328x328px|The [[Skillet Lickers]], c.1926]] |
[[File:TheSkilletLickers.jpg|thumb|328x328px|The [[Skillet Lickers]], c.1926]] |
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==Early recordings and origin of the famous version== |
==Early recordings and origin of the famous version== |
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The oldest version listed in The Traditional Ballad Index, is the Sam Patterson Trio's "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," released on the Edison label in 1925,<ref>{{cite web|title=Old macdonald had a farm|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gzIs8wCt4g}}</ref> followed by a version recorded by [[Skillet Lickers|Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers]] in 1927. These recordings may be the first known versions to use the now standard tune, and the first to name the farmer "Old MacDonald". It is unknown what the traditional source of these iconic elements was, but the American versions seem most similar, with their E-I-E-I-O refrains and "old" farmers mentioned in the first line. |
The oldest version listed in The Traditional Ballad Index, is the Sam Patterson Trio's "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," released on the Edison label in 1925,<ref>{{cite web|title=Old macdonald had a farm|website = [[YouTube]]| date=22 February 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gzIs8wCt4g |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/2gzIs8wCt4g |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> followed by a version recorded by [[Skillet Lickers|Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers]] in 1927. These recordings may be the first known versions to use the now standard tune, and the first to name the farmer "Old MacDonald". It is unknown what the traditional source of these iconic elements was, but the American versions seem most similar, with their E-I-E-I-O refrains and "old" farmers mentioned in the first line. |
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== Popular recordings and appearances in media == |
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In 1941, [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney]] produced a film called ''[[Old MacDonald Duck]]'' where [[Donald Duck]] worked on a farm and sang "Old MacDonald Had a Farm".<ref>{{Citation|last=King|first=Jack|title=Old MacDonald Duck|date=1941-09-12|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033974/|type=Family, Comedy, Animation, Short|others=Clementine, Clarence Nash|publisher=Walt Disney Productions|access-date=2021-03-09}}</ref> |
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In 1947, [[Nat King Cole]] recorded a version on his album ''[[King Cole for Kids]].'' |
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The song was played (with some cast participation) in the 1951 movie ''[[The Lavender Hill Mob]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=IMDb Lavender Hill Mob soundtracks|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044829/soundtrack|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref> |
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A variant was used in a [[1952 United States presidential election|1952]] campaign ad for [[Adlai Stevenson II]]'s unsuccessful campaign for [[President of the United States|President]] with slightly altered lyrics promoting the Stevenson campaign's appeal to farmers.<ref>{{cite web|date=29 March 1952|title=Commercials - 1952 - Let's Not Forget the Farmer|url=http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1952/lets-not-forget-the-farmer#3950|access-date=25 June 2016|publisher=[[The Living Room Candidate]]}}</ref> |
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[[Bing Crosby]] included the song in a medley on his album ''[[Join Bing and Sing Along]]'' (1959), then [[Frank Sinatra]] ([[Capitol Records|Capitol]], 1960), [[Elvis Presley]] (in his movie ''[[Double Trouble (1967 film)|Double Trouble]]'', 1967), and [[Ella Fitzgerald]] (on her 1967 Verve album ''[[Whisper Not (Ella Fitzgerald album)|Whisper Not]]'') recorded versions.<ref>{{cite web|last=alan moores|date=10 July 2009|title=Old MacDonald Had A Farm - Spike Jones|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlQ8dDJK0Ww|via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Wonderful World! {{pipe}} The Kelly Family Album {{pipe}} Yahoo! Music|url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/kelly-family/albums/wonderful-world--16895845|access-date=19 September 2011|publisher=New.music.yahoo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Old MacDonald {{pipe}} Ella...of Thee I Swing|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHb5sLLYV_U}}</ref> |
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In 1959, [[David Seville and the Chipmunks]] sing a cha-cha version of the song on the album "[[Let's All Sing with The Chipmunks]]". |
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In 1985, the Kidsongs Kids and a scarecrow sing it in the [[Kidsongs]] video "A Day at Old MacDonald's Farm". |
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Perhaps the most famous version was by the Baby Einstein Music Box Orchestra for the Baby Einstein video, Baby MacDonald. This version of the song plays in the Animals segment of the video. |
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During a performance at the 2014 [[Ultra Music Festival]] in [[Miami]], electronic musician [[deadmau5]] played a remix of the [[Martin Garrix]] song "[[Animals (Martin Garrix song)|Animals]]" that had its [[Drop (music)|drop]] changed to follow the tune of the song.<ref name="djmag-mau5troll">{{cite web|title=Deadmau5 trolls Martin Garrix live at Ultra|url=http://www.djmag.com/node/45302|access-date=March 31, 2014|work=DJMag}}</ref> |
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On an episode of [[Cheers|''Cheers'']], "Do Not Forsake Me O' My Postman", Sy Flembeck (portrayed by [[John Mahoney]]) used this melody as the bar's [[jingle]], but the words he made up were, ''"Beer and Pretzels that's our game, C-H-E-R-S"''. |
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==Translations== |
==Translations== |
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The lyrics have been translated from English into other languages and modified slightly to fit rhythmic and cultural requirements. In most languages below, it is still sung as a children's song to the same tune. |
The lyrics have been translated from English into other languages and modified slightly to fit rhythmic and cultural requirements. In most languages below, it is still sung as a children's song to the same tune. |
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* In [[Afrikaans language|Afrikaans]] the song is called ''Ou Oom Klasie het 'n plaas'' (meaning "Old Uncle Claus has a farm").<ref>{{ |
* In [[Afrikaans language|Afrikaans]] the song is called ''Ou Oom Klasie het 'n plaas'' (meaning "Old Uncle Claus has a farm").<ref>{{youTube|qSRC2RVpVDU|Ou Oom Klasie}}</ref> |
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* An [[Egyptian Arabic]] version of the song exists, with ''Geddo Ali'' (in Egyptian Arabic: جدو على, meaning "Grandpa Ali") as the farmer character. |
* An [[Egyptian Arabic]] version of the song exists, with ''Geddo Ali'' (in Egyptian Arabic: جدو على, meaning "Grandpa Ali") as the farmer character. |
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* In [[Armenian language|Armenian]], there is a translation under copyright by Karenn Presti published in 2017's ''My First Armenian Songbook.'' |
* In [[Armenian language|Armenian]], there is a translation under copyright by Karenn Presti published in 2017's ''My First Armenian Songbook.'' |
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* In [[Chinese language|Chinese]], there are several versions of the song with same tune. The most popular is ''Wáng lǎo xiānshēng yǒu kuài dì'' (in Chinese: 王老先生有块地, meaning "Old Mr. Wang had some land"). |
* In [[Chinese language|Chinese]], there are several versions of the song with same tune. The most popular is ''Wáng lǎo xiānshēng yǒu kuài dì'' (in Chinese: 王老先生有块地, meaning "Old Mr. Wang had some land"). |
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* In [[Czech language|Czech]], it is ''Strýček Donald farmu měl'' (meaning "Uncle Donald had a farm"). |
* In [[Czech language|Czech]], it is ''Strýček Donald farmu měl'' (meaning "Uncle Donald had a farm"). |
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* In [[Danish language|Danish]], it is ''Jens Hansen havde en bondegård'' (meaning "Jens Hansen had a farm").<ref>{{cite web|title=Jens Hansen havde en bondegård|url=http://sangetilboern.dk/jens-hansen-havde-en-bondegard/ |
* In [[Danish language|Danish]], it is ''Jens Hansen havde en bondegård'' (meaning "Jens Hansen had a farm").<ref>{{cite web |title=Jens Hansen havde en bondegård |trans-title=Jens Hansen had a farm |url=http://sangetilboern.dk/jens-hansen-havde-en-bondegard/ |access-date=2 April 2018 |website=Danske børnesange |language=Danish}}</ref> |
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* In [[Finnish language|Finnish]], it is ''Piippolan vaarilla oli talo'' (meaning "Grandpa Piippola had a house").<ref>{{cite web|title=Finnish Children Songs - Piippolan vaarilla oli talo (English translation)|url=https://lyricstranslate.com/en/piippolan-vaarilla-oli-talo-grandpa-piippola-had-house.html|website=Lyrics Translate|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref> |
* In [[Finnish language|Finnish]], it is ''Piippolan vaarilla oli talo'' (meaning "Grandpa Piippola had a house").<ref>{{cite web|title=Finnish Children Songs - Piippolan vaarilla oli talo (English translation)|url=https://lyricstranslate.com/en/piippolan-vaarilla-oli-talo-grandpa-piippola-had-house.html|website=Lyrics Translate|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref> |
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* In [[French language|French]], it is ''Dans la ferme de Mathurin'' (meaning "In Mathurin's farm").<ref>{{Citation | author1=Adams, Pam | author2=Lazure, Jacques |
* In [[French language|French]], it is ''Dans la ferme de Mathurin'' (meaning "In Mathurin's farm").<ref>{{Citation | author1=Adams, Pam | author2=Lazure, Jacques | title=Sur la ferme à Mathurin | date=1990 | publisher=Child's Play (International) | isbn=978-0-85953-461-1 }}</ref> |
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* In [[German language|German]], it is ''Onkel Jörg hat einen Bauernhof'' (meaning "Uncle Jörg has a farm").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kinder-lieder.com/onkel_joerg_hat_einen_bauernhof.html |
* In [[German language|German]], it is ''Onkel Jörg hat einen Bauernhof'' (meaning "Uncle Jörg has a farm").<ref>{{cite web |title=Onkel Jörg hat einen Bauernhof |trans-title=Uncle Jörg has a farm |url=http://www.kinder-lieder.com/onkel_joerg_hat_einen_bauernhof.html |access-date=24 August 2016 |website=www.kinder-lieder.com |language=German}}</ref> An alternative version is ''Old MacDonald hat 'ne Farm'' (short for ''eine Farm''), keeping the English name of the farmer, and translating the rest quite literally (meaning "Old MacDonald has a farm"). |
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* In [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], it is ''LaDod Moshe hayta chava'' (in Hebrew: לדוד משה הייתה חווה, meaning "Uncle Moses had a farm"). This version was translated by Avraham Broshi.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hebrew Children Songs |
* In [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], it is ''LaDod Moshe hayta chava'' (in Hebrew: לדוד משה הייתה חווה, meaning "Uncle Moses had a farm"). This version was translated by Avraham Broshi.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hebrew Children Songs – Ledod Moshe Hayta Chava (לדוד משה היתה חווה) (English translation)|url=https://lyricstranslate.com/en/ledod-moshe-hayta-chava-%D7%9C%D7%93%D7%95%D7%93-%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%94-%D7%97%D7%95%D7%95%D7%94-uncle-moses-had-farm.html|website=Lyrics Translate|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref> |
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* In [[Italian language|Italian]], it is ''Nella vecchia fattoria'' (meaning "In the old farm"). The farmer is ''Zio Tobia'' (meaning "Uncle Tobias").<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=877|website=Mama Lisa's World of Children and International Culture|title=Songs & Rhymes From Italy|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref> |
* In [[Italian language|Italian]], it is ''Nella vecchia fattoria'' (meaning "In the old farm"). The farmer is ''Zio Tobia'' (meaning "Uncle Tobias").<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=877|website=Mama Lisa's World of Children and International Culture|title=Songs & Rhymes From Italy|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref> |
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* In one [[Japanese language|Japanese]] version, it is ''Yukai-na Makiba'' (in Japanese: ゆかいな牧場, meaning "Happy farm"). Ichiro, Jiro, and Saburo are the farmers who have animals. |
* In one [[Japanese language|Japanese]] version, it is ''Yukai-na Makiba'' (in Japanese: ゆかいな牧場, meaning "Happy farm"). Ichiro, Jiro, and Saburo are the farmers who have animals. |
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* In [[Polish language|Polish]], it is ''Stary Donald farmę miał'' (meaning "Old Donald had a farm") or ''Pan McDonald farmę miał'' (meaning "Mr. McDonald had a farm"). |
* In [[Polish language|Polish]], it is ''Stary Donald farmę miał'' (meaning "Old Donald had a farm") or ''Pan McDonald farmę miał'' (meaning "Mr. McDonald had a farm"). |
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* In [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], the most common version is ''Na quinta do tio Manel'' (meaning "On the farm of Uncle Manel"), with alternate versions being ''Seu Lobato tinha um sítio'' (meaning "Mr. Lobato had a site") or even ''O velho McDonald tinha uma fazenda'' (meaning "Old MacDonald had a farm"). |
* In [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], the most common version is ''Na quinta do tio Manel'' (meaning "On the farm of Uncle Manel"), with alternate versions being ''Seu Lobato tinha um sítio'' (meaning "Mr. Lobato had a site") or even ''O velho McDonald tinha uma fazenda'' (meaning "Old MacDonald had a farm"). |
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* In [[Quebec French|Quebecois]], the most common version is ''Le vieux Mac Donald a une ferme'' (meaning "Old Donald had a farm"), and is a literal translation from English. |
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* In [[Russian language|Russian]], unofficial variation:"Дед МакДональд напевал И-ай,и-ай,О!" Translated by Leonid Zuborev cyril.: Леонид Зуборев<ref>http://www.stihi.ru/2017/12/05/2021</ref> |
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* In [[Russian language|Russian]], unofficial variation:"Дед МакДональд напевал И-ай,и-ай,О!" Translated by [[Leonid Zuborev]] cyril.: Леонид Зуборев<ref>{{Cite web |title=Дед МакДональд напевал Old MacDonald had a farm (Леонид Зуборев Зубарев) / Стихи.ру |url=http://www.stihi.ru/2017/12/05/2021 |language=Russian}}</ref> |
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* In [[Serbian language|Serbian]], it is, "Na salašu dede mog" (meaning "On my grandpa's farm"). |
* In [[Serbian language|Serbian]], it is, "Na salašu dede mog" (meaning "On my grandpa's farm"). |
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** In another Serbian version, it is '' |
** In another Serbian version, it is ''Čika Pera ima farmu'' (meaning "Uncle Pera has a farm"). |
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* In [[Slovene language|Slovene]], it is ''Na kmetiji je lepo'' (meaning "On a farm it is beautiful"). It can be a children's song, but in some versions of the song, the lyrics have been made from childish into vulgar, like a drinking song. |
* In [[Slovene language|Slovene]], it is ''Na kmetiji je lepo'' (meaning "On a farm it is beautiful"). It can be a children's song, but in some versions of the song, the lyrics have been made from childish into vulgar, like a drinking song. |
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* Some [[Spanish language|Spanish]] versions include ''En la granja de Pepito'' (meaning "On Pepito's farm"), ''El Viejo MacDonald tenía una granja'' (meaning "Old MacDonald had a farm"), ''El granjero tenía un campo'' (meaning "The farmer had a field"), or ''En la vieja factoría'' (meaning "In the old factory").<ref>{{cite web|title=Canción infantil de animales: En la granja de pepito|url=https://www.conmishijos.com/ocio-en-casa/letras-de-canciones/canciones-en-la-granja-de-pepito.html |
* Some [[Spanish language|Spanish]] versions include ''En la granja de Pepito'' (meaning "On Pepito's farm"), ''El Viejo MacDonald tenía una granja'' (meaning "Old MacDonald had a farm"), ''El granjero tenía un campo'' (meaning "The farmer had a field"), or ''En la vieja factoría'' (meaning "In the old factory").<ref>{{cite web |title=Canción infantil de animales: En la granja de pepito |trans-title=Children's song about animals: On Pepito's farm |url=https://www.conmishijos.com/ocio-en-casa/letras-de-canciones/canciones-en-la-granja-de-pepito.html |access-date=2 April 2018 |website=Conmishijos |language=Spanish}}</ref> "En la granja del tío Juan" (meaning "Uncle Juan's farm"). |
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* In [[Swedish language|Swedish]], it is ''Per Olsson hade en bonnagård'' (meaning "Per Olsson had a farm"). |
* In [[Swedish language|Swedish]], it is ''Per Olsson hade en bonnagård'' (meaning "Per Olsson had a farm"). |
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* |
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* In [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]], it is ''Дід Іван корівку має'' (meaning "Uncle Ivan has a cow"). |
* In [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]], it is ''Дід Іван корівку має'' (meaning "Uncle Ivan has a cow"). |
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* In [[Urdu language|Urdu]], it is ''عبد اللہ کا تھا ایک گاؤں'' (meaning "Abdullah had a village"). |
* In [[Urdu language|Urdu]], it is ''عبد اللہ کا تھا ایک گاؤں'' (meaning "Abdullah had a village"). |
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[[Category:1917 songs]] |
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Latest revision as of 12:32, 26 November 2024
"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" | |
---|---|
Nursery rhyme | |
Written | Unknown |
Published | Unknown |
Recorded | 1925 |
Songwriter(s) | Thomas d'Urfey (suggested) |
Lyricist(s) | Frederick Thomas Nettlingham |
"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" (sometimes shortened to Old MacDonald) is a traditional children's song and nursery rhyme about a farmer and the various animals he keeps. Each verse of the song changes the name of the animal and its respective noise. For example, if the verse uses a cow as the animal, then "moo" would be used as the animal's sound. In many versions, the song is cumulative, with the animal sounds from all the earlier verses added to each subsequent verse.[1]
The song was probably written[according to whom?] by Thomas d'Urfey for an opera in 1706, before existing as a folk song in Britain, Ireland and North America for hundreds of years in various forms then finally being standardised in the twentieth century. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 745.
The lyrics to the standard version begin as follows, with the animal sound changing with each verse:
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!
And on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O!
With a moo-moo here and a moo-moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo-moo,
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!
History
Thomas d'Urfey
The earliest variant of the song[according to whom?] is "In the Fields in Frost and Snow" from a 1706 opera called The Kingdom of the Birds or Wonders of the Sun written by the English writer and composer Thomas d'Urfey. This version begins:
In the Fields in Frost and Snows,
Watching late and early;
There I keep my Father's Cows,
There I Milk 'em Yearly:
Booing here, Booing there,
Here a Boo, there a Boo, every where a Boo,
We defy all Care and Strife,
In a Charming Country-Life.
It is unknown whether this was the origin of the song, or if his version of the song was based on a traditional song already in existence. Like modern versions, the animals change from verse to verse and the rhythm is very similar, but it uses a different minor key melody.
D'Urfey's opera was largely unsuccessful, but the song was recycled, being expanded and printed in d'Urfey's own Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy, vol. 2 (1719) and appearing in several operas throughout the eighteenth century such as John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepusch's Polly (1729). It also appeared on song sheets for decades, so it was presumably popular among ordinary English people in the eighteenth century whether it originated from the opera or not.[2]
Traditional English versions
Several versions were collected in England in around the turn of the twentieth century by folklorists, such as one called "The Farmyard Song" taken from a John Lloyd of Manchester in the 1880s by Anne Gilchrist, and another called "Father's Wood I O" collected in 1906 in Scotter, Lincolnshire by Percy Grainger; both of the original transcriptions of these versions are available via the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library website.[3][4]
The famous folk song collector Cecil Sharp collected a version called "The Farmyard" in 1908 from a 74-year-old named Mrs. Goodey at Marylebone Workhouse, London;[5] and the lyrics began with the following verse:
Up was I on my father's farm
On a May day morning early;
Feeding of my father's cows
On a May day morning early,
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo, Here a pretty moo.
Six pretty maids come and gang a-long o' me
To the merry green fields of the farm-yard.
Frederick Thomas Nettleingham's 1917 book Tommy's Tunes, a collection of World War I era songs,[6] includes a variant of the song called "Ohio" which lists nine species: horses (neigh-neigh), dogs (bow-wow/woof woof/ruff ruff), chickens(hen=cluck cluck/chicks=chick chick), ducks (quack quack), goose (Honk Honk), cows (moo moo), pigs (grunt grunt), cats (meow meow), sheep/goat (baa baa) and a donkey/mule (hee-haw).[7] The farmer is called "Old Macdougal", unlike in most other traditional versions where the farmer is unnamed.
Old Macdougal had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had some dogs, E-I-E-I-O
With a bow-wow here, and a bow-wow there,
Here a bow, there a bow, everywhere a bow-wow.
Traditional Ozark versions
The song seems to have been particularly popular in the Ozark region of the United States before being standardised. A version was published in Vance Randolph's Ozark Folksongs (1980) called "Old Missouri", sung by a Mr. H. F. Walker of Missouri in 1922. This version names different parts of the mule rather than different animals:
Old Missouri had a mule, he-hi-he-hi-ho,
And on this mule there were two ears, he-hi-he-hi-ho.
With a flip-flop here and a flip-flop there,
And here a flop and there a flop and everywhere a flip-flop
Old Missouri had a mule, he-hi-he-hi-ho.
Several traditional Ozark versions which differ significantly from the standard version were recorded in the 1950s and 60s by different collectors; these recordings are available on the University of Arkansas online digital collection.[8][9][10][11]
Early recordings and origin of the famous version
The oldest version listed in The Traditional Ballad Index, is the Sam Patterson Trio's "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," released on the Edison label in 1925,[12] followed by a version recorded by Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers in 1927. These recordings may be the first known versions to use the now standard tune, and the first to name the farmer "Old MacDonald". It is unknown what the traditional source of these iconic elements was, but the American versions seem most similar, with their E-I-E-I-O refrains and "old" farmers mentioned in the first line.
Translations
This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2017) |
The lyrics have been translated from English into other languages and modified slightly to fit rhythmic and cultural requirements. In most languages below, it is still sung as a children's song to the same tune.
- In Afrikaans the song is called Ou Oom Klasie het 'n plaas (meaning "Old Uncle Claus has a farm").[13]
- An Egyptian Arabic version of the song exists, with Geddo Ali (in Egyptian Arabic: جدو على, meaning "Grandpa Ali") as the farmer character.
- In Armenian, there is a translation under copyright by Karenn Presti published in 2017's My First Armenian Songbook.
- In Chinese, there are several versions of the song with same tune. The most popular is Wáng lǎo xiānshēng yǒu kuài dì (in Chinese: 王老先生有块地, meaning "Old Mr. Wang had some land").
- In Czech, it is Strýček Donald farmu měl (meaning "Uncle Donald had a farm").
- In Danish, it is Jens Hansen havde en bondegård (meaning "Jens Hansen had a farm").[14]
- In Finnish, it is Piippolan vaarilla oli talo (meaning "Grandpa Piippola had a house").[15]
- In French, it is Dans la ferme de Mathurin (meaning "In Mathurin's farm").[16]
- In German, it is Onkel Jörg hat einen Bauernhof (meaning "Uncle Jörg has a farm").[17] An alternative version is Old MacDonald hat 'ne Farm (short for eine Farm), keeping the English name of the farmer, and translating the rest quite literally (meaning "Old MacDonald has a farm").
- In Hebrew, it is LaDod Moshe hayta chava (in Hebrew: לדוד משה הייתה חווה, meaning "Uncle Moses had a farm"). This version was translated by Avraham Broshi.[18]
- In Italian, it is Nella vecchia fattoria (meaning "In the old farm"). The farmer is Zio Tobia (meaning "Uncle Tobias").[19]
- In one Japanese version, it is Yukai-na Makiba (in Japanese: ゆかいな牧場, meaning "Happy farm"). Ichiro, Jiro, and Saburo are the farmers who have animals.
- In another Japanese version, it is Makku no Ojisan (in Japanese: マックのおじさん, meaning "Old man Mac"), sounds playfully like the Western version.
- In Kansai Japanese, there is a parody song called Osaka Umaimon no Uta (in Japanese: 大阪うまいもんの歌, meaning "Yummy foods in Osaka") made by an Osakan puppet play troupe in 1993.
- In Korean, it is Geulae geulaeseo (in Korean: '그래 그래서', meaning "Yes, so"). In this version, the farmer "Old Mr. Park" has a farm and animals.
- In Malay, it is Pak Atan Ada Ladang (meaning "Uncle Atan had a farm").
- In Persian, it is پیرمرد مهربون (meaning "Kind old man").
- In Polish, it is Stary Donald farmę miał (meaning "Old Donald had a farm") or Pan McDonald farmę miał (meaning "Mr. McDonald had a farm").
- In Portuguese, the most common version is Na quinta do tio Manel (meaning "On the farm of Uncle Manel"), with alternate versions being Seu Lobato tinha um sítio (meaning "Mr. Lobato had a site") or even O velho McDonald tinha uma fazenda (meaning "Old MacDonald had a farm").
- In Quebecois, the most common version is Le vieux Mac Donald a une ferme (meaning "Old Donald had a farm"), and is a literal translation from English.
- In Russian, unofficial variation:"Дед МакДональд напевал И-ай,и-ай,О!" Translated by Leonid Zuborev cyril.: Леонид Зуборев[20]
- In Serbian, it is, "Na salašu dede mog" (meaning "On my grandpa's farm").
- In another Serbian version, it is Čika Pera ima farmu (meaning "Uncle Pera has a farm").
- In Slovene, it is Na kmetiji je lepo (meaning "On a farm it is beautiful"). It can be a children's song, but in some versions of the song, the lyrics have been made from childish into vulgar, like a drinking song.
- Some Spanish versions include En la granja de Pepito (meaning "On Pepito's farm"), El Viejo MacDonald tenía una granja (meaning "Old MacDonald had a farm"), El granjero tenía un campo (meaning "The farmer had a field"), or En la vieja factoría (meaning "In the old factory").[21] "En la granja del tío Juan" (meaning "Uncle Juan's farm").
- In Swedish, it is Per Olsson hade en bonnagård (meaning "Per Olsson had a farm").
- In Ukrainian, it is Дід Іван корівку має (meaning "Uncle Ivan has a cow").
- In Urdu, it is عبد اللہ کا تھا ایک گاؤں (meaning "Abdullah had a village").
See also
References
- ^ "Old MacDonald Had a Farm". www.csufresno.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-05-12. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ "In the Fields in Frost and Snow". The Traditional Tune Archive. 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
- ^ "The Farmyard Song (Harry Albino Manuscript Collection HHA/21/1)". The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ "Father's Wood I O (Percy Grainger Manuscript Collection PG/5/155)". The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ "The Farmyard (Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) CJS2/10/1984)". The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ Nettleingham, Frederick Thomas (1917). "Tommy's tunes: a comprehensive collection of soldiers' songs, marching melodies, rude rhymes, and popular parodies". Catalog.hathitrust.org. London: E. Macdonald. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
- ^ "Ohio," Tommy's Tunes, collected and arranged by F. T. Nettleingham (London, W.C. 1: Erskine Macdonald, Ltd., October 1917), pp. 84–85.
- ^ "CONTENTdm". digitalcollections.uark.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ "CONTENTdm". digitalcollections.uark.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ "CONTENTdm". digitalcollections.uark.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ "CONTENTdm". digitalcollections.uark.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ "Old macdonald had a farm". YouTube. 22 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^ Ou Oom Klasie on YouTube
- ^ "Jens Hansen havde en bondegård" [Jens Hansen had a farm]. Danske børnesange (in Danish). Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Finnish Children Songs - Piippolan vaarilla oli talo (English translation)". Lyrics Translate. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Adams, Pam; Lazure, Jacques (1990), Sur la ferme à Mathurin, Child's Play (International), ISBN 978-0-85953-461-1
- ^ "Onkel Jörg hat einen Bauernhof" [Uncle Jörg has a farm]. www.kinder-lieder.com (in German). Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Hebrew Children Songs – Ledod Moshe Hayta Chava (לדוד משה היתה חווה) (English translation)". Lyrics Translate. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Songs & Rhymes From Italy". Mama Lisa's World of Children and International Culture. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "Дед МакДональд напевал Old MacDonald had a farm (Леонид Зуборев Зубарев) / Стихи.ру" (in Russian).
- ^ "Canción infantil de animales: En la granja de pepito" [Children's song about animals: On Pepito's farm]. Conmishijos (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- Year of song unknown
- American folk songs
- Elvis Presley songs
- Frank Sinatra songs
- American children's songs
- Traditional children's songs
- Songs about animals
- Songs about farmers
- Songs about fictional male characters
- Fictional farms
- Fictional farmers
- American nursery rhymes
- Cumulative songs
- Songs with unknown songwriters
- 1917 songs