Posted on 08/14/2020 8:53:19 AM PDT by bkopto
RZA, of the Wu-Tang Clan, has partnered with Good Humor to write a cheerful new ice cream truck jingle in place of “Turkey in the Straw” — an earworm with a troubled history long criticized for being racist.
“[The] melody originated from British and Irish folk songs, which had no racial connotations,” Good Humor wrote of “Turkey in the Straw” in a statement on its website. “But the song itself was first performed (and gained popularity) in American minstrel shows in the 1800s. Some songs using its same melody contained highly offensive, racist lyrics.”
“While these associations of ‘Turkey in the Straw’ are not the only part of its legacy, it is undeniable that this melody conjures memories of its racist iterations,” Good Humor added.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
When I was growing up Turkey in the Straw was not the ice cream truck song.
I remember the song well but don’t know it’s name.
Anyone remember?
Ok, we can ban Rap and Hip Hop for those same reasons.
Is there anyone still around who ever went to a minstrel show? Is there anyone around who knows the lyrics to Turkey in the Straw? I had to look it up and fail to find anything offensive.
I have a collection of old 78’s
Quite a few have zero market value
due to the, uh, “cultural” (cough-cough) songs on them.
I remember hearing “And the Band Played On”. The ice cream wagon was drawn by an old mule who knew the entire route and stopped whenever kids approached.
All the driver did was sell ice cream & Popcicles.
The ice cream trucks when I was a kid played that tune but I never realized it was the tune from “Turkey in the Straw.” Like Solon, I grow old always learning new things.
Associated with a song called Old Zip
Coon.One version from 1916 was called
N——r Love A Watermelon Ha Ha Ha
Here’s a version of Old Zip Coon by
The 2nd South Carolina String Band
This group does a great version of
Dixie.One version of that on youtube
was done at a spirited festival in
Gettysburg.Dixie’s melody is also used
in To Arms In Dixie, here by
Tennessee Ernie Ford
https://youtu.be/—mHN-8O9Cw
“To arms, to arms, and conquer
peace for Dixie”
So they partner with a rapper with a history of controversial lyrics? Stupidity
The song was also used to
teach state capitals (!) on the cartoon
Animaniacs
Funny, I always thought they were playing “Do ye ken John Peel”, another old old song that nobody knows the original words to.
Here’s another racist oldie but goodie - Oh Susanna!
Cued to the time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=54&v=qSIj17xbAyk
Wu-Tang Clan? I can just hear some of the wholesome Shakespearen lyrics now.
“Buy some ice cream, n##ga, or imma put a cap in yo ass”. Along with numerous references to “ma bitch”, muh d##k,”motherfu##ker”
Darkie picks the cotton
White man makes the money.
Every time I hear it, it makes me laugh, because it would make the head of any SJW moron explode, while at the same time being a bit of social commentary about the truth of the matter.
Yes.
Then there’s the clip of Al Jolson
and a bunch of musicians doing Camptown
Races.All of them in bkackface.
Blackface
Almost reminds me of a couplet from Holiday in Cambodia by punk’s Dead Kennedys
Kiss ass while you bitch so you can get rich
But your boss gets richer off you
(from same song:”braggin’ that you know how the n——rs feel the cold/and the slum’s got so much soul”)
If the new song is what’s played on the intro video, it’s “ice cream truck-ish” yet completely forgettable.
WuTang did music for movie “Ghost Dog” (excellent though odd). One song was about baking cakes; I spent much time trying to figure or what the drug/sex/violence references were, then realized there weren’t any - it’s just a rap song about baking cakes.
I’ve seem that Jolson one as well. I find it astonishing that all these haven’t been disappeared on YT.
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