Shoo Fly Bodder (1 results)

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Philada, PA: A.W. Auner, 1869. 20 x 12.5 cm. Single sheet printed on one side, presumed published in 1869. Foxing to sheet, with small nicks along edges. Sheet has been folded twice horizontally, and once vertically. Although the origins of the song 'Shoo Fly!' are a matter of debate, what is certain is that the song became wildly popular in 1869 in minstrel shows. This early song sheet published by A.W. Auner contains the words to the song, and refers to the publication of White, Smith & Perry of Boston for the sheet music, which attributes the words to Billy Reeves and the composition to Rollin Howard, who was a white minstrel performer who was best known for his female blackface impersonations. The words printed here differ from the sheet music version in that the words are written in a African-American vernacular, using 'de' and 'dis' instead of 'the' and 'this'. The lyrics also repeatedly use the pejorative term for African-Americans repeatedly, which has long since been removed from the modern version of the song. Just the phrase itself, 'Shoo, fly! Don't bodder me!' became immensely popular in its own right, and "afflicted the American people for at least two years" according to H.L. Mencken. At any rate, this song sheet produced in Philadelphia is an excellent example of an early printing of the vernacular lyrics of a wildly popular minstrel song. The OCLC locates only one other copy in institutional holdings. . Single Sheet. Very Good.