Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

DESCRIPTION: "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay, My, oh, my, what a wonderful day, Plenty of sunshine headin' my way, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!" There is a bluebird on the singer's shoulder.
AUTHOR: Words: Ray Gilbert / Music: Allie Wrubel (source: Wikipedia)
EARLIEST DATE: 1946 (movie "Song of the South")
KEYWORDS: bird nonballad campsong
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, p. 174, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (notes only)
SAME TUNE:
Zip Up Your Doo-Dah (Pankake/Pankake-PrairieHomeCompanionFolkSongBook, p. 163)
NOTES [122 words]: The movie "Song of the South" has been widely condemned for its stereotypes, featuring James Baskett as Uncle Remus. This song is reasonably safe, though. It certainly isn't a folk song in any ordinary sense, but Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs list quite a few collections, so here it is.
It has been suggested that this was somewhat influenced by "Old Zip Coon (I)." Possible, but hardly a recommendation.
Edward Foote Gardner, Popular Songs of the Twentieth Century: Volume I -- Chart Detail & Encyclopedia 1900-1949, Paragon House, 2000, p. 491, estimates that this was the fifteenth most popular song in America in 1947, peaking at #5 in January 1947 (#1 for the year being Alfred Bryan and Fred Fisher's "Peg o' My Heart"). - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: ACSF174Z

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