Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John

DESCRIPTION: "Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John, Went to bed with his trousers on, One shoe off, and one shoe on, Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1805 (Songs for the Nursery, according to the Opies)
KEYWORDS: food clothes nonballad
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Opie/Opie-OxfordDictionaryOfNurseryRhymes 275, "Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John" (1 text )
Baring-Gould-AnnotatedMotherGoose #129, p. 106, "(Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John)"
Dolby-OrangesAndLemons, p. 65, "Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John" (1 text)
Kane-SongsAndSayingsOfAnUlsterChildhood, p. 31, "Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John" (1 text)
Roud #19709
NOTES [110 words]: The first words, "DIddle, diddle, dumpling," are reputed to be the cry of street-sellers offering dumplings. Where the rest of the poem came from is not clear.
In 1882, Arthur Lloyd took this chorus and turned it into a full-blown song beginning
My son John was a fast young fellow,
Every night came home half on,
With regret I have to own it,
Fond of sprees was my son John.
I see no evidence that Lloyd's text ever became traditional. I certainly would regard it as a separate song, though Roud does not appear to split them. I have not indexed the Lloyd text. Those who wish to see itmay visit FolkSongAndMusicHall, "Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John." - RBW
Last updated in version 7.0
File: OO275

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