BUFFALO GALS
Then Pa took his fiddle out of its box and began
to play, and all the couples stood in squares on
the floor and began to dance when Pa called the
figures... -- Little House in the Big Woods,
Chapter 8, "Dance at Grandpa's"
"Buffalo Gals" was introduced by the Virginia Minstrels in 1844. Composed by Cool White, it was originally titled "Lubly Fan." A few years later, Christy's Minstrels sang the same tune and called it "Bowery Girls." It was later changed to "Buffalo Gals." Soon, it became the practice of minstrel troupes to change the lyrics to the name of the place they were performing in, hence: "Alabama Gals," "Pittsburgh Gals," etc. "Buffalo," therefore, refers to the city, not the animal.
Cool White was the stage name of John Hodges (1821-1891), one of the first black-face minstrels. He was considered one of the most renowned minstrels after only E.P. Christy himself. Hodges made his debut in Pennsylvania in the 1830s; in the 1840s, he performed mainly in Pittsburgh, singing minstrel songs in the theater between acts.
In the existing manuscripts for Little House in the Big Woods, the story about the dance at Grandpa's is much abbreviated: there is no jigging scene and no specific songs are mentioned. Laura Ingalls Wilder only wrote that Pa took out his fiddle and played and called the figures while people danced. Laura's feet couldn't keep still, and when Uncle George saw her, he caught her by the hand and did a little dance with her at one side.
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BUFFALO GALS
1. As I was walking down the street Down the street, down the street, A pretty gal I chance to meet Under the silvery moon.
[Chorus] Buffalo gals, won't you come out tonight? Come out tonight, Come out tonight? Buffalo gals, won't you come out tonight, And dance by the light of the moon.
2. I asked her if she'd stop and talk, Stop and talk, Stop and talk, Her feet covered up the whole sidewalk, She was fair to view.
3. I asked her if she'd be my wife, Be my wife, be my wife Then I'd be happy all my life, If she'd marry me. |
BUFFALO GALS (from Little House in the Big Woods)
Oh, you Buffalo gals, Aren't you coming out tonight, Aren't you coming out tonight, Aren't you coming out tonight, Oh, you Buffalo gals, Aren't you coming out tonight, To dance by the light of the moon?
Use the navigation bar above to listen to "Buffalo Gals" - midi sequence by John Renfro Davis. If you do not see the midi player above, click HERE to listen.
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