''Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me'' or ''Shew! fly, don't bother me'' is a

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spe ...

song from the 1860s that has remained popular since that time. It was sung by soldiers during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

of 1898, when flies and the

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

mosquito were a serious enemy.

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

included the song in a medley on his album ''

Join Bing and Sing Along ''Join Bing and Sing Along'' is a long-playing vinyl album issued first by RCA Victor (LPM/LSP-2276) and immediately thereafter by Warner Bros. Records (W/WS-1363) in 1960. The album consists of twelve medleys of 33 old songs in a singalong forma ...

'' (1959). Today, it is commonly sung by children, and has been recorded on many children's records, including '' Disney Children's Favorite Songs 3'', performed by

Larry Groce Larry Groce (born April 22, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and radio host. From 1983 until 2021, Groce served as the host and artistic director of '' Mountain Stage'', a two-hour live music radio program produced by West Virginia Public ...

and the Disneyland Children's Sing-Along Chorus.

Composition

The song became popular on the minstrel stage in 1869, and several claims have been made for its composition. An anonymously written 1895 New York ''Herald'' article on the history of

dancing gave this history: Theater historian Eugene Cropsey also credited Dan Bryant with introducing the song to the public in October, 1869.Cropsey, Eugene H
Crosby's Opera House: symbol of Chicago's cultural awakening
p. 270 (1999) The version sung by

Bryant's Minstrels Bryant's Minstrels was a blackface minstrel troupe that performed in the mid-19th century, primarily in New York City. The troupe was led by the O'Neill brothers from upstate New York, who took the stage name Bryant.Mahar 38. History The eldest ...

served, in 1869, as the title number in ''Dan Bryant’s Shoo Fly Songster''. "Shoo Fly" is among the songs ("

John Brown's Body "John Brown's Body" (originally known as "John Brown's Song") is a United States marching song about the abolitionist John Brown. The song was popular in the Union during the American Civil War. The tune arose out of the folk hymn tradition of t ...

" is another) claimed as compositions by T. Brigham Bishop. According to Bishop's account, he wrote "Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me" during the Civil War while assigned to command a company of black soldiers. One of the soldiers, dismissing some remarks of his fellow soldiers, exclaimed "Shoo fly, don't bother me," which inspired Bishop to write the song, including in the lyrics the unit's designation, "Company G". Bishop claimed that the song was "pirated" from him, and that he made little money from it.(8 November 1905)
The Author of "Shoo Fly"
''

Reading Eagle The ''Reading Eagle'' is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania. A family-owned newspaper until the spring of 2019, its reported circulation is 37,000 (daily) and 50,000 (Sundays). It serves the Reading and Berks County region of Pe ...

'' (stating that T. Allston Brown, had vouched for this account) Bishop published a sheet music version of the song in 1869 ( White, Smith & Perry). That version includes the caption, "Original Copy and Only Authorized Edition."Shoo Fly
Duke University library collection Other sources have credited Billy Reeves (lyrics) and Frank Campbell, or Rollin Howard, with the song.The blue book of Tin Pan Alley
p. 9 (1965) An early publication appeared as "Shew! Fly, Don't Bother Me. Comic Song and Dance or Walk Round. Sung by Cool Burgess and Rollin Howard, melody by Frank Campbell, words by Billy Reeves, arr. by Rollin Howard.""Shew! Fly, Don't Bother Me" Words and music: T. Brigham Bishop (?); pub.:White, Smith & Perry, Boston, 1869.Eric Partridge and Paul Beale, ''A Dictionary of Catch Phrases: British and American'', from the Sixteenth Century to the Present Day, pp. 408–409. Published by Routledge, 1986, SBN 041505916X, 9780415059169.

Lyrics

One version of the song, recorded in 1889, runs: :I feel, I feel, I feel, :I feel like a morning star. :I feel, I feel, I feel, :I feel like a morning star. ::Shoo fly, don't bother me, ::Shoo fly, don't bother me, ::Shoo fly, don't bother me, ::I belong to the Company G. :There's music in the air, :My mother said to me; :There's music in the air, :My mother said to me. ::Shoo fly, don't bother me, ::Shoo fly, don't bother me, ::Shoo fly, don't bother me, ::I belong to the Company G. Other versions include verses such as: :I think I hear the angels sing, :I think I hear the angels sing, :I think I hear the angels sing, :The angels now are on the wing. :I feel, I feel, I feel, :That's what my mother said. :The angels pouring 'lasses down, :Upon this nigger's head. Today, it is often only the chorus that is sung.

In popular culture

During a dinner table scene in the 1992 teen comedy ''

Encino Man ''Encino Man'' (known as ''California Man'' in France, Finland, Sweden, Great Britain, Asia, South Africa, and New Zealand) is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Les Mayfield in his directorial debut. The film stars Sean Astin, with a suppo ...

'', Stoney Brown (

Pauly Shore Paul Montgomery Shore (born February 1, 1968) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his roles in 1990s comedy films. Shore began as a stand-up comedian at the age of 17, before becoming an MTV VJ in 1989. This led to a sta ...

) quietly sings "Shoo Fly" while Link (

Brendan Fraser Brendan James Fraser ( ; born December 3, 1968) is an American-Canadian actor known for his leading roles in blockbusters, comedies, and dramatic films. Having graduated from the Cornish College of the Arts in 1990, he made his film debut in '' ...

) tracks a fly around the room. It has been used in Tuneland with a flying shoe. It is featured in the 1935

Betty Boop Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick.Pointer (2017) She originally appeared in the ''Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer ...

cartoon ''

Swat the Fly ''Swat the Fly'' is a 1935 Fleischer Studios animated short film directed by Dave Fleischer Dave Fleischer (; July 14, 1894 – June 25, 1979) was an American film director and producer, best known as a co-owner of Fleischer Studios with hi ...

''. It was frequently employed as background music in classic

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

, as well as modern-day Warner Bros. series such as ''

Animaniacs ''Animaniacs'' is an American animated comedy musical television series created by Tom Ruegger for Fox Broadcasting Company's Fox Kids block in 1993, before moving to The WB in 1995, as part of its Kids' WB afternoon programming block, unti ...

'', ''

Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries ''The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries'' is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation which aired from September 9, 1995 to February 5, 2000 on Kids' WB. The final episode, containing the segments "The Tail End?" and ...

'', and ''

Pinky, Elmyra and The Brain ''Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain'' is the retooling of the American animated television series ''Pinky and the Brain'' (itself being a spin-off from ''Animaniacs''), with the title characters being joined by Elmyra Duff from ''Tiny Toon Adventures''. ...

''. In the 1994 movie "Maverick", starring Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster the song is being played by the brass band on the Lauren Belle riverboat prior to the big card game. (1hr 19mins into the movie). In the 1998

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...

film ''

A Bug's Life ''A Bug's Life'' is a 1998 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It was the second feature-length film produced by Pixar. Directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Andrew Stant ...

'', Francis the Ladybug references the song's title. The Australian children's show '' Play School'' recorded a version for the albums ''

There's A Bear In There ''Play School'' is an Australian educational television show for children produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It is the longest-running children's show in Australia and the second-longest-running children's show worldwide ...

'', sung by

Noni Hazlehurst Leonie Elva "Noni" Hazlehurst , (born 17 August 1953) is an Australian actress, director, writer, presenter and broadcaster who has appeared on television and radio, in dramas, mini-series and made for television films, as well also on stag ...

, and ''In The Car'', sung by

John Hamblin John Reginald Hamblin (18 March 1935 – 21 September 2022), known affectionately as "Funny John" or "Naughty John", was a British-born Australian children's television presenter and actor of stage and screen who appeared in theatre productions ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Henry Reed's performance from the Library Of Congress
American children's songs 1869 songs Blackface minstrel songs American folk songs Songs about insects Fictional flies

Composition

Lyrics

In popular culture

See also

References

External links