"Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" is a minstrel song penned by

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

James A. Bland James Alan Bland (October 22, 1854 – May 5, 1911), also known as Jimmy Bland, was an American musician, song writer, and minstrel performer. He is best known for the song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" which was the official State Song o ...

in 1879, is particularly well known as a bluegrass

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

standard. By 1880, the song have exceeded the 100,000 copies sold.

Overview

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 set in the style of a spiritual, the song is apparently a parody of the spiritual " Golden Slippers", popularized after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

by the

Fisk Jubilee Singers The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American ''a cappella'' ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditiona ...

. Today "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" is often referred to simply as "Golden Slippers", further obscuring the original spiritual. The song's first stanza tells of the protagonist setting aside such fine clothes as golden slippers, a long-tailed coat and a white robe for a chariot ride in the morning (presumably to

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

). This leads to the refrain: Oh, dem golden slippers! / Oh, dem golden slippers! / Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear, dey look so neat; / Oh, dem golden slippers! / Oh, dem golden slippers! / Golden slippers Ise gwine to wear, / To walk de golden street. The second stanza describes the protagonist meeting up with other family members after his chariot ride. In the third, the protagonist tells children to prepare themselves for their own chariot ride.

Lyrics

Oh, my golden slippers am laid away, Kase I don't 'spect to wear 'em till my weddin' day, And my long-tail'd coat, dat I loved so well, I will wear up in de chariot in de morn; And my long white robe dat I bought last June, I'm gwine to git changed kase it fits too soon, And de ole grey hoss dat I used to drive, I will hitch him to de chariot in de morn.
HORUS Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...
Oh, dem golden slippers! Oh, dem golden slippers! Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear, dey look so neat; Oh, dem golden slippers! Oh, dem golden slippers! Golden slippers Ise gwine to wear, To walk de golden street. Oh, my ole banjo hangs on de wall, Kase it ain't been tuned since way last fall, But de darks all say we will hab a good time, When we ride up in de chariot in de morn; Dars ole Brudder Ben and Sister Luce, Dey will telegraph de news to Uncle Bacco Juice, What a great camp meetin' der will be dat day, When we ride up in de chariot in de morn.
HORUS Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...
So, it's good-bye, children, I will have to go Whar de rain don't fall or de wind don't blow, And yer ulster coats, why, yer will not need, When yer ride up in de chariot in de morn; But yer golden slippers must be nice and clean, And yer age must be just sweet sixteen, And yer white kid gloves yer will have to wear, When yer ride up in de chariot in de mornin'.

Cultural references

* The song is well-known today as the unofficial theme song of the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Mummers Parade The Mummers Parade is held each New Year's Day in Philadelphia. Local clubs (usually called "New Years Associations" or "New Years Brigades") compete in one of five categories (Comics, Wench Brigades, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades). ...

. * The song, by then long in

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...

, was used in early American television commercials for Golden Grahams cereal in the 1970s, with the refrain reworked in various ways around the phrase "Oh, those Golden Grahams". * The

Chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

of this song is performed by the musicians who can be seen in the Film

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in '' St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of ''St. Nicholas'') in 1886. The ill ...

. * The Prince Myshkins, a folk duo, included a version of the song with new lyrics on their 2000 album "Shiny Round Object". "Lyrics" tab leads to "Songs from Shiny Round Object (2000)", then "Golden Slippers" link leads to revised lyrics. * A snippet of the song is sung during the "Steps of Life" sequence of the

Ward Kimball Ward Walrath Kimball (March 4, 1914 – July 8, 2002) was an American animator employed by Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was part of Walt Disney's main team of animators, known collectively as Disney's Nine Old Men. His films have been honored ...

short ''

Melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...

''.

References

{{reflist African-American cultural history Blackface minstrel songs History of Philadelphia 1879 songs Songs written by James A. Bland