- Written by
- [Traditional]
- Language
- English
- Comments
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"Buffalo Gals (Won't You Come Out Tonight)" is frequently said to have been composed by the blackface minstrel performer, John Hodges (who used the stage name "Cool White"). He copyrighted a song he called "Lubly Fan Will You Come Out Tonight?" in 1844, which used the melody now commonly associated with "Buffalo Gals". This tune has been traced back in published form to 1839, where it appears in a collection of dance tunes entitled "Virginia Reels, Selected and Arranged for the Piano Forte" as "Midnight Serenade" so Cool White's tune was not original with him. At least one scholar has suggested that "Buffalo Gals" was inspired by the English singing game, "Pray, Pretty Miss".
In 1845 another blackface minstrel group, The Ethiopian Serenaders" published sheet music for "Philadelphia Gals", which had the typical set of "Buffalo Gals" lyrics, except substituting "Philadelphia" for "Buffalo". In 1848, The Ethiopian Serenaders published another version of this song as "Buffalo Gals". In neither case did The Ethiopian Serenaders attribute an author to either the tune or the lyrics. Edward Christy, the leader of perhaps the most popular blackface minstrel group, Christy's Minstrels, did obtain a copyright on the music and lyrics to "Buffalo Gals" in 1848, although both tune and at least substantially similar lyrics predated the copyright.
Fiddlin' John Carson recorded the song in 1924 as "Alabama Gal (Won't You Come Out Tonight?)". Also can be performed as "Round Town Girls (or Gals)" instead of "Buffalo Girls (or Gals)". - Licensing
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Song
Versions
Buffalo Gals written by [Traditional] English
Buffalo Gals written by [Traditional] instrumental
Dance with a Dolly (With a Hole in Her Stocking) written by Jimmy Eaton, David Kapp, Terry Shand English