O Dem Golden Slippers

"O Dem Golden Slippers" is a popular song commonly sung by blackface performers in the 19th century. The song, penned by African-American James A. Bland in 1879, is considered an American standard today. It is particularly well-known as a bluegrass instrumental standard.

Overview

A minstrel show 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 by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. [ [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/smhtml/audiodir.html#7901966 Library of Congress sheet-music page that includes background on this song and an audio sample. (Accessed 2008-01-09)] ] Today "O Dem Golden Slippers" is often referred to simply as "Golden Slippers", further obscuring the original spiritual. [ [http://web.cfa.arizona.edu/southwest/TMY_files/mp3/TMY-1993-R3-13.mp3 University of Arizona MP3 recording of an instrumental performance of the song, introduced as "Golden Slippers". (Accessed 2008-01-09)] ]

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).

This leads to the refrain: Oh, dem golden slippers! / Oh, dem golden slippers! / Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear, because 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. [ [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mussm&fileName=sm/sm1879/01900/01966/mussm01966.db&recNum=0&itemLink=r?ammem/mussm:@field(NUMBER+@band(sm1879+01966))&linkText=0 Library of Congress scans of sheet music. (Accessed 2008-01-09)] ]

Cultural references

* The song is well-known today as the unofficial theme song of the Philadelphia Mummers Parade. [ [http://www.phila.gov/recreation/mummers/Mummers_History.html "O Dem Golden Slippers" homepage at Philadelphia Civil government website. (Accessed 2008-01-09)] ]

* Also well-known nowadays in the brass band movement as the classic cornet solo "Golden Slippers". Composed by Salvationist [http://www.salvationarmy-usaeast.org/SApublish/goodnews/gn_article.cfm?article_id=418 Norman Bearcroft] , this solo has been made famous by virtuoso Salvation Army cornetist [http://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/cds/cd112.asp David Daws] . [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBzODqvPDEY Video of performance of Salvation Army Band "O Dem Golden Slippers" variation with David Daws cornet solo. (Accessed 2008-01-09)] ]

* The song is used in a key scene in the 1948 John Ford film Fort Apache, in a dance at the fort shortly before the arrogant Colonel Thursday (Henry Fonda) leads his men into a senseless and tragic massacre. [ [http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2006/06/oh-dem-golden-slippers.html Discussion of dance scene in Fort Apache film featuring "O Dem Golden Slippers". (Accessed 2008-01-09)] ] (Ironically, the song would likely not have been published at the time the movie's story takes place.)

* The song, by then long in public domain, 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". [Timothy P. O'Neill, "Creighton Law Review",April 2004. [http://www.jmls.edu/facultypubs/oneill/oneill_article_two.shtml "Two Concepts of Liberty Valance: John Ford, Isaiah Berlin, and Tragic Choice on the Frontier"] . Accessed 9 January 2008.]

* In The Simpsons episode Deep Space Homer, during a dangerous reentry, Homer Simpson sings the reworked "Golden Grahams" theme to calm himself, while his fellow astronauts hum "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". [David Mirkin, "The Simpsons", 24 February 1994. "Deep Space Homer". [http://www.cs.umd.edu/users/dabe/txt/deep.space.homer Transcript available] . Accessed 9 January 2008.] (This is itself a reference to the movie version of Tom Wolfe's book "The Right Stuff", and its John Glenn reentry sequence. [James Kelly, "Time", 3 October 1983. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,926242,00.html "From Hero To Candidate"] . Accessed 9 January 2008.] )

Derived works

On their 2000 album Shiny Round Object, folk band The Prince Myshkins recorded a version of the song (titled "Golden Slippers") with alternate lyrics excoriating materialist values of some wealthy white Americans. [ [http://www.princemyshkins.com Website of musical group The Prince Myshkins, including their altered "Golden Slippers" lyrics. (Accessed 2008-10-05)] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0H_hqN54Gs Video of 1970s-era Golden Grahams commercial, as recorded from broadcast TV. (Accessed 2008-01-09)]