Bingo (song)
Encyclopedia
"Bingo", also known as "Bingo Was His Name-O" and "There Was a Farmer Who Had a Dog", is an English language
children's song
of obscure origin. In most modern forms, the song involves spelling the name of a dog, and with increasing letters replaced with handclaps on each repetition.
The song continues through 6 verses, at each new verse a clap is substituted for an additional letter in the name "Bingo", until on the 6th verse, all handclaps are given for the letters in the name.
of London. Early versions of the song were variously titled "The Farmer's Dog Leapt o'er the Stile", "A Franklyn's Dogge", or "Little Bingo".
An early transcription of the song (without a title) dates from the 1785 songbook "The Humming Bird", and reads:
A similar transcription exists from 1840, as part of The Ingoldsby Legends
, the transcribing of which is credited in part to a "Mr. Simpkinson from Bath". This version drops several of the repeated lines found in the 1785 version and the transcription uses more archaic spelling and the first lines read "A franklyn's dogge" rather than "The farmer's dog". A version similar to the Ingoldsby one (with some spelling variations) was also noted from 1888.
The presence of the song in the United States
was noted by Robert M. Charlton
in 1842. English folklorist Alice Bertha Gomme recorded eight forms in 1894. Highly-differing versions were recorded in Monton
, Shropshire
, Liphook
and Wakefield
, Staffordshire
, Nottinghamshire
, Cambridgeshire
, Derbyshire
and Enborne
. All of these versions were associated with children's games, the rules differing by locality. Early versions of "Bingo" were also noted as adult drinking songs.
Variations on the lyrics refer to the dog variously as belonging to a miller
or a shepherd
, and/or named "Bango" or "Pinto". In some variants, variations on the following third stanza are added:
This stanza is placed before or substituted for the stanza starting with "And is this not a sweet little song?"
Versions that are variations on the early version of "Bingo" have been recorded in classical
arrangements by Frederick Ranalow (1925), John Langstaff
(1952), and Richard Lewis
(1960). Under the title "Little Bingo", a variation on the early version was recorded twice by folk
singer Alan Mills
, on Animals, Vol. 1 (1956) and on 14 Numbers, Letters, and Animal Songs (1972).
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
children's song
Children's song
Children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that young children invent and share among themselves, or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home, or education...
of obscure origin. In most modern forms, the song involves spelling the name of a dog, and with increasing letters replaced with handclaps on each repetition.
Lyrics
The contemporary version generally goes as follows:
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
The song continues through 6 verses, at each new verse a clap is substituted for an additional letter in the name "Bingo", until on the 6th verse, all handclaps are given for the letters in the name.
Earlier forms
The earliest reference to any form of the song is from the title of a piece of sheet music published in 1780, which attributed the song to William Swords, an actor at the Haymarket TheatreHaymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
of London. Early versions of the song were variously titled "The Farmer's Dog Leapt o'er the Stile", "A Franklyn's Dogge", or "Little Bingo".
An early transcription of the song (without a title) dates from the 1785 songbook "The Humming Bird", and reads:
The farmer's dog leapt over the style,
His name was little Bingo,
The farmer's dog leapt over the style,
His name was little Bingo.
B with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
His name was little Bingo:
B—I—N—G—O!
His name was little Bingo.
The farmer lov'd a cup of good ale,
He call'd it rare good stingo,
The farmer lov'd a cup of good ale,
He call'd it rare good stingo.
S—T with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
He call'd it rare good stingo:
S—T—I—N—G—O!
He call'd it rare good stingo
And is this not a sweet little song?
I think it is —— by jingo.
And is this not a sweet little song?
I think it is —— by jingo.
J with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
I think it is —— by jingo:
J—I—N—G—O!
I think it is —— by jingo.
A similar transcription exists from 1840, as part of The Ingoldsby Legends
The Ingoldsby Legends
The Ingoldsby Legends is a collection of myths, legends, ghost stories and poetry written supposedly by Thomas Ingoldsby of Tappington Manor, actually a pen-name of an English clergyman named Richard Harris Barham....
, the transcribing of which is credited in part to a "Mr. Simpkinson from Bath". This version drops several of the repeated lines found in the 1785 version and the transcription uses more archaic spelling and the first lines read "A franklyn's dogge" rather than "The farmer's dog". A version similar to the Ingoldsby one (with some spelling variations) was also noted from 1888.
The presence of the song in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was noted by Robert M. Charlton
Robert M. Charlton
Robert Milledge Charlton was an American politician and jurist. He served as a Senator representing Georgia from 1852 to 1853....
in 1842. English folklorist Alice Bertha Gomme recorded eight forms in 1894. Highly-differing versions were recorded in Monton
Monton
Monton is an area of Eccles in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England.-Geography and administration:It was administered by the municipal borough of Eccles in the administrative county of Lancashire until its abolition in 1974...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, Liphook
Liphook
Liphook is a large village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.1 miles west of Haslemere, on the A3 road, and lies on the Hampshire/West Sussex border.Liphook has its own railway station, on the Portsmouth Direct Line....
and Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and Enborne
Enborne
Enborne is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England.It is situated just to the west of Newbury in West Berkshire. The River Enborne shares its name, although it does not run through the village; rather, it runs through the nearby village of Enborne Row.-Traditional legal practices:Enborne...
. All of these versions were associated with children's games, the rules differing by locality. Early versions of "Bingo" were also noted as adult drinking songs.
Variations on the lyrics refer to the dog variously as belonging to a miller
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
or a shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
, and/or named "Bango" or "Pinto". In some variants, variations on the following third stanza are added:
The farmer lov'd a pretty young lass,
And gave her a wedding-ring-o.
R with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
(etc.)
This stanza is placed before or substituted for the stanza starting with "And is this not a sweet little song?"
Versions that are variations on the early version of "Bingo" have been recorded in classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
arrangements by Frederick Ranalow (1925), John Langstaff
John Langstaff
John Langstaff , a concert baritone, and early music revivalist was the founder of the Northeast United States tradition of the Christmas Revels, as well as a respected musician and educator. He attended the Curtis Institute of Music as well as Juilliard. In 1943 he married Diane Hamilton...
(1952), and Richard Lewis
Richard Lewis (tenor)
Richard Lewis CBE was a Welsh tenor.Born Thomas Thomas in Manchester to Welsh parents, Lewis began his career as a boy soprano and studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music from 1939 to 1941...
(1960). Under the title "Little Bingo", a variation on the early version was recorded twice by folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer Alan Mills
Alan Mills (music)
Alan Mills, CM, born Albert Miller was a Canadian folksinger, writer, and actor...
, on Animals, Vol. 1 (1956) and on 14 Numbers, Letters, and Animal Songs (1972).
Trivia
- In the musical "Scrooge", M.O.N.E.Y. has the same tune as this song.
- The theme song for the Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
TV Show, Camp LazloCamp LazloCamp Lazlo is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray, produced by Rough Draft Studios, Joe Murray Productions and Cartoon Network Studios. It aired on Cartoon Network...
, has the same tune as this song. - The song should not be confused with the 1961 hit pop song "Bingo, Bingo {I'm In Love)" by Dave Carey, which originated as a jingle for pirate station Radio LuxembourgRadio LuxembourgRadio Luxembourg may refer to:*Radio Luxembourg , a Long Wave commercial radio station that began broadcasting from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1933...
.
External links
- A Brief List of Material Relating to "Bingo" ("B-I-N-G-O"), compiled by Joseph C. Hickerson, American Folklife CenterAmerican Folklife CenterThe American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC was created by Congress in 1976 "to preserve and present American Folklife" . The center includes the Archive of Folk Culture, established at the Library in 1928 as a repository for American folk music...
, June 27, 1974.