DOODAH?

image courtesy photobucket.com

I guess doodah is a word for it sounds like one.

Trying to look it up produced some different thoughts about it.  One usage is for that senior moment when you can’t pull up the word you want to say. “You know that doodah thing.”

There is another way to use it by associating it with a statement like as in the song: “Camp town races, sing this song, doodah, doodah.” Most Americans have heard the song at least one time.

This and other songs were written by Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864); known as the "Father of American music."

Foster was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century and his songs remain popular over 150 years after their composition.

Some take offence about the lyrics today, but he wrote during the times he lived in.

There is no definitive answer as to what the camp town actually was. Some believe it was itinerant camps where people waited for job offers, and others think it more like a hobo camp.

It is reported that there was a real town named Camp-town, and because of the notoriety of the camp town races song they changed its name to Irvington.  

image courtesy photobucket.com

Another version was that the song originated out of a little town in Bradford County {Pennsylvania] appropriately named Camp-town. Apparently, this well-known Stephen Foster song was inspired by the horse races that ran from this village to Wyalusing. You will find there a historical marker acknowledging Camptown and its famous race located at the junction of routes 706 and 409 in Camptown.

What ever the case maybe when doodah is associated with a happy event it means some thing like whoopee.

There is such an event spoken of in the scriptures called the second coming of Christ for his church. Anytime one thinks of that happening it is a good time to shout doodah, doodah and using the old camp town melody sing, “Jesus gonna come for me, doodah, doodah, I’m ready to go with Him, Oh doodah day. Going to be with Him, going to be with Him, I am going to be with Him Oh doodah day.”

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKDtIgSDN1c&feature=related


This post has been linked to Sundays in My City.  Do visit and enjoy other good words and photos at: http://www.unknownmami.com/2011/11/sundays-in-my-city-122.html