Social Justice
Songs & Phrases We Need To Retire
What do we do with language that shows our nasty history?
The Ice Cream Song
As children, many of us ran excitedly toward the ice cream truck, drawn by the familiar jingle that signaled sweet, frozen treats. For most of us, this was a cherished summer memory. But how would we feel if we knew that the melody, which has become synonymous with innocent childhood joy, has deeply racist roots?
The popular ice cream truck jingle is based on the tune “Turkey in the Straw,” a 19th-century folk song with origins in British and Irish traditions. However, in the United States, this melody took a dark turn when it became associated with blackface minstrel shows. Perhaps the most disturbing rendition was a 1916 version called “N***** Love a Watermelon, Ha! Ha! Ha!” recorded by Harry C. Browne. This version played on offensive racial stereotypes that portrayed Black people as lazy and obsessed with watermelon.
The fact that this song — or even just the melody — continues to be played by ice cream trucks across America speaks to how deeply ingrained racism is in our cultural fabric.
