Ching-a-Ring Chaw


Ching-a-Ring Chaw is a song from the early days of the minstrel show tradition. A rewritten version frequently performed in modern times comes from Aaron Copland's 1952 Old American Songs song set.

Lyrics

The precise lyrics vary, but they are generally approximately as follows:

History

Ching-a-Ring Chaw's origin was as a blackface minstrel song. While arranging the piece for the second set of his Old American Songs, composer Aaron Copland made a point of rewriting the lyrics to efface any of the song's minstrel baggage: "I did not want to take any chance of it being construed as racist."