8 Innocent Songs With Incredibly Disturbing Histories
3. Disney's Zip-A-Dee-Doo Dah Was Inspired By A Racist Caricature
My oh my what a wonderful day...for 1940s Disney racism. The words Zip-A-Dee-Doo Dah are enough to get the song stuck in practically anybody's head (for which I profusely apologize). Back in 1948, the tune won the Academy Award for Best Song. It featured in a live-action/animated musical called Song Of The South, a film that was and continues to be incredibly controversial, with the least of its criticisms being that its depiction of African-Americans is problematic, and at worst being accused of outright, blatant racism. By far the most famous thing about Song Of The South now is Zip-A-Dee Doo Dah, but what many people don't know is that even that has racist origins. It's based on an earlier song about Zip Coon, a racist caricature that made a mockery of slaves and free black people. Specifically the chorus lyric Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
