Golden Slippers – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 14

I had an opportunity to get together and do some playing with my good friend (and excellent hammered and mountain dulcimer player) Steve Eulberg. We had a great time jamming, and putting together our audition taper for Beat Street, and what better time to record a fiddle tune a day. Steve told me that Golden Slippers is the unofficial Dulcimer national anthem because it is one of the first tunes that they learn, and consequently when they have a get together, you can count that Golden Slippers will get played.

You may also recognize that the first part of Golden Slippers is the same melody as Polly Wally Doodle. Anyway, Golden Slippers is a fun old tune, with a melody that really sticks in your head. I hope you enjoy it.

Get Twin-Fiddle Sheet Music

Learn to play Golden Slippers on fiddle here

The History of Oh Dem’ Golden Slippers (According to Wikipedia)

“Oh, Dem Golden Slippers” is a popular song commonly sung by blackface performers in the 19th century. The song, penned by African-American James A. Bland in 1879, is considered an American standard today. It is particularly well-known as a bluegrass instrumental standard.

A minstrel show song set in the style of a spiritual, the song is apparently a parody of the spiritual “Golden Slippers”, popularized after the American Civil War by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Today “Oh, Dem Golden Slippers” is often referred to simply as “Golden Slippers”, further obscuring the original spiritual.

The song’s first stanza tells of the protagonist setting aside such fine clothes as golden slippers, a long-tailed coat and a white robe for a chariot ride in the morning (presumably to Heaven).

This leads to the refrain: Oh, dem golden slippers! / Oh, dem golden slippers! / Golden slippers I’m gwine to wear, because dey look so neat; / Oh, dem golden slippers! / Oh, dem golden slippers! / Golden slippers Ise gwine to wear, / To walk de golden street.

The second stanza describes the protagonist meeting up with other family members after his chariot ride. In the third, the protagonist tells children to prepare themselves for their own chariot ride.

Golden Slippers Lyrics:

Oh, my golden slippers am laid away

‘Cause I don’t spect to wear ’em til my wedding day

And my long tailed coat, that I love so well

I will wear up in the chariot in the morn.

And my long white robe that I bought last June

I’m goin’ to get changed ’cause it fits too soon

And the old grey hoss that I used to drive

I will hitch him to the chariot in the morn.

Oh, dem golden slippers

Oh, dem golden slippers

Golden slippers I’se goin’ to wear

Because they look so neat.

Oh, dem golden slippers

Oh, dem golden slippers

Golden slippers I’se goin’ to wear

To walk the golden street.

Oh, my old banjo hangs on the wall

‘Cause it ain’t been tuned since way last fall

But the darks all say we’ll have a good time

When we ride up in the chariot in the morn.

There’s ol’ brother Ben and his sister, Luce

They will telegraph the news to uncle Bacco Juice

What a great camp meetin’ there will be that day

When we ride up in the chariot in the morn.

So, it’s good-bye, children I will have to go

Where the rain don’t fall and the wind don’t blow

And yer ulster coats, why, you will not need

When you ride up in the chariot in the morn.

But yer golden slippers must be nice and clean

And yer age must be just sweet sixteen

And yer white kid gloves you will have to wear

When you ride up in the chariot in the morn.