"Turkey in the Straw"/"Zip Coon" may have come from the fiddle tune "Natchez Under the Hill" believed to have been derived from "Rose Tree". The title "Turkey in the Straw" later became associated with the tune of "Zip Coon" in an unusual way. According to James J. Fuld, Dan Bryant copyright a song with new lyrics and music titled "Turkey in the Straw" on July 12, 1861, but with the wordless music of "Zip Coon" (but titled "Old Melody") attached at the end. The tune of "Zip Coon" then became known as "Turkey in the Straw". Lyrics First verse Traditional chorus First verse of another version First verse of another version The full lyrics Tuckahoe (Peltandra virginica, also called green arrow arum) = an edible wetland plant with long petioles Reubens = farmers There are versions from the American Civil War, versions about fishing and one with nonsense verses. Folklorists have documented folk versions with obscene lyrics from the 19th century. Lyrics of The Wiggles and Sharon Lois and Bram Another version is called "Natchez Under the Hill". The lyrics are thought to have been added by Bob Farrell who first performed them in a blackface act on August 11, 1834. First verse of another version In 1942, a soundie titled, "Turkey in the Straw" was created by Freddie Fisher and The Schnickelfritz Band (directed by Sam Coslow and produced by Josef Berne). There are two versions to the chorus that are sung. The first goes: Chorus; first version Chorus; second version In Barney & Friends, they used these lyrics: Mickey's Fun Songs and Sesame Street use these lyrics: "Zip Coon" The title of "Zip Coon" or "Old Zip Coon" was used to signify a dandified free black man in northern United States. "Zip" was a diminutive of "Scipio", a name commonly used for slaves. According to Stuart Flexner, "coon" was short for "raccoon" and by 1832 meant a frontier rustic and by 1840 also a Whig. At that time, "coon" was typically used to refer to someone white, it was only in 1848 when a clear use of the word "coon" to refer to a black person in a derogative sense appeared. It is possible that the negative racial connotation of the word may have evolved from "Zip Coon" and the common use of the word "coon" in minstrel shows. An alternative suggestion of the word's origin to mean