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The Sun Has Got His Hat On

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Wikipedia article


'"The Sun Has Got His Hat On"' is a song by Noel Gay and Ralph Butler. It is known for its appearance in the 1985 version of the musical 'Me and My Girl', and was originally recorded in 1932 by two popular UK dance bands Ambrose and his Orchestra, with vocals by Sam Browne, and by the Henry Hall BBC Dance Orchestra with vocals by Val Rosing.Rust, Brian. "The Dance Bands". Rustbooks, 1972, p. 358.

Controversy over lyrics



In the original 1932 version of the song, the second verse contains the lines
He's been tanning niggers out in Timbuktu
Now he's coming back to do the same to you


Use of the word "nigger" was considered socially acceptable by white audiences in the 1930s, but is generally regarded as offensive today. The word is found in both the Ambrose and Henry Hall recordings of the song. In the Jonathan King version, released in 1971 under the artist name "Nemo", the line was changed to "He's been tanning Negroes".[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lbeWBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA289&lpg=PA289&dq=%22The+Sun+Has+Got+His+Hat+On%22+negroes&source=bl&ots=cFodWZ0nv-&sig=MWsKojyq0mRKGismYEhUtWyGmxU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEoQ6AEwB2oVChMIkeLnoOz0xgIVpQjbCh0q2go9#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Sun%20Has%20Got%20His%20Hat%20On%22%20negroes&f=false Jonathan King, '70 FFFY', 2014, p.289] Modern performances of the song have instead included lines such as "He's been roasting peanuts" (written by Stephen Fry for his 1984 revival of 'Me and My Girl').[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Dn7WAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT53&lpg=PT53&dq=%22The+Sun+Has+Got+His+Hat+On%22+roasting+peanuts&source=bl&ots=CXyWIQft_V&sig=qeNzhxYeAlle66gmQXhHKtH4IUA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CE8Q6AEwCGoVChMIz8ra7ez0xgIVYo3bCh0WlgON#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Sun%20Has%20Got%20His%20Hat%20On%22%20roasting%20peanuts&f=false Stephen Fry, 'More Fool Me', 2014]

When 'Calendar', an ITV1 news programme, broadcast a version of the song with the word in May 2012, a complaint was made to Ofcom. ITV Yorkshire described the incident as an "unintended mistake" and the matter was considered to be resolved after an apology.

In May 2014, a listener complained after BBC Radio Devon presenter David Lowe played the Ambrose version of the song with the controversial word during his show on 27 April.[https://web.archive.org/web/20220616153342/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01x039f "An All British Post War Cavalcade of Song"] BBC Radio Wiltshire. Retrieved 11 May 2014. He said he had not realised that the 1932 recording contained the word. Lowe was forced to resign, and although later offered his job back, he did not return.

References



Category:1932 songs

Category:Songs from musicals

Category:Songs with lyrics by Ralph Butler

Category:Songs with music by Noel Gay


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