John jacob jingleheimer schmidt who is

The song is thought to have originated during a time when there was a large influx of German immigrants to the United States -- although probably none of them was named John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, as there's no known record of the Jingleheimer surname.

The song likely has its roots in vaudeville. Similar songs have popped up during the years that suggest it was part of a larger theme. One such song is "Yon Yonson," which seems to be about a Swedish immigrant to the Midwest. I see people in the street, they ask me my name and I say, My name is Yon Yonson. The song has probably persisted over the years because it's lively and fun to sing. It's one of the most robust songs in the kids' sing-along song canon.

By Anne Brinser Shelton December 18, Save Pin FB More. John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. By Anne Brinser Shelton. Be the first to comment! No comments yet. Close this dialog window Add a comment. Add your comment Cancel Submit. Thus, it is high time to propose a theory.

My hypothesis: The origin of JJJS springs from immigrant-inspired vaudeville from the late nineteenth-century. Temporally, this seems to fit. If the earliest recorded instance of the song is , and if its origin was at the latest , that provides at very least plus years for its percolation through the public consciousness into print form.

In a way, it looked like the growing nation was surveying its linguistic diversity. Not surprisingly, the scholarly research that refers to John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt is scant. Even so, a series of articles in a journal called Western Folklore, published in the late 40s and early 50s, discusses the song in the context of circular jingles. I work as a lumberjack there. I see people in the street, they ask me my name and I say… My name is Yon Yonson.

A name tied to an ethnic identity is central. Variations on a theme. One interesting point is the subtle shift in language between Yon Yonson that might be indicative of the relative temporal relationship of the two songs.

The townspeople are welcoming, but they do not know him. By contrast, in John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, the situation is different. The main figure moves from being a newcomer to a familiar. Heege starred in both. In Yon Yonson, the main character Yon Yonson triumphed over his antagonists because of his honest, level-headed, and kind-hearted nature. At the time, interestingly, the authenticity of the project was examined closely by some critics: Heege, a Minneapolis journalist, apparently had no connection to Sweden.

Likewise, John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt may have its origins in immigrant-inspired German-American vaudeville of the same era. Contrary to what the name may suggest, Dutch Acts had nothing to do with the Netherlands. The pair would use common mispronunciations of the newly-arrived German immigrant as the platform for their humor. Far from being offensive, this humor had a tragic element that resonated with the frustration of immigrants with a limited command of the language. Yawcob Strauss somehow providing the Jacob Schmidt part of the name?

Thus, I hope that by now the reader shares my conviction that the origin of John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, while still remaining unknown, at least has been pinpointed to a certain era, that is, the late nineteenth century.

At this point, it may be impossible to trace the path back from Yawcob Strauss, Yon Yonson, and Johannes Roidelbracher to the Nashville-published Guggenheimer Schmidt citation. Honestly, it really may be impossible. Leads still exist though — the Library of Congress has an extensive of collection of songbooks that might hold answers. So as long as there is hope, there is a will. And as long as there is a will, friends, there is a way.

See possibly a more elaborate explanation in Dairy River 2. Jim Leary, a professor at the University of Wisconsin. Philip J Anderson, Dag Blanck.

Hi — i ve been working on my german american wisconsin ancestors and traced back 7 generations to germany — i noticed along the way a John Jacob single from Wisc b. You must be logged in to post a comment. Dairy River dairy river is not a dairy. John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt is not a real person Tracking this down would take some modern-day sleuthing.