The authorship of the song has been claimed by George Washington Dixon who popularized the song, and Bob Farrell and George Nicholls.

'Turkey in the Straw' is thought to be originally a tune from 19th century minstrel shows, 'Zip Coon' or 'Old Zip Coon', published around 1834. A song based on the tune of 'Turkey in the Straw', 'Nigger Love a Watermelon, Ha! Ha! Ha!', has been described as having the 'most racist song title'. It was also frequently adapted and used in popular media. The song became highly popular and many variations of the song exist. Links to older Irish/Scottish/English ballads have been proposed, such as 'The Old Rose Tree'. The song is related to a number of tunes of the 19th century and the origin of these songs has been widely debated. The melody of 'Zip Coon' later became known as 'Turkey in the Straw' a song titled 'Turkey in de Straw' with different music and lyrics was published in 1861 together with the wordless music of 'Zip Coon' added at the end, and the title 'Turkey in the Straw' then became linked to the tune of 'Zip Coon'. Early versions of the song were titled ' Zip Coon', which were first published around 1834 and performed in minstrel shows, with different people claiming authorship of the song. ' Turkey in the Straw' is an American folk song that first gained popularity in the 19th century. Problems playing this file? See media help.

Pilot talk trilogy zip