“Do Your Ears Hang Low?” for Low G Ukulele – FREE TAB

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The silly campfire song “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” has a checkered past, unfortunately. The lyrics are a cleaned up version of a song sung by soldiers on the march, first reported in the early 20th century. There are specific accounts of British infantry singing it during World War I, though they were singing about another part of anatomy. I’ll let you look that one up yourself if you are curious.

We aren’t exactly sure what the melody of that original version was. The lyrics also work over “Sailor’s Hornpipe,” which would make sense for early 1900s Britain. The modern melody, however, is an abbreviated version of “Turkey in the Straw,” which has its own sordid history, first gaining popularity in minstrel shows in the 19th century.

I always try to research songs before I post them and tend to avoid those that have a problematic past. I’m making an exception here for two reasons: 1. The melody of the song isn’t inherently problematic, just the lyrics of “Turkey in the Straw” and the way it was originally performed, and 2. I think it is important to present uncomfortable historical facts, learn from them, and move forward rather than to hide them and pretend they don’t exist.

“Do Your Ears Hang Low?” Playing Tips

“Do Your Ears Hang Low?” is simple to play and sing, a common trait of children’s song (and military/work songs). It sounds best if you add some bounce to the arrangement. The song is full of four-note eighth note runs, which you would typically play (using rhythm syllables): ti-ti-ti-ti.

But if you play a piece with a “bounce,” you put a slight emphasis on the downbeat, giving you (again in rhythm syllables): tim-ri-tim-ri.

Don’t have a low G uke? No problem! I’ve included a high G tab below as well, though to get that version to work, I had to use more difficult chords. The melody still works well, though! The download link is below the embedded PDF.

Click the link or the ‘Download’ button below to see the sheet music if your browser doesn’t display the embedded PDF.

“Do Your Ears Hang Low?” Low G Sheet Music Download

“Do Your Ears Hang Low?” High G Sheet Music Download