Shoo-Lie-Loo is one of my favorite American folk songs, and its simple lyrics and call-and-response format make it an easy and inclusive song for groups to sing and strum. The hope and optimism in this song make it a joyful choice to sing any time, but especially this Juneteenth, as we celebrate the emancipation of all enslaved people in the United States. For this play-along, I play "(Just from the Kitchen) Shoo-Lie-Loo" in the key of C with the C chord and a basic down-up strum. I had a hard time researching the background of this song, so I used my existing knowledge of American folk music to make a best guess as to its origins. If you know more, please get in touch!
Further Reading:
Read a good overview of call-and-response songs here
My quoting of Doug Goodkin (who I accidentally called Bob in the video!) came from this post about Funga Alafia (another one-chord song and original melody for Li'l Liza Jane). He writes, "Not only because the song is so eminently singable with little effort and charges the body through the long-cultivated genius of African rhythms, but because it’s a song that says what it means and means what it says on every level."
Happy Juneteenth, everyone!
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