Arrah Wanna.
A racially-sensitive, Irish-themed Pocahantas.
Sibling of Daedalus writes:
Interesting popular American comic-hall song from 1906, ‘Arrah Wanna: an Irish-Indian Matrimonial Venture’, about a bagpipe-playing Irishman who wins the hand of a beautiful squaw, Arrah Wanna’ by promising her ‘a wigwam made of shamrocks green‘ cleverly getting round her requirement that ‘some great race must call you Big Chief’ by telling her that he’s the best runner in the district.
The song was enormously popular and spawned a sequel ‘Since Arrah Wanna married Barney Carney’ (above).
The happy couple are shown with the local chief who was subsequently called in to adjudicate on their matrimonial differences…
Lyrics here
Listenhere
Pics via Duke Library and Authentichistory.com
