# "Like a Continental soldier" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 23, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097 "2003-10-23T12:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/1 "2003-10-23T12:53:39Z")
I arose from bed this morning with the song “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” stuck in my head. As I showered, I pondered over the meaning of the lyrics. Putting aside the question of why you would ever want to tie your ears into a knot, what exactly is the relevance of Continental soldiers to low-hanging ears? “Can you throw them [i.e., your ears] over your shoulder Like a Continental soldier? Do your ears … hang … low?” I think when I heard this song as a child, I’d always assumed it was a reference to some aspect of Continental soldiers’ military dress (i.e., the uniforms worn by the colonial army in the American Revolution), or to something that the soldiers carried over their shoulder (like a musket). But now that I think about it, I’m really not sure what the Continental soldiers would have thrown over their shoulders. (The answer to the more pressing question is, no: my ears do not hang low) ---
**Author:** ![Lagged2Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/2 "2003-10-23T13:23:11Z")
Like at least one or two other “children’s songs,” this one has some, ah, questionably-appropriate origins. It’s originally “do your **balls** hang low.” Have a look around Google way - some versions are just silly, some are ribald, and some are quite obscene. I always get a kick out of hearing kids singing this tune - so many of the parents just don’t know what’s happening. I suppose that doesn’t really answer your question, though. I’m guessing it’s just a cleaned-up version of an old oral-tradition marching-drinking song, like about a million others, and looking for much logic or explanation may be futile. ---
**Author:** ![ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/3 "2003-10-23T13:32:36Z")
I thought it was “Do your BOOBS hang low.” Dang. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/4 "2003-10-23T14:06:06Z")
I always assumed it was a reference to the way a soldier holds his rifle over his shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/5 "2003-10-23T14:08:58Z")
Right. Growing up near Valley Forge, I always assumed this "Can you throw them [i.e., your ears] over your shoulder Like a Continental soldier? was an allusion to Colonial-era soldiers (esp. those of Geo. Washington’s Continetal Army), who held long muskets over their shoulders (and often swung them around rather dramatically during drills). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/6 "2003-10-23T14:17:50Z")
This is how I interpret it: Many paintings and drawings of 18th Century Americans depict them with long hair, often worn in a queue. I’ve always assumed that since might have had long hair, a Continental soldier might have been able to toss it over his shoulder. In other words: _Can you throw it over your shoulder Like a Continental soldier_ can do with his hair? > [@](#): > > It’s originally “do your **balls** hang low.” Do you have a cite that “balls” was the _original_ lyric? While “balls” fits in well with the other lyrics, the idea of throwing them over one’s shoulder like a Continental soldier is nonsensical. Unlike the depictions of long hair, which could have been thrown over the soldier’s shoulder, I have seen no evidence that these soldiers or any other Colonial were in the habit of slinging their testicles over their shoulders. This leads me to presume that “hair” was the original lyric, and “balls” was substituted later. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/7 "2003-10-23T15:13:54Z")
I’ve heard the “balls” version sung before, but primarily by twelve-year old boys–I thought it was just a parody (and, oh, what witty parody it seemed in the 6th grade) on the “ears” version. If there’s a cite for “balls” being the original version, though, I’d like to see it. I’ve been looking at some paintings of the period, and haven’t found anything that can give me a clear answer. I’m inclined to go with the musket explanation (though I’ve also considered the possibility of long braids, like **Johnny L.A.** suggests), though I’d like to find a conclusive cite. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/8 "2003-10-23T15:31:44Z")
Was “balls” even a slang term for testicles when the song was written? -lv ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/9 "2003-10-23T15:36:31Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m inclined to go with the musket explanation (though I’ve also considered the possibility of long braids, like **Johnny L.A.** suggests), though I’d like to find a conclusive cite. The musket theory also has merit – perhaps more than my queue theory. I just thought that since the song was about hair, the song must be referring to the soldiers’ hair. But this also makes sense: _Can you throw it over your shoulder Like a Continental soldier_ does with his musket? ---
**Author:** ![Lagged2Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/10 "2003-10-23T15:42:46Z")
No, I have no cite for “balls” being the original version. Shame on me. In my (possibly very weak) defense, though, I’ve met a few soldiers, and I have a hard time believing that they’d come up with a song about their hair, of all things. Balls would seem much more in character (recall the [WWII-era song about Hitler,](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_128b.html) for example). After days of marching, I can imagine one’s attention would be far more closely focused on one’s bouncing, battered, aching testicles than on one’s hair. Also, if the original was something as innocent as “hair,” why swap in “ears” for the kiddies? As for _actually_ slinging one’s testicles over one’s shoulder - well, it’s possible that the original singers engaged in a bit of humorous exaggeration from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/11 "2003-10-23T15:49:20Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve met a few soldiers, and I have a hard time believing that they’d come up with a song about their hair But do we know that the song originated with soldiers? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/12 "2003-10-23T15:52:53Z")
Probably it just happened to fit the rhythm scheme and has nothing to do with anything a soldier ever did. Not everything in the world is a literal description of something. This is especially true in songs and poetry. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/13 "2003-10-23T15:53:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > **While “balls” fits in well with the other lyrics, the idea of throwing them over one’s shoulder like a Continental soldier is nonsensical.** Ahh, yes. Tying your ears in a knot or a bow, though, makes perfect sense. And when have songs ever made sense? From Camptown Races to the Flying Purple People Eater, I have rarely seen evidence that songwriters/singers have ever strived in any way to exclude nonsense from their works. ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/14 "2003-10-23T15:54:01Z")
We sung the ‘balls’ version in grade school, too. It’s not nonsensical, it’s the whole esence of the song. If your balls hang so low you can sling them over your shoulder, that’s _really_ low. That’s the whole point of the song. I think I’ve also heard the ‘boobs’ version, too. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/15 "2003-10-23T16:08:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Ahh, yes. Tying your ears in a knot or a bow, though, makes perfect sense. But you can tie your _hair_ in a knot or a bow, which is the version I learned. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/16 "2003-10-23T16:14:11Z")
Am I the only person who has heard _Regimental_, rather than **Continental** as the type of soldier with extendable whatever-they-ares? ---
**Author:** ![1000monkeys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/7cd45c/32.png) [@1000monkeys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1000monkeys)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/17 "2003-10-23T16:22:50Z")
I always thought it was **“boys”** , as in: “Do your boys hang low?” This seems like clever and ribald (by 18th century standards) soldier scrotum references to me. ---
**Author:** ![Starbury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Starbury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starbury)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/18 "2003-10-23T16:41:07Z")
I did a little searching on **LordVor’s** question about when “balls” began being used as a slang term for testicles. The best I could come up with for a date of origin was “20th century” from an online dictionary. From what I could find (on UseNet and [mudcat.org](http://mudcat.org)), Vance Randolph was the first to publish this song, under the title “Do your Balls Hang Low”, in 1941. Randolph said he collected the song from a singer that year, who said he [the singer] learned it around 1920. More recently, Ed Cray published the text and tune of “Do Your Balls Hang Low”, in ‘The Erotic Muse’, 2nd ed., 1992. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/19 "2003-10-23T17:00:04Z")
I suggest that instead of hair, the original meme was “does your beard hang low.” I mean, have you seen some of the beards from that era? Heck, some folks still sport them today. And who knows… the whole idea could have originated as a kind of Dwarven love song. ([cite](http://tolkien.slimy.com/faq/Creatures.html#DwarfBeards)) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097/20 "2003-10-23T17:16:11Z")
Makes one curious what period metaphor they would haver borrowed. Do your _grapeshot_ hang low? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-a-continental-soldier/209097.md?page=2)