Old King Cole - Modern Usage

Modern Usage

King Cole is often referenced in popular culture.

In popular usage

• In Canada, King Cole is a brand of tea which has been manufactured by G.E. Barbour & Co. since 1910.

In literature

• In his 1897 anthology Mother Goose in Prose, L. Frank Baum included a story explaining the background to the nursery rhyme. In this version, Cole is a commoner who is selected at random to succeed the King of Whatland when the latter dies without heir.

• In James Joyce's Finnegans Wake (619.27f):

With pipe on bowl. Terce for a fiddler, sixt for makmerriers, none for a Cole.

Joyce is at the same time punning on the canonical hours Tierce, Sext, Nones (Terce ... sixt ... none) and on Fionn MacCool (fiddlers ... makmerriers ... Cole).

• Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien states that Giles` story is set "after the time of king Cole, but before King Arthur".

In popular music

• Pop singer Nat 'King' Cole (actual surname Coles) said his nickname was inspired by "Old King Cole." The "King" in Nat Cole's name was usually used in quotation marks during his lifetime, but today it is often seen as though it were part of his name.

• The progressive rock band Genesis included the rhyme on their song "The Musical Box", from their 1971 album Nursery Cryme.

• Queen paraphrased the rhyme in their song 'Great King Rat' on their 1973 self-titled album:

Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?

In magazines

• Mad ran a feature postulating classical writers' treatments of fairy tales. The magazine had Edgar Allan Poe tackle "Old King Cole", resulting in a cadence similar to that of "The Bells":

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
Old King Cole, Cole, Cole, Cole, Cole, Cole, Cole.

In humour

• In the 1970s, American comedian George Carlin offered this alternative:

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl -
I guess we all know about Old King Cole...

Carlin's intonation of the final line suggested that the pipe and bowl should be interpreted as marijuana references.

In military cadence

• The United States military also has a version in the form of a marching cadence, used from the 1980s into the present:

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
and a merry ol' soul was he, uh huh.
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
and he called for his privates three, uh huh.
Beer! Beer! Beer! cried the private.
Brave men are we
There's none so fair as they can compare
to the airborne infantry, uh huh.

The cadence included a verse for ranks from private to captain; each verse included a satire at the expense of each rank.

A version can be heard on the 1960 album Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall by Harry Belafonte. It can also be found in a 1929 music book "Sound Off!" Soldier songs from Yankee Doodle to Parley Voo" by Edward Arthur Dolph.

In comics and graphic novels

• In the Fables comic book, King Cole was the long-time mayor of 'Fabletown', a secret community of 'Fables', who were forced into exile in our world by a conqueror at home. He was defeated in an election by Prince Charming and was no longer mayor. He then became ambassador of 'Fabletown' to the Arabian fables. After deciding to plan war to win back their homelands, he has since returned to Fabletown, assuming first the post of deputy mayor and then mayor respectively, after the resignation of Prince Charming.

In video games

• In the video game Banjo-Tooie, there is a boss named Old King Coal. After King Coal says that he wishes to battle Banjo and Kazooie, Kazooie reples with "I thought you were a merry old soul?", further referencing the rhyme.

In T.V. shows

• The song was sung on the T.V. show Barney & Friends, but with the last few lyrics changed (which were also adjusted for the drummer and trumpeter verses).

Dance with the fiddlers
Dance with the fiddlers
Dance with the fiddlers three.

The nursery rhyme has also been used in Sesame Street, using the fiddlers as a way to show math, with Ernie taking the role of Old King Cole.

In film

• Walt Disney made a Silly Symphony cartoon in 1933 called "Old King Cole", in which Old King Cole holds a huge party where various nursery rhyme characters are invited.

• Walter Lantz produced an Oswald cartoon in 1933 entitled The Merry Old Soul which is reference to the nursery rhyme.

In political cartoons

• In political cartoons and similar in Britain, sometimes Old King Cole has been used to symbolize the coal industry.