🛑 Racism

“Hello Friends / Goodbye Friends” appears on our list of Problematic Songs because of its racist history, its background in blackface minstrelsy, and its derivative tune.

The lyrics and tune derive from “Goodnight Ladies / Farewell Ladies,” written by Edwin P. Christy for Christy’s Minstrels.

You can learn more about its history from these sources:

• Goodnight Ladies 1847-1867.
• Farewell ladies / written, composed & sung by E.P. Christy.
• Christy’s Minstrels Go to Great Britain.

💚 Suggested replacement songs for opening and closing your storytime:

• Hello Song by Ms. Christina.
• Goodbye Song by Ms. Christina
• The More We Get Together – for Storytime