The Fried Dough Ho

I haven’t had much problem at all finding representations of doughnuts in art and have been deluging you recently with painted offerings. I have been neglectful on other forms of media and am pretty excited at what I’ve stumbled on here.

Washboard Sam was the stage name for American Blues musician Robert Brown (July 15, 1910 – November 6, 1966). He was known for a particular style of music known as skiffle, a uniquely American-based style of music which seemed to generate from New Orleans. Stemming from the African American music culture, it was a style of jazz which utilized more common household items like washboards, jugs, comb-and-paper, and the musical saw. Undoubtedly, this is where Washboard Sam got his name.

This particular song, Who Pumped The Wind In My Doughnut? is full of double entendre and sexual innueno.We have lyrics like “Who pumped the wind in my doughnut… sure don’t resemble me…” I could be wrong, though. I don’t claim to understand “down on that yam-yam tree” but I think much of it, such as “I like my doughnuts nice and sweet…” alludes the idea that the doughnut is his woman but that there was progeny who does not look like the father. Obviously, if it were a song about a fried dough, it would probably have best been sung, Who Pumped The Jam In My Doughnut?

Recorded sometime between 1935 and 1947, it is raw and rude and bawdy and fun. Take a gander and enjoy this little doughnut ditty!