[1] Hoecakes are small cornmeal cakes that were cooked on a type of iron pan called a hoe.
According to Alan Lomax, musicologist and folklorist formerly of the Library of Congress, this tune was originally associated with African slaves brought from Niger.
[citation needed] Notable versions of the song have been played by such artists as Pete Seeger,[2] Ruby Jane Smith[3] and the Smothers Brothers.
[4] As Byron Arnold and Bob Halli noted in An Alabama Songbook, the song, musically and lyrically, is far from stable, with verses being swapped at will by the performers, and is interchangeable with many other songs, including "Old Joe Clark" and "Cindy".
[5] This simple tune is often used in old-time music circles to teach young folks how to play the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, mountain dulcimer and/or guitar.