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The Black songwriters behind "Boola"

By Mark Alden Branch ’86 | 8:00am February 09 2023

This Black History Month, let's not forget that two African American men wrote the song that was altered slightly to become "Boola Boola." Bob Cole and Billy Johnson wrote "La Hoola Boola" for an 1898 musical; Allan Hirsh ’01 tweaked the melody and wrote new lyrics to create one of Yale's best-loved fight songs. Read more here, and listen to both songs here.

Filed under Boola Boola, Bob Cole, Billy Johnson, La Hoola Boola
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