The words to an old, old song are "buffalo gals, won't you come out tonight..." Who were the buffalo gals?

Question

The song is American, from (I think) the early or mid 1800's, and I guess that the "buffalo gals" may be native American women who danced with explorers,miners, cowboys or men who built the railroads.

Answer 1

Refers to the Town of Buffalo.....
This song was published in 1844 with the title Lubly Fan. It was written by one of the first black-faced minstrels, Cool White (John Hodges). Allen and John Lomax believe it was a traditional tune, known before Cool White published the music. It was popular in minstrel shows throughout the United States and the location was changed accordingly to New York Gals, Charleston Gals, etc. Buffalo, therefore, refers to the city rather than the animal.
In Collection of North Carolina Folklore, Frank Brown suggests it may have its inspiration from an English singing game, Pray, Pretty Miss and that the tune is close to that of an old German music hall song, Im Grunewald, im Grunewald ist Holzauktion. Other scholars have suggested the song originated around the Erie Canal.

The song was also a hit in 1944 as Dance with Dolly.

Answer 2

Oh for the Days of the Buffalo Gals.

Oh, buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight. Oh, buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight and dance by the light of the moon! That old early 1900's song was inspired by real women of the frontier. Who or what was a buffalo girl and what was the value of her to the American male of the early twentieth century? She was a rugged, high spirited, hard working, hard loving woman that still knew how to be a lady. She didn’t look anything like the so called babes of today with their bleach blond hair, their sun tan parlor tans, and their shapely thin hard bodies courtesy of the local fitness spa. The buffalo gal was a big boned, big bosomed, big butted, and most importantly big hearted man pleasing female who made a fella glad to be man.

Answer 3

Oh for the Days of the Buffalo Gals.

Oh, buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight. Oh, buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight and dance by the light of the moon! That old early 1900's song was inspired by real women of the frontier. Who or what was a buffalo girl and what was the value of her to the American male of the early twentieth century? She was a rugged, high spirited, hard working, hard loving woman that still knew how to be a lady. She didn’t look anything like the so called babes of today with their bleach blond hair, their sun tan parlor tans, and their shapely thin hard bodies courtesy of the local fitness spa. The buffalo gal was a big boned, big bosomed, big butted, and most importantly big hearted man pleasing female who made a fella glad to be man.

They have disappeared from the American social scene, much like the buffalo has disappeared from the plains and prairies. Maybe you are thinking they were too fat to survive. Buffalo gals had more fat and meat on their bones, but it was in the right places. They were just as sexy as the Playboy pin up girls or the professional models of today. Buffalo gals is a descriptive phrase for these old fashioned fuller figure, buxom, bawdy babes that comes from a classic pioneer song. Other stereotype names to help you picture these wonderful women are southern belles, honky tonk queens, western saloon chorus girls, dance hall gals, corn fed mid-west farmers daughters, and the New England milk maids. Picture a German Oktoberfest beer garden with Helga, and Brunhilda serving trays of beer balanced against their ample breasts. How about a front row seat at the Swedish women’s mud wrestling finals! One of Dano’s favorites, Xena warrior princess. Yeah, you guys know who we are talking about, now don’t you.

Let Dano be the first to summon them, for all of us frustrated American males.

Red rover, red rover, send the buffalo girl, right over!

Answer 4

It was written in 1844 by Cool White who was a black faced minstel from Buffalo. He wrote the song for one of the shows.

Answer 5

I lost 5 this month. Im more like a baby buffalo now.

Answer 6

And dance by the light of the moon.

Answer 7

and dance by the light of the moon!!

Answer 8

This was asked and answered before:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060618174142AAar2MJ

Answer 9

I think they were cowgirls

Answer 10

or they are REALLY hairy chicks or something