Hi
I can't believe somebody else has heard of this lullaby. My grandmother, who has been dead for some years now used to sing it to me when I was young and went to stay the night with her. She also said that her mother sang it to her which must have been about 1910. She did have a tune that went with it, which I can actually remember. The difference is that she didn't do the goodnight mama, goodnight papa bit. Her version went like this:

I had a black dolly called Topsy, who didn't like sleeping alone,
Cause Topsy's afraid of her shadow thought in darkness I know there are none,
But Topsy is only a dolly and doesn't know better you see
So I just put her under my pillow, I know she likes sleeping with me.

When I wake up in the morning, I lie till I think she's awake,
And then we go down to the garden and I give her a bath in the lake,
But Topsy is blacker than ever, as shiny and shiny can be,
Though I scrub her and scrub her and scrub her, I can't get her white like me.

I am so glad that you have also heard of this as everyone I have ever mentioned it to thinks I am making it up!

Hope this is of some help to you, perhaps we can do some research and if I find out any more, I will let you know.

Hi! I know this too! My whole family used to sing it in the 50s and 60s. I put the first line in on Yahoo today, because I couldn't remember all the words. Your versions are slightly different to what I remember, but the second one submitted is closest. I will ask my Mum and Dad if they remember their words, if anyone's interested, and how they know it. We lived in Hull, East Yorkshire, at the time.

Its really interesting that someone else also has heard of this. Since I last posted a reply I have done a little research. The closest I have come up with at the moment is that it could have been connected with Uncle Tom's Cabin, the anti slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe from 1852. This has a character called Topsy who fits the bill. It is possible that as this was such a hugely popular book at the time, the name Topsy became used for black american dolls and I found out that they were still producing Topsy dolls in the 1970's and 1980's. It would be great if you managed to find out anything else from your parents. By the way, my family all come from Kent and London so it is obviously a nationwide thing.

I know this is a late reply,I've just seen the site.
janewicks, i think you may have two songs mixed up, I remember my mother singing both of them to me.
Topsy has been answered the other one I think you will find is:

It's past 8 o'clock and it's bedtime for dolly,
it's past 8 o'clock and it's bedtime for me.
Goodnight mama, goodnight papa, goodnight to all the rest.
Goodnight mama, goodnight papa, I must love dolly best.
Dolly will sleep on my pretty little pillow . dolly and I both agree
(Repeat) goodnight mama etc.

I may have missed a few words,but to the best of my memory
that's it.
rosieroo

My late mother used to sing this song to me also Im looking for a song
In a pretty garden I saw a little maiden rocking her dolly to sleep on her knee
As I stood there watching & listening to her singing these gentle words came wafting o'er the breeze
Sleep dolly sleep Gods in His garden he will watch over thee sleep without fear

The next verse Ive forgotten does anyone know as after singing it to my children I now have g/children that love lullabyes thanks all

I have a black dolly called Topsy was sung to me as a child by my mother (we're Australian) (I now sing it to my children), her mother came from England however her Grandparents were Scottish. Our version went like this:

I have a black dolly called topsy
she does not like sleeping alone
she says she's afraid of big bogeys
but I'm perfectly sure there are none
but Topsy is only a dolly
and is frightened as frightened can be
so I tuck her right under my pillow
cause I know she likes sleeping with me
and when I wake up in the morning
I sing til I think she's awake
then I take her right down to the garden
and give her a bath in the lake
but Topsy is blacker than ever
and is shiny as shiny can be
and I've washed her and washed her and washed her
but I can't make her white like me

WOW.. I am like you .. am thrilled someone else knows this old lullaby.
My mother who was born in Manchester 1910 - (I am Australian) used to sing this to me. I loved it so much I managed to receive a black doll for christmas and you'll never guess what i named her !

My mum's version is slightly different again - I would guess slight variations with time and distance. She obviously forgot part of the second verse.. I will put an asterisk where I believe some lines are missing. I never heard the chorus part ever, till I read this forum. Goodnight mama, goodnight papa. I wonder what the tune of that part might be? I remember the tune mum sang for the verses - and used to sing it to my two girls when they were small.

Here goes:
I've a little black dolly named "Topsy"
Who doesn't like sleeping alone
For Topsy's afraid of the shadows
In darkness I'm sure there are none
But Topsy is only a dolly
And doesn't know better you see
So I just tuck her under my pillow
For I know she likes sleeping with me.

And when the sun shines in the morning
I sing till I know she's awake
Then I take her right out in the garden
And give her a bath in the lake
**
Tho I scrub her and scrub her and scrub her
I can't get her white like me.

**but Topsy is blacker than ever
and is shiny as shiny can be - I think this is the bit Mum forgot !

I believe this song has disappeared because of it's assumed political in-correctness. The inference being that the black doll was not clean. I protest this, as I adored my black doll and interpreted the lyrics as saying that she was just different, not dirty.
I wonder if anyone has the music sheet with the notes.
Thank you all for your posts.

addendum: reply to linsm (post Mon May 14th, 2007)

I know this is all late, but I only just found this site.
Your reference to Uncle Tom's Cabin got me thinking too, and I found this site with a chapter devoted to Topsy.
I believe you are right !

http://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/childrn/cbcbhema16t.html

Hope someone can come up with the music.
And perhaps the Goodnight Mama, Goodnight Papa is a totally different song as 'rosieroo' suggests.

Thanks again to everyone.

Hi, so glad I found this site as the song is something my Nan used to sing to me in the very early 60's. She was born in the early 1900's and knew a lot of songs. These lyrics are from what she could remember before she passed away:

I had a little dolly named Topsy
Who does not like sleeping alone
'Cause dolly's afraid of white shadows
Though I'm perfectly sure there are none
So I just put her under my pillow
I know she doesn't like sleeping alone
So before she wakes up in the morning
I sing til I think she's awake
Then I take her out in the garden
And give her a bath in the lake
As Topsy is only a dolly
And as shiny as shiny can be
I'll wash her and wash her and wash her
I can't make her white like me


I like the line about white shadows, i'm surprised no one else's version features this. I'm sure there's whole portions missed out, it'd be great if between us we could get a full version going.

I am delighted that someone contacted me re: Topsy.
My father was born in 1911 in Dublin Ireland and his mother sang this song to him and his sister. I recorded a version of this song and changed it slightly to Sweet Dolly Named Topsy and the last line changed to, and I make her so sparkling clean. I have a children's CD and my web site is www.piecesofcarmel.com and you can hear a small sound bite of it for the melody and the words are posted when you click on. My cousin Norman Teeling helped to write an additional verse. I noticed today is the anniversary of the Easter Rising and Norman is an artist who has 10 pictures on display at the GPO in Dublin. Check it out on his site www.normanteeling.com He and I remembered parts of the song and I know I changed Black Dolly and the last line from I can't make her white like me. Times have changed and I didn't want to lose the memory of my father singing it to me. He passed away 14 years ago. When I was in Ireland in 2005, I asked my cousins and they said the line Bogey and not white shadow. My Dad changed it so I guess he didn't want to frightened me but when he sang, I can't make her white like me. He sang it so low that it was great that he hit that low note. My daughter recorded it after I did and I haven't posted her song on my site but it's wonderful. Thank you to Jason for asking and actually finding me on this World Wide Web. I live in California and my Dad's greatest dream was getting over here. I have tears in my eyes and I am so happy that this song is being remembered. He also sang a song right after that was Go to Sleep My Baby, Close your big Blue eyes. The Angels are above you watching from the Sky... There's a great big moon above you, stars peep down with glee, now it's time for all the pretty babies to go to sleep. I've never heard since. I was wondering as lots of you if it's an Irish Lullabye and I believe I gave the Irish the credit for Topsy.

My Nana used to sing us this song, but with slightly different words (again) from those that are on this site. However, it does mention the 'white shadows', just as is mentioned earlier. Nana was from Kent, and born in the early 1900s.
I have a little black dolly called Topsy,
who doesn't like sleeping alone
'Cos Topysy's afraid of white shadows,
though I'm perfectly sure there are none.
But Topsy is only a dolly,
And as frightened as frightened can be,
So I just pop her under my pillow,
For I know she likes sleeping with me.

And when I wake up in the morning,
I sing till I think she's awake
Then I take her out into the garden,
And give her a wash in the lake.
But Topsy is blacker than ever,
And as shiny as shiny can be
So I just pop her under my pillow
For I know she likes sleeping with me.

Really pleased to find this dialogue!

My Mum used to sing this to us having learnt it from her mother growing up in Southall, Middlesex. Her lyrics are exactly like the second posting but in present tense:

'I have a black dolly called Topsy, who doean't like sleeping alone,
Cause Topsy's afraid of her shadow thought in darkness I know there are none,
But Topsy is only a dolly and doesn't know better you see
So I just put her under my pillow, I know she likes sleeping with me.

When I wake up in the morning, I lie till I think she's awake,
And then we go down to the garden and I give her a bath in the lake,
But Topsy is blacker than ever, as shiny and shiny can be,
Though I scrub her and scrub her and scrub her, I can't get her white like me.'

It's a family joke now how racist it seems, but as someone's mentioned the message is of course the opposite of racist - about accepting and loving people who at first seem very different but can be your best friend anyway. I'll have to think about whether I sing it to children I have, but probably will after some contextual discussion! In fact, I referred to it in my degree dissertation at Uni about images of black people in children's literature. I was discussing how stories and cultural traditions like Topsy and Little Black Sambo are in themselves harmless and were often the only way that white kids growing up in all-white communities would be introduced to and develop an affection for black people, but sadly wider social forces and abuse of them burdened them with so much racist baggage they could not be enjoyed or passed on innocently any more. Thanks everyone for your contributions - isn't the internet amazing? You really can find everything!

This seems to be a very widely known song, so must have been recorded by someone in the past to become so well-known amongst the World War 2 generation that they used it as a lullaby. Keep hunting folks!

Thank you to every one who Put the words down to the Topsy song . My grandmother was born in 1893. she emigrated to Australia as a WWI war bride and used to sing it to me . I have been trying to remember it even though it is no longer politically correct .
However my granny's version ends with I think" I scrub her and scrub her and scrub her , but still she never looks clean .....

my mum used to sing it to me, her mum also to her, possibly her mum to her also? we were all born in australia, my grandmother in the 1920's. i can't remember all the lyrics (i'll ask my mum if she remembers more!) but i do remember the
doesn't like sleeping alone
...but Topsy is only a dolly and doesn't know better you see
So I just put her under my pillow,
I know she likes sleeping with me

and

i can't get her white like me

i used to love that song, i can't believe someone else had heard of it!!

My Grandma used to sing this song to me and my mum's grandma used to sing it to her. It is a family favourite with my children. All these generations are Australian with that side of the family originating in Scotland.

My version goes:

I've a little black dolly name Topsy who doesn't like sleeping alone.
For Topsy's afraid of white boobies though I'm perfectly sure there are none.
So I'll just pop her under my pillow for I know she likes sleeping with me.
And when I wake up in the morning. I'll take her right down to the lake, and I'll rub her and scrub her but I can't make her white like me.

It would be great if someone had the music.