These days, there is an ice cream truck that drives around my neighborhood every night between 6:30-7:00 PM.  I know the truck is coming because as it drives it plays a catchy* song.  The song that the truck broadcasts is a song that many Americans associated with ice cream trucks, because this song is played by so many ice cream trucks it has become iconic.  I’m not sure if ice cream trucks are common in other countries so let me explain to you what one is, before I introduce you to the silly catchy song the ice cream truck plays in my neighborhood every night.

Although ice cream trucks were more popular in the past there are still many that can be found in the United States, especially during the summer months.  An ice cream truck is a commercial vehicle that travels around selling ice cream out of a side window of that truck. Ice cream trucks are often seen parked on the side of the street at public events, parks, beaches, and places where children play like schools and play grounds.  Many ice cream trucks also have a normal night time driving route that they travel, around the dinner hour.  They do this so people, usually children, can come out of their houses to get an ice cream for dessert.

Ice cream trucks are often brightly decorated, with pictures of ice cream and cartoon characters (see picture above). Along the passenger side of the truck there is always a large sliding window where the ice cream is served to the customer.  A distinctive feature of ice cream trucks is the songs they play as they drive down the street. The song the ice cream truck near me plays is “Do Your Ears Hang Low?”

Here are the lyrics to this song:

Do your ears hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie ’em in a knot?
Can you tie ’em in a bow?
Can you throw ’em o’er your shoulder
Like a continental soldier
Do your ears hang low?

wobble = move unsteadily from side to side
to and fro = toward and from
’em = them
o’er = over

You can listen to this song in the YouTube video below.  Once you listen to it you will see how catchy the tune is.

After reading these lyrics you may think they are a bit funny, and that they don’t really make that much sense.  You are right!  The lyrics of this song don’t make much sense.  This is a children’s song that is mostly sung for fun, and like many children’s songs it does not have a lot of meaning, but it is funny and easy to sing and remember.

I am interest to know if there is an ice cream truck where you live or if you have ever seen one or bought ice cream from one.  Please leave a comment on this post to let me know.

*catchy = instantly appealing and/or memorable