The common belief is that this song was first sung in Nigeria where there was a curfew every night that was enforced by the British colonial authorities in the 1950's. According to Music Together, that theory is incorrect and the song is originally from Ghana in the 1930's.
Nowadays it's sung around the world in many different languages. You can find some versions below...
Everybody Loves Saturday Night
Image: Jitterbugs V by William H. Johnson, circa 1941, Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Sources for Song Origin:
"Open Highways: A Diagnostic and Developmental Reading Program," Volume 8, by Scott Foresman, 1967.
"Songs That Made History Around the World" (2011) by Jerry Silverman.
"The World at Your Fingertips, Book 1: Music History and Culture from Around the World," by Deborah Brener & Nancy Lau.
Contribute a Version!
If you know a version that you don't see here, let us know! EMAIL US and write "Contribute" as the subject of the e-mail.
