barrymore - racist??

[joko]

Michael barrymore randomly began singing "old man dennis" to the tune of "old man river" when dennis left the room, yesterday.

Is this a bit weird? and a bit racist? I thought that song was reminiscent of the black and white mistrels and 'sambo' and slavery and the banana boat and golly woogs etc etc etc - or have i got this mixed up with another song?

i'm sure he didn't mean anything nasty by it but still....

[Drusilla]

Sorry joko, but I think you may be thinking about Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Old Man River is taken from the musical, Showboat, by Hammerstein and Kern. It deals with issues of mixed marriage, gambling, infidelity and illegitimacy in post Civil War America.
The song was made famous by Paul Robeson, who was no Uncle Tom and was a highly politicised African American at a time when this was not viewed with relish by white America.
He spent a great deal of time in Europe and even visited Russia when he was in trouble politically at home.