Overview of Tootle of a Devilish Song
This episode of 99% Invisible traces the surprising history of yodeling: from its likely roots as a mountain herding practice in the Alps, to its rise as a tourist spectacle, to its transformation into a foundational influence on American country music. Host Roman Mars and reporter Gabe Bullard use Switzerland’s Jodlerfest as a starting point to show how a vocal technique associated with pastoral Swiss tradition traveled across the Atlantic, blended with blues and vaudeville, and helped shape the sound of modern country.
Key Takeaways
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Yodeling began as a practical alpine tradition
- Likely used by cattle herders to communicate over long distances.
- It may also have had ritual or “magical” uses.
- At its core, yodeling is a register flip between chest voice and head voice.
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The tradition became a performance
- In the 18th and 19th centuries, tourism in the Swiss Alps turned yodeling into entertainment for visitors.
- Performers began staging the sound with traditional clothing, scenic settings, and formalized song structures.
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Yodeling spread internationally, especially to the United States
- European touring performers brought yodeling to America in the early 1800s.
- It circulated through popular entertainment forms such as vaudeville and minstrel shows.
- The episode notes that this history is tangled with appropriation and the erasure of Black musical contributions.
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Jimmie Rodgers turned yodeling into country music
- The episode highlights Jimmie Rodgers as the first major commercial star to combine yodeling with blues-based songs.
- His “Blue Yodel” recordings became hugely popular and helped define early country music.
- His style drew on a mix of influences: blues, work songs, folk traditions, and yodeling.
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Yodeling was later standardized in Switzerland
- During World War II, yodeling became part of Switzerland’s cultural self-definition.
- Swiss institutions promoted a more rigid, “pure” national style through textbooks and competitions.
- This narrowed a once more diverse practice.
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A modern revival is underway
- Younger Swiss artists and students are bringing yodeling into new contexts.
- Contemporary performers blend yodeling with jazz, classical music, reggaeton, and other genres.
- The episode suggests Switzerland may now be experiencing a reinvention similar to what happened in America a century ago.
Historical Arc of Yodeling
From mountain work to folk tradition
Yodeling likely started as a practical tool for communication among isolated alpine herders. Over time, it became part of local folk culture and regional identity.
From folk practice to tourist attraction
As wealthy Europeans toured the Alps, yodeling became a marketable performance. This helped popularize it beyond the mountains and encouraged performers to codify and stylize it.
From European import to American innovation
In the U.S., yodeling was absorbed into a broad entertainment ecosystem that included Black musical traditions, vaudeville, and minstrel performance. Jimmie Rodgers then fused it with blues to create a new commercial sound.
From national symbol to living art form
In Switzerland, yodeling was later formalized as a symbol of cultural difference and national pride. Today, younger musicians are reviving and reshaping it, pushing the tradition forward again.
Notable Examples Mentioned
- Jodlerfest in Basel, Switzerland
- Early terminology described as “tootle of a devilish song”
- Jimmie Rodgers and the “Blue Yodel” series
- Hank Williams as an example of yodel-like vocal breaks in country music
- Early recordings by artists such as George P. Watson
- Black performers and composers including Clarence Williams, Sarah Martin, and Eva Taylor
Main Theme
The episode’s central idea is that yodeling is not just a quirky sound effect or Swiss stereotype—it’s a musical technique with a deep, global history. It has been repeatedly repurposed, commodified, standardized, and reinvented. What began as an alpine call became part of American country music, and what once sounded old-fashioned in Switzerland is now being rediscovered by a new generation.