In the 1850s in Vienna the elegant Polka française and the lively Schnell-Polka developed, the second of these influenced by the fast galop. The polka was very popular in the late nineteenth century and examples were penned by nearly every major composer of dance music, performed by almost all military bands, and distributed in the form of sheet music throughout the world. A French dictionary of dance terms dating from 1847 describes the polka as having a pulse rate of 104 beats per minute with an emphasis on the second beat of the measure. It exhibits a ternary (ABA) form with eight-measure subsections and sometimes include an introduction and a coda.

Strauss' Vergnügungszug, Op. 281, is a Schnell-Polka, which was influenced by the galop, a rapid, simple dance in 2/4 meter. The title, loosely translated as "Pleasure Train," indicates that galops, and the polkas related to them, were danced by couples in a line, or "train," that moved across or around the hall. Published in 1864, Vergnügungszug, Op. 281, looks back to the polka as inherited from Bohemia in that a couple of its melodies accent the second beat of the measure, especially in the second half of section A. The overall construction of the larger sections, however, is decidedly unconventional. The first melody of section A is eight measures long, but its repeat includes an extension of four measures, making a 20-measure total, possibly confusing the unprepared dancer. Strauss makes up for the "imbalance" by inserting a four-measure bridge between the two melodies of the second half of A, creating a total that is divisible by eight. Unusually, the entire second part of A is repeated before moving on to the central B section, which also features a crashing, eight-measure "bridge" between its two, 16-measure tunes. Typically, the A section returns, but without the repeat of its second half. Strauss' leaping melodies illustrate the reckless abandon with which the Schnell-Polka was commonly danced, while the trumpet and snare drum passage in section A reflects the polka's military associations.

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