Song Sources For Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update - September 19, 2021

This pancocojams post showcases nine examples of songs or rhymes that influenced the development of the playground rhyme "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" or versions of that rhyme.

I don't mean to indicate or imply that the featured songs in this post are the only songs or the only creative works that influenced the development of the huge family of playground rhymes known as "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" (or similar first lines/titles).

Significantly, this post only includes two "frog in the well" songs, although many more of these very very old songs are important to the development of the playground rhyme "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky".

The content of this post is presented for historical, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.

My thanks to the composers and performers of this music. My thanks also to the videographers and uploaders of these featured videos, and thanks to Joseph Scott for the information given bekow in the Feb 11, 2014 update to this post.

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SHORT FORMS AND LONG FORMS OF "DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY" RHYMES
In analyzing "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes (including examples in this rhyme family with similar titles), I've categorized those examples as having a short form or a long form.

Short Form:
There are numerous versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" (or similar titles). One standard short version of this rhyme is:

down by the river of the hanky banky
where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank
say eeps oops soda pop
He missed the lilypad
And went KERPLOP!

-snip-
Long Form:
An example of the long version of this rhyme often mentions Pop music singer Michael Jackson.
Here's one example of the long version of "Down By The Banks..."
Down by the river with the hanky bankys
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
say an
epp
opp
epp
bop
bop
Skittle dittle curly pop
I pledge allegence to the flag
That Micheal jackson makes me gag
Diet Pepsi came to town
Coca-Cola pushed him down
Orange soda picked him up
Now I'm drinking 7 up
7up caught the flu
Now I'm drinking Moutain Dew
Moutain Dew fell off the moutain
Now I'm drinking from a fountian
Foutain Broke
Now I'm drinking plain old Coke
-Guest; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=940347/15/2007 "Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky", July 15, 2007
-snip-
That example is included in this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/folk-etymology-forms-of-references-to.html
Forms Of The Name "Billie Jean" In "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" Rhymes

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on the song's recording date, and not the date that the video was posted on YouTube.

Note that there are earlier examples of songs that influenced "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes. One of those songs is May Irwin's "Foolish Frog", 1907. [corrected date: 9/19/2021]

Added September 19, 2021
Click http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/Br3189.html
"DESCRIPTION: A bull frog "with nothin else to do" falls, jumps around, and falls in a well. The preacher warns that the Devil is looking for folks with "nothin else to do" If you want your wings, stay home with your family instead of going to other frogs' farms

AUTHOR: Credited to Charles E. Trevathan

EARLIEST DATE: 1907 (recording, May Irwin); Protobilly gives a composition date of 1896, but with no documentation."....

Also. click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRiXFErbIsY&ab_channel=JoanMorris%26WilliamBolcom-Topic  for a YouTube sound file cover of this song entitled "May Irwin's "Frog" Song" [published by Joan Morris & William Bolcom - Topic Aug 26, 2014 ; from "After The Ball Plus Highlights From "Vaudeville"...

Composer, Lyricist: Charles E. Trevathan ℗ 1976 Nonesuch Records Unlike this cover, version the lyrics that May Irwin sung wee in so-called "Negro" dialect. Click https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=76856 ; Jim Dixon, 01 Jan 05 - 03:49 PM) for the lyrics to May Irwin's rendition of "The Foolish Frog"
-end of Sept. 19, 2021 addition- 
The example given as #3 below may have the same or similar lyrics and tune as the song that May Irwin sung, a song that is documented that she got from Black American sources.

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Example #1: Chubby Parker & His Old Time Banjo - King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O [1928)



misterbamboostick, Published on Jul 23, 2012

Chubby Parker & His Old Time Banjo - King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O (from Harry Smith's 'Anthology of American Folk Music : Ballads'). Support your favourite artists : buy vinyl, cd's or legal downloads. I don't own the rights to this song, I just want to share good music.

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Example 2: Eep, Ipe, Wanna Piece of Pie

Fats Waller - Topic Published on Aug 23, 2015

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises

Eep, Ipe, Wanna Piece of Pie · Fats Waller

Historical Jazz Recordings: 1938-1940


[Update: October 30, 2020]

The sound file that was originally embedded in this post is no longer available.

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcv1NJeP-SU&ab_channel=OnlyJazzHQ
for a sound file of this Jazz tune.
  
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Example #3: "Foolish Frog" by Blind Blake (1952)



Uploaded by folkgrassboy on Jul 30, 2008

Featured on VOLUME 2 of his Art Records releases. Calypso from the Bahamas.

Featured on VOLUME 2 of his Art Records releases. Calypso from the Bahamas. Here are the lyrics with slight variation: Away down yonder in Yankety Yank A bullfrog jumped from bank to bank Cause there wasn't nothin' else to do; He stubbed his to and in he fell An' de neighbors all say that he went to...well, 'Cause he hadn't nothin' else to do. cho: An' jus' lots of folks is like dis foolish frog of mine, A-runnin' into trouble jus' to pass de time. An' de devil's allus loafin' 'round jus' to grab de kind That never hasn't nothin' else to do. When dey buried dat frog, de preacher said, "De reason why dis young frog is dead, "'Cause there wasn't nothin 'else to do." An' all you frogs jus' a listen to me, Yo' bettah stay at home wid yo' family, When you hav'nt nothin' else to do. Some frogs I know is pow'ful fond Of spendin' dey time in' nother frog's pond, 'Cause dey hasn't nothin'else to do. But dis consolation, de Good Book brings, De frog of dem habits won't wear no wings, 'Cause he hasn't nothin' else to do. Now all of yo' people dat heah dis song, Yo' knows why dis po' frog went wrong, 'Cause he hadn't nothin' else to do. You'd bettah keep busy on any kind of pay, Till de big horn blow on de judgement day, Den you will hab somethin' else to do.

-snip-
[Added September 19, 2021:
From https://archive.org/stream/frankcbrowncolle03fran/frankcbrowncolle03fran_djvu.txt 
The Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore; the folklore of North Carolina, collected by Dr. Frank C. Brown during the years 1912 to 1943, in collaboration with the North Carolina Folklore Society"

[page] 189

"Way Down Yonder in Pasquotank;

 For divers rhymes about die bullfrog, see White's note, ANFS

244. Our particular rhyme he says be has known from boyhood.

Forms of it showing the rhyme with "bank" (though not the proper

noun Pascjuotank ) have been reported from Virginia (FSV 151 ),

Tennessee (JAFL .xxvi 135), Soudi Carolina (JAFL xliv 425.

Negroes), Alabama (ANFS 244), and Mississippi (JAFL xxvi

135)-

'Pasquotank.' Contributed, probably in 191 3, by the Reverend L. D.

Haynian of Elizabeth City, Pasquotank county. ... 

Way down ycmder in Pasquotank.

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank,

They jump so high they break their shank.

The old grey goose went "yankety yank.'"
-snip-
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CImi8VwNN1A for the Pete Seeger version of this 19th century song.

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Example #4. David Seville My Friend The Witch Doctor [1958]



oldtimer874, Uploaded on Oct 20, 2011

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Example #5: The Jetsons - Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah [1962]



ladythatsmyskull, Uploaded on Jan 22, 2007

Originally performed by Howard Morris. Jetsons music video featuring 'Jet Screamer' from 60's TV show.

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Example #6: Joe Perkins - Little Eeefin' Annie [1963]



Uploaded by TheLimePopsicle on Aug 15, 2009

Charted at #76 on Billboard Hot 100 in September 1963. Vocal by Joe and the "eefin" is performed by Jimmie Riddle. This was Joe's only Hot 100 entry.
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eefing:

"Eefing (also written eeephing, eephing, eeefing, eefin, or eefn' and doubtless other ways) is an Appalachian (United States) vocal technique similar to beatboxing, but nearly a century older. Jennifer Sharpe describes it as "a kind of hiccupping, rhythmic wheeze that started in rural Tennessee more than 100 years ago.""...

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Example #7. Manfred Mann Do Wah Diddy Very Good quality Live, [1964]



videosMLR, Uploaded on Jul 6, 2011
-snip-
The lyrics "do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do" are found in some post 1982 versions of "Down By The Banks..." This line is particularly found when the "Coca Cola came to town" rhyme is combined with certain versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" that mention Michael Jackson.

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Example #8: Pete Seeger - The Foolish Frog [1973]



Steve Johnson, Published on Apr 12, 2013

Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Fishes (Little and Big) - 1998
-snip-
Pete Seeger's "Foolish Frog" book, song, and short animated film was first released in 1973. Those products are significant for helping to introduce children to the story of the foolish frog. Seeger learned this song from his father who based it upon May Irwin's "Foolish Frog". However, the lyrics and tune that Pete Seeger popularized are quite different from the contemporary "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky' rhymes. The tune used for "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes* is the same as or very similar to the "The Three Little Fishies" song. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=541HKD8alfg for a 1939 sound file of that song.

*There are a number of examples of the long form "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky rhyme" in the comment threads of YouTube videos of the short form of that rhyme. However, to date, I've not come across any video of the long form of that rhyme, and I've never heard it chanted in person. Therefore, I'm not sure what tune it uses.

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Example #9: Michael Jackson - Billie Jean [1982]



Uploaded by michaeljacksonVEVO on Oct 2, 2009

Music video by Michael Jackson performing Billie Jean. © 1982 MJJ Productions Inc.

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Example #10: Coca cola went to town [1982?]



Published on Mar 21, 2012 by Nadia Smalling


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UPDATE: February 11, 2014

Subject: RE: Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes?
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 11 Feb 15 - 05:37 PM

"Down by the banks of the Hanky-Panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky"

_Norfolk, The Marine Metropolis Of Virginia_ by G. Nowitsky, 1888, includes
"He came to the banks
Of the Pasquotank,
Where the bull-frogs jump
From bank to bank...."

_With The Guns In South Africa_ 1901 includes
"'Way down on the Hanky-Pank,
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank,
Because they have nuthin' else to do-oo-oo !"

An article "'Coon' Tales From The Bahamas" in _The English Illustrated Magazine_ in 1905 included
"Once 'pon a time was a berry good time,
Monkey chew terbacco en spit white lime,
Cockroach keep time.
Bullfrog jump from bank to bank,
En he hin' quattah don' touch wattah."

E.C. Perrow recalled hearing this in Tennessee in 1905:
"...
Way daown yander in China-rank
The bullfrog jumped frum bank to bank...."

Newman White (1892-1948) wrote in the 1920s: "From childhood I have known...:
'Way down yonder in Pasquotank
Bull frog jumped from bank to bank"
-snip-
In another Mudcat Folk Music forum comment, (guest) Joseph Scott identified himself as a blues researcher.

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RELATED LINKS
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/02/down-by-banks-of-hanky-panky-video.html "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" (video & different text examples)

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