Two McDonald's Handclap Rhymes - Source Ads & Playground Rhyme Examples

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post focuses examples of two playground rhymes that have their source in Mcdonalds advertisement jingles. Those rhymes are "McDonalds Is Your Kind Of Place" [source ad 1967) and "Welcome To McDonalds" (also known as "Big Mac", "Mcdonalds Handclap Rhyme" and other titles)

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, recreational, and aesthetic purposes.

The copyrights remain with their owners.

My thanks to all those persons whose examples I quoted. My thanks also to the unknown and known composers of the music, to all those responsible for the featured videos, and to the uploaders of these videos.

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GENERAL COMMENTS
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. According to its wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's that restaurant chain started in 1948 in the United States and "serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries".

PLAYGROUND RHYMES SOURCE MATERIALS & TUNES
Advertisement jingles often use tunes from previously composed songs, rhymes, and chants. For example, the tune for the "McDonalds Is Your Kind Of Place" jingle is based on the African American Gospel song "Down By The Riverside" (Aint Gonna Study War No More). Using familiar tunes means that those chanting can concentrate on remembering the words and doing the handclap routines without worrying about how the tune goes.*

Advertisement jingles aren't the only source for words to playground rhymes. Playground rhymes also include verses and references from popular songs, television programs, movies, Mother Goose rhymes, and other playground rhymes. Lines from other songs & rhymes are called "floating verses or traveling verses".

Each of the versions of "Welcome to McDonald's" ("Big Mac") that are showcased in this post contains an example of a "floating verse" or "floating line" from another rhyme or song.

Version #1 of "Welcome To McDonalds" ends with the line "And the dish ran away with the spoon". That line comes from the Mother Goose rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle". For some reason, that end line appears to be used a lot for this rhyme (my daughter also used it in the 1980s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). I'm not sure why that line is combined with that McDonalds jingle. My daughter said she did it because "it fit". I wouldn't be surprised to learn that some television comedian recited that parody that way and kids picked it up from that segment. But that's just a guess.

Also notice that the "you deserve a break today" line in that video uses the same tune as those lines in the 1980s Mcdonalds "source jingle".

Version #2 of "Welcome To McDonalds" includes the words & actions to the rhyme "Rock, Paper, Scissors". And there are verses from other playground rhymes that are combined with the "core" words for "Welcome To McDonalds" ("Big Mac").

Version #3 of "Welcome To McDonalds" has only the first two "standard" lines of that rhyme followed by a version of the playground rhyme "See My Pinky".

*Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/childrens-cheers-or-rhymes-inspired-by.html for examples of children's rhymes or cheers that are based on R&B songs.

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MCDONALDS IS OUR [YOUR] KIND OF PLACE
Here's the source ad & jingle for "McDonalds Is Your Kind Of Place":

McDonalds is our kind of place [clap clap]*
It’s such a happy place [clap clap]
Hap hap hap happy place [clap clap]
Ah clean and snappy place [clap clap]
McDonalds is our kind of place [clap clap]
It’s such a happy place [clap clap]
McDonalds is our kind of place!
Your kind of place!

*These words indicate that two claps are done immediately following those lyrics.
-snip-
Here's the source ad for those rhymes:

McDonald's Commercial 1967



Uploaded by pepsiforever on Dec 6, 2007

A McDonald's Commercial from 1967.
-snip-
That ad has spawned a number of "McDonalds Is Your Kinda Place" parodies. Here are three examples of this rhyme:

McDonald's Is Your Kind Of Place (Example #1)
McDonald's is your kind of place.
They serve you rattlesnakes,
French fries between your toes,
Hamburgers up your nose.
The last time that I was there
They served me underwear.
McDonald's is your kind of place.
-NightWing; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=87050 Lyr Req: Kid's Parodies; 10/11/2004

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McDonalds Is Yur Kinda Place (Example #2)
McDonalds is your kind of place!
Hamburgers in your face!
French Fries up your nose!
Pickles between your toes!
And don't forget those lousy shakes!
They're made from polluted lakes!
McDonalds is your kind of place!

Direct from the source ;)
-TheOffensiveuser,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFEkfipbI3Q&feature=related ; April 2012
[Hereafter known as "Parody Of McDonalds Video #1"]

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McDonalds Is Yur Kinda Place (Example #3)
McDonalds is your kinda place.
Hamburgers in your face.
French fries between your toes.
Dill pickles up your nose.
The last time I went there
They burned my underwear.
McDonalds is your kinda place
-MuscleMikal "Parody Of McDonalds Video #1", May 2012

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WELCOME TO MCDONALDS
Here are text examples of the source ad & jingle "Welcome To Mcdonalds":

Version #1:
Big Mac
filet of fish
quarter pounder
french fries
icy coke
thick shakes
sundaes and apple pie
If you're hungry then for goodness sake
Give yourself a tasty break
With Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, Quarter Pounder, French Fries
Icy Coke, Thick Shakes, Sundaes, Apple Pie
At McDonald's.

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Version #2:
big mac, filet-o-fish, quarter pounder, french fry,
icy cold thick shake, sundaes and apple pie!
you deserve a break today, at mcdonalds
where the dish ran away with the spoon!

Ahhh...
:)
-Barbym1991, href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLNpgWmx1PM

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Version #3:
The one i know is
welcome to mcdonalds
may i take your order
see my pinky
see my thumb
see my fist
you better run
-sarahwentloco ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=eMkpiLjKWU8 Welcome To McDonalds Game; October 2011

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Version #4:
Welcome To McDonalds
Go!
Welcome to McDonalds
May I take your order?
Big Mac
Special snacks
French Fries
Apple Pies
Rock
Paper
Scissors
Shoot!
[Hmm, lets see]
I win
You lose
Now you got the tickle shoes.
-datura2323 ; Welcome To McDonalds http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=eMkpiLjKWU8 ; Jul 31, 2008

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FEATURED VIDEOS "WELCOME TO MCDONALDS"

Video #1: DoubleDutch - Old McDonalds Ad



tracy80sgirl, Uploaded on Jul 29, 2009

Sadly, I can only skip a single rope. But what a feelgood McDonald's commercial!

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Video #2: Welcome To McDonald's game



Uploaded by datura2323 on Jul 31, 2008

Kids playin with their Mom! Very cute.

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Video #3: Mcdonalds hand game



Uploaded by Barbym1991 on May 15, 2009

old hand game my mom and aunt taught us!! Enjoy!

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RELATED VIDEO
Here's a McDonalds commercial that includes handclapping and body patting (pattin juba)*

1980s McDonald's Commercial



Uploaded by AnnainCA on May 19, 2010

"McDonald's handwarmin' is fun to do!"
-snip-
"Pattin Juba" is now most often associated with the rhyme "Hambone". However, that body patting technique was also done for other rhymes & songs.

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UPDATE:
Here's an example of how American children's rhymes become known in other nations - Americans visiting or working in those nations teach the rhyme's words & movements.

Big Mac hand clap



Uploaded by julieannclark on Dec 21, 2010

Emilie's work in the Peace Corps is complete, now that these African children know all the words to this hand-clapping game.

Louga, Senegal, West Africa

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RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/pattin-juba-hambone-and-bo-diddley-beat.html for more information about & examples of body patting (pattin juba).

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