Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision- December 23, 2019
This pancocojams post focuses on several folk processed examples of the contemporary (1970s to date) examples of the playground rhyme "Miss Sue From Alabama".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of embedded video and those who are featured in this video.
-snip-
DISCLAIMER: This post only presents a small sampling of "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes, and isn't meant to be a comprehensive collection of these playground rhyme.
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DEFINITION OF "FOLK PROCESSED"
In the context of this post, by "folk processed", I mean the changes that people purposely or accidentally make in a rhyme or song. "Folk etymology" is a way that rhymes or songs can be "folk processed".
Here's a definition of "folk etymology" from
"Folk etymology: A change in the form or pronunciation of a word or phrase resulting from a mistaken assumption about its composition or meaning."
-snip-
Folk etymology often occurs when an unfamiliar word or phrase is accidentally converted to a more familiar word or sound. Also, folk etymology may occur because a word or phrase may be misheard, misread, or mis-remembered over time, or within a short period of time. Furthermore, a name may be purposely changed for topical reasons such as to personalize the song or rhyme or make it fit a particular locale or situation.
In this post I share my opinions about the possible origin/meaning of the name "Scooby Doo" in versions of that rhyme that begin with the lines "Miss Sue/Scooby Doo/Miss Sue From Alabama" or similar lines.
In this post I also share my opinions about the meanings of the phrase "take a smooth shot" and present variant forms of that phrase in additional examples of that rhyme.
In addition, this post focuses on two variant titles of "Miss Sue From Alabama" - "E.T. From Outer Space" and "Pea Soup".
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FEATURED EXAMPLES
Note: Examples of this "Miss Sue From Alabama" and its variants are assigned numbers for the purpose of this post.
None of these examples are purported to be the source or original version of this rhyme. Furthermore, these numbers have nothing whatsoever to do with whether any featured example is older or newer than any other featured example.
The specific phrases or words that are being reviewed are presented in italics within the examples.
Focus phrases: "Scooby Doo" and "Take a smooth shot"
Example #1: Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Hey you,
scooby do
your Mama's got the measles
Your papa's got the flu
magic measles
magic flu
Take an a b c d e f g
Take an h i j k l.m.n.o.p.
Take a smooth shot
Take a smooth shot
and now freeze.
-Eleanor Fulton, Pat Smith: Let's Slice The Ice, (Magnamusic-Baton, 1978; St. Louis, Mo.; p 16) [African American children, no state or city indicated]
-snip-
Comments about "Scooby Doo" [slightly revised December 28, 2018]
"Scooby Doo" is a Great Dane dog that talks and is the star of an animated American television series "Scooby Doo, Where Are You". That series first aired in 1969. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo for information about this series.
I believe that the term "scooby doo" was probably originally the scatting musical phrase "doo bee doo be". Here's an excerpt from an online article which agrees with this speculation:
"Now, Frank Sinatra may have been many things, but a scattin’, be-boppin’ hep cat was not one of them. Still, when he doo-be-doo-be-doo’ed his way through the end of the hit 1966 song “Strangers In The Night,” it showed just how mainstream scat singing had become. And any lingering doubts were dispelled when the hit cartoon series Scooby Doo Where Are You began running in the early 70s. Even a kid like me knew what the name Scooby Doo referred to."
http://soundcheck.wnyc.org/story/13706-where-scooby-doo-really-came/.
UPDATE: December 23, 2019 - Comments about the phrase "take a smooth shot":
When I published this post in 2013, I thought that the word "smooth" in the term "smooth shot" was an adjective that had the 1970s slang meaning of "doing something difficult without effort, with finesse." The word "smooth" was often used this way when someone performed a difficult action in a way that made that action seemed easy.
While "smooth shot" might have that meaning in some "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes, I now believe that "smooth shot" is a folk processed form of the words "flu shot" - i.e.- an immunization for the flu (disease). Notice the "mama has the measles, daddy has the flu" line in some versions of "Miss Sue From Alabama".
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Example #2
Miss Sue
Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her name was Suzianna
Sitting in a rocker
eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick Tock
Tick all around go
Tick Tock
Tick all around
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Gotta wash that stain right out of me
Gotta Boom-shot
Gotta Boom-shot
Gotta crick in my side
Gotta crick in my side
Salt and pepper said "DO NOT MOVE"
(alternate ending)
Salt and pepper said" DO NOT MOVE,
FIRST ONE TO MOVE IS A BLACK-EYED-PEA
SECOND ONE TO MOVE IS A BEAUTY QUEEN
-Dani (White American, Southern USA), http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 "Folklore: Do kid still do clapping rhymes?", September 22, 2003
Comment:
A "rocker" is a rocking chair. "Betty Crocker" is a brand name and trademark for the General Mills corporation. The fictional cook named "Betty Crocker" is particular known for her delicious cookies, cakes, and other baked goods, and for the cookbook which is named after her. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Crocker for more information about Betty Crocker.
"Boom -shot" is another folk processed form of "smooth shot"
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Example #3:
Mis Sue from Alabama
Let's make a movie
Sitting in a rocking chair
Eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock say
Tick Tock Boom Boom Banana
Tick Tock Boom Boom Banana
Hey white girl whatcha going to do
Momma got the measles Daddy got the flu
Give me a ABCDEFG HIJKLMNOP
Take a flue shot take a flu shot
and FREEZE
-Guest, Mom From Bama, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=102055&messages=48, "Folklore: Play Ground Hand Jives", May 2, 2008
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Example #4
ET from outer space.
He has an ugly face.
Sittin in a rocket
eatin very tocket
watchin the clock go
Tick tock
tick tock shawally wally
ABCDEFG
You betta get your black hands offa me
You gotta smoooth cho
You gotta smoooth cho
You gotta smooth, smooth, smooth, smooth, smooth.
Now Freeze!
(alternative last line: My mama said "Black eye peas").
-Kiera, African American girl, 8 years old, (Pleasantville, New Jersey) and Kion, African American male, 6 years old, (Pleasantville, New Jersey), 11/8/2008
-snip-
Comments:
Kiara & Kion are my great niece & great nephew. Their mother, Kiemon, told me that she recited this same rhyme when she was a child in the 1980s.
The "ET" in the rhyme is the lead character from the hit 1982 American science fiction movie, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial for more information about this movie. I'm not sure why that character and his ugly face replaced the standard "Miss Sue from Alabama" lines.
-snip-
The lines "Sittin in a rocket/eatin very tocket" are a folk etymology form of the standard lines "sittin in a rocker/eating Betty Crocker".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/get-your-black-hands-off-of-me.html for a pancocojams post about the phrase "get your black hands off of me".
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Example #5
E-T.
E-T.
E-T from outer space.
He has an ugly face.
Sitting in a rocker,
Eating Betty Crocker,
Watching the clock go tick-tock
Tick-tock ski-wa-dee-da-dee
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Wipe those crumbs off of me!
I've got a smooth shirt.
I've got a smooth shirt.
I've got a smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth shirt.
Now freeze!
-KeepOnSingin, http://www.dance.net/topic/7106059/1/General/Do-you-remember-those-old-rhymes-you-d-sing-as-a-kid.html, Sun Apr 20, 2008 08:48 PM
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Example #6
Miss Sue, (clap, clap)
Miss Sue (clap, clap)
Miss Sue from Alabama,
Let's make a movie,
Sittin' in a rocker,
Eatin' Betty Crocker,
Hey wise girl,
Whatcha gonna do,
When your mama's at work,
Baby's got the flu,
Daddy's got the chicken pox,
And so do you?
Take an a b c d e f g,
Take an h i j k l m n o p,
Take a booty shot,
take a booty shot,
And FREEZE!!
-http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100521121653AAqa6Lq "How does the song miss sue go?"
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Example #7
i have a clapping song
pea soup
pea soup pea soup
flying in a rocket eating merry chocolate
waiting for the clock to go tick tock whirly whirly tick tock
a b c d e f g
wipe those boy germs off of me
moonshine moonshine moonshine clear
first one to laugh is a bumble bee
not me
recited by girls in 2000s
-hannan d; 12/1/2009 [Sorry. I didn't note where I found this example.]
Comment:
The line "Pea soup pea soup" is a folk etymology form of the name "Miss Sue". "Flying in a rocket eating merry chocolate" is also a folk etymology form of "sitting in a rocket/eating Betty Crocker". It seems to me that those changes were attempts to make sense out of those lines.
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Example #8:
Miss Sue from Alabama goes wild!!
MzKaYoung, Published on Apr 8, 2012
Play time with the yungans
Lyrics*
Miss Sue from Alabama
They call her Suzianna
Sitting in a rocker
eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick tock a walla walla
Tick tock a walla walla
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Wash that blue stuff off of me
Say Flu shot! Flu shot!
Turn all around and
FREEZE!
*Transcription by Azizi Powell. Additions and corrections welcome.
Comment:
This is the first time that I've seen "Miss Sue From Alabama" performed as a foot movement rhyme. It appears to me that this rhyme is usually performed as a handclap/hand movement game.
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM "Miss Sue Playground Song" for a video of what I think is a rather unique way of performing the "Miss Sue From Alabama" hand game. (The words chanted in that video don't include the "take a smooth shot" line or any variation of that line.)
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UPDATE: June 5, 2016
Example #9
Bus 2, Bus 2 , bus 2 from Alabama
sitting on a rocker, eating betty croker,
watch the clock go tick tock, tick-tock nanny nanny
tick tock, tick-tock nanny nanny
A-B-C-D-E-F-G wash that dirt right off my knee
mone shine, mone shine ,mone shine ,freeze.
Then you see who moves first.
Lacefrontqueen, http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/43158-Hood-Cheers/page3, 08-18-2006
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UPDATE: December 23, 2019
Example #10
How I remember miss sue miss sue miss sue from alabama jer real name suseanna sittin In the rocking eatin popcorn watchin that clock go tick tock boom boom bananas +2 hey little white girl what u gone do your momma got the chicken pox ur daddy got the flu take a
A b c d e f g. H I J K L M N O P take a boooo shot take a boo shot now FREEZE
-Makyia Ballentine, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM&t=1s [comment], 2014
-snip-
Notice the referent to race that is included in this example. The referent "white girl" presumes that the person/s chanting this example aren't White.
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Example #11
Miss Sue from Alabama
They call her Suzianna
Sitting in a rocker
eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick tock a walla walla
Tick tock a walla walla
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Wash that blue stuff off of me
Say Flu shot! Flu shot!
Turn all around and
FREEZE!
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGvXQd1CA3c&feature=emb_logo; "Miss Sue from Alabama goes wild!!"; published by MzKaYoung, Published on Apr 8, 2012
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Example #12
Miss Sue, (clap, clap)
Miss Sue (clap, clap)
Miss Sue from Alabama,
Let's make a movie,
Sittin' in a rocker,
Eatin' Betty Crocker,
Hey wise girl,
Whatcha gonna do,
When your mama's at work,
Baby's got the flu,
Daddy's got the chicken pox,
And so do you?
Take an a b c d e f g,
Take an h i j k l m n o p,
Take a booty shot,
take a booty shot,
And FREEZE!!
-http://www.inthe80s.com/rhymes.shtml
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Visitor comments are welcome.
may sou
ReplyDeletemay sou from Alabama
Hey you, Scooby Doo
Let's skip down to the slough wash ew
Sitting in a rocker
eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick tock a walla walla
Tick tock a walla walla
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Wash those boy germs off of me
Shoo fly shoo fly
shoo fly
FREEZE!
Unknown, thanks for sharing that example of "Miss Sue From Alabama".
Deleteit's interesting the words of rhymes change and are passed on to others as a result of folk processing.
Miss Sue
ReplyDeleteScooby Doo
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her name is Suzieana
Sittin' in a rocking chair
Eating butter crackers
Watchin' that clock go
Tick-toc , Tick-toc sha wal a wal a
Tick-toc , Tick-toc sha wal a wal a
A B C D E F G
wash that musaha off of me
a musaha
a musaha
a musaha freeze
now its time for Japanese now FREEZE!
Bri, thanks for sharing that version of "Miss Sue".
DeleteI'd love to know some demographical information about this example, particularly where and when you learned it.
I've never come across an ethnic reference in this rhyme before. I wonder what Japanese people think about that line.
Miss Sue from Alabama
ReplyDeleteThey Call her Suziana
Sitting in her Rocker
Eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock go tick Tock Boom Boom Banana
Tick Tock Boom Boom Banana
ABCDEFG she got plastic Surgery
Think about it
Think about it
Think about it...Freeze
Hello, Anonymous.
DeleteThanks for sharing that version of "Miss Sue From Alabama".
I hadn't come across that "ABCDEFG she got plastic Surgery" lyrics before. :o)
The plastic surgery version is the one we did lol
DeleteThanks again Anonymous. That example and all of the others document children's creativity.
DeleteI have never heard this rhyme!
ReplyDeleteBriana the Magnifi-can't,
DeleteThanks for your comment.
"Miss Sue" (also known as "Miss Sue From Alabama" appears to be rather well known in the USA, judging from online (and off line) printed examples.
We have an Aussie version, that children learn at school. Same as Example #1 but we use Parramatta instead if Alabama ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yoon Kyung Shin for sharing that info!
DeleteIt's interesting to learn that "Miss Sue" is also from Parramatta.
I assumed that Parramatta was a place because of its substitution for Alabama in this rhyme. Since Parramatta has four syllables, it scans the same way that "Alabama" scans in that rhyme so that's probably why it was used rather than name of the Australian city " Sydney". Besides, the word "Parramatta" rhymes with "Alabama" while Sydney doesn't :0)
Here's what I learned via Google:
"Parramatta is a prominent suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia"...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parramatta
-snip-
Children's recreational rhymes might have been traveled to far away places in pre-internet days by people traveling or relocating from one area to another, or via books, music curriculum in schools, television, magazines, newspapers, records etc.
But since the internet became available to most people, I think that the internet is the main way-besides people to people dissemination- that kids learn recreational rhymes.
Thanks again!
I grew up in and around New Orleans. The first time I remember this was second grade, 1973. It was a hand game song. Each person's right hand hits down while left hand hits up. Then each person's right hand hits up while left hand hits down. Then each person's hands hit in front of them. (Additional hand moves in parentheses.)
ReplyDeleteAll of this while singing:
Miss Sue, Miss Sue, Miss Sue from Alabama.
Hey little girl with the dippity doo,
Your momma's got the measles and your poppa does too.
They've got the A B C D E F G (make a circle around your right temple like signalling that they are crazy)
They've got the H I J K LMN OP (make a circle around your left temple like signalling that they are crazy)
They've got a booster shot... (Soft Karate chop for each syllable on bent arm alternating above and below elbow)
They've got a booster shot... (Soft Karate chop for each syllable on bent arm alternating above and below elbow)
They've got a booster shot... (Soft Karate chop for each syllable on bent arm alternating above and below elbow)
And FREEZE. Both kids freeze first one to move loses. The winning kid might karate chop or might punch the bicept the losing kids arm. My friends and I usually just had bragging rights, ah, you moved, I won.
So that's our version. I spent all of second grade in Terrytown Elementary School.
Lawyer Assistant, thank you for sharing this example of "Miss Sue From Alabama" and including demographic information (location and date).
DeleteThanks also for including how you and your friends performed this rhyme.
This is one of the earliest versions of "Miss Sue From Alabama" that I've read. I wonder if the reference to getting a "booster shot" is an element of these early examples. In some versions, people in the family get a booster shot because of the measles or the flu.
Thanks again!
We sang a totally different version than anything I've seen online. This was around 05 in central GA.
ReplyDelete"Miss Sue,
Miss Sue,
Miss Sue from Alabama,
Her real name's Suzianna.
Chicka-boom, chicka-boom,
Chicka boom-boom-boom.
Momma's got the measles,
Daddy's got the flu
I ain't lying, neither are you.
(You) 'Hey (friend's name)!'
(Friend) 'who's calling my name?'
(You) 'hey (friend)!'
(Friend) 'who's playing my game?'
(You) 'your boyfriend's on the telephone's
(Friend) 'if ain't my baby tell him I ain't home, if it is my baby tell him hooooold on'
(Both again)
Sittin in a rocker,
Eatin Betty crocker,
Watchin that clock goin
Boom chicka-wa wa,
Boom tick-tock.
Boom chicka-wa wa,
The clock says stop.
I like coffee,
I like tea,
I like the little boy who likes me
Tick tock!"
There were hand motions for each line, similar to the usual ones. At the last part (boom chicka wa wa) we crossed our hands on our laps and back over and over, when the song ended if they were parallel, you were the little boy, if they were crossed you were the girl. It was really weird now that I think about it but we never did it any of the ways I've seen on YouTube or here!
Hello, Anonymous. Thanks for sharing the version of "Miss Sue" that you remember. And thanks for including demographics (when and where you remember performing this rhyme).
DeleteYour version combines a number of children's rhymes which can be performed alone or in combination with other rhymes. It begins with some "standard" Miss Sue verses and then adds the verses from a rhyme I call "telephone" before returning to some "standard" Miss Sue verses. It then combines some "I like coffee" verses and ends with the words "tick tock".
Thanks also for sharing information about how you played this rhyme, including if your hands were parallel, you were the boy, and if they were crossed, you were the girl. I hadn't come across then before.
Anonymous,
DeleteI thought the verse in your version of the "Miss Sue" rhyme about someone wanting you on the telephone sounded familiar. I looked it up on my cocojams2 blog http://cocojams2.blogspot.com/2014/10/hand-clap-jump-rope-rhymes-m-n.html and found this example:
MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #4) one goes back and forth between the people playing the game; I'll just use my name (Monica):
(both)Miss Sue, Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her real name is Susannah
(Boom chicka boom chicka boomboomboom)
Mommy's got the measles, Daddy's got the flu
I ain't lyin', nor are you.
(other person) Hey Monica!
(me) Who's callin' my name?
(other person) Hey Monica!
(me) Stop playin' my game!
(other person) Someone's on the telephone!
(me) If it ain't my baby tell 'em I ain't home!
(both) Sittin' in her rocker, eatin' peanut butter
Watchin' the clock go
Boom ticky wah wah boom tick tock
Boom ticky wah wah clock says stop!
-getoffmyskittle; http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=38901&page=4 "Does anyone remember this?? (goofy kid-rhymes)" February 6th, 2006
-snip-
Unfortunately, there's no information about where this version was performed, but the 2006 date is "around 2005".
Thanks again!
Anonymous January 12, 2020 at 1:28 AM, your example inspired me to publish a post about children's rhymes and cheers that mention telephone. That small collection includes one other example of the "someone's on the telephone" verse.
DeleteHere's the link to that post: https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/childrens-hand-clap-rhymes-cheers-that.html
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank God! I thought my childhood was a lie. This is how we sang it in middle ga as well. I am teaching my daughter the hand games me played but three ones on you tube are so different from when I was a kid.
DeleteYou're welcome Unknown.
DeleteThese "someone on the telephone" versions of "Miss Sue From Alabama" document how examples of how children's rhymes can be different depending on people's geographic location (city/state) and sometimes also when they learned that particular rhyme.
For the folkloric record, thanks for adding that you learned this rhyme in middle Georgia.
Also, thanks for sharing hand clap rhymes with your daughter.
Enjoy!
P.S. - For the folkloric record, I added your comment to the pancocojams post "Children's Hand Clap Rhymes & Cheers That Mention Telephones". The link for that is given in my Jan 13, 2020 comment.
Late to the party, but I was just thinking about this rhyme! Hope you still have a use for this mid-2020.
ReplyDelete"Miss Sue, Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her real name was Susanna
Sitting in a rocking chair
Eating baby crackers
Watching the clock go
Tick-tock, tick-tock, banana rock
Tick-tock, tick-tock, banana rock
ABCDEFG, wash these cooties off of me
Mushka, mushka, I want my mommy
Mushka, mushka, I want my daddy
Mushka, mushka, FREEZE!"
Now looking at the other examples, I'm sure where "baby crackers" came from, but I distinctly remember it.
I lived in Northern California as a child. When I moved states I asked the kids there if they knew "Miss Sue" in any form and they didn't! I didn't think anyone else knew this rhyme until I Googled it!
Oh! I forgot the date! This was around 2002-2004 maybe.
DeleteI'm reposting my reply to the June 2020 commenter for this example because I wrote "This is what happens when you lack a filter". I think that statement meant that I hadn't seen this example and didn't reply to it in a timely manner.
Delete"Thanks for sharing those two examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama .
Thanks also for sharing where and when you first did those rhymes.
I added your second example in this pancocojams post:
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/childrens-hand-clap-rhymes-cheers-that.html
The title for that post was changed to " "Miss Sue From Alabama", "Mama Mama Can't You See", "Cheerleader" And Other Children's Hand Clap Rhymes & Cheers That Mention Telephones."
I knew it as
ReplyDeleteMiss mute
Miss mute
Miss mute from Alabama
Sitting on her rocker
Eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick tock tick tock
Shawala Wala
Tick tock tick tock
Shawala Wala
Abcdefg
Wipe those spiders off my knee
Moosha moosha moosha may!
Unknown, thanks for sharing that example of "Miss Sue From Alabama". It's interesting to read different versions of this rhyme which were probably accidentally created because of mishearing or misremembering.
DeleteFor the record "eating Betty Crocker" means "Eating cookies or other pastry that were backed using Betty Crocker recipes Here's information about "Betty Crocker"
From https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/who-was-betty-crocker/#:~:text=Surprising%2C%20then%2C%20that%20Betty%20Crocker,that%20eventually%20became%20General%20Mills
..."Betty Crocker isn't actually a real person. She is the brainchild of an advertising campaign developed by the Washburn-Crosby Company, a flour milling company started in the late 1800’s that eventually became General Mills. Gold Medal Flour, a product of Washburn-Crosby, helped to kick-start Betty’s career. She was "born" in 1921, when an ad for Gold Medal Flour was placed in the Saturday Evening Post. The ad featured a puzzle of a quaint main street scene. Contestants were encouraged to complete the puzzle and send it in for the prize of a pincushion in the shape of a sack of Gold Medal Flour"...
In Howell Michigan in the late 70's early 80's we did:
ReplyDeleteMiss Sue
Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Sittin' in a rocker
Eatin' Betty Crocker
Watchin' the clock go
Tick Tock
Tick Tock Chihuahua
Tick Tock
Tick Tock Chihuahua
ABCEDFG
Wipe those crumbs right offa me
Moonshine Moonshine Freeze
And
Miss Sue
Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Chicka boom boom boom
Chicka boom boom boom
Mommy's got a fever, Daddy's got the flu
I ain't lyin' and neither are you!
Hey (name)
Who's calling my name?
Hey (name)
Who's playin' my game?
Your honey's on the phone.
If it's not my man, tell him I'm not home
Well it is your man
So get on the bus to the movies, the movies
I love to see the movies
Moonshine, moonshine freeze!
Miss sue
ReplyDeleteMiss sue
Miss sue from alabama
they call her Susie-anna
Sittin in a rocker
Eating betty crocker
Watching that clock go
Tick tock
tick all around
Go tick tock
Tick all around
Go a b c d e f g
Gotta wash that stuff right outta me
Gotta moosha, gotta moosha (this part could be something other than moosha but its how i remember it)
Got a crack in my side
Got a crack in my side
Moosha moosha
I know karate
Moosha moosha
Oops im sorry
Salt and pepper freeze
Achoo, i just had too
I also want to note that there were hand gestures throughout the entire song to accompany the song. My friends and i would do this at after-school when we were roughly 8-10. Im in a folklore class at the moment and its really interesting discussing variations of stories and the like and it got me thinking about songs from my childhood.
Also I didn't mention but this took place in North Carolina
DeleteHello, Unknown.
DeleteThanks for sharing that version of "Miss Sue" and adding that you remember this from North Carolina.
For the folkloric record, would you please share the date (year or decade) you chanted this, your gender and your race?
Also, how did you perform this rhyme? (two person hand clap, jump rope, etc.?
I'd love for you to share other examples of rhymes, cheers, and singing games that you remember.
My email address is azizi p 17 at yahoo dot com
Thanks again!
I'd say roughly between 2005-2007 and it was a two person hand clap. I am female and white but I primarily did this with my black and mixed friends at the time.
DeleteIf I think of any other examples I'll be sure to let you know!
Thanks for that information, Unknown!
DeleteI appreciate it.
I'm remember Mrs Sue going like
ReplyDeleteMrs Sue
Mrs Sue
She lived in Alabama
Her real name is Suzieanna
She was sittin' in her rocking chair
Eating butter crackers
Watchin' that clock go
Tick-toc , Tick-toc sha wal a wal a
Tick-toc , Tick-toc sha wal a wal a
A B C D E F G
wash those cooties off of me
Bet you can't
Bet you can't
So freeze
Anonymous, thanks for sharing the version of "miss Sue" that you remember.
DeleteWhen and where did you learn it and did you do any movements when you chanted it?
I have not heard any of these.
ReplyDeleteMiss sue
Miss sue
Miss sue from Alabama her real names suzziana
Shake-a-boom
Shake-a-boom
Shake-a-boom boom boom
Mama’s in the kitchen cooking fried chicken
Dad’s in bed halfway dead
Sister’s at school acting like a fool
Brother’s in jail banging on the rail
I like ice cream I like tea
I like a boy and the boy likes me
Thanks, Anonymous for sharing that version of "Miss Sue From Alabama".
DeleteI was interested in how that version combines the "mama in the kitchen" verse which are often found with "Rockin Robin (Twee lee lee" rhymes and also how that version ends with two lines from an adapted version of "I Like Coffe I Like Tea".
These are quite different from the one I learned as a kid around '08, in Indiana.
ReplyDeleteMiss Sue (clap, clap, clap)
Miss Sue (clap, clap, clap)
Miss Sue from Alabama, Nebraska, Alaska
Sitting in a Rocking Chair,
Eating Banana Crackers,
Watching the clock go,
Tick-Tock Banana-nana Rock,
Tick-Tock Banana-nana Rock,
A-B-C-D-E-F-G,
Wipe those crumbs right off of me,
Bet ya can't bet ya can't
Freeze like me.
There was a little dance to it to then ended in a freezing contest.
Tick-tock
Re-reading it it was Alabama, Alaska , Nebraska I typed it wrong
DeleteAnonymous, thanks for sharing the example of "Miss Sue" that you remember and thanks for including demographic information.
DeleteDoes that example end with the words "tick-tock?
no, idk how that happened lol
DeleteOkay. Thanks again!!
DeleteMiss Sue
ReplyDeleteMiss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska
She was sitting in her rocker
Eating Betty Crocker
Watching her clock go
tik-tok tik-tok
Banana rock
tik-tok tik-tok
Banana rock
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Wipe those boy germs off of me
Bet ya can’t
Bet ya can’t
Bet ya can’t
FREEZE
Hi, Anonymous. Thanks for sharing this version of "Miss Sue".
DeleteAre you the same commenter from 11:07PM? If not, when and where do you remember reciting this rhyme?
Best wishes.
I grew up in Southern California and was born in 1982zz i remember singing this during early elementary days .. and it went like this :
ReplyDeleteMiss Sue (clap clap clap)
Miss Sue (clap clap clap)
miss Sue from Alabama , Bama
Sitting in her rocker, eating Betty Crocker, watching the clock go tik tok, tik tok banana whama .. tik tok, Tik Tok banana whama
A B C D E F G
Wash those spots right off of me
Mooshka mooshka mooshka Freeze
So interesting to see the origins and variations!!!!!
Hello, Anonymous. Thanks for sharing the version of "Miss Sue" that you sang and thanks for including demographic information for this collection.
DeleteI agree that it's interesting to read about the origins and variations of children's recreational rhymes. It's also interesting to speculate why some of these rhymes live on with a little or a lot of changes while other rhymes die off.
Best wishes!
Wow, I love seeing how many variations there are! The way I learned the hand game in 2009/2010 is slightly different but hasn't been posted here yet:
ReplyDeleteMiss Sue (3 claps)
Miss Sue (3 claps)
Miss Sue from Alabama
Let's go to the movies
Mama's got the chickenpox
Daddy's got the flu
I ain't lying
Neither are you
With an A-B-C-D (right index finger motions towards head, as if to say "crazy")
E-F-G (same but left hand)
H-I-J-K (back to right hand)
L-M-N-O-P (left)
Q-R-S (right)
T-U-V (left)
W-X (right)
Y and Z (left)
The general hand movements: both players hold their left palm facing up, right palm facing down. Hands slap partner's hands. Switch to left palm down, right palm up, and slap partner's hands. Etc.
Hello, Anonymous. Thanks for sharing your example of "Miss Sue from Alabama". Thanks also for including some demographic information and play instructions.
ReplyDeleteFor the folkloric record, please add where you learned this hand clap game.
Best wishes!