Latest Update: October 18, 2025
This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series that presents some examples of English language playground rhymes that include the name of actors, singers, or other famous people.*
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/08/playground-rhymes-that-include-names-of_30.html for Part I of this series. Part I features playground rhymes examples whose titles begin with A-L. (Except for examples of Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes.)
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/10/names-of-famous-people-in-down-by-banks.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post presents some examples from the HUGH "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" playground rhyme family.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, and recreational purposes.
Thanks to all those whose examples are quoted in this post.
This post isn't meant to be a comprehensive collection of English language playground rhymes that include names of famous people.
This pancocojams series is created to document some examples of a sub-set of recreational rhymes that include the name/s of one or more famous people, In addition, these examples can serve as windows into the world of certain populations of children-particularly girls of certain ages-revealing some of their attitudes, opinions, perceptions, concerns, preferences, values, and other socialization/cultural indices.
In each example, the first mention of the famous person's name is given in italics.
Brief information about a famous person can be found in each Part of this compilation after the first example in that Part that includes their name.
Most of these examples contain no information about how the
rhyme is performed. However, I believe that most of these examples are either hand clap
rhymes or jump rope rhymes.
M, N
I thought it was mama mama can’t you see look what Chris brown did to me he too away my tv now I can’t watch BET he took away my mini skirt now I can’t go out to flirt he has some bubblegum I ask him can I have some he looked at me like I was dumb so I shot him with my BB gun
-Kay, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&t=3s&ab_channel=Geneas , 90s handgames
-snip
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brown
"Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and actor. A pop and hip-hop-influenced R&B musician who works in a variety of genres,[2][3][4][5][6][7] he has been called the "King of R&B" by some of his contemporaries.[8][9][10][11] His lyrics often address emotional and hedonistic themes.[12][13][14][15] His singing and dancing skills have often been compared favorably to those of Michael Jackson.[16]"...
MISS SUSIE RODE A STEAMBOAT
Miss Susie rode a steamboat, the steamboat had a crash
Miss Susie went to heaven, the steamboat went to
Hello Operator, get me number nine, and if you disconnect me
I'll kick you...
Just behind the refrigerator, there laid a piece of glass
Miss Susie sat upon it and broke her little...
Ask me no more questions, Tell me no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom, zipping up their...
Flies are in the meadow, the bees are in their hives
Miss Susie and her boyfriend are kissing in the...
D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, Dark Dark Dark!
Darker than the ocean, Darker than the sea
Darker than the underwear Madonna gave to me!
-nodoubt_dancer, Apr
19, 2008, http://www.dance.net/topic/7106059/1/General/Do-you-remember-those-old-rhymes-you-d-sing-as-a-kid.html
-snip-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna
"Madonna Louise Ciccone... born
August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and
actress. Commonly referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she is known for
her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and
visual presentation."...
MY NAME IS BRITNEY SPEARS
My Name Is Britney Spears, I’m a movie star,
I’ve got the curly wurly knickers and the see-through
bra.
-
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britney_Spears
"Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American
singer. Referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has had a
significant cultural impact in the 21st century, having been recognized as one
of the first musicians credited with reviving the teen pop genre. She is known
for her stage performances and for exploring musical genres including pop,
contemporary R&B, electropop, and adult contemporary."...
**
MY NAME IS DIANA ROSS
I remember something like
With the see through knickers and a ten foot bra.
-Jen85bnq, 05/10/2014; https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/being-mum-794/parenting-advice-192/434766-playground-clapping-rhymes-your-childhood-4.html
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Ross
"Diana Ernestine Earle Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history,[2] with a total of 12 number-one pop singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100."...
**
MY NAME IS ELVIS PRESLEY (Example #1)
My name is Elvis Presley
Girls are sexy
Sitting in the back seat drinking Pepsi
In the Royal Navy
Having a baby
Bow to the king
Curtsy to the queen
Show your knickers to the football team
-ML19dqs, 19/08/2014 ; https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/being-mum-794/parenting-advice-192/434766-playground-clapping-rhymes-your-childhood-4.html
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
"Elvis Aaron Presley[a] (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977)
was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and
Roll", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant
figures of the 20th century. Presley's energetic and sexually provocative
performance style, combined with a mix of influences across color lines during
a transformative era in race relations, brought both great success and initial
controversy."...
Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi; his
family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was 13. He began his music career
in 1954 at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the
sound of African-American music to a wider audience
{...]
With a series of successful television appearances and
chart-topping records, Presley became the leading figure of the newly popular
rock and roll; though his performing style and promotion of the
then-marginalized sound of African Americans[6] led to him being widely
considered a threat to the moral well-being of white American youth.[7]...
-snip-
Elvis Presley was a White American male.
MY NAME IS ELVIS PRESLEY (Example #2)
My name is Elvis Presely Im a movie star
I walk like a hippy and i wear a bra
My bras 2 big soo i wear a wig
Thats why they call me sexy pig!!!!!
-Clo xx, http://marykweinhagen.hubpages.com/hub/Recess-is-BACK-Hand-Clapping-Games" retrieved by Azizi Powell in 2013
****
MY NAME IS MCNAMARA
My name is MacNamara.
I am the leader of the band.
My wife is Betty Grable. (* Movie actress, circa 1940 *)
She is the fairest in the land.
Oh, she can dance and she can sing
And she can show a leg.
The only thing that she can't do,
She cannot boil an egg.
Source: Abrahams (1969)
http://mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope_display_all.cfm
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Grable
"Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she placed among the Quigley Poll's top 10 box office stars (a feat only matched by Doris Day, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand, although all were surpassed by Mary Pickford, with 13 years)"....
****
MY NAME IS SHIRLEY TEMPLE
"My name is Shirley Temple
And I've got curly hair
I've got dimples and wear my skirts to there (gesture to indicate very short)
Got legs like Betty Grable
A figure like Marilyn Monroe
Got hair like Ginger Rogers
and a face like an elephant's toe!"
At seven years old in 1959 we didn't know who any of these
people were but it didn't stop us playing it...
-Elspeth
Scott, 15 May 2015, http://the-history-girls.blogspot.com/2015/05/bluebells-cockleshells-catherine-johnson.html [comment]
-snip-
This rhyme's contributor, Elspeth Scott, wrote that she was from the west coast of Scotland.
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Temple
"Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23,
1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, politician,
and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress
from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was named United States Ambassador to Ghana and
Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States."...
**
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe
"Marilyn Monroe...Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962) was an American actress
and model. Known for playing comic "blonde bombshell" characters, she
became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as
well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. She was a top-billed actress
for a decade, and her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in
2024) by her death in 1962.[1]"...
**
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_Rogers
"Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911
– April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Golden
Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring
role in Kitty Foyle (1940), and performed during the 1930s in RKO's musical
films with Fred Astaire. Her career continued on stage, radio and television
throughout much of the 20th century."...
****
O, P
here's a version of God Save the King that [my daughter and son] proudly made up a few years ago:
Oh, tis our country be
I went to Italy
To see the king
His name was Jackie Chan
He smells like garbage can
He lives like a mouse
In the fat guys house
He fought with girls in court
He got a trial sport
He smells like an oil can
He's Jackie Chan
(They have no more idea what "trial sport" means than we do, but they liked the sound of it.)
Enjoy.
-from Jacob {who learned this from his daughter Julia, 15, and his son Michael,13}; Arlington, Massachusetts; 3/25/2006 [email to Azizi Powell]
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Chan
"Fang Shilong...(born Chan Kong-sang;[b] 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,[c] is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself. With a film career spanning more than sixty years, he is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential martial artists in the history of cinema.[4][5]"...
ONE TWO THREE ALARIE (Example #1)
I taught 17 years in city centre schools and I always kept a sharp ear on the playground. Whenever we had to have indoor recess, I'd get the kids going on those timeless playground chants. Each youngster would get a turn. I swear they used to get some from their grandmothers. How else would you explain this one on 1988?
"One two three alarie
I saw sister Mary
Sitting on a bumblarie
Kissing Charlie Chaplin."
-Guest, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350 I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes, 5/23/2005
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chaplin
"Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from his childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both accolade and controversy."....
****
ONE TWO THREE A’ LEERY (Example #2)
Jeannie Robertson, in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1958, sang for us:
One, two, three a'leery,
I saw Wallace Beery,
Sittin' on his bumble-eery,
Kissin' Shirley Temple.
-Sandy Paton, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=11034 Jazz Lyric '1 2 3 O'Lairy' - Count Basie 1940, [hereafter given as Mudcat: 1 2 3 O'Lairy, 19 May 99
****
ONE TWO THREE A’ LEERY (Example #3)
Peter & Iona Opie give the Wallace Beery/ShirleyTemple version in The Lore & Language of Schoolchildren [1959], ch 7: attribd 'Edinburgh c1940; Girl, 14, Kirkcaldy, 1952, for ball-bouncing.'
They also give
One, two, three a-lairy,
My ball's down the airey,
Don't forget to give it to Mary,
Not to Charlie Chaplin.
'... heard recently in Camberwell and Hackney' [districts respectively of S & E London] '... reported as current in Montreal...'
-MGM·Lion, Mudcat: 1 2 3 O'Lairy, 31 Oct 09
****
ONE TWO THREE O'LEARY, Example #4
One, two three O'leary,
I saw Wallace Beery,
Sittin' on his bumbleerie,
Kissin' Shirley Temple
(showing my age now!)
-Jim McLean, 06 July 04, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=11873, Aunt Mary Had A Canary- where?
ONE TWO THREE O'LEARY, Example #5
One, two, three o'leary
My ball's gone down the airy
Please give it back to Mary
Not to Charlie Chaplin.
The 'airy' was the 'area', the 'light well' in front of a
basement, where the dustbins are kept and which gives access to the coal
celler.
Thinking back, I must have picked this up from friends
and/or family in the early 1960s - but as, by then we were living on a suburban
estate with never the breath of an 'airy' for miles.:..
-The Walrus, 20 Aug 04, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=11873, Aunt Mary Had A Canary- where?
OPEN THE BARNYARD (Example #1)
Open up the barn yard
kick out the hay
cause we're the girls from the usa
turn on the radio what do you here
elvis peresly doing his cheer
hop on ya horses pull out ya guns
bum daddy bum daddy
we're number one"
-Thomara B., cocojams.com cheerleader cheers. 2/23/2007
****
THE ELVIS PRESLEY CHANT (Open Up The Barnyard), Example #2
I'm submitting this on behalf of my 9 year old daughter. She came home from school today, we live in Clovis, NM, with a new chant that I've never heard of before so I thought that you would like to post this. Not sure of the name of it, so she's been calling it the Elvis Presley chant.
It goes:
Open the barnyard,
kick out the hay,
We're the girls from the USA.
Turn up the radio,
who do you hear?
Elvis Presley singing his cheer.
We gotta F-I-G-H-T,
We gotta F-I-G-H-T,
We gotta F-I-G-H-T, (throw out punches into the air as the word is being spelled out each time) We gotta fight, fight, fight, on a Saturday night".
-Alex, cocojams.com cheerleader cheers (Website no longer active), 9/19/2007
****
OPEN UP THE BARNYARD (Example #3)
Open up the barndoor
Kick out the hay
We’re the girls from the USA
Turn on the radio
Who do you hear
Justin Beiber doin a cheer
We gotta F
an I
Ah GHT
We gotta F
an I
Ah GHT
We gotta F
an I
Ah GHT
We gotta fight fight fight for victory!
-Supermaxkato, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGGfS-ZmzSk, March 23, 2013
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber
"Justin Drew Bieber...born March 1, 1994)[1][2] is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is known for his multi-genre musical performances.[3][4] He was discovered by Scooter Braun in 2008 and brought to the U.S. by Usher, both of whom formed RBMG Records to sign Bieber in October of that year. His debut extended play, My World (2009), was met with international recognition and established him as a teen idol."...
****
OPEN UP THE BARNYARD (Example #4)
Open up the barn door, kick out the hay,
We are the girls form the USA!
Turn on the radio, and what do ya hear?
Elvis Presley doin a cheer,
Firecracker, Firecracker, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Firecracker, Firecracker, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Boys got the muscles, coaches got the brains,
Cheerleaders have the sexy legs and we win the game!
-Submitted by: Glammachick, https://www.liveabout.com/more-favorite-cheers-588851
****
POSTMAN POSTMAN
Postman postman
don't be slow
be like Elvis
Go man! Go!
(and then you do hots 'til the jumper misses)
-Motorgirl (Location: Boston Metro), http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=351152 What hand-clapping and jumprope rhymes do you remember?, 12-25-2005
-snip-
My guess is "do hots" means to turn the rope fast.
****
Q, R
ROCKIN ROBIN Example #1
...gonna rock to the treetops all day long, huffin and a puffin and singin that song. all the little birdies on danbird street love to hear the robins go "tweet tweet tweet", rockin robin, tweet tweet, tweetle-eet, rockin robin, tweet tweet, tweetle-eet, mama's in the kitchen burning that rice, daddy's on the corner shooting them dice, brother's in jail, drinking ginger-ale, sister's on the corner selling fruit cocktail. went downtown to see james brown, he gave me a nickel, i bought me a pickle, the pickle was sour, so i bought me a flower, the flower was dead so this is what he said, black power, black power, your daddy needs a shower, don't laugh (haha) don't laugh (haha) your mama needs a bath!)
-AvengeThe90s [from the "late 80s"], 2015, https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/2n9rio/miss_mary_mack_and_other_hand_clapping_games/ Miss Mary Mack and other hand clapping games
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown
"James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by various nicknames, among them "Mr. Dynamite", "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", "Minister of New Super Heavy Funk", "Godfather of Soul", "King of Soul", and "Soul Brother No. 1".[1] In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres.[2] Brown was one of the first ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 23, 1986. His music has been heavily sampled by hip-hop musicians and other artists.[3]
Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia.[4] He rose to prominence in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd.[5][6] With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra."...
****TWEEDLEELEE (Example #2)
Tweedleelee
Treetop
Tweedleelee
My Prop
Tweedleelee
Popsicle, popsicle
Your butt stinks
He rocks in the tree top
all day long
huffin and ah puffin
and ah singin his song.
All the little birds on Jay Bird street
Love to hear the bird go
Tweet Tweet Tweet!
Rockin Robin
Tweet Tweetdalee
Rockin Robin
Tweet Tweetdalee
I went downtown
To get ah stick of butter.
I saw James Brown
layin in the gutter. (or “poopin in the gutter”)
I saw a piece of glass
stuck up his butt.
I never saw a Black man
run so fast.
Mama's in the kitchen
cookin rice.
Daddy's outside
shootin dice.
Brother's in jail
raisin bail.
Sister's on the corner
Selling FRUIT COCKTAIL.
Rockin Robin
Tweet Tweetdalee
Rockin Robin
Tweet Tweetdalee
-African American girls and boys ages 6-13 years old; Pittsburgh, Pa, 1999, collected by Azizi Powell
****
ROCKIN ROBIN (Example #3)
When I was younger it went like this
SWing SWing to my limosuene
hey hey then clap x2
Rockin in the tree top alll day long
Huffin n Puffin
n signing that song
all the little birds around my strret ll the little birds go tweet tweet tweet rocka rocka tweet twirly x2
i went downtown to meet Chris Brown he gave me a nickel to buy me a pickel
the pickel was sour he gave me a shower
the shower was cold
he gave me a bowl the bowl was craked and then he gave me a slap
idk bu ththats why we said
-Anonymous, December 24, 2019 (comment in http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/rockin-robin-tweeleelee-analysis.html Rockin Robin (Tweeleelee) - Analysis, Performance Activity, & Text Examples
****
S, T
SABRINA (Example #1)
This was one of the skipping rhymes we sang at primary school in the 1960s, with actions to match. blush
Sabrina, Sabrina, you ought to see Sabrina standing there
With her legs all bare
She does the wiggle woggle and the boys all stare
She swings it, she swings it, she turns around and swings it
One, two, three
-Grossi, http://www.gransnet.com/forums/chat/a1190893-Games-we-played-when-we-were-small [a UK discussion thread], 01-Feb-12
-snip-
From .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrina_(1954_film)
"Sabrina (Norma Ann Sykes (born 19 May 1936), was a 1950s English glamour model who progressed to a minor movie career. According to her Wikipedia page, Sabrina's main claim to fame was her hourglass figure."...
****
SABRINA (Example #2)
Dancing game
sabrina,sabrina you ought to see sabrina. With hands up there and skirts up there.i'm shirley temple and I got curly hair,i got a dimple and I wear my skirts up there etc.
-Meriel Cr, https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesFriendMagazine/posts/614604875322941 [a UK facebook page], August 25, 2014
****
SHIRLEY TEMPLE
Shirley Oneple, Shirley Twople….(etc)…Shirley Tenple
(a skipping rhyme recorded by Iona Opie in 1940 and 1952)
-http://playgroundjungle.com/2009/12/shirley-temple.html
snip-
Here's a comment about Shirley Temple from the editor of playgroundjungle.com:
"Along with Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Temple dominated chants and rhymes for a good chunk of the 20th century. Many of these also appear as Charlie Chaplin rhymes; the two names were used more or less interchangably."
****
SHIRLEY TEMPLE IS A STAR [Version #1]
On the Shirley Temple rhyme - As a kid growing up in New Zealand (1970's) while waiting in line we used to hear this variant from the girls
"Shirley Temple is a Star, S..T..A..R..
She can do the wibble-wobble, she can do the splits
She can lift her dress right up to her hips!"
At which point they would briefly lift up their skirt (like we boys cared at that age)
-Guest, Jay, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350, I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes, 3/13/2008
-snip-
The editor of playgroundjungle.com [whose link is given above] wrote "Shirley Temple is a star" [is] "another skipping rhyme recorded in early [19]50s".
**
SHIRLEY TEMPLE IS A STAR [Version #2]
This is how sherlie temple goes sherlie temple is a star S T A R she can do the rumble she can do the splits she can do anthing just like this fire cracker fire craker boom boom boom
-TayShae07 ZigZag, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCyBMztWUFk
****
SHIRLEY TEMPLE IS A STAR [Version #3]
Shirley Temple is a star
S T A R
She can do the tumble
She can do the splitz
She can do anything just like this
Firecracker firecracker boom boom boom
Firecracker firecracker boom boom boom
Boys go kiss kiss
Girls go wow"
-Chubby Clementine, 29 January 2005 [8 year old dd sings..], http://www.essentialkids.com.au/forums/index.php?/topic/105852-school-yard-rhymes/#ixzz5X1pVNTAz
****
SHIRLEY TEMPLE WAS A STAR [Version #5]
Shirley Temple was a star,
S . T . A . R,
She could do the wibble-wobble,
She could do the splits,
She could lift her dress right up to her hips!"
-TheMaskedPoster, 21-Aug-07 08, https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/375176-skipping-rhymes
****
S0NIA HEENEY SKATES LIKE THIS
sonia heeney skates like this(spin round and catch the ball after spin)
skates like this
skates like this
sonia heeney skates like this
skates(spin) like(spin) this (spin) !!!!!
-GUEST,Ann J Scotland, Mudcat: One-Two-Three-O'Lairy, 25 Jun 09
-snip-
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonja_Henie
"Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European champion (1931–1936). Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies' figure skater."
****
TAKE A PEACH TAKE A PLUM
Shake, shake, shake
Eeny meeny
That's a queeny
Ooh ba Thumbalina
Ah cha ca che Liberace
Oh baby I love you
Yes I do.
Take a peach
Take a plum
Take a piece of bubble gum
No peach
No plum
Just a piece of bubble gum
Oooshe ahshe
Oooshe ahshe
I want a piece of pie
The pie too sweet
I want a piece of meat
The meat too tough
I want to ride the bus
The bus too full
I want to ride the bull
The bull too black
I want my money back
The money too green
I want a diamond ring.
-Barbara Michels, Bettye White, Apples On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children (Houston, Texas; 1983, p. 17)
"Władziu Valentino Liberace[nb 1] (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer and actor.[2] He was born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin and enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordings, television, motion pictures and endorsements. At the height of his fame from the 1950s to 1970s, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world[3] with established concert residencies in Las Vegas and an international touring schedule. He embraced a lifestyle of flamboyant excess both on and off stage, and never publicly acknowledged his homosexuality."...
it's probable that these chanters just said the word "liberace" as a sound that rhymes with "Ah cha ca che " without any recognition that it was that name of a famous person or even a name in and of itself.
TEMPTATION
Temptation, temptation, temptation/Dick Barton went down to the station/Marilyn Monroe was there/Marilyn Monroe was bare/Temptation, temptation, temptation...
-Brian Grayson, https://www.facebook.com/warren.fahey.10/posts/10151282928191495, October 19, 2012
-snip-
"Dick Barton" is the name of a [fictional] character in the popular British radio series "Dick Barton – Special Agent" (October 1946 to March 1951. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Barton
****
THAT'S THE WAY
Thats the way ahahaha i like it ahahaha thats the way ahahaha i like it ahahaha susy is a big fat bombom machel is a calypsonian my mother send me to school the teacher call me a fool the children tell me to whine so i whine down low to go down calotii lotii lotii come up a highka highka highka
-FRIES GURL, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU, 90s hand games!!!,
-snip-
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machel_Montano
"Machel" probable refers to "Machel Montano (born 24 November 1974)[2] is a Trinidadian soca singer, actor, record producer and songwriter
THE JACKSON FIVE (* musical group, circa 1963 *)
The Jackson Five
Went to France
To teach the children
How to dance.
A heel and a toe (* Jumper lands on heel and toe *)
And round you go. (* Jumper turns full around *)
A heel and a toe (* Jumper lands on heel and toe *)
And around I go. (* Jumper turns full around *)
Salute to the captain. (* Jumper salutes *)
Bow to the king. (* Jumper bows *)
Turn your back (* Jumper turns other direction *)
On the ugly old queen.
Source: Knapp (1976)
http://mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope_display.cfm?rhyme_number=245
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jackson_5
"The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana, in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. They were managed by their father Joe Jackson.[1][4][2][3] The group were among the first African American performers to attain a crossover following.[jargon][5]
… They achieved seventeen Top 40 singles on the chart in
five years, including six number-one Billboard R&B hits. The group left
Motown for Epic Records in early 1976, with the exception of Jermaine, who was
replaced by youngest brother Randy. Changing their name to the Jacksons upon
signing with Epic, they released four studio albums and one live album between
1976 and 1981…
The brothers also embarked on solo careers, with Michael's
being by far the most successful."...
THE NOBLE DUKE OF YORK
The noble Duke of York, he had ten thousand men...
he marched them up the hill and then marched them down again.
And when you're up, you're up...
and when you're down, you're down....
and when you're only half way up, you're neither up nor down.
Based on the poorly organized and managed Flanders Campaign in the 1790s.
-GUEST,Volgadon, 12 Oct 08, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=115214
-snip-
...."There are also theories that the rhyme could be referring to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany who commanded the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars – successfully to a point, but ultimately with the legacy of having been pretty ineffectual against Bonaparte’s campaign.
A third theory centres around King James II, who was formerly known as the Duke of York. In 1688 he marched troops to Salisbury Plain to resist the invasion of William of Orange, but he had to retreat when his men started to defect."...
U, V
****
W, X,
WE THREE BEATLES
We three Beatles of Liverpool are
George in a taxi, Paul in a car,
John on a scooter parping his hooter
Following Ringo Starr.
-Guest, Suffolk Miracle; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=115214, Famous People in Children's Rhymes; 10/13/2008
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles
"The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the most influential band in Western popular music and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form.[2][3] Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionised many aspects of the music industry and were often publicised as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements."...
****
Y, Z
YES YES I AM IN LOVE
Yes Yes Yes I Am In Love With An Asian
He likes to eat Cajun
O yea o yea o yea I love Dr Phil
He kicked me down a hill
-Streetplay Discussions, , March 18, 2007 , http://20.streetplay.com/category/girl-games/clap-and-rhyme/
-snip-
Dr Phil probably refers to this celebrity:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_McGraw
"Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author who is best known for hosting the talk show Dr. Phil. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased renewing his license to practice psychology in 2006.
McGraw rose to fame with appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the late 1990s. Oprah Winfrey then helped McGraw launch his own advice show, Dr. Phil, in September 2002."
This concludes Part II of this three part pancocojams series.
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