Latest Revision- January 25, 2022
This is Part II (D - G) of a five part series that provides an alphabetized list of text (word only) examples of foot stomping cheers. I'm referring to this collection as the pancocojams (Azizi Powell) compilation of foot stomping cheers.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/foot-stomping-cheers-alphabetical-list.html for Part I (Numbers - C) of this series.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/foot-stomping-cheers-alphabetical-list_6.html for Part III (H-J).
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/foot-stomping-cheers-alphabetical-list_53.html for Part IV - K-O
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/foot-stomping-cheers-alphabetical-list_22.html for Part V: P-Z
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
Foot stomping cheers" is the term that I coined in 2000 for a sub-set of children's cheerleader cheers that have distinctive textual structures and distinctive performance styles.
Read the Pancocojams Editor's Notes that are given in Part I of this series about the history of foot stomping cheers, their textual structure, and how they are (or were) performed.
These examples are presented in alphabetical order based on the first number or the first letter of the first letter of the first word. The source (i.e. book, direct collection, or website) is given below the example along with demographic information and/or comments.
Examples given with the citations "cocojams.com" were sent to my now no longer active cultural website cocojams.com which was online from January 2001-November 2014. That website had an easy to use online form for visitors to submit rhyme & cheer examples and comments. As a result, many of the examples came from children, preteens, and teens.
Alafia Children’s Ensemble was a cultural group for girls and boys ages 5-14 years old that my daughter Tazi Powell and I formed in the 1999 to 2004. in Braddock, Pennsylvania and for girls ages 8-9 years old in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2002-2004.)
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EXAMPLES: D- G
These examples are presented in alphabetical order based on the first number or the first letter of the first letter of the first word. The source (i.e. book, direct collection, or website) is given below the example along with demographic information and/or comments.
DIDDLE DIDDLE DROP
Diddle diddle drop
Diddle diddle drop
My name is Shakyra yall
I go to school yall
and i came to rock this house yall
im a cheerleader
not a player hater
so get up and get drop by this fourth grader [any grade that yo is in]
-Diddle Diddle; 5/23/2007, cocojams.com
-snip-
I posted this example in the foot stomping cheer pages (instead of the cheerleader cheer pages) because It sounds like different soloist would say the part that comes after diddle diddle drop.
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DIG IT (Version #1)
d. i, g. it (say your name) can d. i g. it digit
-Ciera; (African American girl, Fort Pitt ALA school; Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); 5/16/2006, cocojams.com
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DIG IT (Version #2)
Group (except soloist): Aaliyah, can you dig it?
Soloist (Aliyah): Yeah. i can D.I.G. I.T.
Dig it!
-Aliyah, age 6, (African American girl, Fort Pitt ALA school, Garfield area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); 3/2007; I collected the same words from two African American girls in Faison Primary School, Homewood area of Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania; October 30, 2009
This pattern repeats until all girls have had a turn as the soloist ;
soloist does jumping jack or a split or some other gymnastic move when you say dig it
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DISCO
disco (stomp stomp stomp stomp clap) (group) d-i-s-c-o thats the way we disco (group) d-i-s-c-o thats the way we disco (group) hey samantha (solo) what (group) sammy (solo) huh huh (group)what you gonna do when they come for you (solo) im gonna roll my eyes (group) disco (solo) stomp my feet (group) disco (solo) talk my stuff (group) disco (solo) and do my freaky nasty (group) what what!? (group) and do my freaky nasty (repeat till everyone has a turn)
-samantag1993; 6/29/05, cocojams.com
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DISCO (Version #2)
Disco 2x [repeat two times]
Reeses pieces reeses my pieces (say sombodies name) what you ganna do when they come for you (the person who's name was said says) i'm gonna step aside disco roll my eyes disco stomp my feet disco and do the hilltoe ah ha and do the hilltoe.
-Ciera S.; (African American girl), 10 years old; collected by Azizi Powell, Pittsburgh, PA); 5/16/06
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DO IT! DO IT!
All: Do it! Do it!
Do it! Do it!
(Now) Freeze!
Now stop and let the first row kick it!
(The girls in the first row recite the next lines, the girls in the 2nd row stand in place in an agreed upon stance)
First Row: With the “Drop Top”
(All the girls in this row do their own version of this R&B dance)
Second Row: Do it! Do it!
(All the girls in the second row do their version of the same dance along with the girls in the first row. This imitative movement repeats while saying that phrase after each dance step)
First Row: And the “Roll Your Body”
Second Row: Do it! Do it!
First Row: Do “The Butterfly”
Second Row: Do it! Do it!
First Row: Bust “The stop”
Second Row: Do it! Do it!
First Row: Shake your rump.
Group: Do it! Do it!
Do it! Do it!
Freeze!
Now stop and let the second row kick it!
(The same pattern as above, with some of the same dances and some different dances-“The Pop”, “The Crybaby”, “The Rodeo”)
-African American girls, 8-10 years old, Alafia Children’s Ensemble (Braddock, Pennsylvania), 1998; collected by Azizi Powell, 1998
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DYNOMITE
...And this is another one from back then, even though, now I realize, the words are I'll say "risqué" for a young girl to say. Dynomite is just like "Giggalo" except the wording toward the end is different.
Dynomite Dynomite Dy, dy-nomite Dynomite Dy, dy-nomite Hey {girl's name} {girl responds}Yeah Are you ready? {girl responds}To what? To dy {girl responds}Dy what? Dynomite {girl responds} Well... My hands up high My bra too tight Between my legs, I dynomite I turn around And touch the ground And get back up And break it down
-Becky H.; 5/1/2006, cocojams.com
-snip-
[Editor: Becky H mentions the cheer "Giggalo" that she also sent in to Cocojams. See examples of "Gigalo" below.
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ELEVATE YOUR MIND
elevate your mind
get yourself together
when i count to 3
do the "rock" with me...
I said a 1, 2, 3 do the "rock" with me...
repeat that last line 2 times then repeat the entire cheer until everyone puts a “dance” in…
-AKA2D '91 (no location given); retrieved on 12/29.2009; http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=4123&page=2 “remember when”
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FLY GIRL (Version #1)
Group: Fly girl one.
Fly girl two
Pump it up, Teresa,
Just like you do (or, “Show me what you do”)
Soloist #1: “Oh” (or “Well”) My name is Teresa
Group: What?
Soloist #1: And I’m a fly girl.
Group: What?
Soloist #1: It takes a lot of men
To rock my world.
‘Cause I can fly like a butterfly,
Sting like a bee.
And that’s why they call me
SEXY.
Repeat the cheer from the beginning with the next soloist. Replace the former soloist’s name or nickname with the name or nickname of the new soloist. Continue until every one has had one turn as soloist.
--Collected by Azizi Powell, African American female (T.M.P.) audio recorded in 1992 (memories of the mid 1980s)
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FLY GIRL (Version #2)
Group: Fly girl one.
Fly girl two.
Pump it up. Ayesha.
Just like you do.
Soloist #1: My name is Ayesha.
Group: What?
Soloist #1: (And) I’m a fly girl.
Group: What?
Soloist #1: I’m rough and tough
And I can strut my stuff.
Cause I can sway.
Group: She can sway.
Soloist #1: And I can even do the go go reggae.
Let it flow
Group: She can even do the go go reggae.
Let it flow.
Repeat the cheer from the beginning with the next soloist who substitutes the name of a current dance step, always placing the word reggae after the dance name. Continue until every group member has had one turn as soloist.
- African American girls; age 10 years (Lillian Taylor Summer Camp, Kinsley Association), Pittsburgh, PA 1992)
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FLY GIRL (Version #3)
Group: Fly girl one.
Fly girl two.
Pump it up, Shavona
Just like you do.
Soloist #1: My name is Shavona.
Group: Yeah.
Soloist #1: And I’m a fly girl.
Group: Yeah.
Soloist #1: I know karate.
And I got the body [pronounced “boh-day” to rhyme with “karate]
All you got to do
is put a move in the groove.
You jump side to side.
Front to back.
And break it down with the
“Cabbage Patch”
- African American girls, around ages 6-12 years, Lillian Taylor Camp, Pittsburgh, PA. 1989-1992
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FLY GIRL ( Version #4)
Fly girl!
Fly girl
Fly girl
Flyyyyyyyyyyyyyy girl
Fly girl
Fly girl
Flyyyyyyyyyyyyyy girl
Well my name is VACHICK and I'm and fly girl
It takes 100 boys to rock my world ( I should not have been cheering about this!)
I fly like butterfly, sting like a Bee
And that's why they call me SE-XY!!:
-Virginia chick, http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/43158-Hood-Cheers, 8/18/2016
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SUPER FLY GIRL (Version #5)
our cheer super fly girl
Lead- Attention
Group- Jaguars!
Lead- Jaguars, attention
Group- West side
Lead- Give it to me one time
West side
Give it to me two times
Jaguars
Lead- Break it on down.
West side Jaguars.
You know.
Lead- Who wants to be a super fly girl
Ready
Group- Okay
Group- Who wants to be a superfly girl
Soloist 1 (Hakiyah) - I do I do I do
My name is Hakiyah. I’m a super fly girl
I roll with the Jaguars all around the world
Cause I can float like a butterfly
Sting like a bee
That’s why they call me Kiyah.
[Girl does a dance or acrobatic movement like a split]
Hakiyah - Go Kiyah. Go Kiyah go.
Group- Go Kiyah. Go Kiyah go.
[The rest of the group does the same movements that Kiyah just did. Kiyah stands and watches them.
-Westside Jaguars (Los Angeles, California), posted by LABELmeCUTE on Jul 31, 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=68&v=aearuurOh_w
The cheer begins from the beginning with the same words except that the new soloist says her name and her nickname and does another dance and/or acrobatic movements. This pattern continues until everyone has one equal turn as the soloist.]
-snip-
The tune and tempo that is used for the part of this cheer that begins with "My name is Hakiyah. I’m a super fly girl" and that ends with "That’s why they call me Kiyah" is the same tune and tempo that I recall seeing and hearing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the mid 1980s.
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FLY GIRL (Version #6) [Added August 20, 2017]
Words-----------------------------------Basic Motion
Fly girl, fly girl-------------------scissor feet, clap
Go girl, go girl -------------------scissor feet, clap
My name is Coco, I’m a supafly girl
I float like a butterfly
Sting like a bee
That’s why they call me
Fly girl
Go Coco Go Coco---------------------------improvise
From Recess Battles: Playing Fighting, and Storytelling by Anna R. Beresin (University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, 2010, page 104-105, in the section of that book whose sub-title is "Steps"), African American girls, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1999
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FLY GIRL [Added August 11, 2021]
Fly girl one flow girl two, pumping up _ just like you. My name is _____ check, I’m a fly girl check. It only take one boy to rock my world. Cuz she can “sway” (repeats) she can even do the pop, bust it with the stop, even do the butterfly baby” (repeat) then you add dance moves to it like concentration. Whoever messes up the order is out. Pleaseee tell me someone remembers this? We stomped for the boom boom then clapped. I grew up in the projects and ONLY played hand games with girl😂 yes I’m gay lol
-
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FOOTBALL (Version #1)
this is a cheer i learned a long time ago!
Football, football HEY! football, football HEY! Hi my name is ______ and football is my game i got the boys on my mind and whoo their mighty fine i say whoo there mighty fine! (repeat until you get through the whole squad then say....)
football, football HEY! football, football HEY! Hi our name is the (school/pop warner team name) and football is our game we got winning on our mind and whoo its looking fine and whoo its looking fine!!
-Hannah!; 9/24/2006, cocojams.com
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FOOTBALL (Version #2)
hening is our name and football is our game so hold the sugar do the freddie cougar and step on back and do the cabage patch
-talor and leelee; 9/24/2006, cocojams.com
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GATORS
All: Gaaators *
(clap two tines and stomp four times while turning around)
Gaaators
(clap two tines and stomp four times while turning around)
Soloist #1:
Gator’s aint wid it
So Homewood betta quit it **
All: Gaaators
(clap two tines and stomp four times while turning around)
Gaaators
(clap two times and stomp four times while turning around)
Soloist #2: Homewood betta chill out
cause I’ll put their tracks out. ***
Directions:
Repeat entire sequence two more times; start facing forward, first time you say it, you turn to your right while you are clapping two times, 2nd time on the beat, you turn to the back, 3rd time you turn to your left forth time, you turn to the front; then to the “chorus”. Continue the same pattern of the group reciting the first part while a new soloist recites a new different two line mocking or confrontational verse.
-Sha’ona and Conraya; (African American females, 11 years old; Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, June 2008
*The Garfield Gators is the name of a community football team in the Garfield section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Garfield is a mostly African American working class neighborhood.
**Homewood is a nearby and rival mostly African American, working class Pittsburgh neighborhood.
***
"tracks" is another term for "(hair) weaves - fake or real hair that is attached to a female's hair to lengthen it and/or give it more body
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GET DOWN
[Examples of cheers with the words "Get Down" are found in Part V of this collection under the title "Show Me How You (or "To") Get Down"]
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GIGALO
Editor's note. "Gigalo" ("Jigalow" and similar spellings) appears to be a very widely known cheer. Examples are included regardless of the spelling of that word.
I'm not including every example of that cheer that I collected and/or that was sent to cocojams.com, or that I've read online. These numbers refer to the versions that are presented on this page.
GIGALO (Version #1)
All: Gig ah lo-o
Gig gig a lo-o
Gig ah lo-o
Gig gig a lo-o
Group: Hey, Kayla
Kayla: What?
Group: Are you ready to gig?
Kayla: Gig what?
Group: Gigalo
Kayla : My hands up high
My feet down low
And this is the way
I gig a lo *
Group: Her hands up high
Her feet down low
And this is the way she gigalos
(Repeat from the beginning with the next soloist, and continue until everyone in the group has a turn as soloist)
-T. M. P. (African American female, memories of East Liberty neighborhood, Pittsburgh,
-snip-
[added August 29, 2017]
I collected foot stomping cheer versions of "Gigalo" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ("Gigalo" is also performed as a hand clap rhyme). Here's a large excerpt of a comment that I wrote in November 25, 2007 on http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes? -Note: The words in brackets are what I added today to help clarify what I meant by what I wrote in 2007.
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"GIGALO (Version #2)
All:
Gig ah lo-o
Gig a lo-o
Gig ah lo-o
Gig gig a lo-o
Group:
Hey, Kayla *
Kayla:
What?
Group:
Are you ready to gig?
Kayla:
Gig what?
Group:
Gigalo
Kayla:
My hands up high
My feet down low
And this is the way
I gig a lo
Group:
Her hands up high
Her feet down low
And this is the way she gigalos
* substitute the soloist's name or nickname
{repeat from the beginning with the next soloist, and continue until everyone in the group has a turn as soloist}
Girls stand in a horizontal line. While chanting, they step to a percussive, continual stomp clap/ stomp stomp/clap beat. When the girl who is the soloist responds "What?", she says it with attitude {like "Why are you bothering me to ask a question?"}. When she says "My hands up high my feet down low" She raises her hands and sashays down to the ground, in a sensual manner. When she says "This is the way I gigalo", she does a fancy step to the beat. The group then imitates her foot movement. The cheer then repeats again with the next soloist whose name is called and she does her soloist step.
Btw, recently, I've seen the soloist move to the front of the horizontal line when it's her turn to do her soloist {this does not mean moving in front of the other performers in the center of the line-but just moving in front of where she was standing}. When her soloist turn ends, she moves back to the line. Also btw, the girls don't stand in consecutive order 1 through 4 for instance. And the order of soloist {who is first, second, etc often depends on who calls out those numbers first at the beginning of this informal "play" activity}.
[Similar to] handclap rhymes, performers [are] {usually but not always girls as young as 5 years and usually no more than 12 years old}. [The girls basically] stand in [the same] place. The emphasis is on chanting while executing hand clap and hand slap partner routines. These routines can also be done with three people or four {two sets of two partners}. There are also larger group handclaps, but those are often lightly competitive while partner/three and four person handclaps aren't.
In contrast, foot stomping cheers are all about the creation of bass sounding percussive sounds made by the feet and also the hands and body patting. These synchronized, chreographed routines are performed by girls about the same age as those doing handclaps, but usually at the upper end of that age group. While foot stomping routines include handclapping, there are no partners-you clap your own hands and never touch the body of anyone else. The performers {like handclap routines, usually girls} basically stand in place or if they do move, they don't move far from their starting place, and they quickly return back to it.
These foot stomping routines are very much like the African American art of steppin."...
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GIGGALO (Version #3)
I was just browsing this site, and one of the choices that caught my eye was the "foot stomping cheers". Me still being in my last teenage year, I clearly remember doing them. As I was reading, the ones posted are some I've never heard of, but I wanted to share those that I did know. I did some of these in about 1995 or 96.
[Words to Giggalo]
Giggalo Gigg-alo gigg, gigg-alo gigg-alo gigg, gigg-alo Hey {girl's name} {girl responds}Yeah Are you ready? {girl responds}To what? To gigg {girl responds}Gigg what? Giggalo {girl responds} Well... My hands up high My feet down low And this the way I giggalo {girl will do dance} I turn around And touch the ground And get back up and break it down.
-Becky H.; 5/1/2006, cocojams.com
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GIGALO (Version #4)
This gigalo cheer is longer
Gigalo Gig-Gigalo (say what)x2
Hey___ (group)
Yeah (reply)
Are you ready (group)
For what (reply)
to jig (group)
Jig what (reply)
Alo!!! (group)
Girl-
Well my bach ache my bra too tight, my hips shake from left to right
to the left (what!)-group & girl- right (what!)-group & girl- left right left right
I turn around I touch the ground, I get back up and I breack it down
My hands up high my feet down low and this the way I gigalo (and thats the way she gigalo!)-group-
- Guest, Raven; Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100807, May 12, 2008
This is a link to a Mudcat folk music discussion thread that I started in 2007.
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JIGALLO (Version #5)
This is how it goes in Midway, Georgia.) Jiggalo, Jig, Jigggg----alooooo. Jiggalo, Jig, Jigggg----alooooo. Group: Hey _____! Person: Yeah? Group: Are you ready? Person: For what? Group: To Jig! Person: Jig what? Group: Jigalooo! Jigalooo! Person: Well, my back aches My bra (belt, pants, Dickies) to tight. My booty shake from left to right. With the sky up high And my J's down low This the way I Jiggalo (does a cute, short dance) Group: Well, her back aches Her bra (belt, pants, Dickies) to tight. Her booty shake from left to right. Wit the sky up high And her J's down low And this the way she Jiggalo (copies their cute, short dance) (Repeats with new person)
-Brianna (Midway,Georgia); 9/26/2008, cocojams.com
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GIGALO (Version #6)
this is how my team does it:
every body: jig ah looww
every body: jig jig ah looww
every body: hey (name)
cheerleader: hey what
every body: are you ready
cheerleader: for what
every body: to jig
cheerleader: jig what
every body: jig-a-low
cheerleader: well my hands up high(put your hands up high) my feet down low(put your hands down low) and this is how i jigalow(do a jump) i turn around(turn around) and touch the ground(touch the ground) and get back up and brake it down(move your arms in a circular motion)
reapete till the whole team goes and then do it with the whole team
- Guest, emily; Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100807, November 5, 2008
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GIGALOO (Version #7)
Gigaloo
gig gig aloo
gigaloo
gig gig aloo
hey ____nanaquette_______ hey what ( team )
hey what (Person)
are u ready (team)
for what (person)
to gig (team)
gig what ( person)
gigaloo (team)
well well my back is ackin my bra to tight my booty shakin from left to right my hands up high my feet down low and dis da way i gigaloo ( person says this and does a dance)
well well her back is ackin her br to tight her booty shakin from left to right her hands up high her feet down low and dis da way she gigaloo ( team does what she did )
-Guest, Nanaquette; Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100807, December 19, 2008
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GIGOLO (Version #8)
this is the way i learned it!!!
group: gig-alo, gig-gig-alo, say what?, gig-alo, gig-gig-alo, we say yo _____(persons name)
person: hey what
group: are you ready?
person: for what?
group: to gig!
person: gig what?
group: gigalo!
person: OH!!! my hands up high(puts arms up in the air), my feet down low(puts arms down towards the ground), and this is how i gigalo(does his/her own dance move)
group: his/her hands up high(puts arms up in the air), his/her feet down low(puts arms down towards the ground), and this is how he/she gigalo(repeats persons dance move)
repeat the whole thing with another person in the group. the person who just went calls the next name... and so on
- Guest, jules; Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100807, February 09, 2009
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JIG-A-LOW (Version #9)
Jig-a -low. jig. jig-a-low...
Hey (insert name here)...
Yeah
Are you ready?
For what?
To Jig...
Jig what?
Jig-a-low...
Well....my hands up high, my feet down low, and this the way I jig-a-low (insert nasty dance here)LOL
-Cutescorpio. Apr 25 2008, http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/lil-girls-hand-games_topic128043_page3.
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JIGALOW (Version #10)
Refrain (Unison)
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Part I
(Call) Jasmine: Hey Stephanie!
(Response) Stephanie: Say what?
Jasmine: In-troduce yourself!
Stephanie: Know what?
Jasmine: In-troduce yourself!
[They exchange roles here.]
Stephanie: My name is Ste-phanie
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I got the mucle.
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: To do the hu-stle*
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I do my thang
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: On the video screen
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I do the ro, ro, ro, ro, ro-bot (punctuates each syllable with Do Do Brown)
Jasmine: She do the ro, ro, ro, ro, ro-bot (Jasmine imitates Stephanie's version of the dance)
Refrain (Unison)
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Part 2
Stephanie: Hey Jasmine!
Jasmine: Hey what?
Stephanie: Are you ready?
Jasmine: To what,?
Stephanie; To jig
Jasmine: Jig-a-low?
(unison): jig what?
[Exchanged roles again]
Jasmine: Well, My hands up high, my feet down low.
and THIS's the way I jig-a-low
[Jasmine creates a stylized move on THIS's]
Stephanie: Well, My hands up high, my feet down low.
and THIS's the way she jig-a-low
[Stephanie mimics Jasmine's stylized move on THIS's.]
-Kyra D. Gaunt' book The Games Black Girls Play: Learning The Ropes From Double -Dutch To Hip-Hop (University Press, New York, 2006, page 82);
-snip-
"The Hustle is the name of a mid 1970s American dance.
This example combines the foot stomping cheer "Jigalow" with the foot stomping cheer "Introduce Yourself".
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[PERSON'S NAME] GOT THE RHYTHM
When I was growing up in Chicago in a primarily African-American neighborhood in the mid 70s (This was probably 1976-1978) we used to do a song where a small group of us would stand in a circle and take turns doing little dance solos with different body parts, for example if Jane, Susan and Mary were in the circle we would all sing:
"Jane's got the rhythm, rhythm in her arms" and while Jane would move her arms around we'd all sing "Umm, check it out, umm-umm check it out", then "Susan's got the rhythm, rhythm in her hips" and Susan would swivel her hips around while we all sang "Umm, check it out, umm-umm check it out" and on and on with each kid doing a different body part (head, legs, butt, waist, etc.) we all agreed in advance who would do each body part before we all started singing.
It's 35 years later and I still get that song stuck in my head sometimes and nobody here in California seems to have ever heard it...
-GUEST Jennifer Martin, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221&threadid=81350&messages=221 "I'm Rubber You're Glue", 3 Feb 12
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GO TO THE PARTY
Memories FORREAL! I loved go to the party. Who you gon see we see Tasha. Yeah get down Tasha. Yeah get down turn around Tasha break it down Tasha. Shake your booty tasha and touch the funky ground. When they told me to shake. Oh I shook. My mommy said to stop rocking up.
-toxic silence; Jun 26, 2017, https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/black-girl-rhymes-what-was-yours-growing-up.1196979/page-3
WARNING: Some of the examples on lipstickalley.com contain profanity, sexually explicit content, and/or the "n word".
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This concludes Part II of this series.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and recrational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments and additional versions of these cheers and/or examples of other cheers are welcome.
FOOTBALL (Version #1)
this is a cheer i learned a long time ago!
Football, football HEY! football, football HEY! Hi my name is ______ and football is my game i got the boys on my mind and whoo their mighty fine i say whoo there mighty fine! (repeat until you get through the whole squad then say....)
football, football HEY! football, football HEY! Hi our name is the (school/pop warner team name) and football is our game we got winning on our mind and whoo its looking fine and whoo its looking fine!!
-Hannah!; 9/24/2006, cocojams.com
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FOOTBALL (Version #2)
hening is our name and football is our game so hold the sugar do the freddie cougar and step on back and do the cabage patch
-talor and leelee; 9/24/2006, cocojams.com
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GATORS
All: Gaaators *
(clap two tines and stomp four times while turning around)
Gaaators
(clap two tines and stomp four times while turning around)
Soloist #1:
Gator’s aint wid it
So Homewood betta quit it **
All: Gaaators
(clap two tines and stomp four times while turning around)
Gaaators
(clap two times and stomp four times while turning around)
Soloist #2: Homewood betta chill out
cause I’ll put their tracks out. ***
Directions:
Repeat entire sequence two more times; start facing forward, first time you say it, you turn to your right while you are clapping two times, 2nd time on the beat, you turn to the back, 3rd time you turn to your left forth time, you turn to the front; then to the “chorus”. Continue the same pattern of the group reciting the first part while a new soloist recites a new different two line mocking or confrontational verse.
-Sha’ona and Conraya; (African American females, 11 years old; Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, June 2008
*The Garfield Gators is the name of a community football team in the Garfield section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Garfield is a mostly African American working class neighborhood.
**Homewood is a nearby and rival mostly African American, working class Pittsburgh neighborhood.
***
"tracks" is another term for "(hair) weaves - fake or real hair that is attached to a female's hair to lengthen it and/or give it more body
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GET DOWN
[Examples of cheers with the words "Get Down" are found in Part V of this collection under the title "Show Me How You (or "To") Get Down"]
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GIGALO
Editor's note. "Gigalo" ("Jigalow" and similar spellings) appears to be a very widely known cheer. Examples are included regardless of the spelling of that word.
I'm not including every example of that cheer that I collected and/or that was sent to cocojams.com, or that I've read online. These numbers refer to the versions that are presented on this page.
GIGALO (Version #1)
All: Gig ah lo-o
Gig gig a lo-o
Gig ah lo-o
Gig gig a lo-o
Group: Hey, Kayla
Kayla: What?
Group: Are you ready to gig?
Kayla: Gig what?
Group: Gigalo
Kayla : My hands up high
My feet down low
And this is the way
I gig a lo *
Group: Her hands up high
Her feet down low
And this is the way she gigalos
(Repeat from the beginning with the next soloist, and continue until everyone in the group has a turn as soloist)
-T. M. P. (African American female, memories of East Liberty neighborhood, Pittsburgh,
-snip-
[added August 29, 2017]
I collected foot stomping cheer versions of "Gigalo" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ("Gigalo" is also performed as a hand clap rhyme). Here's a large excerpt of a comment that I wrote in November 25, 2007 on http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes? -Note: The words in brackets are what I added today to help clarify what I meant by what I wrote in 2007.
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"GIGALO (Version #2)
All:
Gig ah lo-o
Gig a lo-o
Gig ah lo-o
Gig gig a lo-o
Group:
Hey, Kayla *
Kayla:
What?
Group:
Are you ready to gig?
Kayla:
Gig what?
Group:
Gigalo
Kayla:
My hands up high
My feet down low
And this is the way
I gig a lo
Group:
Her hands up high
Her feet down low
And this is the way she gigalos
* substitute the soloist's name or nickname
{repeat from the beginning with the next soloist, and continue until everyone in the group has a turn as soloist}
Girls stand in a horizontal line. While chanting, they step to a percussive, continual stomp clap/ stomp stomp/clap beat. When the girl who is the soloist responds "What?", she says it with attitude {like "Why are you bothering me to ask a question?"}. When she says "My hands up high my feet down low" She raises her hands and sashays down to the ground, in a sensual manner. When she says "This is the way I gigalo", she does a fancy step to the beat. The group then imitates her foot movement. The cheer then repeats again with the next soloist whose name is called and she does her soloist step.
Btw, recently, I've seen the soloist move to the front of the horizontal line when it's her turn to do her soloist {this does not mean moving in front of the other performers in the center of the line-but just moving in front of where she was standing}. When her soloist turn ends, she moves back to the line. Also btw, the girls don't stand in consecutive order 1 through 4 for instance. And the order of soloist {who is first, second, etc often depends on who calls out those numbers first at the beginning of this informal "play" activity}.
[Similar to] handclap rhymes, performers [are] {usually but not always girls as young as 5 years and usually no more than 12 years old}. [The girls basically] stand in [the same] place. The emphasis is on chanting while executing hand clap and hand slap partner routines. These routines can also be done with three people or four {two sets of two partners}. There are also larger group handclaps, but those are often lightly competitive while partner/three and four person handclaps aren't.
In contrast, foot stomping cheers are all about the creation of bass sounding percussive sounds made by the feet and also the hands and body patting. These synchronized, chreographed routines are performed by girls about the same age as those doing handclaps, but usually at the upper end of that age group. While foot stomping routines include handclapping, there are no partners-you clap your own hands and never touch the body of anyone else. The performers {like handclap routines, usually girls} basically stand in place or if they do move, they don't move far from their starting place, and they quickly return back to it.
These foot stomping routines are very much like the African American art of steppin."...
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GIGGALO (Version #3)
I was just browsing this site, and one of the choices that caught my eye was the "foot stomping cheers". Me still being in my last teenage year, I clearly remember doing them. As I was reading, the ones posted are some I've never heard of, but I wanted to share those that I did know. I did some of these in about 1995 or 96.
[Words to Giggalo]
Giggalo Gigg-alo gigg, gigg-alo gigg-alo gigg, gigg-alo Hey {girl's name} {girl responds}Yeah Are you ready? {girl responds}To what? To gigg {girl responds}Gigg what? Giggalo {girl responds} Well... My hands up high My feet down low And this the way I giggalo {girl will do dance} I turn around And touch the ground And get back up and break it down.
-Becky H.; 5/1/2006, cocojams.com
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GIGALO (Version #4)
This gigalo cheer is longer
Gigalo Gig-Gigalo (say what)x2
Hey___ (group)
Yeah (reply)
Are you ready (group)
For what (reply)
to jig (group)
Jig what (reply)
Alo!!! (group)
Girl-
Well my bach ache my bra too tight, my hips shake from left to right
to the left (what!)-group & girl- right (what!)-group & girl- left right left right
I turn around I touch the ground, I get back up and I breack it down
My hands up high my feet down low and this the way I gigalo (and thats the way she gigalo!)-group-
- Guest, Raven; Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100807, May 12, 2008
This is a link to a Mudcat folk music discussion thread that I started in 2007.
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JIGALLO (Version #5)
This is how it goes in Midway, Georgia.) Jiggalo, Jig, Jigggg----alooooo. Jiggalo, Jig, Jigggg----alooooo. Group: Hey _____! Person: Yeah? Group: Are you ready? Person: For what? Group: To Jig! Person: Jig what? Group: Jigalooo! Jigalooo! Person: Well, my back aches My bra (belt, pants, Dickies) to tight. My booty shake from left to right. With the sky up high And my J's down low This the way I Jiggalo (does a cute, short dance) Group: Well, her back aches Her bra (belt, pants, Dickies) to tight. Her booty shake from left to right. Wit the sky up high And her J's down low And this the way she Jiggalo (copies their cute, short dance) (Repeats with new person)
-Brianna (Midway,Georgia); 9/26/2008, cocojams.com
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GIGALO (Version #6)
this is how my team does it:
every body: jig ah looww
every body: jig jig ah looww
every body: hey (name)
cheerleader: hey what
every body: are you ready
cheerleader: for what
every body: to jig
cheerleader: jig what
every body: jig-a-low
cheerleader: well my hands up high(put your hands up high) my feet down low(put your hands down low) and this is how i jigalow(do a jump) i turn around(turn around) and touch the ground(touch the ground) and get back up and brake it down(move your arms in a circular motion)
reapete till the whole team goes and then do it with the whole team
- Guest, emily; Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100807, November 5, 2008
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GIGALOO (Version #7)
Gigaloo
gig gig aloo
gigaloo
gig gig aloo
hey ____nanaquette_______ hey what ( team )
hey what (Person)
are u ready (team)
for what (person)
to gig (team)
gig what ( person)
gigaloo (team)
well well my back is ackin my bra to tight my booty shakin from left to right my hands up high my feet down low and dis da way i gigaloo ( person says this and does a dance)
well well her back is ackin her br to tight her booty shakin from left to right her hands up high her feet down low and dis da way she gigaloo ( team does what she did )
-Guest, Nanaquette; Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100807, December 19, 2008
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GIGOLO (Version #8)
this is the way i learned it!!!
group: gig-alo, gig-gig-alo, say what?, gig-alo, gig-gig-alo, we say yo _____(persons name)
person: hey what
group: are you ready?
person: for what?
group: to gig!
person: gig what?
group: gigalo!
person: OH!!! my hands up high(puts arms up in the air), my feet down low(puts arms down towards the ground), and this is how i gigalo(does his/her own dance move)
group: his/her hands up high(puts arms up in the air), his/her feet down low(puts arms down towards the ground), and this is how he/she gigalo(repeats persons dance move)
repeat the whole thing with another person in the group. the person who just went calls the next name... and so on
- Guest, jules; Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100807, February 09, 2009
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JIG-A-LOW (Version #9)
Jig-a -low. jig. jig-a-low...
Hey (insert name here)...
Yeah
Are you ready?
For what?
To Jig...
Jig what?
Jig-a-low...
Well....my hands up high, my feet down low, and this the way I jig-a-low (insert nasty dance here)LOL
-Cutescorpio. Apr 25 2008, http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/lil-girls-hand-games_topic128043_page3.
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JIGALOW (Version #10)
Refrain (Unison)
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Part I
(Call) Jasmine: Hey Stephanie!
(Response) Stephanie: Say what?
Jasmine: In-troduce yourself!
Stephanie: Know what?
Jasmine: In-troduce yourself!
[They exchange roles here.]
Stephanie: My name is Ste-phanie
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I got the mucle.
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: To do the hu-stle*
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I do my thang
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: On the video screen
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I do the ro, ro, ro, ro, ro-bot (punctuates each syllable with Do Do Brown)
Jasmine: She do the ro, ro, ro, ro, ro-bot (Jasmine imitates Stephanie's version of the dance)
Refrain (Unison)
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Part 2
Stephanie: Hey Jasmine!
Jasmine: Hey what?
Stephanie: Are you ready?
Jasmine: To what,?
Stephanie; To jig
Jasmine: Jig-a-low?
(unison): jig what?
[Exchanged roles again]
Jasmine: Well, My hands up high, my feet down low.
and THIS's the way I jig-a-low
[Jasmine creates a stylized move on THIS's]
Stephanie: Well, My hands up high, my feet down low.
and THIS's the way she jig-a-low
[Stephanie mimics Jasmine's stylized move on THIS's.]
-Kyra D. Gaunt' book The Games Black Girls Play: Learning The Ropes From Double -Dutch To Hip-Hop (University Press, New York, 2006, page 82);
-snip-
"The Hustle is the name of a mid 1970s American dance.
This example combines the foot stomping cheer "Jigalow" with the foot stomping cheer "Introduce Yourself".
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[PERSON'S NAME] GOT THE RHYTHM
When I was growing up in Chicago in a primarily African-American neighborhood in the mid 70s (This was probably 1976-1978) we used to do a song where a small group of us would stand in a circle and take turns doing little dance solos with different body parts, for example if Jane, Susan and Mary were in the circle we would all sing:
"Jane's got the rhythm, rhythm in her arms" and while Jane would move her arms around we'd all sing "Umm, check it out, umm-umm check it out", then "Susan's got the rhythm, rhythm in her hips" and Susan would swivel her hips around while we all sang "Umm, check it out, umm-umm check it out" and on and on with each kid doing a different body part (head, legs, butt, waist, etc.) we all agreed in advance who would do each body part before we all started singing.
It's 35 years later and I still get that song stuck in my head sometimes and nobody here in California seems to have ever heard it...
-GUEST Jennifer Martin, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221&threadid=81350&messages=221 "I'm Rubber You're Glue", 3 Feb 12
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GO TO THE PARTY
Memories FORREAL! I loved go to the party. Who you gon see we see Tasha. Yeah get down Tasha. Yeah get down turn around Tasha break it down Tasha. Shake your booty tasha and touch the funky ground. When they told me to shake. Oh I shook. My mommy said to stop rocking up.
-toxic silence; Jun 26, 2017, https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/black-girl-rhymes-what-was-yours-growing-up.1196979/page-3
WARNING: Some of the examples on lipstickalley.com contain profanity, sexually explicit content, and/or the "n word".
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This concludes Part II of this series.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and recrational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments and additional versions of these cheers and/or examples of other cheers are welcome.
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