Examples Of The Foot Stomping Cheer "Razzle Dazzle"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision- March 14, 2021

This pancocojjams post provides information about foot stomping cheers and presents several text (word only) examples of the foot stomping cheer "Razzle Dazzle". 

Explanations about some of the vernacular terms that are included in these cheers are also included in this post. In addition, a video of "Razzle Dazzle" cheer is also included in this post.

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

Thanks to all those who are shared examples of this cheer and all those who are quoted in this post.

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COMMENTS ABOUT THE CHEER "RAZZLE DAZZLE" AND SIMILAR CHEERS
[Revised June 7, 2017]

"Razzle Dazzle" is a self-bragging (and, later, a) group bragging, confrontational cheer. I don't know when this cheer was first performed, but my guess is that it was in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Here are my reasons for this guess:

1) The mid to late 1970s are the  earliest known dates that I have found for what I refer to as "foot stomping cheers".

2) The date of the hit Broadway song "Razzle Dazzle" is 1975. Click http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=16609 for information about the song "Razzle Dazzle".

3) "Razzle Dazzle" cheer have very similar structures and words as the late 1970s/1980s examples of "Hula Hula" foot stomping cheers.

"Hula Hula" is a foot stomping cheer that is very similar in words and textual structure, (and probably also performance) to the "Razzle Dazzle" cheer.

The earliest example of "Hula Hula" that I found is from Barbara Michels' and Bettye White's 1983 book Apple On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children. The "rhymes" that are featured in this book are from Houston, Texas. Here's that cheer (which was categorized along with other examples in that book as a "rhyme")
Hula hula
Now who thinks they bad
Hula hula
Now who thinks they bad
I think I’m bad
‘Cause Acie my name
And toys is my game
Take a sip of my potion
And dance in slow motion
Uh-huh
She thinks she bad
Baby baby don’t make me mad
Un-huh
She thinks she cool
Baby baby don’t act a fool
Uh-huh
She think she sweet
Sweetest person you ever meet
Uh-huh
She thinks she fine
Baby baby I’ll blow your mind
-Barbara Michels and Bettye White, editors: Apple On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children (Putnam Juvenile; First Edition November 11, 1983
-snip-
I also collected an example of "Hula Hula" in the early to mid 1980s from my daughter and her friends (in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). Click the pancocojams link that is given above for that example, for other examples of "Hula Hula", and for examples of some other cheers (including one example of "Razzle Dazzle") that are similar to "Hula Hula".

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/06/examples-of-hula-hula-who-think-they.html includes several other text examples of "Hula Hula" as well as a YouTube video of two sisters saying this cheer.

Although I have heard examples of "Hula Hula" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (in the mid 1980s) , I've never heard any examples of "Razzle Dazzle" in that city. However, the very close textual and structural similarities between these cheers lead me to believe that "Razzle Dazzle" cheers probably sounds the same as "Hula Hula" cheers.

4). American vernacular terms from the late 1970s and the 1980s are found in examples of "Razzle Dazzle" cheers, including "macho" (from the Village People's Pop song "Macho Man" which was released on February 27, 1978) and the term "fly" which was popularized by The Boogie Boy's 1985 Hip Hop song "A Fly Girl".

Additional explanations about some vernacular terms that are included in examples of "Razzle Dazzle" are found below.

The term "razzle dazzle" is both a noun and an adjective. Two adjectival definitions are a good fit for (what I think is) the meaning of "razzle dazzle") in children's cheers:
adjective
"impressively opulent or decorative, especially in a new way; showy; flashy; eye-catching:
a shopping center lined with razzle-dazzle boutiques.

"energetic, dynamic, or innovative":
razzle-dazzle technology; a razzle-dazzle sales pitch.

That said, girls performing the "Razzle Dazzle" cheer, probably aren't focused on the meaning of the term "razzle dazzle" other than as a "cool" rhyming term, and may not know what "razzle dazzle" means.

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TEXT EXAMPLES OF "RAZZLE DAZZLE"

I. EXAMPLES FROM MY COCOJAMS.COM WEBSITE
These four examples of "Razzle Dazzle" were posted to my (no longer active) cocojams.com website. I chose not to publish the last names of people submitting material to that cultural website because it appeared that so many of the people posting material on that site were children and preteens.

That cocojams website transferred all "lined" entries into sentences. I've reformatted this example and the following three examples in this post (back) into a (cheer/poetry) lined structure.

These examples are given in chronological order according to the date that they were published online. Numbers are assigned to these examples for referencing purposes only.

RAZZLE DAZZLE (Version #1)
"I hate these cheers, they are for like the 1st grade, here is a good chant:

Razzle Dazzle, razzle dazzle
hi we are the Hornets and we are number one
and in this razzle dazzle has just began
so if you see us step aside cause we dont take no jive,
razzle dazzle razzle dazzle
Oh she thinks she bad,
lord honey we know we're bad
our skirts are green our shirts are white,
step to us be ready to fight,
razzle dazzle razzle dazzle."
-Cassie and Becca ; 5/22/2006, cocojams.com

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RAZZLE DAZZLE (Version #2)
"*=one clap razzle dazzle (***)
razzle dazzle (***)
our names are cats (or any other team)
we're number one
our reputation has just begun.
so if u see us just step aside,
cats (or other team) baby dont take no jive.
(GROUP 1) ohhh they think their bad.
(GROUP 2) correction baby we know we're bad.
(GROUP 1) ohh they think their hot.
(GROUP 2) ladies....PLEASE!!! "
-Hannah, 9/25/2006, cocojams.com

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RAZZLE DAZZLE (Version #3)
"Razzle Dazzle (all the girls are in a circle, one girl goes in the middle to sing)
my name is ____ i'm number 1,
my razzle dazzle has just begun
so if you see me better step aside
cause this bad girl don't take no jive
(everybody else in the cirle:) ooh. she thinks she's bad
correction baby, i KNOW i'm bad
ooh. she thinks she's fine
fine enough to blow YOUR mind
razzle dazzle uh huh uh huh
razzle dazzle uh huh.
WOO WOO razzle dazzle uh huh
uh huh razzle dazzle uh huh.
WOO WOO (repeat with everybody in the circle) "
-liz ; 6/22/2007, cocojams.com

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RAZZLE DAZZLE (Version #4)
"Hiya great site! Here is a cheer: (Where it says Emily change it to your name)

Razzle Dazzle(clap clap clap) Razzle Dazzle(clap clap clap)
My name is Emily
I'm number one
My Razzle Dazzle has just begun
So when you see me step aside.
You know Emily Don't take no Jive
(Everybody) OOh She thinks she's bad
(person speaking previously) No, baby I know I'm bad."
-Emiii; 5/21/2007, cocojams.com
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/foot-stomping-cheers-alphabetical-list_22.html
for an alphabetical listing of foot stomping cheers beginning with the letters (P-Z). The links for four other pages of foot stomping cheer examples are given on that page.

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II. AN ONLINE EXAMPLE AND COMMENTS ABOUT THE "RAZZLE DAZZLE" CHEER FROM STACKEXCHANGE.COM
From https://literature.stackexchange.com/questions/1634/what-does-m-o-in-the-razzle-dazzle-cheer-song-mean [asked] Christian Feb 13 (2017); [edited] Skooba, March 21 (2017)

"I would like to know what a particular line in the following cheer poem is a reference to.

Razzle Dazzle

Leader: My name is (your name)
I'm number one
My reputation has just begun
So if you see me
Step aside
Cause I ain't got the time

Response: Ooh! She thinks she's bad!

Leader: Shut up girls, don't make me mad!

Response: Ooh! She thinks she's cool!

Leader: Cool enough for all these fools!

Response: Ooh! She thinks she's fine!

Everyone: Fine enough to M O
Fine enough to macho
Fine enough to hula hoop
Fine enough for all yall fools!

Razzle Dazzle (3 claps)
Razzle Dazzle (3 claps)

The line I particularly do not understand is "Fine enough to M O" and "Fine enough to macho." This cheer poem is extremely common in summer camps and I've heard it so many times, but no one seems to know what "M O" is."
-snip-
Here's a link to an example of "Razzle Dazzle" that might have been the source for that example of that cheer: http://ohevbbg.weebly.com/bbg-cheers.html.

As of the date of this pancocojams post, one respondent referred the person asking these questions to "song lyrics". Although it wasn't mentioned, presumably that referral was for the Broadway song "Razzle Dazzle".

Another person responded by writing that the words to cheers "might have any number of iterations and variations". While that's true, it doesn't explain what "Fine enough to M O" and "Fine enough to macho." mean.

A third person responded by asking what country this cheer is from and a fourth person shared a link to a camp version of "Razzle Dazzle" which includes the term "Mambo". That example is given below.

All of these comments were written in February 2017 or March 2017 under the tag "oral tradition".

Read my comments below about the meanings of those terms and some other vernacular terms in some Razzle Dazzle cheers.

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III. AN ONLINE EXAMPLE OF "RAZZLE DAZZLE" FROM CAMPKESEM.ORG
From http://campkesem.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Camp-Kesem-Stony-Brook-Winter-Newsletter1.pdf
"Camp Song “Razzle Dazzle”
My name is _____ I’m number 1
My reputation has just begun
So if you see me just step aside
cause I
don't take no jive!
(All):
OO (S)HE THINKS (S)HE'S COOL
(One): Cool enough for all y'all fools
(All): OO (S)HE THINKS (S)HE'S BAD
(One): Hush now, don't make me
mad
(All):
OO (S)HE THINKS (S)HE'S FLY
FLY ENOUGH TO MAMBO
FLY ENOUGH TO MACHO
FLY ENOUGH TO HOOLA HOOP
FLY ENOUGH FOR ALL Y'ALL FOOLS
(Razzle Dazzle (*clap clap clap*) ) X2
Heeeeey.... ______
(call on next person to be "it")"

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IV. EXAMPLE OF RAZZLE DAZZLE FROM AN ONLINE SITE FOR CHILDREN'S CHEERLEADERS CHEERS AND CHANTS
From http://dragoncheertx.tripod.com/id8.html (retrieved June 6, 2017)
Razzle Dazzle [title]
"Fire it up and up And up and up and up Razzle Dazzle, razzle dazzle, raz-zle, daz-zle
My name is Lindsey and I'm lots of fun
Score 6 And my razzle dazzle has just begun
Touchdown, Dragons, Let's score 6 You'll feel the groove down to your feet
My dragon pride just can't be beat
Ooh, she thinks she's bad
Correction, I know I'm bad
Ooh, she thinks she's sweet
Sweetest girl you'll ever meet!"
-snip-
Here's a link to a similar version of "Razzle Dazzle" from another cheerleader cheer site: https://www.thoughtco.com/hello-cheers-for-cheerleaders-588630

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AFRICAN AMERICAN VERNACULAR ENGLISH TERMS IN "RAZZLE DAZZLE" CHEERS
These definitions are given in alphabetical order. The definitions given are in the context of this cheer, and often have other meanings in standard English and in African American Vernacular English.

1. "bad" (adjective) = means "very good"

2. "blow your mind" = really impress you

3. "cool"= (adjective) hip, up to date with the latest African American urban culture (including language & fashions)

4. "fine" (adjective) = very good looking

5. "fly" (adjective) = a person [but usually a female] who is looking good and is up to date with the latest African American urban culture (i.e. The Boogie Boys' 1985 hit song "Fly Girl").

6. "hot" = popular

7. "jive" = (noun) something that is nonsensical, foolish, lies, unsubstantial, fake, cheap, meaningless; or someone who talks nonsense, is fake, lies, talks big but can't back it up etc.

"don't take no jive" (term) = in the context of this cheer, [a person who] "don't take no jive" (doesn't take any jive) is one that won't allow anyone to "mess" with her (or him) by lying to her, or disrespecting her, and/or trying to trick her, or otherwise not taking her seriously. Anyone who tries to do any of these things will suffer negative consequences.

8. macho = (adjective) = the ability to win any physical confrontation; from the Pop song "Macho Man":
My guess is that the term "M.O." that is found in some versions of "Razzle Dazzle" cheers is a folk processed form of this vernacular meaning for "macho".

9. "razzle dazzle" = actions that are taken that really impress people; also "razzle dazzle" is a highly complimentary description of the way a person looks (including the way they move, i.e their cheerleading performance and energy

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