Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Update- Dec. 3, 2023
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series which presents some examples of or comments about the hand clap rhyme that is known as "Rockin Robin", "Twee Lee Lee" or other titles such as "Tweet Baby" and "Swing Swing Swing".
There are LOTS of different examples of "Rockin Robin hand games", but all of these examples in this collection include notes about where (city, state, district [Washington, D.C.] region, or country) these versions of this rhyme were performed.
This post provides examples or comments about this rhyme from geographic locations in the United States and elsewhere that begin with letter K through letter Z.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/07/some-rockin-robin-twee-lee-lee-rhymes.html for Part I of this pancocojams post. That post provides examples and comments for geographic locations in the United States and elsewhere that begin with letter A through letter J.
WARNING: A number of versions of the hand clap game "Rockin Robin" ("Twee lee lee" or other names) are risque ("dirty") and some versions of that hand clap rhyme are very risque. Those risque versions of "Rockin Robin" include references to sex and/or violence and or profanity. Some of these examples may also include what is commonly known as "the n word".
Part I of this pancocojams series does not include any risque versions of "Rockin Robin". However, a few versions of risque ("dirty") versions of "Rockin Robin" are included in Part II of this series. Those examples have amended spelling for profanity and/or sexually explicit/violent references. "The n word" is also given with amended spelling.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This collection documents a very small number of "Rockin Robin"/ "Twee Lee Lee" rhymes.
The examples are given under the first letter of the name of the state with the city (or borough and/or neighborhood in the case of New York City) given after the state, if given in the comments that are with those examples.
Unless otherwise noted, all of the cities and states that are listed in this collection are located in the United States.
Countries or regions outside of the United States are also given under the first letter of that country/region.
Links are added for the online sources for these examples, and provided numbers for those examples from that link that are given under that letter. These examples are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Please add to the folkloric record by sharing the examples with demographic information that you remember. And please remember to include demographic information (where-city, state, or country if outside of the United States and when (the decade) you first chanted this rhyme. Also, please add how you performed this rhyme (such as with two people or four people or otherwise.) Thanks!
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EXAMPLES OF ROCKIN ROBIN (TWEE LEE LEE) RHYMES WITH GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS (K- Z)
K, L
KANSAS
Wichita, Kansas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfzHL_1PdbY "Let's Discuss: Black Girl Childhood Hand Games and Sing
Songs", published by EbonyJanice Peace, Aug 4, 2014
[comment]
Rebecca Martin, 2018
"I'm from Wichita, KS and we had the SAME ones - only we would say sister on the corner
saying p**sy for sale - or Ima get my n**ga to kick your behind- my cousins
would come down from Colorado for summers and teach us new ones. Looking back
yes they were CLEARLY inappropriate but in the back of my mind I knew it was
part of our culture that we didn't have to share with white people and I was
proud of the fact that the white girls at my school couldn't do it. It was like
our own thing. And with all the cultural misappropriation now days, I'm glad we
call have that commonality as black girls growing up. I'm actually getting my
degree in child development and was searching for reminders here on youtube for
the hand eye coordination aspect of the rhymes and hand movements. We'll just
have to use REVISED versions of them. LOL! Thanks for sharing your story."
-snip-
The "Ima get my n**ga to beat your behind" line comes from a contemporary racialized version of "I Like Coffee I Like Tea" (also known as "Down Down Baby"). Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/10/contemporary-united-states-examples-of.html for a pancocojams post entitled "Contemporary United States Examples Of & Comments About "I Like Coffee" Children's Rhymes That Include Racial References."
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LOUISIANA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uP38jUEhF8 "Old School Game👐 Rockin Robin" published by Ms. C D, Mar 16,
2016
[comment]
Jean Coco, 2017"The black girls taught us this clap game during the first year of integration in third grade. That was in 1969, in a small town in Louisiana. I count clap games as one of the many fabulous lessons I learned from the desegregation of our public schools."
-snip-
Jean Coco's 1969 date is a misremembering of when she was taught this hand clap rhyme since the "Rockin Robin" hand game is based on Michael Jackson's 1972 record "Rockin Robin".
****
M, N
MARYLAND
http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php [website no longer active]; published by j-mil; 3/19/2005 ; (African American male; Maryland)
[comment]
swing swing swing to the usa
hey hey
rockin in a tree to
all day long
huffin and a puffin
and singin that song
all the lil birdies on jaybird street
love to here therobins
go tweet tweet tweet
rockin robin
tweet tweetalee rockin
robin tweet tweetalee
mama in he kitchen cookin fried rice
daddy oUt side shootin some dice
brothA in jail drinkin gingerale
sista roun te corner sellin FRUIT COCTAIL
rockin robin tweet tweetalee
rockin robin tweet tweetalee
batman and robin flyin in the air
batman lost his underwear
batmn said i dont care cause
robin goin to by me azillion more pair
rockin robin tweet tweetalee
i went down town to getsum btta
saw james brown sittin ina gutta
gotta piece of glass stuck it up his
i neva seen a black man
runso fast
rockinrobin tweet tweet alee
-snip-
This is how that version was written on that discussion thread for children's recreational rhymes. "btta" = butter; The line that reads "glass stuck it up his" ends that way. That is an example of profanity avoidance. Some risque examples of this rhyme include the profanity word "mf" instead of "Black man" and some risque versions use what is commonly known as "the n word".
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MASSACHUSETS
Boston, Massachusets
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221 ,I'm Rubber. You're Glue: Children's Rhymes
[comment]
GUEST, Spain, 5/30/2006
"There was also the street Rockin Robin that I heard/played
in the same [Boston summer] camps.
Tweedily diddly dee(3x)
tweet tweet, your breath stinks.
Rockin' in the treetop all day long
huffin' and a puffin' just singin' that song
all the little birdies on jail bird street
love to hear the birdies go tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
All the little birdies on jail bird street tonight
tweet tweet tweet
Momma's in the kitchen, cookin' rice
Daddy's on the corner, shootin' dice
Brother's in jail, raisin' hell
Sister's on the corner selling fruit cock tail
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
All the little birdies on jail bird street tonight
tweet tweet tweet
****
MISSISSIPPI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1sGAd9ea3A&ab_channel=ProjectEsperanzaVids "Rockin' Robin Hand Clap", published by ProjectEsperanzaVids, Jan 13, 2013
[comment]
Jane Ayers,2020
"Ha I learned this in the late 70s in Mississippi. Totally
forgot how to do it, but it seemed like there were maybe 10 of us that would
get into a circle! It was so much fun, did it almost every day at recess. Can't
believe this is out there on youtube !"
****
MISSOURI
St Louis, Missouri
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uP38jUEhF8&t=18s&ab_channel=Ms.CD, published by Ms C.D, Mar 16, 2016
[comment]
Bricks Montana, 2020
"Yep thats the version we did here in St. Louis MO!!! Wish
they did the 4 way we used to do at summercamp"
****
NEW YORK
[This location in this example could refer to New York City and/or to other parts of New York state.]
http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/lil-girls-hand-games_topic128043_page4.html "Lil Girls .. Hand Games!" (This link is no longer active)
[comment]
1. dijah.love (Location: New York),Apr 25 2008
TWEET BABY TWEET BABY
MY MOMMA SAID SHE ROCKS IN THE TREETOP
ALL DAY LONG
HUFFIN AND A PUFFING
AND SINGING THAT SONG
ALL THE LIL BIRDIES ON JAY BIRD STREET
LOVE THE WAY MOMMA GOES TWEET TWEET TWEET
ROCKING ROBIN, TWEET TWALLEE
ROCKIN ROBIN TWEET TWALEE
BATMAN AND ROBIN
FLYING IN THE AIR
WHEN BATMAN LOST HIS UNDERWEAR
BUT BATMAN SAD
IDC
MY MOMMAS GONNA BY ME A BRAND NEW PAIR
ROCKING ROBIN, TWEET TWALLEE
ROCKIN ROBIN TWEET TWALEE
MOMMA IN THE KITCHEN COKKING RICE
BROTHERS OUTSIDE SHOOTIN DICE
DADDYS IN JAIL DRINKING GINERALE
SISTERS OUT SIDE GOING FRUIT COCKTAIL
ROCKING ROBIN, TWEET TWALLEE
ROCKIN ROBIN TWEET TWALEE
****
New York City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&t=2s "90’s hands games !!!!!"
published by Geneas, Nov 4, 2018
[comment]
JeSuisMelBell, 2020 NYC
…We called it Rocking Robin: She rocks in the treetops all day long. huffing and a puffing and ah singing a song. all the little birdies on jaybird street, love to hear the robin singing tweet tweet tweet. rocking robin. tweet twerly . rockin robin tweet twirly. I went downtown to get a stick of butter. I saw James Brown s*hittin in the gutter. I took a piece of glass, and stuck it up his arse. I never saw a motherFkqa run so fast~ rockin robin tweet twirly... then the other verses... like: grandma grandma you aint sick, all you need is grandpas d*iq rocking robin"...
-snip-
This is how this portion of this comment is written in that discussion thread. That long comment with a number of rhymes included LOTS of profanity and/or sexually explicit references.
****
New York City [Bedford- Stuyvesant in the borough of Brooklyn]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPHPgM4RhcI "Old school hand game (tweet tweet)", published by Sharon Humes, Aug 31, 2014
[comment]
willow407, 2015
I LOVE THIS Thank y'all for posting it...gonna
play this with my friends. I'm 52. Reminds me of my Bed-Stuy early days playin
this! Y'all was great, including the video recording guy , the singing guy.
GREAT FUN ! Thanks!
-snip-
Bed Suy (correct spelling "Bed-Stuy") is an abbreviation for Bedford–Stuyvesant. Bedford–Stuyvesant is a neighborhood in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is one of five boroughs of New York City, New York.
**
New York City [borough of the Bronx]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uP38jUEhF8 "Old School Game👐 Rockin Robin" published by Ms. C D, Mar 16, 2016
[comment]
LifeWorks, ndh enterprises,llc., 2018
"I'm coming from the Bronx and there was a nasty verison
of that hand game. but I really loved this one so swinging and all together,just
use your hand like miss Mary mack."
**
New York City [borough of Mahattan, neighborhood of Harlem]
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/archive/index.php/t-5627.html
[comment]
MaMaBuddha; [African American female]; 7/31/2000],
...remember hand games....
tweedle tweedle dee
treetop
tweedle tweedle dee
treetop
tweet baby tweet baby
your mama says
she rocks in a treetop
all day long
huffin and puffin
and saying a song
all the little birds
james bell street
love the little robins
go tweet tweet tweet
rockin robin
tweet tweet tweet
rockin robin
tweet tweet tweet
i went down town to get a stick of butter
and saw james brown sitting (people cursed on my block) in the gutter
i took a piece of glass and stuck it up his (you know what)
i never saw a (kids are mean) run so fast.
we even played that in college.
hmmm...those hand games were violent and had curses in them, huh?
holla at me if you remember
**
New York City [borough of Manhattan, neighborhood of East Harlem]
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 ; Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes?
[comment]
GUEST KLC, ; July 11, 2008
Tweet baby tweet baby,
my mama said:
shes rocking in the tree top
all day long
huffing and a puffing and singing that song
all the little girls on dainburn street
love to hear the birds go tweet tweet tweet,
rocking robin tweet twirly
rocking robin tweet twirly.
Batman and robin flying in the air
batman lost his underwear
batman says I don't care
mamas gonna buy me a brand new pair,
rocking robin tweet twirly
rocking robin tweet twirly,
I went down town to get a stick a butter
all i saw was james brown sitting in a gutter
took a piece of glass shoved it up his ahhhhh...
never saw a motha sucka run so fast (crazy isnt it)
rocking robin tweet twirly
rockin robin tweet twirly,
went to the movies to see king kong
all I saw was a rubber ding dong
rocking robin tweet twiyly
rocking robin tweet twirly,
mothers in the kitchen cooking rice,
poppa's in the bathroom shooting dice,
brothers in jail raising hell,
sister's in the corner selling fruit cocktail
rocking robin (some children sing other parts not to sure
what they are, the words were the same since I was young but now they add
things that relate to their time)
-snip-
KLC wrote her location as East Harlem, New York, New York. I put her comments about the rhyme in italics to distinguish them from the actual rhyme.
In response to my request for demographical information, KLC
posted this information on that same Mudcat thread:
"The children that play these games range from 5 - 12
years old. Both boys and girls play these games but girls are more into it and
know a lot more hand games then the boys. The children that I see playing these
games are Hispanic, African American, Caribbean, Caucasian and Asian because
that is the population that I serve at my program."
****
NEW JERSEY
Newark, New Jersey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU "90’s hands games !!!!!" [from 3:59 to 4:16 in that video] published by Geneas, Nov 4, 2018
Swing, swing swing
to the bottom of the tree
Rockin in the tree top
All day long
huffin and a puffin and a singing that song
All the little birds on j-bird street
Love to hear the robin go
tweet tweet tweet
Rockin robin
tweet tweet a lee
rockin robin
tweet tweet a lee
I went downtown
to see James Brown
He gave me a nickel
To buy me a pickle
The pickle was sour
He gave me shower
The bowl was cracked
So he gave me a smack
-snip-
Two young African American women perform hand games that they remember from their childhood. In this video the title for the "Rockin Robin"/"Twee Lee Lee" rhyme is "Swing Swing Swing". That title sometimes also refers to the hand clap rhyme "I Am A Pretty Little Third Grader" (or another grade). Those rhymes are contemporary forms of "I Am A Pretty Little Dutch Girl".
At the end of this version of "Swing Swing Swing" the partners tries to be the first to smack the other one.
****
NORTH CAROLINA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfzHL_1PdbY "Let's Discuss: Black Girl Childhood Hand Games and Sing Songs", published by EbonyJanice Peace, Aug 4, 2014
[comment]
Atum RaBomb, 2016
"Love this... Thanks
for sharing! I grew up in rural coastal
North Carolina... In grade school, while all the other kids played on the
monkey bar half dome, i would sit quietly by myself and watch the black girls
handclap miss mary Mack, rockin Robin,
skip rope and braid each other's hair.
Honestly some of my most favorite memories."...
****
O, P
PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
[examples collected by Azizi Powell]
1.
[From African American girls and boys ages 6-13 years old, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania*, 1999, Northview Heights' section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the Buddy Program; a coed after-school program for elementary school children]; collected by Azizi Powell, 1999]
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.
I saw a piece of glass
stickin in 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 cock tail
Rockin Robin
Tweet Tweetdalee
Rockin Robin
Tweet Tweetdalee
-snip-
From 2000-2005, the years that I actively collected
playground rhymes in African American communities in and around Pittsburgh,
Pennsylbania, the most widely known rhyme and what appeared to be the favorite
rhyme was "Rockin Robin". That rhyme was most often known as
"Tweeleelee", "Tweedalee", "Tweet Baby" or some
similar sounding word or words. That said, children self-censored around me and I never heard any version of "Twee Lee Lee" (as it was usually called in Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities) that included profanity or sexually explicit/violent references that weren't "cleaned up".
**
2.
From Naijah S. (African American girl, age 9, Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) ; January 14, 2011; collected by Azizi Powell
Twee lee lee
Tree top
Twee lee lee
My bra
Popscicle popscicle
Your breath stinks.
He rocks in the treetop all day long
huffin' and a puffin' and singin' that song.
all the little birdies on jay bird street
love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet.
Momma's in the kitchen, cookin' rice.
Daddy's outside shootin' dice
Brother's in jail ringin that bell.
Sister's outside playing fruit cock tail.
I went to the store to get a stick of butter
I saw Chris Brown singing in the gutter
He had a piece of glass stuck up his sssh
I never knew a Black man run so fast.
-snip-
When I asked her what "sssh" meant, Naijah said it was a bad word and instead of the word, kids said "sssh".
****
Q, R
****
S, T
THE SOUTH (the Southern region of the United States)
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/likeomigoditsthe80s/childhood-songs-and-games-t1526.html, published by purplepanda636, Feb. 11, 2003
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TEXAS
http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/lil-girls-hand-games_topic128043_page4.html "Lil Girls .. Hand Games!" *
smootches87 [Location: US - Texas], Apr 25 2008
"tweet-a-leet-a-leet
tweet-a-leet-a-leet
tweet-a-leet-a-leet
tweet-a-leet-a-leet
tweet-a-leet-a-leet
tweet baby tweet baby your breath stinks
she rocks in the tree top all day long huffing and a puffing
and a singing that song all little birdies on jay bird street love to hear the
robins go suck my feet rockin robin tweet tweet a leet rockin robin tweet tweet
a leet mommy's in the kitchen cooking fried chicken daddys in bed half way dead
brothers at school actin like a fool sisters on the corner selling fruitcock
tail grandmas in the shower for an half an hour..........forgot the rest"
-snip-
*This link is no longer active.
**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5BgrGEQaBQ&t=1s&ab_channel=CostaRicaRich "Rockin' Robin Hand Game 2017!" published by Costa Rica Rich, Jan 6, 2017
[comments]
1. sb_blah, 2020
"I did this exact version in 1997 in Texas! O: It's so great
to see it being played in other countries so many years later, too! <3"
**
Reply [Dallas, Texas]
2. NV LOONY, 2021
"Yes in texas!! Dallas for me"
****
U, V
VIRGINIA
Virginia Beach, Virginia
from http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/11/documenting-some-examples-of-verse-from.html "The Origin & Examples Of Rockin Robin/ Tweeleelee" Hand Clap Rhyme's "Mama In The Kitchen" Verse [discussion thread comment]
Anonymous, July 21, 2022
In Virginia Beach in 1991 we used to sing:
Hey! hey!
Rockin in the tree top all day long
Huffin and a puffin and a singing my song
All the little birdies on jaybird street
Like to hear the Robin go
Tweet tweet tweet!
Rocking Robin
tweet tweet a leet
Rocking Robin
tweet tweet a leet
Mama's in the kitchen cooking fried chicken
Daddy's in bed, half way dead
Brothers in school acting a fool
Sisters down the street singing
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
We also sang the last line as "selling fruit cocktail" but we were all aware of what it meant and did the hand motions, and if our moms heard us we couldn't sing it that way any more!
W, X
WASHINGTON D.C.
http://www.afrocentriconline.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=33952&sid=20e079412142da6abbee2eb0ed11f670 "Childhood Chants/Songs/Clapping games.." -Mint, Jul 21, 2005 [This link is no longer active.]
I remember this one too, but our went:
Momma's in the kitchen cooking rice
Daddy's outside shooting dice
Brother's in jail raising hell
Sister's on the corner yelling pussy for sale.
(Rockin Robin...70's SE DC version)"
****
WEST INDIES (the region also known as the Caribbean)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPHPgM4RhcI&t=1s&ab_channel=SharonHumes published by Sharon Humes Aug 31, 2014
[comment]
trinigyul, 2017
"I love you guys for this, it was also very heart warming to
see the big ass men in doo rags playing
clap games. Brings back memories of west indian primary school days. We couldnt
wait til recess and after school to form clap game cliques lol. Well done guys!"
-snip-
The commenter's name suggests that she is from Trinidad.
****
Y , Z
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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
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