Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series about the toxicity of the messages that certain English language jump rope and/or hand clap rhymes (also known as "skipping songs" and "hand games") convey about romantic relationships.
This post presents statements about the toxicity of certain recreational rhymes about romantic relationships. This post also presents a few examples of these types of rhymes.
Click ___ for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents statements about the toxicity of recreational rhymes about romantic relationships that include references to rape, or paying for sex. This post also presents a few examples of these types of rhymes..
A few of the examples in that post include examples of those recreational rhymes that contain sexually explicit language. However, examples of really dirty children's recreational rhymes aren't included in that post.
Click ___ for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post presents an article excerpt and a few online comments about recreational rhymes as negative socializing agents.
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The content of this post is presented for folkloric and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who contributed examples of these hand clap rhymes that are included in this post.
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TERMS THAT ARE USED IN THIS SERIES ABOUT THE TOXICITY OF CERTAIN JUMP ROPE/HAND CLAP RHYMES
TOXICITY - "the quality, state, or relative degree of being poisonous"
-from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicity
-snip-
By toxic, I mean harmful to a person's psychological wellbeing, including self esteem and harmful to the creation and ability to sustain a healthy monogamous heterosexual relationship and friendships with people outside of your heterosexual relationship.
Here are two examples of jump rope rhymes /hand clap rhymes about romantic relationships that I don't consider to be toxic because they promote a romantic relationship between a girl and a boy who are committed to each other, leading to marriage.
(While I recognize the validity of LGBTQ relationships, this pancocojams post focuses on heterosexual relationships)
Bluebells Cockle Shells
Bluebells, cockle shells,
Eevie, ivy, over;
Mother went to market
To buy some meat;
Baby's in the cradle
Fast asleep.
The old clock on the mantel says
One o'clock, two o'clock.
(to twelve o'clock)
Bluebells, cockle shells,
Eevie, ivy, over;
I like coffee, I like tea;
I like the boys, and the boys like me.
Tell your mother to hold her tongue;
She had a fellow when she was young.
Tell your father to do the same;
He had a girl and he changed her name.
- http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101113222223AAw99M5 "What are your favorite jump rope rhymes,
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K. I. SS. I. N. G
(NAME) and (NAME)
Sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
First comes love
Then comes marriage
Then comes baby
In a baby carriage!
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ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP - "an emotional, intellectual, and often physical bond between
people characterized by love, intimacy, mutual care, and commitment+
-AI Overview
**.
"the commitment of significant time, energy, resources, and
emotions into another person, with some kind of physical intimacy involved
(sex, cuddling, kissing, sharing a bed etc)"
-Street-Tiger0192, 2021, https://www.reddit.com/r/aromantic/comments/u8e5g8/what_does_it_even_mean_to_be_in_a_romantic
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SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS - "relationships involving intercourse"
-snip-
In the context of jump rope and/or hand clap rhymes, I'm referring to examples that imply having sexual intercourse and examples that are refer to having sex (i.e. sexually explicit examples)
Also, in the context of jump rope and/or hand clap rhymes, I consider kissing to be separate from having sex, necessarily be a part of be a female and a male kissing to be engaging in sex, although kissing can be a prelude to and part of having sex
In the context of this discussion, "kissing" can be an indication that two people are in a romantic relationship and/or "kissing" can (just) mean that two people are sexually attracted to each other
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NORMALIZE - "to make (something) conform to or reduce (something) to a
norm or standard"
-https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/normalize
-to allow or encourage (something considered extreme or taboo) to become viewed as normal
-https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/normalize
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VALUED - "what is considered important, desirable, preferable, worthy"; what is glorified
-snip-
In this discussion, I refer to something having a "high value" or a "low value"
for instance, in the types of jump rope / hand clap rhymes that are the focus of this series, "girls being able to attract males" is considered a "high value" while commitment to one male (monogamy) is considered a "low value".
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DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR THIS SERIES
In this series I list a statement that I believe reflects toxicity in these rhymes. I then usually present one example of a complete jump rope or hand clap rhyme and/or lines from one or two jump rope or hand clap rhyme/s to demonstrate what I mean by my contention that that example reflects what I consider is toxic.
There are probably other toxic messages that are found in jump rope and/or hand clap rhymes. Also, there are certainly other rhymes that I could have given to serve as examples of these . These are just the ones that I thought of at this point in time.
Please share additional examples of these types of rhymes in the discussion thread for this post along with the toxic message you think they reflect
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SOME EXAMPLES OF TOXIC MESSAGES IN JUMP ROPE OR HAND CLAP RHYMES
These messages are given in no particular order with citations for the online source.
Numbers are given for referencing purposes only.
1.Rhymes convey that society places a very high value on girls being sexy.
Example:
"We said
-"eyeball-beesting, 2026
https://www.reddit.com/r/Britain/comments/1qjapdu/does_anyone_know_the_rest_of_this_rhyme/
**
2. Rhymes convey that "girls being sexy: means "girls having a fabulous (voluptuous) body"
Example:
"We used to do it: my name is Dina Gloria I’m a superstar,
I’ve got a fabulous body and a flashy car, I’ve got the hips, the lips the
fabulous kicks, turn around touch the ground and do the splits."
-Demi_silent, 2026
-
**
3. Rhymes convey that girls (should) place a high value on being physically attractive and (should) expect multiple boys to be attracted to them because they are physically attractive
Examples:
a). I am a pretty little Dutch girl
As pretty as I can be
And all the boys
In the neighborhood
Are crazy over me"...
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Little_Dutch_Girl
assessed 5/23/2010
-snip-
The phrase "in the neighborhood" is given in some versions of this rhyme as "around my block" or similar phrases.
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b) I am a pretty little Dutch girl,
As pretty as I can be, be, be,
And all the boys in the baseball team
Go crazy over me, me, me,
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Little_Dutch_Girl , assessed 4/25/2026
[The example given above from 2010 is no longer included on that page.]
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c) [Example of "I'm A Little [school grade]
for swing swing swing our school did this
c,c,c at the bottom of the c
im a little (whatever grade or age) pretty as can be be
and all the boys around my blox are fightin over me me
my boyfriends name is CHRIS BROWN!"...
-Lauren, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&t=4s [This website is no longer available]; 90's hands games!!! Part 1, published by Geneas, Nov. 4, 2018
**
4. Rhymes convey that it's normal for a girl & a boy to sneak and make out (i.e. kiss and possibly do other things besides kissing)
Example:
Eenie Meanie Justa Leanie
Ooca Acla Trackalacka, I love you.
Take a peach, Take a plum
Take a piece of bubble gum.
Teacher, Teacher, Dummy Dum
Gimme back my bubble gum.
Saw you with your boyfriend last night.
How do you know?
I was peekin' through the keyhold.
NOSY
Wash them dishes
LAZY
Jump out the window
CRAZY
Peaches on the tree, Bananas on the floor
Jump back baby. I Don't Love You No More!
-Donetta A. (African American female, memories of Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania, 1984); collected by Azizi Powell, 1998
-snip-
Donetta said she learned this rhyme from her cousin from the South (USA) when her cousin visited her in 1984.
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5.Rhymes convey that a boy kissing a girl doesn't necessarily mean that he loves her.
Example:
"i Went down town to meet charlie brown
he gave me a nickle that bought me a pickle
the pickle was sour so he bought me a flower
the flower was dead so this is what he said:
down down baby down by the rollercoaster
sweet sweet baby never wana let you go
just because i kissed you doesnt mean i love you"...
-Sarah, Octoblog, Schoolyard games; 7/17/2005, quoted in
https://cocojams2.blogspot.com/2014/10/hand-clap-jump-rope-rhymes-examples-i-j.html
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6.Rhymes convey that it's normal for a girl to engage in sexual activity that stops before sexual intercourse (i.e. "sexual foreplay")
-"When Suzy was a baby, a baby Suzy was was was. She went, “waaah waah! Waah waah wah!” When Suzy was a teenager, a teenager Suzy was was was. She said, “ooh ahh! I’ve lost my bra! I found my knickers in my boyfriend’s car!”
-Not-Today-Satan, 2020
https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/k0ss6a/what_the_bloody_hell_were_the_school_playground/
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Example:
Uno, dos, siesta *
I said a-east, a-west
I met my boyfriend at the candy store
He bought me ice cream, he bought me cake
He brought me home with a belly ache
Mama mama, I'm so sick
Call the doctor quick quick quick
Doctor, doctor will I die?
Count to five and you'll be alive
I said, a-one, a-two, a-three, a-four, a-five
I'm alive!
- Kyle Bryant & Dana Bryant ; (performing hand clap game on Season 1, Episode 22 of The Cosby Show; March 28, 1985; episode title: "The Slumber Party"
-snip-
*Black American commonly call "I Met My Boyfriend At The Candy Store" rhyme "Uno Dos Siesta" or a similar title.
While this rhyme doesn't directly refer to the girl getting pregnant and going through labor, many older girls and many adults think that is what these words refer to.
Here's another version of this rhyme that also normalizes a couple living together and sleeping with each other without being married:
"Here is a song we used to do on the playground in Birmingham, AL back in the 80s:
Last night and the night before I met my boyfriend at the candy store
He brought me ice cream he brought me cake
he brought me home with a stomachache
mama mama i feel sick
call the doctor quick quick quick
doctor doctor will i die
close you eyes and count to five
i said a one, a two, a three, a four, a five
I'm alive
[Optional part] we would do sometimes (a little risque for little girls):
see that house on top of that hill
that's where me and my baby gon' live
we gon' cook some cornbread
cook some meat
come on baby let's go to bed and do the boom boom boom."
-Joi, Cocojams, 3/23/2008
-snip-
"Cocojams.com was the name of my cultural website that was online from 2001-2014.
8. Rhymes convey that it's likely that their boyfriend will cheat on her with another girl.
(This message can also be worded that "a boy shouldn't be trusted/believed when he says that he'll be faithful to you)
Another way of saying this is that rhymes convey that boys place a low value on being monogamous (faithful to their girlfriend)
Examples:
a). Zing Zing Zing
at the bottom of the sea.
I am a little __ second grade
as pretty as can __ be be.
And all the boys around my house
go crazy over __ me me.
My boyfriend's name is __ Yellow.
He comes from Ala__bama
with 25 toes
and a pickle on his nose
and this is how the story goes.
One day I was ah __ walkin
I saw my boyfriend __ talking
to a very pretty girl
with cherry pie curls
And this is what she said
"I L-O-V-E __ love you."
"I K-I-S-S __ kiss you."
"I A-D-O-R-E __ adore you"
So S-T-O-P. STOP!
1-2-3-4
Get your black hands off of me!
- Diarra, K'azsa, and Michelle (African American girls), Fort Pitt Elementary School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 2004; collected by Azizi Powell, September 2004
The dashes indicate that you pause for a beat before saying the next word or the next syllable.
-snip-
The line "Get your black hands off of me" is an example of racial toxicity that is found in some recreational rhymes.
b). "The one we used to sing all the time was
I am a little first grader. As pretty as can be be. And all the boys around my block go crazy over me me. My boyfriend name is Jello. He lives in Alabamo. With a big fat nose and 35 toes and this is how my story goes. One day I was walking. I saw my boyfriend talking to the the ugliest girl named (insert ugly girl name) in the world and this is what he said to her. M-I-S-S miss you. K-I-S-S kiss you. L-O-V-E love you and this is what I said to her.
See my pinkie. see my thumb. See my fist you better run. Recesse's Recesse's Coco Puff mess with my man I'll mess you up."
-Cidnei Gregory, 2019 (Chicago); "Let's Discuss: Black Girl Childhood Hand Games and Sing Songs"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfzHL_1PdbY&t=2s&ab_channel=EbonyJanicePeace .
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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visiting comments are welcome.
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