tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post4038078786370846850..comments2024-03-28T07:58:41.643-04:00Comments on pancocojams: The Changing Face Of Punchinella (history & song lyrics)Azizi Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-39444455129267974922022-08-21T09:01:21.653-04:002022-08-21T09:01:21.653-04:00Hello, Anonymous.
You're welcome and thanks f...Hello, Anonymous. <br />You're welcome and thanks for your comment.<br />I'm convinced that you can find just about anything (good or bad) on the internet.<br /> <br />Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-34127278650540334122022-08-21T08:50:23.619-04:002022-08-21T08:50:23.619-04:00Oh wow! I've been going down the rabbit hole o...Oh wow! I've been going down the rabbit hole of find the lyrics and origin of games from my childhood. I grew up in Georgia and we played Punchinella (in a shoe) in the 80's when I was in elementary school. We played it the exact same way that you described. It's amazing how I was able to find this information. Thanks so much for sharing. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-76827416676397009152022-08-17T11:31:28.163-04:002022-08-17T11:31:28.163-04:00Anonymous, thanks for sharing that version of &quo...Anonymous, thanks for sharing that version of "Punchinella".<br /><br />I appreciate it. Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-40719593444542100642022-08-17T09:35:48.092-04:002022-08-17T09:35:48.092-04:00What can you do punchinella funny fella what can y...What can you do punchinella funny fella what can you do punchinnella funny clown we can do it to punchinello funny fellow we can do it too punchinellafunnyclownAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-10363584912475048832021-09-02T10:43:38.063-04:002021-09-02T10:43:38.063-04:00Shade, thanks for sharing your memories of "P...Shade, thanks for sharing your memories of "Punchinella"!<br /><br />Thanks also for remembering to add demographic information and how you played this game. <br /><br />What you shared is the way that I remember playing Punchinella in the 1950s in Atlantic City, New Jersey only not with the words "funny fella" and "funny you" (as described in my October 2, 2014 at 4:50 PM comment above).<br /><br />Best wishes!<br />Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-69160034542837187652021-09-02T10:24:18.234-04:002021-09-02T10:24:18.234-04:00At Roger Q. Mills Elementary in Dallas, Texas cira...At Roger Q. Mills Elementary in Dallas, Texas cira 1960 it was a playground game. All the kids stood in a circle with one person in the middle. Then we sang:<br /><br />Oh, look who is here Punchinella funny fella<br />Look who is here Punchinella funny you<br /><br />Oh, what can you do Punchinella funny fella?<br />What can you do Punchinella funny You?<br /><br />(then the person in the middle would do something like jump up and down then all the other kids would jump up and down too singing)<br /><br />Oh, we can do it too Punchnella funny fella<br />We can dot it too Punchnella funny you<br /><br />(Then the person who was "it" in the middle of the circle would cover their eyes with on hand, spin around in circle pointing their other hand while the children sang)<br /><br />Oh, who do you choose Punchnella funny fella<br />Who do you choose Punchnella funny you<br /><br />(Whomever the person in middle was pointing to when the sang ended was "it" next and the whole thing started over again)<br /><br />I LOVED PLAYING PUNCHNELLA and will find myself spontaneously singing Punchnella to this day.Shadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05559514767656099274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-34170533043860312272021-05-23T21:48:34.823-04:002021-05-23T21:48:34.823-04:00Sorry, Unknown. I'm not familiar with that son...Sorry, Unknown. I'm not familiar with that song.<br /><br />Maybe someone reading this knows it and will share it here.<br /><br />Best wishes!Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-60049823392130262382021-05-23T13:32:08.808-04:002021-05-23T13:32:08.808-04:00There is a song I think from the 70's that say...There is a song I think from the 70's that says "in my dreams I saw punchinello, yeah i saw punchinella", then somewhere down the line it says something about shooting stars. Had this tune in my head for a couple of years but cannot figure it from you tube. Any thoughts. Suzy Holt, Manchester UK Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14718833375750348910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-59568233594972432392021-04-09T12:12:36.360-04:002021-04-09T12:12:36.360-04:00I just found this YouTube clip of a 1974 ad for Bu...I just found this YouTube clip of a 1974 ad for Buster Brown shoes: <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkLxbHOFdE&ab_channel=FM1156" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkLxbHOFdE&ab_channel=FM1156</a>Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-5992219562389484392021-04-09T12:04:11.466-04:002021-04-09T12:04:11.466-04:00Thanks for sharing that example, bakingmecrazy.
A...Thanks for sharing that example, bakingmecrazy.<br /><br />And thanks for including demographic information (Jersey City and the late 1960s).<br /><br />I've come across a number of versions of Punchinella that have the line "Punchinella in the shoe". In addition to the fact that the word "shoe" rhymes with the word "do", I wonder if the line "Punchinella in the shoe" replaced "Punchinella funny you" in the 1940s and 1950s of the fictional character Buster Brown and his dog Tige who lived in a shoe. Click <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Brown" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Brown</a> for information about Buster Brown. <br /><br />That page includes this information:<br />"Playground games<br />Buster Brown makes an appearance in several children's playground games. There is a skipping rope rhyme that starts "Buster Brown | Went to town | With his pants | On upside down."[15] There is also a game played on a seesaw where one rider will stop the seesaw with the other rider in the air and chant, "Buster, Buster, Buster Brown, what will you give me if I let you down?" The rider stuck in the air then offers an imaginary payment of grandiose proportions (e.g., "every Barbie doll ever", "the Moon and all the stars").[16][17]"<br />Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-24457375764359660492021-04-09T08:24:34.107-04:002021-04-09T08:24:34.107-04:00I learned this as a child in Jersey Coty in the la...I learned this as a child in Jersey Coty in the late 60’s. It went like this:<br /><br />Look who’s here, <br />Punchinella, Punchinella!<br />Look who’s here,<br />Punchinella in the shoe!<br /><br />Now, what can you do,<br />Punchinella, Punchinella?<br />What can you do, <br />Punchinella in the shoe?<br /><br />Now we can do it too,<br />Punchinella, Punchinella!<br />We can do it too,<br />Punchinella in the shoe!<br /><br />Now, who do you choose,<br />Punchinella, Punchinella?<br />Who do you choose, <br />Punchinella in the shoe?bakingmecrazyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13227982704627326145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-29547420699205427212018-12-14T08:34:22.327-05:002018-12-14T08:34:22.327-05:00Thanks, Mary Wilde for sharing your memory of &quo...Thanks, Mary Wilde for sharing your memory of "Punchinella" with us and thanks for including where you learned it. <br /><br />I've read other versions of "Punchinella" that refer to "punchinella little fellow" or "punchinella funny fellow".<br /><br />Btw, I didn't know that there were "Brownie" (Girl Scouts) in England, but come to think of it, I have heard of Girl Guides so I guess that Brownies are a division of Girl Guides in England like it's a division of Girl Scouts in the USA.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-89191416738418394212018-12-14T03:45:19.428-05:002018-12-14T03:45:19.428-05:00I came to this pahes after searching for punchinel...I came to this pahes after searching for punchinella little fella on Google. I have a very very vague memory of it and not sure ifcit was whrn i was in the brownies in the 60s. This was in orsett essex england .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-12534412890036565572017-11-30T01:35:05.272-05:002017-11-30T01:35:05.272-05:00Hello, Ms. Boop.
Thanks for sharing your remembra...Hello, Ms. Boop.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your remembrances of "Punchinella" along with demographics.<br /><br />Was "Punchinella" played as a circle game with one person in the middle? And was the new Punchinella chosen at random (by the person in the middle closing her or his eyes and turning around pointing until the end of that song) or was the new middle person purposely chosen?<br /><br />Also, would you please share the age range of children who played this game and whether this game was independently played (meaning children deciding to play on their own). Also, was "Punchinella" mostly or always a girl game?<br /><br />Btw, I'm also from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (since 1969) :o) Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-25243076003021105012017-11-29T23:59:55.521-05:002017-11-29T23:59:55.521-05:00I grew up in Pittsburgh as well in the 70's. W...I grew up in Pittsburgh as well in the 70's. We used to sing it as follows: <br /><br />"What can you do Punchinella, Punchinella? What can you do Punchinella in the shoe? <br /><br />We can do it too Punchinella, Punchinella. We can do it too Punchinella in the shoe.<br /><br />Choose your partner Punchinella, Punchinella. Choose your partner Punchinella in the shoe."<br /><br />Ms. Boophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10399523102401485406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-63843058747315253862014-10-08T18:16:30.311-04:002014-10-08T18:16:30.311-04:00Thanks, kimbol! I think that "Punchinello fun...Thanks, kimbol! I think that "Punchinello funny fellow/funny you" probably is the earliest form of that rhyme or at least it's much older than "Punchinella in the shoe" and Punchinella 42". <br /><br />It's also interesting that the gender changed from male (Punchinello) to female (Punchinella), for some reason or another.<br /><br />(waves hi back from not too cold yet Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where the leaves are changing colors and falling to the ground. I wish we wouldn't have to deal with the ice and snow, but I know that is coming in a few months if not sooner.)Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-45738878672979159342014-10-08T15:06:21.388-04:002014-10-08T15:06:21.388-04:00Proper citation time! :) _Brownie Girl Scout Handb...Proper citation time! :) _Brownie Girl Scout Handbook_, 1963, p 144<br />v1: Here's Punchinello, Punchinello, funny fellow / Here's Punchinello, Punchinello, funny you! ("Punchinello" stands silent in the center of the ring while everyone else sings.) v.2 What can you do, Punchinello, funny fellow? / What can you do, Punchinello funny you? (P moves self in some silly way.) v.3 We can do it too, Punchinello, funny fellow / We can do it too, Punchinello, funny you! (Everyone including P does same move.) v.4 Whom do you choose, Punchinello, funny fellow / Whom do you choose, Punchinello funny YOU! (P spins like you describe)<br /><br />The handbook doesn't mention how they decided to include it... Girl Scouts use all SORTS of oral tradition for their songs & games. I moved every few years growing up, learning new songs & teaching new-to-them songs wherever I ended up. But this really is my fave for early elementary -- they'll play FOREVER! (in 6-9 year-old time :D) <br />(waves hi! from Austin TX... missing real fall & real leaves & real cold right about now -!)kimbolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03879891895493938204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-26821085178192428712014-10-02T16:50:14.765-04:002014-10-02T16:50:14.765-04:00Thanks for your comment. kimbol!
I remember singi...Thanks for your comment. kimbol!<br /><br />I remember singing a "Punchinella" rhyme during my childhood in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the mid 1950s. The words that I remember suggest that it was sung while playing a one person in the middle circle game. Here are those words;<br />What can you do, punchinella, punchinella<br />What can you do punchinella in the shoe.<br /><br />We can do it too punchella punchinella<br />[same pattern as above]<br /><br />Who do you choose punchinella punchinella<br />[same pattern as above]<br />-snip-<br />If I recall correctly, the person in the middle closed her or his eyes. pointed while turning around the center. At the end of the song, the person who sh or he was pointing to was "It" and the game began again from the beginning.<br /><br />This is the way I recall my children-who grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa. in the 1970s and the 1980s playing it-although they may also have said "punchinella in the zoo. I also recall some children saying "Punchinella 42".<br /><br />I'm curious which way did you learn this singing game and which way it was featured in your "orange handbook". <br /><br />And, btw, it's good to hear from a felllow Pittsburgher, even though you moved away from that city :o)<br /><br />Kimbol, this is th sis t<br />e i. eeeemAzizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-36341844206791679182014-10-01T21:48:57.169-04:002014-10-01T21:48:57.169-04:00Interesting! Particularly since my source isn'...Interesting! Particularly since my source isn't listed :). I learned it as a Girl Scout Brownie in the mid-1970s; it's listed in my "orange book" handbook, copyright late 60's (I think). In the mid-1980s I lived in Pittsburgh and was a "junior leader"... and taught it to my troop of GSBrownies. It's a popular game for 6-9 year olds.kimbolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03879891895493938204noreply@blogger.com