"Great Big House In New Orleans" Play Party Song (Videos, Information, And Lyrics)

Great Big House in New Orleans | Music Class Lessons

@mrkylesonthetrack, June 5, 2023

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams includes general information about play party songs and presents the history of "Great Big House In New Orleans" as well as the lyrics & performance directions for this play party song.. 

Addendum #1 lists some folk songs that I believe are related to "Great Big House In New Orleans" 

Addendum #2 to this post presents my thoughts about the significance of the lyrics "chicken pie" instead of "pumpkin pie" in the song "Great Big House In New Orleans".


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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the performers of this song, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
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Some of the content of this pancocojams post was published in this 2014 post: ""Great Big House In New Orleans" (Play Party Song) Information, Lyrics, Origins" 
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/videos-of-great-big-house-in-new.html. That post has seven comments (including my replies) as of April 18, 2026 and that 2014 post is still available on this pancocojams blog. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/play-party-songs-general-information.html for a related pancocojams post. That post presents information and opinions about white default and color blindness as they are exemplified in American play party songs. That post also present information about the Black American contribution to play party songs. The song "Great Big House In New Orleans" is featured as an example of these points.

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INFORMATION ABOUT (UNITED STATES) "PLAY PARTY SONGS"

AI Overview (result of my April 18, 2026 question: What does "play party songs mean?)  

"A play party song is a traditional American folk song used for social gatherings featuring singing and dancing, popular from the mid-1800s to 1930. These songs allowed young people to dance and socialize without instruments, which were often banned by strict religious practices. They functioned as a combination of music, dance, and choreographed games.

Origins: Originating in the 1830s, particularly in the Southern and Midwestern US, they were a "route around" religious bans on dancing to music.

Performance: No instruments were used; instead, songs were accompanied by clapping and singing to guide movements.

Content: Many songs derived from British and European folk games, often taking on the quality of structured children's games or dancing games.

Modern Context: While the social events faded, they are still used by music educators to teach movement and song in classrooms."

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE PLAY PARTY SONG "GREAT BIG HOUSE IN NEW ORLEANS"

AI Overview #1 [This AI write-up is a result for my April 18, 2026 question "What is the oldest documentation of the play party song "Great Big House In New Orleans?"]

"Great Big House in New Orleans" is a traditional American play-party song that originated and was commonly sung by settlers during the 1850s onward. While rooted in 19th-century folk tradition, it was frequently documented throughout the 20th century in collections of American folk music, including recordings in the 1960s.

Origin: The song was popular during the 1850s as a play-party song—a form of sung game popular among pioneers.

Context: It is part of the African American folk tradition, later commonly used in children's music education and, often in Kodály-based curriculum, to teach musical elements.

Documentation: Variants of the song were recorded and collected throughout the mid-20th century. 

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AI Overview #2- [This AI write-up is a result for my April 18, 2026 question "What is the African American influence on the play party song "Great Big House In New Orleans"  

" "Great Big House in New Orleans" is a traditional American folk song and play-party game rooted in African American musical traditions, often featuring a pentatonic scale and rhythmic, interactive dance. The song reflects the cultural landscape of 19th-century New Orleans, frequently used in educational settings to teach folk music and rhythmic play.

Folk Song Context: It is frequently categorized as an "American Play party" song or a traditional children's folk song.

Performance Structure: The song involves interactive, call-and-response style performances where children (or performers) personalize the lyrics—specifically the "filled with..." line—to include various flavors like pumpkin pie, banana, or chocolate.

Cultural Roots: The song embodies the playful, rhythmic, and communal music traditions of New Orleans, which were heavily influenced by the cultural blending of African Americans.

African American Rhythms: It fits within the tradition of rhythmic, educational music frequently associated with African American musical contributions to folk culture in Louisiana.

While often sung in classrooms, it is related to the broader history of African Americans in New Orleans, particularly the musical, festive culture associated with social gatherings, which flourished in sites such as Congo Square."
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It's interesting that this AI write up didn't include any mention of "chicken pie" in its sentence that the "filled with..." line—to include various flavors like pumpkin pie, banana, or chocolate."

This is especially note worthy since "chicken pie" is the type of pie that is given in the oldest documented lyrics for this song and "chicken pie" may be equated with African Americans more than the other flavors of pie that were mentiones.

As an aside, most of the contemporary examples of this song have the "pumpkin pie" referent I have also come across "apple pie" but haven't come across any "banana pie or "chocolate" pie. I also haven't come across any examples of sweet potato pie which is probably because those syllables don't fit the beat of this play party song.

However, it should be noted that pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie look very similar but don't taste the same. As an African American,  I believe that we strongly prefer "sweet potato pie" to "pumpkin pie and generally consider sweet potato pie to be an African American dessert and pumpkin pie to be a White American dessert.

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LYRICS AND PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS: "GREAT BIG HOUSE IN NEW ORLEANS"

1. Great big house in New Orleans,

Forty stories high;
Ev'ry room that I been in,
Filled with chicken pie.

2. Went down to the old mill stream,
To fetch a pail of water;
Put one arm around my wife,
The other 'round my daughter.

3. Fare thee well, my darling girl,
Fare thee well, my daughter;
Fare thee well, my darling girl,
With the golden slippers on her.

Movements:
1. First verse: students form a circle, holding hands, walk keeping a steady beat, then stop.
2. Went down to the old mill stream,
(every other student moves to the center, holding hands with arms below waist)
To fetch a pail of water;
(outside circle moves behind inner circle, placing arms over the shoulders of the inner circle and holds hands)
Put one arm around my wife,
(keeping hands held, outside circle raises arms to ceiling, bringing them down behind the back of the inner circle)
The other 'round my daughter.
(keeping hands held, inner circle rises arms to ceiling, bringing them down behind the backs of the outer circle)
3. Third verse: keeping arms around the outer circle, the whole circle walks to a steady beat.

Source: http://musicnotes.net/SONGS/04-GREATB.html

Origin: USA - Louisiana Play Song
-snip-
Other performance instructions are given with the videos below.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS 
With the exception of Showcase Video #1, these examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting dates with the oldest dated examples given first.

Multiple versions of a song are presented to showcase some of the different ways this singing game is sung and played.

Showcase Video #2:G3 Great Big House in New Orleans



ESMusicISB, Sep 19, 2012

Watch as Ms. H's class sing and dance to the American folk song "Great Big House in New Orleans."
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Here's instructions for this singing game written by Anthony Meehl, 2014 from a video that is no longer available:
1st vs [verse]
march to beat around circle

2nd vs
#1's march to middle and join hands (went down to the old mill stream)
#2's march to middle and join hands over the top of #1's. (to fetch a pail of water)
#2's bring hands over the top (put one arm around my wife)
#1's bring hands over the top (the other round my daughter)

3rd vs
keep hands joined and slide feet to the beat around the circle. Hope this helps :)

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Showcase Video #3: Great Big House In New Orleans



HelenIn Harmony, Published on Sep 9, 2013

Midwest Play-Party Singing Dance

Filmed November, 2010 - 3rd Grade

Great Big House in New Orleans
Forty stories high
Ev'ry room that I've been in
Filled with pumpkin pie.

Went down to the old mill stream
To fetch a pail of water
Put one arm around my wife
The other round my daughter

Fair thee well, my darling girl
Fair thee well, my daughter
Fair thee well, my darling girl...
With the golden slippers on her

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Showcase Video #4: MUSIC TEACHER RESOURCES - Great Big House



Kate Fellin, Published on Oct 18, 2013

TEACHING TIPS: Students stand in a circle alternating between boys and girls. (We used lanyards to differentiate between the groups, which also works). Boys go in four steps and back out; girls go in four steps and back out. Boys go in four and hold hands, then girls go in four steps and hold hands in front of boys. Girls raise arms over the boys' heads and put them behind their backs, then boys raise their arms and put them behind the girls' backs. The interlocked circle moves clockwise (to the left) for eight counts, then they raise their arms and step back to their original positions. For a more advanced version (that we did), the outer circle moves clockwise one window so that they are standing next to a new person for the dance. The words are "Great Big House in New Orleans/Forty stories high/Every room that I've been in/Filled with pumpkin pie./Went down to the old mill stream/To fetch a pail of water./Put one arm around my wife/The other round my daughter./Fare thee well, my darlin' girl/Fare thee well, my daughter/Fare thee well, my darlin' girl/With golden slippers on her."

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Showcase Video #5 - Tinder Great Big House game

LincolnMusic185, Apr 14, 2016

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Showcase Video #6-Great Big House-Younger Group

Kristine Schaeffer, Jun 11, 2019

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Showcase Video #7 - Ms. Amy's singing “Great Big House in New Orleans”

Morgan Co. R-1 School District

Feb 4, 2024

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ADDENDUM #1 - SOME RELATED SONGS
The "Great Big House In New Orleans/forty stories high/filled with chicken pie" lines in the song "Great Big House In New Orleans" reminds me of the African American old time song "Riding In A Buggy Miss Mary Jane".

Sally got a house in Baltimo',
Baltimo', Baltimo'
Sally got a house in Baltimo'
And it's full of chicken pie.

I got a gal in Baltimo',
Baltimo', Baltimo'
I got a gal in Baltimo',
And she's sixteen stories high.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/12/riding-in-buggy-miss-mary-jane-video.html for a post about that song.

"Great Big House's" verses also could serve as floaters for versions of "Li'l Liza Jane".

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/five-examples-of-song-lyrics-for-lil.html for a post about that song.

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ADDENDUM #2 - WHAT "CHICKEN PIE" INSTEAD OF "PUMPKIN PIE" MIGHT SUGGEST IN BLACK AMERICAN ANTE-BELLUM SONGS

Unlike the song "Li'l Liza Jane" ("Little Liza Jane") and many other folk songs, with one interesting exception*, all the lyrics to online versions of "Great Big House In New Orleans" are the same. I'm not sure if this is because each of these websites used the same source or not. I would be very surprised to learn that there weren't any variant forms of this song when it was a naturally occurring part of children's and youth's social play and not as it is taught to students in school as is done nowadays.

*The exception to the lyrics is the substitution of "pumpkin pie" for "chicken pie", giving the lyrics "Ev'ry room that I been in/Filled with chicken pie."

The "chicken pie"* lyric is important because among 19th century African Americans, chicken was considered a luxury. As such, the reference in the song "Great Big House In New Orleans" to the each room of a forty story high house being filled with chicken pie is a grandiose image that reflects more than the singer's desire for comfort and good living. In that song, to fantasize about chicken pie is important because the singer might have experienced a number of days without adequate food. 

Chicken pie would have satisfied the hunger of the enslaved people singing that song much more than a dessert would, particularly a dessert that he or she might not have been that familiar with. The change in the lyrics of this song from "chicken pie to pumpkin pie" might still have cultural implications in the 21st century United States  as it appears from online discussions (and from my experience) that  pumpkin pie isn't a dessert that African Americans are familiar with. My sense is that we African Americans prefer the similar dessert of sweet potato pie - a dessert which many White Americans apparently aren't that familiar with.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-cultural-regional-racial.html for a post about the cultural, regional, and racial associations of sweet potato pie.
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It's also important to note that when chicken was available during slavery in the southern United States, it appears that it was served as a pie and not fried as is stereotypically attributed to Black Americans. Nowadays, "chicken pie" is most commonly known in the United States as "chicken pot pie".

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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

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Visitor comments are welcome.

The Children's Song "There's A Hole In The Bucket" (with information & lyrics, & YouTube examples))

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about the folk song "There's A Hole In The Bucket" and presents the contemporary lyrics for that song. This post also showcases two YouTube videos of that  song.

The content of this post is presented for cultural and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers of this song and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.  

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "THERE'S A HOLE IN THE BUCKET"
Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There%27s_a_Hole_in_My_Bucket

"There's a Hole in My Bucket" (or "...in the Bucket") is a children's song, based on a dialogue between two characters, called Henry[a] and Liza, about a leaky bucket. The song describes a "deadlock" situation: Henry has a leaky bucket, and Liza tells him to repair it. To fix the leaky bucket, he needs straw. To cut the straw, he needs an axe. To sharpen the axe, he needs to wet the sharpening stone. To wet the stone, he needs water. But to fetch water, he needs the bucket, which has a hole in it.

[...]

Origins and development

The earliest known archetype of this song seems to be in the German collection of songs Bergliederbüchlein (c 1700). It is set as a dialogue between a woman named Liese, and an unnamed man.

[…]

In later German sources the song is reproduced under the title of Heinrich und Liese and credited as a folk song from Hesse

[…]

In George Korson's "Pennsylvania Songs and Legends" (1949) there is a song with meter closer to the modern English version …

This was collected in 1940, and is earlier than any known English-language version. This suggests that it might be a traditional "Pennsylvania Dutch" (i.e. German) song. Ed McCurdy recorded it in 1958 on "Children's Songs". Harry Belafonte recorded it with Odetta in 1960. It reached No. 32 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1961.[5] In his book Where Have All the Flowers Gone: A Singer's Songs, Stories, Seeds, Robberies (1993), Pete Seeger refers to it as an originally German song, "Lieber Heinrich"….

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Excerpt #2
From https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/There%27s_a_Hole_in_the_Bucket

"There's a Hole in the Bucket" is a traditional children's song. It was performed by the Anything Muppets on Sesame Street in the mid-1970s.

Henry (played by Jim Henson) is about to fetch a bucket of water from his well, but realizes that his bucket has a hole. Liza, his wife (voiced by Rita Moreno), explains how to fix it, but she grows frustrated with having to tell him everything he needs to do.”…

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LYRICS: THERE'S A HOLE IN THE BUCKET

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

        Then mend it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        Then mend it, dear Henry, dear Henry, mend it.

With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, with what?

        With straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        With straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, with straw.

The straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,

The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long.

        Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it.

With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?

        With a knife, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        With a knife, dear Henry, dear Henry, a knife.

The knife is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza,

The knife is too dull, dear Liza, too dull.

        Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, sharpen it.

With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, with what?

        With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, a stone.

The stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza,

The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.

        Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it.

With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, with what?

        With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, with water.

In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, in what?

        In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

        In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, in a bucket.

But there's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,

There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

online source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There%27s_a_Hole_in_My_Bucket

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES

Example #1: A Hole in the Bucket by Harry Belafonte and Odetta [sound file]

brendandawna, Jan 20, 2010

From Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall

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Example #2: Classic Sesame Street - Song: "There's a Hole in the Bucket" [video]

MonsterpieceTheatre, Aug 16, 2012

-snip-
At least one commenter in this video's discussion thread wrote that segment first aired on Sesame Street in 1976. 

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Children's Trading Rhymes (such as "Hush Little Baby, Don't Say A Word","Aunt Maria Jumped In The Fire", & "There Once Was A Man & He Was Mad"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post features examples of a sub-category of children's songs & rhymes that I refer to as "trading rhymes".

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who contributed examples and/or videos that are featured in this post.
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Most of the text in this post is found in the pancocojams post entitled "Aunt Maria Jumped In The Fire, There Was A Man & He Was Mad, & Other Children's Trading Rhymes" which was published on June 9, 2013.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/abc-its-easy-as-1-2-3-playground-rhyme.htmlfor the closely related pancocojams post entitled "ABC It's Easy As 1, 2, 3" Playground Rhyme & Its R&B Record Source"

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE:
"Trading rhymes" is my term for a category of children's rhymes in which throughout the rhyme one defective item is traded (exchanged) for another item which also turns out to be defective. The last word in the first line of each verse rhymes or near rhymes with the last word in the second line:
Example:
Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

Or the example includes internal rhymes within each trading item line:
Example:
Pie too sweet I wanna piece of meat
Meat too rough I wanna ride a bus

**
In the United States, probably the most widely known example of these rhymes is "Hush Little Baby, Don't Say A Word" (Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird") which is given as Example #4 & Example #5 below.

I believe that "The Chewing Gum Song" (also known as the "Bazooka Bubble Gum" rhyme is a similar category of children's rhyme in that one item replaces the preceding item. However, I wouldn't categorize this family of rhymes as a "trading rhyme" because the item or action that is replaced isn't defective.

*Here are two verses from a version of that rhyme:
..."My mom gave me a quarter
She said to buy some water
But I didn't buy no water
Instead, I bought BUBBLE GUM
BAZOOKA, ZOOKA BUBBLE GUM

My mom gave me a dollar
She said to buy a collar
But I didn't buy no collar
Instead, I bought BUBBLE GUM
BAZOOKA, ZOOKA BUBBLE GUM"...
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-chewin-gum-song-rhyme-my-mother.html for a pancocojams post entitled "The Chewing Gum Song & Rhyme (My Mother Gave Me A Nickel)"

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
(These examples are presented in alphabetical order based on the first letter of the title.)

Example #1: ABC (IT'S EASY AS 123)

ABC (it's easy as 123) hand game
juliacreates13, Published on Aug 12, 2012

[September 2018: This 2012 video is no longer available, but here are the lyrics for that example from that I transcribed from that video: original:

Abc, easy as 123
My momma takes care of me
My daddy watches MTV
Ooh ahh I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet I wanna piece of meat
Meat too rough I wanna ride a bus
Bus too full I wanna ride a bull
Bull too black I want my money back
Money back too green
I wanna jelly bean
Jelly bean not cooked
I wanna read a book
Book not read I wanna go to bed
Bed not made I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour
I wanna take a shower
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I believe that the "abc, easy as 123 / my momma takes care of me/ my daddy watches MTV"/ lines are introductory lines and not actually the first lines of these "Ooh, ah, I wanna piece of pie" rhymes. The trading rhymes begin after these introductory lines.


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Example #2: abc its easy as 123 handshake



sarah ware, Published on Jun 7, 2013

i hope u enjoy and have fun ps it is not easy !!!!!!
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Here's my transcription of that rhyme from this video:

Abc, it's easy as 123
My momma takes care of me
My daddy watches MTV
Ooh ahh I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet I wanna piece of meat
Meat too rough I wanna ride a bus
Bus too full I wanna ride a bull
Bull too black I want my money back
Money back too green
I wanna jelly bean
Jelly bean not cooked
I wanna read a book
Book not read I wanna go to bed
Bed not made I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour I wanna take a shower
Shower too cool I wanna go to school
School too dumb I wanna suck my thumb
Thumb too dirty I wanna ride a birdy
Birdy too slow I wanna blow my nose.
So close your eyes
And count to ten
Whoever messes up has to go back
And start all over again.
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.

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Example #3: GRAY AND BLACK HORSES

I went to de woods an' I couldn' go 'cross.
So I paid five dollars fer an ole gray hoss.
De hoss wouldn' pull so I sol it for a bull.
De bull wouldn't holler, so I sol it for a dollar.
De dollar wouldn't pass, so I throwed it id de grass.
Den de grass wouldn't grow. Heigho! Heigho!

Source: Thomas W. Talley Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise & Otherwise; originally published in 1922; http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm, p. 45.

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Example #4: HUSH LITTLE BABY, DON'T SAY A WORD
BY MOTHER GOOSE

Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns to brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.

And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

And if that dog named Rover won't bark,
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.

And if that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town!

Source: The Dorling Kindersley Book of Nursery Rhymes (2000)

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46950/hush-little-baby-dont-say-a-word
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Example #5: Songs - Hush Little Baby, Don't You Cry



ListenAndReadAlong, Published on Feb 16, 2014

HUSH LITTLE BABY, DON'T YOU CRY
Hush, little baby, don't you cry; Papa's going to sing you a lullaby.
Hush little baby don't say a word; Papa's going to buy you a mockingbird.
If that mockingbird won't sing, Papa's going to buy you a golden ring.
If that gold ring turns to brass, Papa's going to buy you a looking glass.
If that glass begins to crack, Papa's going to buy you a jumping jack.
If that jumping jack is broke, Papa's going to buy you a velvet cloak.
If that velvet cloth is coarse, Papa's going to buy you a rocking horse.
If that rocking horse won't rock, Papa's going to buy you a cuckoo clock.
If that cuckoo clock won't tick, Papa's going to buy you a walking stick.
If that walking stick falls down, you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town!

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Example #6: OLD AUNT MARIA JUMPED IN THE FIRE


Ernest T. Bass serenade Charlene Darling "Old Aunt Mariah" (jump in the fire, fire too hot...)

Lincoln Malone, Published on Dec 29, 2012

Old Aunt Maria, jump in the fi-ah,
Fire too hot, jump in the pot,
Pot to black, jump in the crack,
Crack to high, jump in the sky,
Sky to blue, jump in canoe,
Canoe too shallow, jump in the tallow,
Tallow too soft, jump in the loft,
Loft to rotten, jump in the cotton,
Cotton so white she stay there all night.
-snip-
[I converted this rhyme to line formation.]
-snip-
This family of rhymes is also known as "Old Man Obadiah Jumped In The Fire". Click http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=72705 for examples & commentary about these rhymes.

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Example #7: OOH AH I WANT A PIECE OF PIE
I learned it at summer camp as a clapping game:

Winston tastes good just like a cigarette should
Just like an - ooh, ah, I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet, I want a piece of meat
Meat too brown, I want to go to town
Town too far, I'll have to take a car
Car too black, I want my money back
Money too green, I want a limosine
..... I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour, by now we have the power
To close our eyes and count to ten
Whoever messes up has to do it again.

And at this point, the clapping pattern got more complicated and the players closed their eyes and counted to ten.
-Guest, Chocolate Pi; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926 , October 26, 2000
"Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie"
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The "Winston taste good/like a cigarette should" lines are lifted from a 1954 cigarette commercial. In these rhymes, that couplet has subsequently been given as "Snickers taste good/ [just] like a candybar should".

Some examples of this large rhyme family begin with "ABC (it's easy as 123" and other examples begin with "Take A Peach Take A Plum". As is the case with many other playground rhymes, these lines are found in other rhymes, including "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky". The phrase "ABC Hit It" which usually prefaces the lines "that's the way I like it" are sometimes found in a different family of playground rhymes.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/abc-its-easy-as-1-2-3-playground-rhyme.html for more examples of "ABC It's Easy As One Two Three".

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Example #8: THERE WAS A MAN AND HE WAS MAD

There Was an Old Man and He Was Mad



Pete Seeger - Topic
Published on May 21, 2015
Provided to YouTube by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

There Was an Old Man and He Was Mad · Pete Seeger

American Folk, Game and Activity Songs

℗ 2000 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Released on: 2000-01-25
-snip-
Lyrics:

There once was a man and he was mad
so he jumped into a pudding bag.
The puddin bag it was so thick
that he jumped into a walking stick.
The walking stick it was so narrow
he jumped into a wheelbarrow.
The wheelbarrow began to break
so he jumped into a chocolate cake.
The chocolate cake it was sour
So he jumped into a case of flour.
The case of flour caught on fire
and blew him up to Jeremiah. Whew!
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell

In the context of this song, "mad" means "crazy".

****
Example #9: THERE WAS A MAN OF DOUBLE DEEDS

From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=72705

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old man 'badiah/Jumped in the fire
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Sep 09 - 06:14 PM

The form of this poem is very old. Here is another one.

There was a man of double deed,
Who sowed his garden full of seed;
When the seed began to grow,
'Twas like a garden full of snow;
When the snow began to melt,
'Twas like a ship without a belt;
When the ship began to sail,
'Twas like a bird without a tail;
When the bird began to fly,
'Twas like an eagle in the sky;
When the sky began to roar,
'Twas like a lion at my door;
When my door began to crack,
'Twas like a stick across my back;
When my back began to smart,
'Twas like a penknife in my heart;
And when my heart began to bleed,
'Twas death, and death, and death indeed.

Anon.
-snip-
Click http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm Thomas W. Talley Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise & Otherwise; originally published in 1922;, p. 208 for a version of "There Was A Man Of Double Deeds" that is entitled "Man Of Words".

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

The Black Roots Of The Folk Song "Oh Shenandoah", Part I

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a three part series on the folk song "Oh Shenandoah". This post provides information about the origin of this song and a sound file of Paul Robinson singing that song.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-black-roots-of-song-shenandoah-part.html for Part II of this series.

Part II provides transcripts of two 1930 "The Times" letters to the editor about "Oh Shenandoah" and one synopsis of another 1930 "Times" letter to the editor letter about that song.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-black-roots-of-song-shenandoah-part_18.html for Part III of this series.

Part III provides comments about and lyrics to Caribbean songs that are derived from "Oh Shenandoah". These songs are known by the title "This World Of Misery", "Oh My Rolling River", "Solid Fas'" ("Solid Fast'), and other titles.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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FEATURED YOUTUBE EXAMPLE: Paul Robeson "Shenandoah"



Addiobelpassato Published on Dec 22, 2012

Paul Robeson sings "Shenandoah"
with piano

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "OH SHENANDOAH"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_Shenandoah
"Oh Shenandoah" (also called simply "Shenandoah", or "Across the Wide Missouri") is a traditional American folk song of uncertain origin, dating at least to the early 19th century. The song is number 324 in the Roud Folk Song Index, but is not listed amongst the Child Ballads.

History
Shenandoah was first printed[1] as part of William L. Alden's article "Sailor Songs", in the July 1882 issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine.[2][3]

The song had become popular as a sea chanty with sailors by the 1880s.[4]

...Sea Songs and Shanties, Collected by W.B. Whall, Master Mariner (First edition in Nov 1910), states that the song probably originated from American or Canadian "voyageurs", who were great singers. Thomas Moore drew inspiration from them in his Canadian Boat Song. The author further goes on and states that he heard it sung over fifty years prior to publishing the book, which place its origin at least a fair bit earlier than 1860. Besides sung at sea, this song figured in old public school collections. (info taken from page one in the sixth edition of the book)

...A Mr. J.E. Laidlaw of San Francisco reported hearing a version sung by a black Barbadian sailor aboard the Glasgow ship Harland in 1894, which went:

Oh, Shenandoah! I hear you calling!
Away, you rolling river!
Yes, far away I hear you calling,
Ha, Ha! I'm bound away across the wide Missouri.

My girl, she's gone far from the river,
Away, you rolling river!
An' I ain't goin' to see her never.
Ha, Ha! I'm bound away, " &c.

****
From http://www.songofamerica.net/cgi-bin/iowa/song/3.html
"Shenandoah
(1800)
Music by Traditional; Text by Traditional
The origins of "Shenandoah," perhaps one of America's most recognizable folk tunes, are not so easily deciphered. Like many folk songs, it is impossible to determine exactly when the song was composed, yet the song probably did not originate later than the Civil War. In any case, by the end of the 19th century, "Shenandoah" had achieved widespread popularity, both on land and at sea.
…As unclear as the song's origin is, so is the definitive version and interpretation of its text. Some believe that the song refers to the river of the same name. Others suggest that it is of African-American origin, for it tells the tale of Sally, the daughter of the Indian Chief Shenandoah, who is courted for seven years by a white Missouri river trader. Regardless of these textual mysteries, "Shenandoah" remains an American classic.
by Library of Congress "

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From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4257 "Origin: Shenandoah"
From: Barry Finn
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 07:23 PM
"...Scholars & collectors have yet to nail down it's origins. It's been collected by Lomax, Sandburg, Hugill, Whall, Bullen, Colcord, Doerflinger, Abrahams, Shay, Bone, etc,etc,etc. It's been found aboard ships as The Wide Missouri, The Wild Mizzourye, The World Of Misery-Solid Fas (West Indies, rowing shanty, although collected recently by Abrahams, it may be as old as most other versions), Shenandoah (& it's many spellings), The Oceanida, Rolling River. It's been claimed as a river song a sea shanty, a US Army song & by the cavalry & wagon soldiers, a song of the Caadian & American mountain men, traders, voyageurs & trappers. It's been the name of a few shanties, The Gals Of Dublin Town or The Harp Without The Crown or The Shenandoah, also The Saucy Arabella or The Davy Crockett or The Shenandoah. It's been used on board with the windlass, capstan, & winches for loading cargo. In the West Indian version, it was used at the oars while chasing the whale (Blackfish)."

****
From Bruce O.
Date: 05 May 98 - 08:23 PM
"JFSS, II, (#9), 1906.
II Chanties [collected by Annne Geddes Gilchrist]
Shangadore (Pumping Chanty) Sung by Mr. W. Bolton, Southport, Jan., 1906
O' Shang-ga-dore, I love your daughter, [solo
A-ray, ye rolling river! [Cho.
I love my grog.. much more than water, [solo
Ah-ha-ha! I'm bound away, Cross the wide Missouri [cho.
'Mr. Bolton refused to give me the rest of the words! .... Two versions, with variants of the tune, are given in an article by W. J. Alden in 'Harper's Magazine', 1882, and another under the title of "The Wide Missouri" in Tozer's 'Sailor's Songs'; another in a small collection of "Old Sea Chanties," by Messrs. Bradford and Fagge. The tune appears to be of negro origin; it is at least of negro character.....
[Now why wouldn't Mr. Bolton sing the rest of the words?]"

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From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 06 Aug 00 - 12:00 AM
"I went to a house concert abt 10 years ago where a man and wife named Nash sang songs of the sea. He was retired Navy, and they've been collecting for years. He sang a version of Shenandoah which he got from a sailor over 90 years old, and the sailor's last line went:
away, I'm bound away, across this wide world of mis'ry.
Makes more sense than the Missouri any day.
Hey, I live on the Missouri, and I know that going across it doesn't get you anywhere but Kansas, the beginning of the Great American Desert..."

****
From: John Minear
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 07:22 PM
"Frank T. Bullen's SONGS OF SEA LABOUR has two short versions of "Shenandoah". He says that he "was before the mast in sailing ships from 1869 to 1880." He goes on to say why he only gives the opening verse and a chorus:
"The stubborn fact is that they had no set words beyond a starting verse or two and the fixed phrases of the chorus, which were very often not words at all. For all Chanties were impromptu as far as the words were concerned. Many a Chantyman was prized in spite of his poor voice because of his improvisations. Poor doggerel they were mostly and often very lewd and filthy, but they gave the knowing and appreciative shipmates, who roared the refrain, much opportunity for laughter."
He says, "Being possessed of a strong and melodious voice and a tenancious memory, Chanty singing early became a passion with me, and this resulted in my being invariably made Chantyman of each new vessel I sailed in, a function I performed until I finally reached the quarter-deck, when of course it ceased."

Bullen calls the first version a "negro Chanty" and he may have learned it while discharging "general cargo in the Demerara River off Georgetown", when he was a "first voyage laddie". He says that he had "never heard them anywhere else. They are negro chanties all right enough, but they were not in common use on board ship." (Bullen is referring to the first four Chanties in his collection, of which this song is the fourth).

[Chantyman] O Shenandoh my bully boy I long to hear you holler;
[Chorus]Way ay ay ay ay
[Chantyman] Shenando I lub ter bring er tot er rum en see ye make a swoller;
[Chorus] Way ay ay ay Shenandoh.

The tune is "brisk" and quite different from the more widely known one.

The other Chanty is called "Rolling-River". It is sung "slow, and with expression". It has the more familiar tune. He says that this "is a fine Chanty of the ordinary windlass or pump type, the main word of which is again Shanandoah, the old Southern name that the negroes would drag in, on account of its melody I suspect."

[Chantyman] Shanandoh, I long ter hear ye;
[Chorus] Away, you rolling river;
[Chantyman] Oh Shanandoh-o I can't get near ye
[Chorus] Ha ha! I'm bound away on the wide Missouri!"

****
From: GUEST,knowitall
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 06:16 PM
"Shenandoah is PROBABLY an early 19th century shanty song that has evolved lyrically through the past two centuries to fit the needs of the musician performing the piece. The intoduction of the word Missouri into the piece most likely stems from the western migration of early pioneers, most probably from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It is inconcievable that such a popular old song would not have changed at all from its beginnings until now. It is impossible to portray an accurate history of such a piece without any verifiable written documentation "

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GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 12:14 PM
"Anything that lasts this long and is so pervasive in the musical repertoire must contain very special qualities. "Shenandoah" seems a great example of the "folk process." Its roots may be lost in obscurity; perhaps originally an adaptation using the melody of a familiar nautical song. It has been "gentrified" with strings and choruses added, made into a theatrical and motion picture theme, played on a harmonica in numerous olf "B" westerns of the 1930's and '40's and sung around campfires ad nauseum.

Yet, though many verses and variants have undoubtedly been added, it remains a stalwart part of the folk song book and is still much loved. The melody is the key, at least to me. It speaks lyrically of longing and lonliness and could, even without words, convey those feelings."

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EDITORIAL COMMENTS:
The Mudcat thread whose link is given above includes a number of text versions of the lyrics to "Oh Shenandoah". This post is not meant to imply that every person posting to that discussion thread agreed with the belief that "Oh Shenandoah" derived from Black people in either the United States or the Caribbean.

The word "negro" used above is an outdated referent for people of Black African descent in the United States -and/or in this context-in the Caribbean (West Indies). Prior to it being replaced by the term "black [or "Black"] people", for contemporaneous usages of the referent "Negro", the first letter of that referent was and is spelled with a capital letter.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_shanty
"A shanty (also spelled "chantey," "chanty") is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels...

Capstan shanty:[26]
Raising the anchor on a ship involved winding its rope around a capstan, a sort of giant winch, turned by sailors heaving wooden bars while walking around it. Other heavy tasks might also be assisted by using a capstan. Being a continuous action, shanties sung to accompany these tasks might have longer solo verses and, frequently, a "grand chorus," in addition to the call-and-response form. Examples: "Santianna", "Paddy Lay Back," "Rio Grande," "Clear the Track, Let the Bulgine Run," "Shenandoah", and "John Brown's Body." "

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This concludes Part I of this series.

Thanks to Paul Robinson for his musical legacy and thanks to the publisher of that sound file.
Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Jenny Jenkins (folk song) with lyrics & video

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a four part series that presents examples of and source songs/rhymes for the African American children's rhyme "Aunt Jenny Died" (or alternative titles).

This post presents information about and a text example of the song "Jenhy Jenkins". (or related titles). A video of that song is also included in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/aunt-jenny-died-childrens-playground.html for Part I of this post.
Part I presents examples of & information about the African American American playground rhyme "Aunt Jenny Died" (or variant titles).

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/jenny-jones-and-other-related-folk-songs.html for Part II of this series.
Part II of this series provides examples of the song "Jenny Jones" and versions of that folk song. for Part II of that series.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/jamaican-folk-song-come-to-see-janie.html.

Part IV of this seriess provides an example of the Jamaican song "Come To See Janie".

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
PART III:
Editor's note:
The only relationship between the song "Jenny Jenkins" and "Aunt Jenny Died" is the fact that both of that song & that rhyme are derived from -or at least related to the song "Jenny Jones"- and both of those compositions feature the female name "Jenny".

It's also my position that the Jamaican folk song song "Come To See Janie" is a variant form of the Welsh (and Scottish, English) song "Jenny Jones" and might have been the direct source of the African American "Aunt Jenny Died" playground rhyme.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "JENNY JENKINS"
From http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/R453.html

DESCRIPTION: The young man/men try to invite Jenny to the dance by asking her what color she will wear: "Will you wear the (red), O ne'er, o ne'er, o, Will you wear the red, Jenny Jenkins?" She objects to most colors, but at last may agree to one of them
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1823
KEYWORDS: dancing questions courting rejection clothes colors
FOUND IN: US(Ap,NE,SE,So)

... NOTES: Often used as a courting game. The boy will ask the girl if she will wear a particular color. She is required to answer in rhyme (e.g. "Will you wear the blue... No, I won't wear the blue, for the color isn't true"). If she fails, she must kiss the boy or, perhaps, go to the dance with him.
This has been known to produce some rather strange rhymes -- "I won't wear purple; it's the color of a turtle"; "Orange I won't wear -- and it rhymes, so there!" "Oh, what do you care If I just go bare?" - RBW

Opie-Games: "And at some time, long ago, a song-writer in America turned it ['Jenny Jones'] into the song 'Jennie Jenkins.'" - BS
This is of course possible; certainly "Jenny Jenkins" appears to be primarily if not exclusively American. But given that "Jenny Jenkins" is attested at least as early as "Jenny Jones," I don't think we can be absolutely assured that the dependence is in the direction given. - RBW"
-snip-
From http://www.prairie.org/humanities-resources/kiosk-online-exhibit/fiddle-tunes-quot-jennie-jenkins-quot-and-quot-soldier-039
"The first song begins with a traditional fiddle tune known as "Jennie Jenkins." One source notes that the earliest mention of this song was by an old Revolutionary War soldier in a publication from 1823. The lyrics to this tune describe how a young man invites Jennie Jenkins to a dance by asking her over and over what color she will wear.

Will you wear white, oh my dear, oh my dear
Oh will you wear white, Jennie Jenkins?
I won't wear white
For the color's too bright."


In the end, Jennie finally does agree to accompany her suitor to the dance

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A LONGER TEXT EXAMPLE OF "JENNY JENKINS"
JENNY JENKINS
(traditional / Public Domain)
Oh, will you wear blue, oh my dear, oh my dear?
Will you wear blue, Jenny Jenkins?
"No, I won't wear blue, 'cause it wouldn't match my shoe
I'll buy me a
folly-rolly-tilly-tolly-seek-a-double-use-a-cause-a-roll-a-fie-me"
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll!
[For additional verses, substitute other colors and rhyming phrases for the underlined words]
(Final Verse:)
So, what will you wear, oh my dear, oh my dear?
What will you wear, Jenny Jenkins?
"I'll just go bare, with a ribbon in my hair!
I'll buy me a
folly-rolly-tilly-tolly-seek-a-double-use-a-cause-a-roll-a-fie-me"
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll!
[Smart-alec kid: "But what color ribbon will you wear?"]
-snip-
From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=48821
Lyr Req: Jenny Jenkins; Hat tip to masato sakurai for posting this example & three additional example.

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VIDEO EXAMPLE OF "JENNY JENKINS"

Lisa Loeb "Jenny Jenkins" Music Video



lisaloebofficial,Uploaded on Feb 20, 2008

Lisa Loeb's music video for "Jenny Jenkins," which was a non-album single released in 2007.

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This completes Part III of this series.

Thanks to all those who I have quoted in this post. Thanks also to the performer in the featured video and to the publisher of that video on YouTube.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

"Jenny Jones" (and other related folk songs)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a four part series that presents examples of and source songs/rhymes for the African American children's rhyme "Aunt Jenny Died" (or alternative titles).

This post presents information about and text examples of the song "Jenny Jones" (or related titles). A video of a United Kingdom version of a Morris Dance group performing the song & dance "Sweet Jenny Jones" is also included in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/aunt-jenny-died-childrens-playground.html for Part I of this post.

Part I presents examples of & information about the African American American playground rhyme "Aunt Jenny Died" (or variant titles).

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/jenny-jenkins-folk-song-with-lyrics.html for Part III of this series.

Part III provides information & examples of the song "Jenny Jenkins".

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/jamaican-folk-song-come-to-see-janie.html.

Part IV of this seriess provides an example of the Jamaican song "Come To See Janie".

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
PART II:
Editor's note:
The United Kingdom (Welsh, Scottish, English) song "Jenny Jones" is closely related to, if not the source of, the song American "Jenny Jenkins. [See notes found below].

It's my position that "Jenny Jones" is also a primary source for the African American playground rhyme "Aunt Jenny Died" and the Jamaican folk song song "Come To See Janie".

INFORMATION ABOUT & EXAMPLE OF THE SONG "JENNY JONES"
From Book of Games for Home, School, And Playground (William Byron Forbush, Harry A. Allen; Chicago, The John C. Winston Co, 1927}

This song is in the chapter on singing games, and is said to have more than 30 verses. The words given in that book are:

1 verse: We've come to see poor Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones
We've come to see poor Jenny Jones, How is she now?

2 verse: Jenny is washing, washing, washing. etc
You can't see her now.
Book of Games for Home, School, And Playground" {William Byron Forbush, Harry A. Allen; Chicago, The John C. Winston Co} and found a song called "Jenny Jones" or "Jennia Jones". This song is in the chapter on singing games, and is said to have more than 30 verses. The words given are:

1. We've come to see poor Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones
We've come to see poor Jenny Jones, How is she now?
2. Jenny is washing, washing, washing. etc
You can't see her now.
3. Jenny is ironing etc

Refrain for 2-3
Very well, ladies
Ladies and Gentlemen, too

4-8 Jenny is ironing {both 3&4?}, sewing, baking, sick, dead.

9. I think I saw a ghost under the apple tree.

This game is described as a circle game with one girl in the middle playing the part of Jenny.
-snip-
The editors of that book indicate that authors "Jenny Jones" is said to have more than 30 verses. The book describes two girls in the center of the circle. The biggest girl iplays the role of the mother and the smaller is Jenny Jones.

Jenny hides behind her "mother" while the mother performs the actions for the chores. The children in the circle move "forward and back" while they sing. At the end of last verse all the girls making up the circle gives a loud shriek, and "Jenny" {or the ghost of Jenny Jones} runs out and tries to tag someone, who now becomes the new 'Jenny'.

The authors wrote that "Jenny Jones" was probably originally "Jenny my joe", or "joy".

Note: I first provided information about this song in this discussion thread that I started in 2004 http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=76201.
"The Origin Of Aunt Jenny Died".
-snip-
From http://www.alabamafolklife.org/content/history-behind-songs
25. [presents lyrics to the song "Jenny O Jones" as sung by Pansy Richardson, Mobile, July 10, 1947.
Here are the notes about that song:
"This game has a well-developed dramatic structure and has as its prevailing theme the nature of death. It appears in Gomme, in Newell, and in the Opies (1985:254-60) as well as in other collections. Gomme (1:260-83) has seventeen variants, with slightly different instructions, and apparently received so many submissions that she didn't print them all. The game has been the subject of poetry, and was the source of a popular American song, "Jennie Jenkins."

The plot is a resurrection drama, but with several fascinating twists. A line of suitors approach in a courtship appeal, but a "mother" character has the spoken part and keeps Jenny hidden. The mother rejects the suitors with excuses ("ironing," etc.), which proceed by various routes to the eventual discovery of Jenny's death. Jenny, who has been hidden behind the mother, is revealed laying dead. Then there are various enactments of Jenny's funeral, and she is sometimes brought back to life. "The appeal of the game," say the Opies (1985:258), "must have lain in the mesmeric to-ing and fro-ing of the request and repulse, and the mock solemnity of the funeral, which burst into sudden excitement when 'Janet jo' or 'Jenny' came to life and chased the mourners...

"...Newell says "Jenny Jones" "has been familiar in the Middle States since the memory of the oldest inhabitant" (1883:63). "Jones" derives from terms of endearment related to the English "Jo" and French "joie."...

[Performance] "Directions: This is a line game. The person taking the part of Miss Jenny O. Jones is seated. The line comes up to her singing and she answers. At the end, her ghost chases the group and the one who is caught becomes Miss Jenny O. Jones."
-snip-
From http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/R453.html Notes for the song "Jenny Jenkins"
"Opie-Games: "And at some time, long ago, a song-writer in America turned it ['Jenny Jones'] into the song 'Jennie Jenkins.'" - BS
This is of course possible; certainly "Jenny Jenkins" appears to be primarily if not exclusively American. But given that "Jenny Jenkins" is attested at least as early as "Jenny Jones," I don't think we can be absolutely assured that the dependence is in the direction given. - RBW
-snip-
From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=28483
"Lyr Req: Sweet Jenny Jones
From: Margaret V
Date: 08 Dec 00 - 06:52 PM

When I was young, my grandmother, from whom I got my interest in Wales and things Welsh, gave me a horse brass that pictured Jenny Jones. At the time I didn't know who Jenny Jones was (just that she was Welsh) and I still don't really know what a horse brass is (just that I had one). Perhaps Jenny Jones horse brasses are common and that is why they were discussing her on that pub's website. Anyway, later in life I saw Jenny Jones again in the form of Staffordshire china figurines of the 19th century. Here is what Kovel's has to say regarding the Jenny Jones of Staffordshire figurine fame:
"Jenny Jones was a dairymaid at Pontblyddin Farm. Her sweetheart, Edward Morgan, was a ploughman. Morgan spent 20 years with the navy and returned and married Jones. In 1825 actor Charles James Mathews met the Morgans and heard their story. He composed the 'Song of Jenny Jones and Ned Morgan,' which was used in a show in 1836. The romantic ditty was popular for the next 20 years. Figurines of Jenny Jones, Edward Morgan, and the pair leaning on a milestone were made in the 1840s."..."
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_brass
"A horse brass is a brass plaque used for the decoration of horse harness gear, especially for shire and parade horses. They became especially popular in England from the mid-19th century until their general decline alongside the use of the heavy horse, and remain a collectors item today."

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VIDEO OF SWEET JENNY JONES (MORRIS DANCE)
Hammersmith Morris Men - Sweet Jenny Jones (with singing, and hordes)



westminstermorrismen, Published on Jul 19, 2012

The Smiffs demonstrating their impressive vocal range with "Sweet Jenny Jones" in front of The Anchor on South Bank on the Westminster & Hammersmith South Bank Tour 2012. Having sung it, they then dance it - with gusto.
-snip-
"Sweet Jenny Jones" may be most widely known as an instrumental. Additional videos of this tune are found on YouTube.

The inclusion of this video isn't meant to imply that this Morris Dance song & performance is related to the African American playground rhyme "Aunt Jenny Died", except that both that song & that rhyme are probably derived from the song "Jenny Jones".

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This completes Part II of this series.

Thanks to all those who I have quoted in this post. Thanks also to the performers in the featured video and to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Aunt Maria Jumped In The Fire, There Was A Man & He Was Mad, & Other Children's Trading Rhymes

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Revision: October 2, 2018

This pancocojams post features examples of a sub-category of children's songs & rhymes that I refer to as "trading rhymes".

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who contributed examples and/or videos that are featured in this post.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/abc-its-easy-as-1-2-3-playground-rhyme.htmlfor the closely related pancocojams post entitled "ABC It's Easy As 1, 2, 3" Playground Rhyme & Its R&B Record Source"

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE:
"Trading rhymes" is my title for a category of children's rhymes in which throughout the rhyme one defective item is traded (exchanged) for another item which also turns out to be defective. In the United States, probably the most widely known example of these rhymes is "Hush Little Baby, Don't Say A Word" *Papa's gonna buy you a mockinbird" (given as Example #4 below.)

FEATURED EXAMPLES
(These examples are presented in alphabetical order based on the first letter of the title.)

Example #1: ABC (IT'S EASY AS 123)

ABC (it's easy as 123) hand game
juliacreates13, Published on Aug 12, 2012

[September 2018: This 2012 video is no longer available, but here are the lyrics for that example from that I transcribed from that video: original:

Abc, easy as 123
My momma takes care of me
My daddy watches MTV
Ooh ahh I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet I wanna piece of meat
Meat too rough I wanna ride a bus
Bus too full I wanna ride a bull
Bull too black I want my money back
Money back too green
I wanna jelly bean
Jelly bean not cooked
I wanna read a book
Book not read I wanna go to bed
Bed not made I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour
I wanna take a shower

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Example #2:
abc its easy as 123 handshake



sarah ware, Published on Jun 7, 2013

i hope u enjoy and have fun ps it is not easy !!!!!!
-snip-
Here's my transcription of that rhyme from this video:

Abc, it's easy as 123
My momma takes care of me
My daddy watches MTV
Ooh ahh I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet I wanna piece of meat
Meat too rough I wanna ride a bus
Bus too full I wanna ride a bull
Bull too black I want my money back
Money back too green
I wanna jelly bean
Jelly bean not cooked
I wanna read a book
Book not read I wanna go to bed
Bed not made I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour I wanna take a shower
Shower too cool I wanna go to school
School too dumb I wanna suck my thumb
Thumb too dirty I wanna ride a birdy
Birdy too slow I wanna blow my nose.
So close your eyes
And count to ten
Whoever messes up has to go back
And start all over again.
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.

****
Example #3: GRAY AND BLACK HORSES

I went to de woods an' I couldn' go 'cross.
So I paid five dollars fer an ole gray hoss.
De hoss wouldn' pull so I sol it for a bull.
De bull wouldn't holler, so I sol it for a dollar.
De dollar wouldn't pass, so I throwed it id de grass.
Den de grass wouldn't grow. Heigho! Heigho!

Source: Thomas W. Talley Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise & Otherwise; originally published in 1922; http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm, p. 45.

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Example #4: HUSH LITTLE BABY, DON'T SAY A WORD
BY MOTHER GOOSE

Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns to brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.

And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

And if that dog named Rover won't bark,
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.

And if that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town!

Source: The Dorling Kindersley Book of Nursery Rhymes (2000)

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46950/hush-little-baby-dont-say-a-word
****
Example #5: OLD AUNT MARIA JUMPED IN THE FIRE


Ernest T. Bass serenade Charlene Darling "Old Aunt Mariah" (jump in the fire, fire too hot...)

Lincoln Malone, Published on Dec 29, 2012

Old Aunt Maria, jump in the fi-ah,
Fire too hot, jump in the pot,
Pot to black, jump in the crack,
Crack to high, jump in the sky,
Sky to blue, jump in canoe,
Canoe too shallow, jump in the tallow,
Tallow too soft, jump in the loft,
Loft to rotten, jump in the cotton,
Cotton so white she stay there all night.
-snip-
[I converted this rhyme to line formation.]
-snip-
This family of rhymes is also known as "Old Man Obadiah Jumped In The Fire". Click http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=72705 for examples & commentary about these rhymes.

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Example #6: OOH AH I WANT A PIECE OF PIE
I learned it at summer camp as a clapping game:

Winston tastes good just like a cigarette should
Just like an - ooh, ah, I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet, I want a piece of meat
Meat too brown, I want to go to town
Town too far, I'll have to take a car
Car too black, I want my money back
Money too green, I want a limosine
..... I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour, by now we have the power
To close our eyes and count to ten
Whoever messes up has to do it again.

And at this point, the clapping pattern got more complicated and the players closed their eyes and counted to ten.
-Guest, Chocolate Pi; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926 , October 26, 2000
"Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie"
-snip-
The "Winston taste good/like a cigarette should" lines are lifted from a 1954 cigarette commercial. In these rhymes, that couplet has subsequently been given as "Snickers taste good/ [just] like a candybar should".

Some examples of this large rhyme family begin with "ABC (it's easy as 123" and other examples begin with "Take A Peach Take A Plum". As is the case with many other playground rhymes, these lines are found in other rhymes, including "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky". The phrase "ABC Hit It" which usually prefaces the lines "that's the way I like it" are sometimes found in a different family of playground rhymes.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/abc-its-easy-as-1-2-3-playground-rhyme.html for more examples of "ABC It's Easy As One Two Three".

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Example #7: THERE WAS A MAN AND HE WAS MAD

There Was an Old Man and He Was Mad



Pete Seeger - Topic
Published on May 21, 2015
Provided to YouTube by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

There Was an Old Man and He Was Mad · Pete Seeger

American Folk, Game and Activity Songs

℗ 2000 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Released on: 2000-01-25
-snip-
Lyrics:

There once was a man and he was mad
so he jumped into a pudding bag.
The puddin bag it was so thick
that he jumped into a walking stick.
The walking stick it was so narrow
he jumped into a wheelbarrow.
The wheelbarrow began to break
so he jumped into a chocolate cake.
The chocolate cake it was sour
So he jumped into a case of flour.
The case of flour caught on fire
and blew him up to Jeremiah. Whew!
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell

In the context of this song, "mad" means "crazy".

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Example #8: THERE WAS A MAN OF DOUBLE DEEDS

From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=72705

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old man 'badiah/Jumped in the fire
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Sep 09 - 06:14 PM

The form of this poem is very old. Here is another one.

There was a man of double deed,
Who sowed his garden full of seed;
When the seed began to grow,
'Twas like a garden full of snow;
When the snow began to melt,
'Twas like a ship without a belt;
When the ship began to sail,
'Twas like a bird without a tail;
When the bird began to fly,
'Twas like an eagle in the sky;
When the sky began to roar,
'Twas like a lion at my door;
When my door began to crack,
'Twas like a stick across my back;
When my back began to smart,
'Twas like a penknife in my heart;
And when my heart began to bleed,
'Twas death, and death, and death indeed.

Anon.
-snip-
Click http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm Thomas W. Talley Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise & Otherwise; originally published in 1922;, p. 208 for a version of "There Was A Man Of Double Deeds" that is entitled "Man Of Words".

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Carolina Chocolate Drops - Read 'em John (with lyrics & song explanation)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post features two videos of the Carolina Chocolate Drops performing the Georgia Sea Isle song "Read' Em John". This post also features a rendition of "Read 'Em John" by Steve Levitt. The lyrics to "Read 'Em John" and the meaning of that song are also presented in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, religious, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Chocolate_Drops
"The Carolina Chocolate Drops is an old-time string band from Durham, North Carolina, United States. Its 2010 album, Genuine Negro Jig, won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, and was number 9 in FRoots magazine's top 10 albums of 2010.

The Drops are one of the two known full-time African American string bands...

All of the musicians sing and trade instruments including banjo, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, snare drum, bones, jug, and kazoo. The group learned much of their repertoire, which is based on the traditional music of the Piedmont region of North and South Carolina,[2] from the eminent African American old-time fiddler Joe Thompson, although they also perform old-time versions of some modern songs such as Blu Cantrell's R&B hit "Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!)." "

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EXPLANATION OF THE SONG "READ 'EM JOHN"
From the summary statement of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bXdcP19aVU "Read'em John" performed by Steve Levitt. (This video is given below as a Bonus video)
"[John] Refers to John the Revelator, doing what the slave was not allowed to do--reading. But not just reading, but reading with an authority that no one else could match of the doom of his masters and the end of the wicked world they had created and ascent of the persecuted and good into heaven. Field recorded by Alan Lomax and included in "Georgia Sea Island Songs." "
-snip-
Information about John The Revelator from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Revelator_(song)
" "John the Revelator" is a traditional Gospel blues call and response song.[1] In the chorus, John of Patmos, the traditional author of the Book of Revelation, is writing "the book of the seven seals." At the time of the song's composition (and in modern times), John of Patmos was generally considered the same person as John the Apostle and John the Evangelist.

The song was recorded on April 20, 1930 in Atlanta, Georgia by Blind Willie Johnson and is included in the Anthology of American Folk Music.[1][2][3]"
-snip-
Here's an excerpt of the Blind Willie Johnson version of "John The Revelator":
[call] Who's that writin'? [response] John the Revelator[6]
Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator
Wrote the book of the seven seals[7]"
-snip
In contrast to "John The Revelator", the song "Read 'em John" focuses on John reading a letter. According to this interpretation, that letter is a substitution for or an oblique reference to the New Testament book of Revelations.

In the line "read'em let me go" (Read them and (then) let me go), the phrase "let me go" means "Let me go to my home in up in heaven". The "one by one", two by two" etc verse refers to how the "saints" [Christians] enter into heaven.

Given this interpretation of "Read 'em John", that song should be considered an old time African American religious (Gospel) song.

****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Here are two Carolina Chocolate Drops performances of "Read 'em John". Notice the handclapping patterns that accompany this song. In other videos of this song, some of the members of the Chocolate Drops can also be seen adding foot stomps while they sing and clap their hands to this song.

Example #1: Carolina Chocolate Drops "Read Em John"



Johnny Miller, Uploaded on Jun 9, 2011
April 8 2011 at the Barrymore Theatre, Madison Wisconsin - part 19 : http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLB...

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Example #2: Carolina Chocolate Drops Rock the Food & Community Conference -"Read 'Em John"



2010PHP, Published on May 23, 2012

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LYRICS - READ 'EM JOHN
(An old time Georgia Sea Isle Gospel song with no known composer/s)

Verse #1 [The song begins with the lead and the other members of the group join in unison]
John wrote a letter and laid it on the table.
No one can read'em like old John.
Read ‘em let me go.

Chorus:
Lead -Now read ’em John.
Group- (Read ’em.)
Lead -Read ’em John.
Group- (Read ’em.)
Lead - Read ’em John.
Group- (Read ’em.)
Lead and Group - No one can read ’em like old John.
Read’em let me go.

Lead -Now read ’em John.
Group- (Read ’em.)
Lead -Read ’em John.
Group- (Read ’em.)
Lead and Group - Read ’em let me go.

Verse #2 [Entire Group]
Now it’s one by one
and two by two
and three by three
Four by four
No one can read ’em like old John
Read ‘em let me go.

Chorus

[Repeat chorus and verses in whatever order you choose.]
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the videos. Additions and corrections are welcome.

****
BONUS VIDEO OF ANOTHER RENDITION OF "READ 'EM JOHN"

Read'em, John.wmv


steve levitt, Uploaded on Feb 6, 2012

"Read'em, John" on Akonting. Refers to John the Revelator, doing what the slave was not allowed to do--reading. But not just reading, but reading with an authority that no one else could match of the doom of his masters and the end of the wicked world they had created and ascent of the persecuted and good into heaven. Field recorded by Alan Lomax and included in "Georgia Sea Island Songs." Present version adds Akonting rhythm. For more videos go to www.duelingshoes.com
-snip-
Notice that Steve sings all of the other lyrics given above, with the exception of a slight but meaningful change to that song's last iine. In his rendition, that line is sung as "Read’em let us go.”

Here's information about the akonting musical instrument from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akonting
"The akonting (or ekonting in French transliteration) is the folk lute of the Jola people, found in Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. It is a banjo-like instrument with a skin-headed gourd body, two long melody strings, and one short drone string, akin to the short fifth "thumb string" on the 5-string banjo."

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RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/john-revelator.html

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this song. My thanks also to the Carolina Chocolate Drops for their musical legacy that helps acquaint people to the richness of old time music. Thanks to Steve Levitt for sharing his old time music videos,and for clarifying the meaning of the song "Read 'em John". My thanks also to the producers and the publishers of these videos on YouTube .

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Bo Diddley - Dearest Darling (Sound File, Lyrics, And Comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides a sound file & lyrics of Bo Diddley's 1957 Rock and Roll song "Dearest Darling". This post also includes my comments about that song & Bo Diddley's use of adapted African American religious verses and African American folk verses in many of his songs.

The content of this post is provided for folkloric, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
FEATURED SOUND FILE: Bo Diddley Dearest Darling Checker 78rpm



Uploaded by JOHN KENNEDY on May 3, 2010

Monster blues bop by the mighty Bo. This was the B side to his 1958 release 'Hush Your Mouth' This is my favourite Diddley release and it can still pack the dance floor to this day. RIP Mr Diddley

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LYRICS: DEAREST DARLING
(Bo Diddley)

Chorus:
Dearest darling
[yeah]
Dearest darling
Dearest darling, yeah
Oh-o

Verse 1:
Don't you know the Lord above
Created you
Just for me to love
Picked you out
From all the rest
Because He knew
I loved you best

Chorus
Dearest darling
Dearest darling
Dearest yeah darling
Take my hand
Take my hand

Verse #2:
I once had a heart
So tender and true
But now it's gone
From me to you
Take care of it
Like I have done
For you have two hearts
and I have none

Chorus:
Dearest oh oh oh oh, darling
Dearest darling
Dearest, yeah yeah,
dearest, yeah yeah
Dearest, yeah yeah,
Dearest, yeah yeah
Darling, yeah yeah,
Darling, yeah yeah

Verse #3
If I get to Heaven
Before you do
I'll try to make a hole
And pull you through

Woh, dearest, dearest
Dearest, dearest, aah

If I go to Heaven
And you not there
I'm gonna write your name
On the Heavenly stairs
If you aren't there
By judgement day
Then I'll know baby
You went the other way

Woh, dearest, dearest
Woh, dearest, yeah yeah yeah
Oh oh sweet baby
Oh sweet baby
Yeah yeah yeah.

[This is a basic transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file of this song. Corrections and additions are welcome.]

****
COMMENTS
"Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter (usually as Ellas McDaniel), and rock and roll pioneer"... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley.
-snip-
Like most of his songs, some verses of Bo Diddley's "Dearest Darling" are witty adaptations of earlier non-religious and/or religious songs from African American traditions. For example, take this verse from Bo Diddley's "Dearest Darling" song:
"If I get to heaven
Before you do
I'll try to make a hole
And pull you through"
-snip-
That verse is an adaption of this African American Spiritual/Gospel floating verse:
If you get there
before I do,
Look out for me
I'm coming through.
[from the song "Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More" in Thirty-six South Carolina Spirituals edited by Carl Diton, G. Schirmer, Inc. NY 1928, posted on http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=75082]
Another version of that floating verse, from my memory of various Spirituals, is
"If you get to heaven before I do
Just tell my friends I'm coming too."
-snip-
A secular adaptation of that verse is sometimes used for the song "Oh You Can't Get To Heaven" (also known as "Ain't Gonna Grieve My Lord No More"). Here's an example of that verse:
"If you get to Heaven before I do,
Just drill a hole and pull me through."
-snip-

The concept of "making" (or digging) a hole in heaven and pulling someone through so that she or he can also be in heaven is one that I've read in other earlier African American secular songs. I think that concept is similar to this verse that is found in the song entitled "Plaster" that is included in Thomas W. Talley's now classic 1922 collection entitled Negro Folk Songs: Wise & Otherwise:
"Well:
Mammy an' daddy's dead an' gone.
Did you ever hear deir story?
Dey sticked some plasters on deir heels,
An' drawed 'em up to Glory!"
-snip-
Click http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm to find a digitalized version of Talley's book. Additional examples of African American secular songs can also be found on this page of my Cocojams website: http://www.cocojams.com/content/african-american-secular-slave-songs.

To cite two examples of Bo Diddley songs that are based on adapted folk verses, the song "Bo Diddley" is an adaptation of the song "Mockingbird" ("Hush Little Baby Don't You Cry"). And the song "Hey Bo Diddley" is an adaptation of the 19th century African American song "Hambone".

Bo Diddley also used the pattin Juba "Hambone" beat in so many of his songs that that rhythm is often called "the Bo Diddley beat".

Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley fot more information about the Rock and Roll legend Bo Diddley and his songs.

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RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/09/aint-gonna-grieve-my-lord-no-more.html

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
My thanks to the Bo Diddley for his musical legacy. Thanks also to the uploader of the sound file that is featured in this post.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.