Soul Food And Other Food, Desserts, And Beverages That Are Mentioned In "I Believe I Can Fly" Children's Parodies

Edited by Azizi Powell 

Latest revisions-July 23, 2025

This pancocojams post focuses on "complete" examples and fragments of examples of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that mention Black American soul food, and/or other food, desserts, and/or beverages. 

This post also includes my editorial notes about "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies, including my general textual analysis of examples and my recollections of my direct experiences with these parodies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

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

The soul foods (chicken wings, collard greens, cornbread, fried rice, beans and rice, and black eye peas etc.) provide information about the kinds of food the commenters are familiar with. The contributors' comments about the spread of these parodies among people in the pre-internet age also provide socio-cultural information that is worth archiving.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITORS NOTE REGARDING R. KELLY
Read my comment in https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/i-believe-i-can-fly-parodies about R. Kelly. Here's part of that comment:

"This post and other pancocojams posts on parodies of R. Kelly's inspirational Rhythm & Blues song "I Believe I Can Fly" should not be taken as disregarding or condoning R. Kelly's actions apart from his musical compositions and musical performances."

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INFORMATION ABOUT "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY" CHILDREN'S PARODIES
"I Believe I Can Fly" is the title for a large number of English language parodies of R Kelly's hit 1996 inspirational song with that title. 

Based on studying examples of these parodies and reading comments from their contributors, my conclusion is that "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies originated in African American communities any and spread widely within those communities, in part, because of the role of Black American radio deejays. 

Although there's no documentation, anecdotal evidence (such as some of the comments that are included in this pancocojams post) suggest that a  Black American deejay may have been the original composer of the "I Believe I Can Fly" parody and that Black American radio deejays included versions of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies as part of their on-air comedic, witty, and sometimes politically or socially incorrect chatter.

The involvement of Black radio deejays partly explains the spread of "I Believe I Can Fly"  parodies throughout Black communities across the United States, and the spread of those parodies eventually to non-Black Americans and to people outside of the United States.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/archived-links-for-pancocojams-posts.html for a hyperlinked archive of pancocojams posts on "I Believe I Can Fly" children's parodies.

* Several commenters in the Tik Tok discussion thread about "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that they remember used the word "remix" to refer to those examples. Read the quote below in this post's comment thread about why "remix" is actually an incorrect term for those "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies.

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SOUL FOOD AND OTHER FOOD, DESSERTS, AND  DRINKS THAT ARE MENTIONED IN SOME EXAMPLES OF "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY CHILDREN'S PARODIES
These examples were gleaned from my online search for "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies.

These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

The food, dessert, and/or beverages that are mentioned in each example are given in italics for highlighting purposes only the first time that they are mentioned in that example. 

Online Source #1
https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualConversation/comments/fxdnq7/i_believe_i_can_fly_i_got_shot_by_th

1. "I believe I can fly, I got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some chicken wings, and a whopper from the Burger King"

As a kid, we all sang this version of the song but I've recently heard it as "all I wanted was a chicken wing and some collard greens". So reddit, what version did you grow up with? Are there any other renditions of other songs you grew up singing like this one?"
-Saymynamebastien, 2019, 
**
2. "Love ya

Our version was "I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky, all I wanted was some chicken wings from burger king"

Also, I didn't realize so many kids knew this song haha I thought it was like a regional thing
-Lookinshreddedbro, 2019, 

**
3. "I believe I can fly, I got shot by the FBI. And then I went to Burger King, but all they gave me was an onion ring. I believe I can fly (*higher pitch fly*)."
-FettyAWPCSGO, 2019 

**
Online Source #2
https://www.facebook.com/rezzybop/posts/remember-in-elementary-when-kids-would-sing-i-believe-i-can-fly-i-just-got-shot-/10171582782720504/

1. "All I wanted was a chicken wing but all I got was fried beans!
-. Keela Vaughn, June 2025

**
2. "Mashed potatoes and some collard greennnns 🎶😩"
-Maiya Glenn, June 2025 

**
3. Some mashed potatoes and some pinto beans🎤🎶
-Amber, June 2025, 

**
4. "Cornbread and collard greens"
-Sig Nogerelli  June 2025 

**
5. All I gotted was some rice and beans
-Marett Hanes, June 2025

**
6. Some red beans rice and some collard greens. I believe I can soar, seem running through that KFC DOOR!
-Lia Holliday Jones, June 2025

**
7.. "All i wanted was some chicken wings Some baked beans and some collards greens my class used to kill this😂😂"
-Candice Gartman, June 2025

**
8. "I made one up and it'll still pop into my head randomly " I believe I need fries. With some ketchup on the side. I think about it every night and day. Saturday through Friday. I believe I need more, see me running through that arched door. 🤣"
-Jen Martinez, June 2025

**
9. “Cornbread and some collard greens. I believe I can soar, I got my whooping at the grocery store. I believe I can die. My mama punched me in my left eye”
-Peachez Williams, June 2025

**
10. "And a little bit of collard greens 😂 I believe I can soar, see me running through the grocery storeeeeeee"
-Tamyra McElroy, June 2025

**
11. "ALL I JUST WANTED WAS SOME CHICKEN WINGS, AND A BUCKET OF COLLARD GREENS"
-Jay Barnes, June 2025

**
12. "With a soda and some onion rings 😁🤣"
-Wright Eb, June 2025

**
13. "Ours was... all I wanted was a bag of chips 🍟 instead they shot me in my private bits "
-Victoria Elliot, June 2025

**
14." All I wanted was collard greens, and some of them pinto beans"
-Ashley Lemmons Arnold, June 2025

**
15. "Ours was “all I wanted was a popcicle” “but I ended up in the hospital” 🤣"
-Briannah DeVries, June 2025

**
16. "All I wanted was some chicken wings some mashed potatoes and some collard greens I believe I can soar see me running through that open doooorrr"
-Katrina Kirean Mason-Johnson, July 2025

**
17. "All I wanted was a chicken wing, but all i got was pork n beans"
-Tamara Graham,July 2025

**
18. 🎵FRIED RICE&SOME COLLARD GREENS🎵🤣🤣🤣
-Neeri NevaGaf, June 2025

**
19. "I know this. I believe i can fly I believe i can touch the sky i been shot by an fbi but the fbi never had a gun so he shot me with a easter bun but easter bun never had no cheese so he shot me with a gung peas gung peas never have no seed so he shot me with a mango seed mango seed never have no hair so he shot me with beer but beer never have cork so he shot me a bobocloth"
-Tyrone Sings13, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak 
-snip-
Here's some information about Jamaica's Easter buns from https://jamdownfoodie.com/jamaican-easter-bun/
"Jamaica is a primarily Christian nation and all Christian holidays are held sacred there. Easter is no exception and the observance of Easter starts as early as Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent and generally, people decide to give up one indulgence during this time. Many people choose to give up eating red meat and chicken and stick with eating fish and seafood. At the end of Lent, which is marked by Good Friday, people begin the feast of Easter with a spiced bread dubbed Easter Bun and fried fish. The bread is a sweet bread that is studded with dried fruit and heavily spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. It is traditionally eaten with Jamaican processed cheese but it is also very delicious with mild aged cheddar cheese."...

**
20.  "i believe i can fly i got shot by an FBI the fbi never have nuh gun so him shot me with a easter bun the easter bun never i have nuh cheese so shot me with a gungo peas the gungo peas never have nuh seed so him shot me with a mango seed the mango seed never have nuh hair so him shot me with a red strip beer the red strip never have nuh cork so him shot with a bomboclat"
-Faith, 2013, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090624005743AAxbczS

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Online Source For Examples #3
from https://www.tiktok.com/@xennialdee/video/7521518343812025631 

published by XennialDee,June 2025 @richiegattztv "90s Kids’ Anthems: Parodying 'I Believe I Can Fly'"

summary comment: " we could turn any song into a chaotic anthem — including the inspirational “I Believe I Can Fly."

1. "all i wanted was some chicken wings, from KFC or Burger King". is what i grew up on lol"
-DOPELEFIRE, 6-29, 2025

**
2.  "Chicken wings, French fries and onion rings"
-Devaney Jimenez, 6-29-2025

**
3. "Ummm....."All I wanted was some Chicken Wing from McDonald's or Burger King"...is how we sung it"
-Frecklesisme, 6-30-2025

**
4. "I learned it as "all I wanted was some chicken wings, mashed potatoes and onion rings" looking at the comments, there are so many versions. this is great 🤣"
-K Whatsherface, 6-30-2025

**
5. "I swear it was all I wanted was some collard greens to go with my chicken wings. Both ways sound good though lol"
-Courtney Whigham, 6-30-2025

**
6. "ours was all I wanted was some chicken wings and some fries from burger king"
-letticia church, v-30-2025

**
7. "All I wanted was some chicken wings. They cost 1.99 at Burger King." was a variation me and one of my friends sang when we were in middle school. 😅"
-icedphoenix92, 6-30-2025

**
8. "All I wanted was some chicken wings, mashed potatoes and turnip greens!"
-K.P, 6-30-2025

**
9. "I believe I can fly. I got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some chicken wings, mashed potatoes and collard greens. I believe I can soar, I see me running through that kitchen door" is what I sang 🤣 Yes, we're old.
-💙🏳️‍🌈✊🏽✨Joei✨, 6-30-2025

**
10. "no no no no all I wanted was some chicken wings from the downtown Burger King some extra fries and a shake as well"
-Raymond Church, 6-30-2025
-snip-
"Extra fries= a large order of French fries
"a shake" = a milk shake

**
11. “all i wanted was some chicken wings and a little bit of collard greens, I believe I can SSSSOOOOOOAAARRRRRR, I see them RUNNING through that open DDDOOOORRRRRRRR! I believe i can FLY I believe fffllyyyy I believe i can FFFFFLLLLYYYYYYY!”
- Sunshine 🤍🌻6-30-2025

**
12. "Me and my friend said I believe I can fly. I got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some chicken wings and I flew by Burger King. I believe I can soar my mom slapped me in the store. All I wanted was some ice cream and I told my mom she will die mean. but this was our made up version"
-💙🩵𝒮𝓉𝒾𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓁ℴ𝓋ℯ𝓇🩵💙6-30-2025

**
13. "mine was "all I wanted was some chicken wings, mashed potatoes and collard greens" 😂"
-Takia Stamps425, 6-30-2025

**
14. "We used to sing “all I wanted was chicken wings from McDonald’s or Burger King” 😂 even though they didn’t have chicken wings ☠️"
-lala loopsy, 6-30-2025

**
15. "we definitely had different verions.......all I wanted was some chicken wings mash potatoes and some collard greens. I believe I can soar my mama beat me with a two by four."
-Shelby💜, 7-1-2025

**
16. " I feel like what I grew up with strays from yalls. "... Got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some collard greens. My mama slapped me with a chicken wing..."
-eooo,7-1-2025

**
17. "Chicken wings, collard greens and black eyed peas."
-Niesha, 7-1-2025

**
18. "Why is everybody’s version different but we ALL wanted a chicken wing 😂😂😂"
-Thegirlytrapchef, 7-1-2025

**
19."…All I wanted was some collard greens got hit with a chicken wing"
-JASMINE JEAN, 7-2-2025

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Visitor comments are welcome.

How Black Americans Throughout The United States Knew Similar Versions Of "I Believe I Can Fly I Got Shot By The FBI" Parodies In the 1990s BEFORE The Internet

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision- title change May 2, 2026 

This pancocojams post presents some comments about how "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies were known throughout Black American communities before the internet age.  

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. 
-snip-
This post replaces the pancocojams post about Black American radio deejays incorporated parodies of recorded songs -including "I Believe I Can Fly" as part of their on air chatter. Instead of a separate post, that content is included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/archived-links-for-pancocojams-posts.html for a hyperlinked archive of pancocojams posts on "I Believe I Can Fly" children's parodies.

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MY STATEMENT ABOUT R. KELLY
Please read my comment in https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/i-believe-i-can-fly-parodies- about R. Kelly. Here's part of that comment:

"This post and other pancocojams posts on parodies of R.Kelly's inspirational Rhythm & Blues song "I Believe I Can Fly" should not be taken as disregarding or condoning R. Kelly's actions apart from his musical compositions and musical performances."

****
BLACK AMERICANS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES WHO SUNG (OR WHO STILL SING) 
"i BELIEVE I CAN FLY" PARODIES 
The title and the content of this post doesn't mean to imply or state that Black Americans were the only people in the United States that knew the "I Believe I Can Fly" parody in the 1990s.

Although no composers of "I Believe I Can Fly" parody have been identified, based on these parodies' words, and based on demographic information that can be gleaned from anecdotal information such as the comments that are archived in this pancocojams post, I have concluded that these parodies originated with African Americans and were most often composed and chanted by African Americans.

"i Believe I Can Fly" parodies appear to be called "remixes" in a number of Black American online commenters that I've  come across. 

Read the section below about my direct experiences with "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

**
MY TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY" PARODIES
These examples appear to follow a relatively set rhyming structure that always begins with the first two lines of these parodies and not of the original song:

I believe I can fly. I got shot by the FBI."

"I believe I can fly" is the title and the first words that are sung in the chorus of R. Kelly's record. Some of the longer versions of these parodies include a play on the other lines in the lyrics for the chorus of R. Kelly's song:

"I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly (whoo)"...

https://genius.com/R-kelly-i-believe-i-can-fly-lyrics


**
All of the "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that I have across online mention "chicken wings" and usually mention other soul food, and other food, desserts, and much less often some beverage. These foods etc are mentioned usually in relationship with the fast food restaurant "Burger King". "Burger King" doesn't sell "chicken wings" although it does sell chicken sandwiches. But "Burge King" is a part of these parodies because the word "king" rhymes with more words than KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) which actually does sell chicken wings.

The tune and moderate tempo for "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies are the same or very similar to R. Kelly's recorded song.

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MY DIRECT COLLECTION EXPERIENES WITH THIS SONG
I collected a few examples of "I Beliee I Can Fly" in the late 1990s in my direct collection experiences in many of the mostly Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and some of the Black neighborhoods surrounding Pittsburgh.  These examples were usually the either the result of me beginning a rhyme/singing game session by asking an assembled after-school program's attendees of girls and boys (around 6-13 years of age) what rhyme or song did they know. My recollection of these groups (which were held from around 1997 to the early 2000s when I changed the format of my outreach programs) was that children were at first reluctant to share any examples of recreational rhymes and songs with me. I believe that this was because they were used to adults stifling their creativity when it can to not always socially correct examples. (Two other examples of this that I collected from Pittsburgh area Black children from around 2000 to 2009 were "Rockin Robin [also known as "Twee Lee Lee"] and "See that house upon a hill" verses to some versions of  "Uno Dos Siesta" rhymes.) 

I recall in my initial game song and children's rhymes programming with groups of children I had to assure the children's that it was okay to share the examples that they knew. and then asked them what songs or rhymes did they sing for fun. Usually even more boys than girls would holler out "I Believe I Can Fly" and then enthusiastically sing what I now consider to be a short form of that song:
"I believe I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
It's all because of that chicken wing
That I bought at Burger King.
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly.   
I believe I can fly."
-end of song-

In my later outreach programming up to around 2000s* as a means of initiating group involvement, I would start the sessions by asking the group if they knew songs like "I Believe I Can Fly" and/or rhymes such as "Miss Mary Mack" and/or "Rockin Robin". In my experiences, Black children from Pittsburgh were sure to know those three examples.

After around 2000 to around 2009 I changed my structure of my programs to focus more on smaller groups of girls and the collection/group's performance foot stomping cheers. 

When I casually asked my adult daughter (whose childhood was in the mid 1970s and teen years were in the 1980s whether she knew "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies, she said "no" My daughter was an elementary school teacher in Pittsburgh public schools beginning around the late 1990s. However, she didn't recall hearing children sing this song during recess or at any other times during "down" time before school.

By the way, my daughter didn't like this song because of its association with convicted and incarcerated sex offender R.Kelly. She wondered why I would focus on this song given R. Kelly (the composer of the original song)'s awful history. I shared my folkloric/socio-cultural reasons. 

When I casually asked my 11 ear old granddaughter is she had ever heard the parody song "I Believe I Can Fly (I got shot by the FBI), she said "no".

A few online comments that I've come across suggest that these parodies are no longer known among Black children, youth, and adults beyond those of that particular age cohort from 1996 when R. Kelly's recorded song "I Believe I Can Fly" came out to sometime in the early 200s (before R. Kelly started having criminal allegations, arrests, and incarceration because of his sexual charges.

I've no doubt that R. Kelly's past has negatively impacted people's acceptance of these parodies. I'm curious what past and current experiences readers of these pancocojams posts on "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies have had with these parodies. 

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COMMENTS ABOUT HOW "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY" PARODIES WERE KNOWN THROUGHOUT BLACK AMERICAN COMMUNITIES BEFORE THE INTERNET AGE

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

Source  #1
Selected comments from 
https://www.tiktok.com/@xennialdee/video/7521518343812025631 published by XennialDee, 6-29, 2025, @richiegattztv In the 90s, @richiegattztv

[Here's the summary comment from that video]

"In the 90s, we could turn any song into a chaotic anthem — including the inspirational “I Believe I Can Fly.” If you were on a school bus or at recess, chances are you sang the remix: “I got shot by the FBI…” 😂 This was peak 90s kid energy — turning serious songs into wild parodies involving fast food, random violence, and pure nonsense.

1.  "all i wanted was some chicken wings, from KFC or Burger King". is what i grew up on lol"
-DOPELEFIRE, 6-29-2025

**
3. 'Ikr we all had a different variation"
-Jacob Baker225, 6-29-2025

**
4."yea its mad! and way b4 home internet too 🤣"
--DOPELEFIRE, 6-29-2025

**
5."Just barely. Call them regional variants 🤣"
- Ikari Yun, 6-30-2025

**
6. "We used to sing “all I wanted was chicken wings from McDonald’s or Burger King” 😂 even though they didn’t have chicken wings ☠️"
-lala loopsy, 6-30-2025

**
7. "😂😂😭 where we get that from"
-🎀 𝐵𝓁💍𝓈𝓈❀𝓂 🌸, 6-30- 2025

**
8. "how did it get everywhere to 😂😂"
-hope .johnson, 6-30-2025

**
9. "How did we all know this song?"
- anonymous loser", 6-30-2025

**
10. "How did ALL of us know this though? This was pre-internet."
-Sonja Gallegos, 6-30-2025

**
11. "The better question is how we all knew the same song in different states"
-yungtgetta, 6-30- 2025

**
12."We couldn't help it. We made up words, and went with it. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣"
-Octavius Brandell Mosley, 6-30-2025

**
13. Crazy how just word of mouth and just talking works
-Will Jacobs, 6-30-2025

**
14. "lol we lived the same lives"
-Porcelain Doll. 6-30-2025

**
15. "I’m pretty sure we all had different versions, but yeah basically."
-[No name given], 6-30-2025

**
16. "because we were just as unserious as 90s kids as we are now. 😂"
-🧡Sarah💀Skulls🖤, 6-30-2025

**
17. "because we all where cool"
-Dragonballfan, 6-30-2025

**
18. "I'm sure the one we sang in the UK was very different 🤣🤣"
-Colette, 6-30-2025

**
19. "We was just rhyming anything with that song🤣🤣🤣🤣😩😩😩😩"
-Lelebaby❤️, 6-30-2025

**
20. "and this was before everyone had the internet 😭"
-MaggieKatJuarez, 6-30-2025

**
21. "Y'all ain wanna hear the Charleston version😂"
-Blakk Goddess, 6-30-2025

**
22. "bra the same reason we was singing 🎵 jingle bells Batman smells Robin laid an egg, Batmobile lost its wheel and Joker got away🎵 😂😅💀💯"
-The Daniel Collective, 6-30-2025

**
23. "How did we all know this song?"
-anonymous loser, 6-30-2025

**
24. "😂😂😭 where we get that from"
-🎀 𝐵𝓁💍𝓈𝓈❀𝓂 🌸, 6-30-2025

**
25. "No, for real, how do we all know this!? Where did it originate!?"
-William V Richard, 6-30-2025

**
26. "how did it get everywhere to 😂😂"
-hope .johnson, 6-30-2025

**
27. "No internet and word still spread 😁"
-frostie904, 6-30-2025

**
28. "@come to think of it. who da he'll made it up"
-ChadAl, 6-30-2025

**
29. "Thought this was just me and friends lol. It’s a simulation and we all lived the same lives lol"
-Zolow95, 6-30-2025

**
30. "So we all was singing the same song"
-Hi [screen name], 6-30-2025

**
31. "Because we used our imagination and grew up in the remix era"
-TPZay89. 6-30-2025

**
32. "😂😂😂😂😂😂 Cuz it was fun and funny"
-mialove4lyfe1, 6-30-2025

**
33.  "is this why to this day I still make up my own lyrics to songs 🤣"
-°°Shorty°°, 6-30-2025

**
34. "We was sick of that song so we had to remix it 😂🤣. Just like Power Rangers"
-Ashley Tanyale, 6-30-2025

**
35. "Damn I though that was just in my hood"
- Stanley Yelnats, 6-30-2025
-snip-
"Though" is probably a typo for the word "thought".

**
36. "I now believe the internet was created because they knew we were tapped in and in sync cuz how we all know that song but not where it came from."
-Hymn&nem, 6-30-2025

**
37. "😂😂😂 that was good times making up songs 😂😂"
-Mrs. A. Burrell, 6-30-2025

**
38."Because Weird Al was our muse!"
-Leslie Ashcraft!, 6-30-20255

**
Reply
39."Wasn’t that Weird AL ?"
-InternationalSensei, 7-1-2025
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Weird_Al%22_Yankovic for information about the White American performer "Weird Al" Yankovic, Here's a quote from his Wikipedia page: "Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic...born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing comedy songs that often parody specific songs by contemporary musicians."...
-end of quote-
"I Believe I Can Fly" parodies certainly seems like something "Weird Al" Yankovic would have done, but they aren't part of his body of work. Also, creating parodies of existing songs is part of African American music traditions, although that custom doesn't appear to have been formally studied that much.

**
40. "I’m from the south so I’m sure that’s why it’s different 😂"
-XennialDee (Creator of that video), 6-30-30

**
Reply
41. lol once I heard your lyrics I knew you were from the south"
-letticia church, 6-30-2025

**
42. "It was our anthem if you grew up in the 90s"
-shane, 6-30-2025

**
43.  "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 and the radio djs in Chicago didn't make it no better!"
-blackmajesity,7-1-2025

**
44. "Crazy how all the kids are all over the United States knew the remix but not each other 😂😂"
-Lorraine Thomas, 7-1- 2025

**
45. "even city had their own version 😂"
-Simply_Jay29, 7-1-2025
-snip-
"Even" is probably a typo for the word "every".

**
46.. "😂😂😂 What about the Barney song we remixed 😂"
-Q Crockett, 7-1-2025

**
47. "💀💀💀I needed this bc we had some remixes for days. I forgot all about this"
-Queen, 7-1-2025

**
48. "collectively too. like everyone just knew. no YouTube or tiktok lol... solid 90s"
-TheeTrishaMilitia, 7-1-2025

****

Source #2
Selected comments from
https://www.facebook.com/rezzybop/posts/remember-in-elementary-when-kids-would-sing-i-believe-i-can-fly-i-just-got-shot-/10171582782720504/ "Remember When Kids Used To Sing I Believe I Can Fly I Got Shot By The FBI, June 2025

1. CashFkowManifessto
@WhoDatBoi_Mall, June 2025
"Yall remember as kids we used to remix R&B songs like I Believe I Can Fly, I got S[blood emoji] by the FBI.  These  remixes spread all around the country. We was going viral way before social media 80s/90s babies know." 

**
2. DARWAV, June 2025
"All I wanted was some chicken wings 😩Childhood memory unlocked 😭 I often wonder how did stuff like this spread across the country before social media 🤔 …. Who came up with this stuff and how did we all hear about it state to state 🤧"

**
3. Vanessa Bachelor, June 2023
"Wow and all these versions SLAAP

What a time to be alive! No social media but collectively had the first part down."

**
4. Eva Spivey, June 2023
"Even more impressive is that this spread without social media"

**
5. Micheala N Yates, June 2025

"To go with my collard greensssss 🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

when the radio use to be cracking. They use to remix everything and they were great"
-snip-
The word "they" in this comment refers to Black American radio deejays [in the 1980s and 1990s.].

**
6. Courtney Morgenroth, June 2025
"And we had No Internet back then!!! So how the heck did we all know this!!!"

**
7.  Richard Nwabuzor, June 2025
"They went viral due to radio & TV"
-snip-
"They" in this comment refers to the song parodies.

**
8. SaBērah Sa'Birah, June 2025
"Used to be on the radio shows 🤣"
-snip-
This comment refers to the song parodies.

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

"I Believe I Can Fly" Parodies (Comments From The 2013 Pancocojams Post On These Children's Parodies)

Edited by Azizi Powell 

Latest revision - April 2, 2026

This pancocojams post presents some information about R&B singer R. Kelly's hit 1996 Rhythm & Blues song "I Believe I Can Fly". 

In addition, this post archives comments from the discussion thread of the 2013 pancocojams post "Children's Parodies Of "I Believe I Can Fly" (text & video examples)"

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/childrens-parodies-of-i-believe-i-can_2.html

These comments are from March 28, 2014 - November 29, 2025. 

New comments that are added to that 2012 post will also be added to this post. Commenters are also welcome to add examples and/or other comments to this 2025 post. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/archived-links-for-pancocojams-posts.html for a hyperlinked archive of pancocojams posts on "I Believe I Can Fly" children's parodies.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITORS NOTE REGARDING R. KELLY

This post and other pancocojams posts on parodies of R.Kelly's inspirational Rhythm & Blues song "I Believe I Can Fly" should not be taken as disregarding or condoning R. Kelly's actions apart from his musical compositions and musical performances.

Here's an excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Kelly
"Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with prolific commercial success in R&B, hip hop, and pop music recordings,

[...]

On November 26, 1996, Kelly released "I Believe I Can Fly", an inspirational song originally released on the soundtrack for the film Space Jam. "I Believe I Can Fly" reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 on the UK charts for three weeks and won three Grammy Awards in 1998.[36][47] I

[...]

Kelly is considered to be one of the most successful R&B artists since the mid-1980s.[123] He is also one of the bestselling music artists in the United States, with over 30 million albums sold, as well as only the fifth black artist to enter the top 50 of the same list.[11] Rolling Stone magazine called him "arguably the most important R&B figure of the 1990s and 2000s".[179] Billboard, ranking him the 9th greatest R&B artist of all time, said "from a purely musical perspective, there’s no denying that Kelly is one of the best contemporary R&B artists to ever pick up a microphone."[180] Music executive Barry Weiss described Kelly as "the modern-day Prince, although there's a bit of Marvin Gaye in him, and a bit of Irving Berlin".[181] R. Kelly has also been compared to artists like Sam Cooke and Bobby Brown.[181][182]

In addition to his solo and collaboration success, Kelly has also written and produced several hit songs, such as "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" for Aaliyah, "Fortunate" for Maxwell, "You Are Not Alone" for Michael Jackson, "G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T." for Changing Faces, "Bump, Bump, Bump" for B2K, and many more.

Following leaked video recordings, Kelly was prosecuted on child pornography charges in 2002,[189] leading to a controversial trial that ended with his acquittal in 2008 on all charges.[190] The 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly reexamined Kelly's alleged sexual misconduct with minors, prompting RCA Records to terminate his contract[191] and resulted in additional investigations by law enforcement beginning in 2019.[192] This culminated in a 2021 conviction for violations of the Mann Act and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and a 2022 conviction for production of child pornography. As of 2023, he is serving a 31-year combined sentence at FCI Butner Medium I.

[...]

Other than the federal sex abuse cases, Kelly has been involved in several high-profile criminal cases and lawsuits."... 

****
INFORMATION ABOUT R KELLY'S SONG "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Believe_I_Can_Fly
" "I Believe I Can Fly" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer R. Kelly from the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. It was originally released on November 26, 1996, and was later included on Kelly's 1998 album R. In early 1997, "I Believe I Can Fly" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the number-one spot of the Billboard R&B Singles Chart and remained there for six non-consecutive weeks. Internationally, "I Believe I Can Fly" topped the charts in eight countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The song received five nominations at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, winning Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Song Written for Visual Media, while losing Song of the Year and Record of the Year. It was ranked number 406 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004."...
-snip-
The children's parodies to "I Believe I Can Fly" have the same title/line as the original son or have a tweak of that title (such as "I believe I can die"). Some of these children's parodies also include the line from the original #&B song "I believe I can soar"

It's also significant that the children's parodies that I have heard offline and the online examples that I've hear sung all have basically the same tune and basically the same tempo that R. Kelly used for his recording of that song. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-9KCDxBpT4 for a 1998 YouTube song file of R Kelly -"I Believe I Can Fly". 

"I Believe I Can Fly" parodies aren't children's game songs. The singers don't do any accompanying movements (including no individual or group hand claps) while they sing that song.

****
WHAT DOES THE WORD "PARODY" MEAN?
Here's a definition from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parody

"a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule

wrote a hilarious parody of a popular song"

****
COMMENTS FROM THE PANCOCOJAMS POST "CHILDREN'S PARODIES OF "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY"
These are all of the visitor comments from the discussion thread for the 2013 pancocojams post "Children's Parodies Of "I Believe I Can Fly" (text & video examples). As of April 1, 2026  that 2013 pancocojams post has over 90,000 views (not including my views). That number of views is very high for this small blog. 

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/childrens-parodies-of-i-believe-i-can_2.html

These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only. They are presented in chronological order from the oldest comment on, except for replies. 

This compilation doesn't include my "thank you" replies,  my replies requesting demographical information from those commenters, or my comments that provide some information about R. Kelly's song "I Believe I Can Fly", information about children's parodies in general, or other subjects.

All of these comments are presented "as is" (with no spelling corrections).
 

1. Rabia, March 28, 2014
"i learned a version that goes, "i believe i can die, i got shot by the fbi, my momma hit me with a chicken wing, all the way to burger king." and that was it lol"

****
2. Anonymous, September 10, 2014
"I've always wondered at the origin of this parody, but today was the first time I thought "Hey, let's look this up on the internet!" Whenever I think back to my childhood, I think it's bizarre the type of songs we were singing--some of them were dirty and some violent. I remember we used to sing these songs on the bus to school or waiting around the bus stop. I'm guessing I first heard it during 1998-2000 because that's about when I started kindergarten. And I know it was before 2001 because I lived in Germany on an Air Force base at the time when I sang it, and when I moved to the states in 2001, no one was singing it anymore. My version was lengthier than most, though I can't remember it all. It went something like "I believe I can die, I got shot by the FBI, all I wanted was a chicken wing that they sold at Burger King, I believe I can die..." and that's all I remember exactly, but I know the rest of the verses just deteriorated into more violence. There was bleeding and maybe rushing through a hospital door? I've never actually asked any of my friends who grew up in America whether or not they've heard it/used to sing it. No one has mentioned it to me since before 2001. I thought it was tons of fun to sing and sometimes we'd change the lyrics to make it more violent (I think?). There were no hand claps or movement activities. We just belted it at the top of our lungs on the bus. I think there was a need to sing it as loud as possible and the dirtiest or most violent possible. Also, I remember thinking one of the older kids had taught it to some of the younger ones. That's all I got. I'll be back if I think of more lyrics.

****
3. Anonymous, September 24, 2014
"Hi, same Anonymous here again. I actually learned the parody at an American Air Force base in western Germany. I am white and a woman. And I know for certain there were other non-Black children singing it as well--pretty much the whole bus knew the song.

Also, I think we all sang the one chorus, but people would try to continue it with more violent images, not graphically violent, but akin to the "shot by the FBI" line. None of the song was dirty though."

****
4. Anonymous, December 9, 2014
"Lol I used to sing

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I only wanted a chicken wing but I got shot in the dingling"

****
5. Kylie, December 9, 2014 
"Great!"

****
Reply
6. Anonymous, July 17, 2025
"That's the version I sang mid 90s in MN"

**
7. hi, May 15, 2015
"In third grade, i heard some kids singing this...

I believe i can die
I just got shot by the FBI
all i wanted was a chicken wing.
how did i end up in burger king?
my mom hit me with a frying pan...
so i hit her back with 3 trashcans
thats how she ended up in the hospital....
and how i got this popsicle"

****
8. Unknown, June 22, 2015
"My son told me this one today from his school.

I believe I can die
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing
Then I got shot in the ding-a-ling"

****
Reply
9. Anonymous, January 27, 2017 
"thats a weird song"

****
Reply
10. AnonymousJanuary 27, 2017
"my version goes like this: i belive i can fly i got shocked by the F.B.I all i wanted was a burger from burger king and a wing from wing stop"
-snip-
I'm going to suspend my rule not to comment by adding that this commenter (#10) published this comment 3 seconds after the comment given as #9. That indicates to me that these commenters are the same person. 

****
11. Anonymous, September 12, 2015
"the ones that came up in my school were i belive i can fly i got shot by the fbi all i wanted was a bag of chips but thats all i remember it was more from 2005-2007"

****
12. Anonymous,January 14, 2017
"Yep, I know this is old but it was "but I got shot in the dangly bits", haha!"
-snip-
[Editorial comment from Azizi Powell]
Here I am again with exception to my rule about not adding any editorial comments. But I want to clarify that #12 comment was in reply to my guess that one of the lines that commenter didn't remember was a line that ended with a word that rhymes with "chips" 

****
13.Anonymous, May 28, 2016
"My niece was telling me this recently. It's simular to what I heard growing up but it's half of what the full version is, considering it was made into a full song that we used to sing on the bus.

I believe I can fly but I got shot by the FBI all I wanted was a chicken wing from Burger King but I got kicked out of Burger King because they don't have any chicken wings.

The rest I don't remember."

****
14. Cait, August 15, 2016
"My version from my school was:

"I believe I can fly,
I got shot by the FBI,
All I wanted was some chicken wings,
Mashed potatoes and collard greens.
I believe I can soar,
See me running through that grocery store..."

****
15. Anonymous, October 16, 2016
"Our principal circa 1993 loved i beleive i can fly and played it at all our assemblies. But, We kids used to sing

I believe I'm a fly
Don't squash me or I'll die...

 

I can't recall the rest"

****
16. Anonymous, January 27, 2017
"my version is like this:i belive i can fly got shocked by the F.B.I all i wanted was a burger from burger king and a wing from wing stop (the song ends there) when i sung it for the first time to my friends it got stuck in everyones head"

****
17. Anonymous, March 31, 2017
"Chorus:

I believe I can fly,

Verse:

I got shot by the FBI...
All I wanted was a bag of chips,
Instead I got blown to bits...

 

Sing chorus. Sing verse. Sing chorus x2, while gradually fading."

****
18. Anonymous, April 16, 2017
"The only one I have ever heard was "I believe I can fly I believe I can touch the sky all I wanted was a Popsicle but I ended up in the hospital I believe I can fly" "

****
19. Unknown, May 8, 2017
"this is my version: i belive i can fly i got shot by the fbi all i wanted was some some burger king but instead she gave me chicken wings"

****
20. Anonymous, June 19, 2017
"Children today still sing this song... I cannot believe this. I remember this as a kindergartner in 1998, and as a substitute teacher today, the kids were singing this in a 3rd grade classroom.

I had wondered how we all knew this song as kids, universally across the nation, but today was the first time I looked it up, after 20 years knowing it...."

****
21. Sophia, June 22, 2017
"The one I'm used to is:

I believe I can fly!
I got caught by the FBI!
All I wanted was a chicken wing!
Then they hit me in the ding-a-ling

I believed I could soar!
Then my face hit the flo-o-oar!

I believed I could fly!
I also happen to be able to die!

I can't fly!

****
22. Anonymous, October 31, 2017
"Surprised to realize that the version I learned is actually rather unusual. The melody is corrupted to have two extra lines, which I always assumed was normal for the parody. Worth sharing, anyway.

I believe I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
I got shot in the eye
I fell down from the sky
All I wanted was a chicken wing
From A&W or Burger King"

 sharing that example of "I Believe I Can Fly".

****
23.Sara burns, December 29, 2017
"Wow it is so amazing to read all the variations! This has been stuck in my head all day. I am from the youngstown. Ohio area and I remember singing this in elementary school from 2001 to 2004

“I believe I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing
But instead I got collard greens” "

****
24. Jess, July 1, 2018
"Hello! Version we sung ~98-2000 in my elementary school:

 
"I believe I can fly.
I got shot by the FBI.
All I wanted was a chicken wing.
Some 99 cent burger kingg"

 

This is fascinating how far this little jingle spread and how it is STILL being sung. But only by elementary school kids lol"

****
25. kyle allison, December 26, 2018
"I grew up in the west suburbs of Chicago in the 90s. I remember learning this parody, probably from my older siblings because I was not yet in school. I'm white, but we lived in a fairly diverse suburb. this would have been prior to the summer of 1997 which is when we moved to a much whiter suburb. all I recall is the opening stanza:

"I believe I can fly, I got shot by the fbi, all I wanted was a chicken wing, from McDonald's or Burger King" "

****
26. Anonymous, February 15, 2019
"I believe I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing,
Some watermelon and some collard greens..."

****
27. Anonymous, March 9, 2019
"I recall the version we had(DFW-area Texas, early 00's) was

I believe I can die
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was some chicken wings,
Mashed taters and onion rings
I believe I can soar
Right through that closed door
I believe I can die"

****
28. UnknownMarch 27, 2019
"Heres one. I believe i can fly I got shot by the FBI all I wanted was a chicken wing from the old burnt down burger king I believe i can soar i got whipped at the grocery store I believe I can glide i fell off a giant water slide i fell off of it very fast and then i died on impact i believe i can fly i really like to make pie but every time i make a pie they would just always die. Oof sorry I know it sucks lol"

****
29. Unknown, April 27, 2019
"I made one my self

I believe I can fly, I got caught by the fbi all I wanted was a chicken wing 5 potato's and chedder cheese"

****
30. fodjg;ajtoiwejto, June 4, 2019
"I belive I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing
from the down town burger king

I belive I can fly
I almost can touch the sky
I hit my mom with a frying pan
She got me back with the minivan

I belive I can fly
I go shot by the FBI
I went to the Superbowl
I got kicked in the A**H**l
I belive I can fly

I still believe I can fly
I got caught by the Soda Guy
All I wanted was a Mountain Dew
He shot me with his 42

I belive I can fly
I got shot by the F.B.I
All I wanted was some chicken wings
and a little bit of collad greens
I ran though a open door
I got killed by Norse God Thor

I don't think I can fly
I already got shot by the FBI
I didn't get dem chicken wings

That sucks

I'm dead"

 ****
31.UnknownJuly 21, 2019
"Ive never done any of those. Most lines are the same. I'm originally from Pittsburgh, Pa ours was;

I believe I can fly
I think I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was that chicken wing
So I could do that flying thing
I believe I can soar
They see me crawling through that open door
Dragging my A$$ across the floor
I believed I could fly
No thanks to the FBI
I believed.. . I could fly.

Kinda depressing actually xD"

****
32. Anonymous, October 21, 2020
"I remember the version we sang in my Baptist elementary school went something like

"I believe I can die
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing
all I got was some refried beans"

****
33. Anonymous, October 21, 2020
"Oh, and this was South Texas. Victoria."

****
34. Into the UNKNOWN, February 8, 2021
"I believe I can die

I was shot by the F.B.I

All I wanted was a chicken wing

But in my food I got a shinny ring

It hurt my belly but I went to pee

I believe I can soar

they shot me at the entry of the Burger King door

I believe I can die

I believe can die

I believe

I believe

I believe"

****
35. Unknown, March 15, 2021
"I belive i can fly!

i got shot by the pepsie

guy all i wanted was a mounten dew

and he shot me eith his.22"

****
36. Anonymous, April 3, 2021
"When I was a kid, we sang:

I believe I can fly
I got caught by the fbi
All I wanted was some chicken wings
Hot tamales and some onion rings
I believe I can soar
You see me rollin on that dirty floor
I believe I can cry
I believe I can try
I believe I will pry"

****
37. Anonymous, June 16, 2022
"The version I used to sing as a kid was:

I believe I can fly
My mama shot me in my lip and eye
All I wanted was a chicken wing
She got me eatin’ some collard greens
I believe I can soar
Kick yo butt through that open door
Now the song is over
Now we drinking some (co-put-cher??)

 

Childhood was a weird time, man💀"

****
37. Josh, November 7, 2022
"I believe I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing

Instead I got shot in my private thing (ding a ling?)

 

'96-99

Bridgeport/Stratford CT

I am white, there was an African American majority in the community. Sung at elementary school. 3rd-6th grade."

****
38. Anonymous, June 15, 2023
"I am 32, born in 1990, grew up in Munhall/Homestead near The Waterfront and yeah.. i was 7 or so at a friends house and we would sing that all the time "gollard greens to go with my chicken wings"... didnt know until today the original song was R Kelly.. thats more frightening than the parodies.."
-snip-
"Munhall"/"Homestead" are two communities that are located close to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Waterfront is a mall (shops, restaurants, housing, and entertainment complex) in the city of Homestead.

Anonymous' statement "that's more frightening than the parodies" probably refers to the fact that R. Kelly is serving time in prison for racketeering, sex trafficking, and producing child pornography.

****

39. Anonymous, December 29, 2025 
Born in 1991 in Oregon. My friends and I sang this version all the time in 2nd-3rd grade probably:

I believe I can die

I got shot by the FBI

All I wanted was a chicken wing

At the local Burger King

I believe I can die

I got ran over by the ice cream guy

All I wanted was a popsicle

But wound up in the hospital

I believe I can die

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Comparisons Between United States Versions & Jamaican Versions Of Children's Parodies Of "I Believe I Can Fly, I Got Shot By The FBI"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision: April 1, 2026

This pancocojams post features some examples of children's parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" (I Got Shot By The FBI") from the United States and from Jamaica.

Information about R. Kelly's 1996 pop/R&B song "I Believe I Can Fly" is included in this post along with my analysis of some differences between the United States versions of these rhymes and the Jamaican versions of these rhymes.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to R. Kelly for composing the song "I Believe I Can Fly". Thanks also to those who contributed examples and/or videos that are featured in this post.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/childrens-parodies-of-i-believe-i-can_2.html for a 2013 pancocojams post entitled Children's Parodies Of "I Believe I Can Fly" (text & video examples)

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/archived-links-for-pancocojams-posts.html for a hyperlinked archive of pancocojams posts on "I Believe I Can Fly" children's parodies.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY"
"I Believe I Can Fly" is a 1996 song written, produced and performed by American singer R. Kelly, from the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. It was originally released on November 26, 1996, and was later included on Kelly's 1998 album R.

In early 1997, "I Believe I Can Fly" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100; it was kept from the number one spot by Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart". Although Kelly has had two number one songs on the pop chart, "I Believe I Can Fly" is his most successful single. It reached the number-one spot of the Billboard R&B Singles Chart and remained there for six non-consecutive weeks, keeping "Un-Break My Heart" from the top position of that chart for four of those weeks. "I Believe I Can Fly" also topped the charts in eight countries (including the United Kingdom), has won three Grammy Awards, and was ranked number 406 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. The music video was directed by Kelly with Hype Williams.[1]

[...]

Parodies
In the 1999 episode "The Best of Both Worlds" of the animated TV series KaBlam!, in the Life with Loopy segment, the song was spoofed as "I (Don't) Believe I Can Fly."

In 2013, the song was parodied by sports radio show Tim & Sid, spoofing the song as "I Believe in Masai", in reference to Toronto Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri.

In 2016, the song was parodied as "I'm Convinced I Can Swim" by "Art Smelly" from the soundtrack to the hit film Earth Jelly in an episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."...
-snip-
"I Believe I Can Fly" children's parodies are based on the chorus of R. Kelly's 1996 song:
[Chorus]
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

Source: https://genius.com/R-kelly-i-believe-i-can-fly-lyrics

****
EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN'S PARODIES OF "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY" FROM THE UNITED STATES
Excerpt for Example #1, these examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Example #1:
I believe I can fly.
I got chased by the FBI. (or less often "I'm being chased by the FBI").
It's all because of those collards greens
that I ate with those chicken wings.
I believe I can fly.**
See me running through that open door.
I believe I can fly.
I believe I can fly.
-African American boys & girls (ages 7-12), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, 1999
-snip-
This example is the first time that I heard of any parody version of "I Believe I Can Fly". I collected this version during a cultural presentation that I conducted in 1999 at a children's recreation center in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a prelude to my presentation of traditional, adapted traditional, and contemporary African American game songs and cheers I asked the children in attendance what game songs they like to sing or play. Parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" was the most popular song that was mentioned and the most enthusiastically sung by boys and girls in attendance of these cultural sessions in various (mostly Black) Pittsburgh neighborhoods from 1999 to about 2003.

The parodies I heard in Pittsburgh were always the same as or very similar to the one given above. All of those examples had the same tune and tempo as the chorus to R. Kelly's record*. No body movements such as individual hand clapping, partner hand clap routines, jumping, or dancing accompanied the singing of these parodies.

I never learned how these parodies became so widely known among these children. They just said they made it up or they learned it from hearing other children sing it.

*Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQn8pab8Vc for the official YouTube video of
R Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly".

**Added October 4, 2018:
In a number of "I Believe I Can Fly" children's parodies this line is given as "I believe I can soar". The word "soar" rhymes with the word "door" in the subsequent line in this example and in many other examples. However, the boys and girls in this group (and some others) may not have known the word "soar" and therefore repeated the line "I believe I can fly".

**
Example #2:

I believe can fly I got shot by the fbi



mari, Published on Jun 25, 2014

Mari and mike
-snip-
[Here's my transcription of this video, written in poetry/song line format instead of the paragraph form that is used most of the time for online comments]

"I believe I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted is some chicken wings, cornbread, and collard greens
I believe I can soar
I got a whoopin at the grocery store
I told my daddy I can't take no more
I got shot by the FBI"

**
Example #3:
"I believe I can fly, got shot by the FBI, all I wanted was a bag of chips, then they shot off my dangling bits..."
-Daniela Lopez, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak [video given above]

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Example #4:
"@Daniela Lopez When I was 5 it was, I believe i can fly, i got shot by the FBI, all i wanted was a bag of chips, then hit my sister in the bits
-IA Gaming, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak [video given above]

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Example #5
"I believe I can fly I got shot by the FBI all I wanted was some Burger King but instead they gave me chicken wings I believe I can soar got a whoopin at the grocery store I told my daddy I can't take it no more I got shot by the FBI"
-Gavin Walsh, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak [video given above]

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Example #6:
"I believe I can fly, I got shot by the FBI, All I wanted was a chicken wing, From McDonald's or Burger King, I still believe I can fly, I got caught by the Pepsi Guy, All I wanted was a Mountain Dew, Then he shot me with his 42, I'll always believe I can fly, Until the day I die, A clown hit me with a pie, After I told him to go die, I believe I could soar, I got killed by a open door, All I needed was 20 cents, For a package of Junior Mints.

That's the version I like!!"
-fireland47, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUxEagMd8m0

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Example #7:
"I believe I can fly, then I got shot by the FBI, all I wanted was a chicken wing, from KFC or Burger King. I believe I can soar, then I got hit with the kitchen door.

I love how everyone has their own special versions :)))"
-King Melik's Broadcast, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUxEagMd8m0

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Example #8:
"I believe I can fly I got shot by the pizza guy all I wanted was some onion rings or some mc Donald’s or Burger King I believe I can sore my mamma slapped me at the grocery store even though I was 34"
-FAKEJAKEPAUL TEAM 10, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUxEagMd8m0

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Example #9:
"The version we sang was I believe I can die. Got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some chicken wings. Some corn bread and some collard greens. I believe I can sore. Got a beaten in the grocery store."
-Purple Capricorn, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUxEagMd8m0

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Example #10:
"real version: I believe I can fly I got shot by the FBI all I wanted was a chicken wing cornbread and collard greens I believe I can soar I got hit by the kitchen door
-Angela Evans, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUxEagMd8m0

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Example #11:
"I learned it like this ~ I believe I can fly, I got shot by the FBI, all I wanted was a chicken wing; from McDonalds and Burger King. I ended up in the hospital. And all they gave me was a popsicle. I looked beside me in the garbage can, and inside there was a naked man."
-jasmine chan, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak

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Example #12:
This is how I learned it. I believe I can fly, I got shot down by the FBI all i wanted was a chicken wingggggg, but i didn't get my chicken wing. So i went to burger king I asked for a side of fries, but i didn't get my side of fries. all i wanted was a side of fries, so i blew up burger king yeah yeah i blew up burger king. I believe I can fly i got shot down by the FBI so i went to the hospital all i got was a popsicle and i looked in a garbage can and i saw a naked man. All i wanted was a chicken wing
-MaddieIsVeryBored, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak

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Example #13:
"I believe I can fly I got shot by the FBI all I wanted was some chicken wings from McDonald's or Burger King and hit my mom with the frying pan she hit me back with the minivan i ended up in the hospital then I got a free popsicle 😄😄😄😄😂😂😂"
-Shanielia Williams, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak

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Example #14:
"I made another version that's way better than guys I believe I could fly I got shot by the FBI all I was trying to do is playing my PS4 but my mom came screaming at my door"
-these pistolsonly aQ, 2018
-snip-
Ps4 = Sony PlayStation 4 Slim [video game console]

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Example #15:
i believe i can fly got shot by the fbi, all i wanted was a chicken wing, but then they shot me in the dingaling.iwent to the hostpital, and they replaced it with a popcicle, i got hit by a metal door, and that hurt so much more.
Source(s):
boys in my classes still sing it
-Myra L, 2009, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090624005743AAxbczS


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Example #16:
"I believe I can fly. I got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was a chicken wing, mashed potatoes and collard greens. I believe I can soar. My momma beat me at the grocery store. I believe I can fly. I believe I can fly. 🦅
-Sandy Rivera, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQn8pab8Vc [official video of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly"]

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Example #17:
"I believe I can Fly, I got shot by the FBI,My Mom hit me with a frying pan, I hit her with a trash Can, I believe I can fly
-Marsh VEVO, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQn8pab8Vc [official video of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly"]

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Example #18:
I Believe I can fly I got shot by an fbi all a wanted was a chicken wing a cross the street from Burger King I believe I can fly I believe I can fly
-Yanelba Reyes, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQn8pab8Vc [official video of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly"]

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Example #19:
"I believe I can fly,
Got shot by the pizza guy,
All I wanted was some onion rings,
From McDonald's or Burger King,
I believe I can soar,
My mom slapped me in the grocery store,
Even though I'm 24,
I still got an imaginary dinosaur"
-itznajah, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQn8pab8Vc [official video of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly"

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Example #20:
"I believe i can fly
I got shot by the fbi
All i wanted was a chicken wing
So i blew up burger king
I believe i can soar
I got hit by an apple cooooore
I hit my dog with a frying pan
He hit me back with a mini-vaaaaaaaaan!"
-snoopdawgproductions, Published on Nov 8, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYlVpjke9Vs

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EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN'S PARODIES OF "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY" FROM JAMAICA
Example #1
"I know this: I believe i can fly I believe i can touch the sky i been shot by an fbi but the fbi never had a gun so he shot me with a easter bun but easter bun never had no cheese so he shot me with a gung peas gung peas never have no seed so he shot me with a mango seed mango seed never have no hair so he shot me with beer but beer never have cork so he shot me a bobocloth"
Tyrone Sings13, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak [video given above]
-snip-
Here's some information about Jamaica's Easter buns from https://jamdownfoodie.com/jamaican-easter-bun/
"Jamaica is a primarily Christian nation and all Christian holidays are held sacred there. Easter is no exception and the observance of Easter starts as early as Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent and generally, people decide to give up one indulgence during this time. Many people choose to give up eating red meat and chicken and stick with eating fish and seafood. At the end of Lent, which is marked by Good Friday, people begin the feast of Easter with a spiced bread dubbed Easter Bun and fried fish. The bread is a sweet bread that is studded with dried fruit and heavily spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. It is traditionally eaten with Jamaican processed cheese but it is also very delicious with mild aged cheddar cheese."...

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Example #2
"i believe i can fly i got shot by an FBI the fbi never have nuh gun so him shot me with a easter bun the easter bun never i have nuh cheese so shot me with a gungo peas the gungo peas never have nuh seed so him shot me with a mango seed the mango seed never have nuh hair so him shot me with a red strip beer the red strip never have nuh cork so him shot with a bomboclat
-Faith, 2013, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090624005743AAxbczS

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Example #3
"Jamaican version: I believe I can fly I got shot by a FBI ,FBI never have no gun so he shot me with a easter bun ,easter bun never have no cheese so them shot me with a red stripe bear,red stripe bear never have no cark so them shot me with a ......etc.

Hot_Adhesiveness_846, 2023, 

https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/jy6ghl/i_believe_i_can_fly_i_got_shot_by_the_fbi_all_i/

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NOTES ABOUT SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOME UNITED STATES AND SOME JAMAICAN EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN'S PARODIES OF "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY"

UNITED STATES VERSIONS:
The Wikipedia page for the song "I Believe I Can Fly" that I read on October 3, 2018 and the version of that page that I read in April 1, 2026 have a section on parodies of this song. However, neither of these versions of that page mention the apparently widespread and long lasting (since 1999) custom among boys and girls in the United States and elsewhere of singing parodies that they made up or heard elsewhere of this song.

The earliest children's parodies of R. Kelly's song "I Believe I Can Fly" that I heard is from 1999. [Example #1 above]. Numerous versions of these children's parodies are found online, particularly in discussion threads for YouTube videos of R. Kelly's song or in YouTube discussion threads of children singing those parodies. [Note that after February 2019, YouTube instituted a policy of disallowing comments on YouTube discussion threads for children's videos.]

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This 2018 YouTube comment documents that some children in the United States were still reciting parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" in 2018:
* "Ya it's still a huge parody in my school"
-krista lime, October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQn8pab8Vc [from the discussion thread for R Kelly’s official YouTube video of "I Believe I Can Fly"]

I'm interested in knowing whether children in the USA, in Jamaica, and elsewhere still sing/recite parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" in the 2020s. Please share any information about this in the discussion section for this post. Thanks in advance!

**
I heard boys and girls ages 5 to 12 years old sing these songs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (from 1999 to around 2003). I have also seen videos of children reciting these examples and commenters mention that they remember reciting these examples in school or write that they are still reciting these parodies in school.

That said, it's also possible that children began to sing these parodies after hearing them or similar parodies that were sung by adults (for instance, children may have heard a parody of that song "in the 1999 episode "The Best of Both Worlds" of the animated TV series KaBlam!, in the Life with Loopy segment, the song was spoofed as "I (Don't) Believe I Can Fly." [as indicated in the Wikipedia article that is cited above). I haven't found a transcript of that segment, but note that no children's versions that I've heard or found online have the line "I don't believe I can fly". Also, in probable contrast to that 1999 television spoof, almost all of the children's parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" feature "FBI" as the rhyme for the word "fly".

**
The usual format for these United States children's versions of "I Believe I Can Fly" appears to consist of a series of two line verses with the last word in the first line of each verse rhyming with the last word of the second line. However, the format that is used for Example #12 given above is the same as the format that is used for the two Jamaican examples given below.

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None of the children's parodies of this song that I've heard or found online have the inspirational message that is found in R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" song.

**
Almost all of the children's parody examples refer to being shot by the FBI" (Federal Bureau of Investigation). The referent "FBI" rhymes with the word "fly". (Note that the older referent for FBI agents "G men" isn't used in any of these examples). However, by at least 2009, I've read a few references online in examples of these rhyme parodies to being shot by "the pizza guy" or "the grocery guy" instead of "the FBI".

**
A number of United States versions of children's parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" include references to dishes that are considered "soul food" (African American associated food): chicken wings, cornbread, and collard greens. These references don't necessarily mean that these parodies originally were composed by African Americans as they could have easily been composed by a non-African American spoofing African American cultural traditions.

**
United States versions of children's parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" contain a number of references to the widely known fast food restaurants Burger King, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), and McDonalds.

**
United States versions of children's parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" are much more violent now (in 2018) than they were in 1999. In addition to being shot by the fbi, children sing about getting a whooping (beating) from their mother or their father, being hit by their mother a frying pan or a trash can, and hitting her back, slapped by an open door, blew up Burger King, got hit by a minivan etc.

**
At some point (date?) examples of United States versions of children's parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" started to include the sexual referents "dangling bits", hot me in the dingaling, a "naked man in a trash can.

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JAMAICAN VERSIONS
I came across the Example of a Jamaican children's version of "I Believe I Can Fly" given as Example #1 in the Jamaican section above in the discussion thread for the video that is given as Example #1 above. I was surprised to read this version as I didn't know that parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly" were recited in Jamaica. After finding that example, I searched online for additional Jamaican or Caribbean examples of this parody and found one other example (given as Example #2 in the Jamaican section above.

Here's the only comment that was written in reply to Example #1:
"Tyrone Sings what u make no sense at all 😂😂🚹"
-Jeremiah Grant, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak [video given above]

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The reason why Tyrone Sing13's version probably makes no sense to most people in the United States is that it is full of cultural referents from Jamaica that aren't known to people from the United States.

Here's the comment that I wrote on October 1, 2018 in response to Jeremiah Grant's comment
"+Jeremiah Grant, actually Tyrone Sings13 's example does make sense from a Jamaican (and possibly other Caribbean) standpoint. References to "easter buns" are found on various websites, including one that notes that "The Jamaican Spice Bun is eaten year-round however it is a must with cheese have during the Easter season.". "Gung peas" = "gungo peas", also known as "pigeon peas", "mango seeds" are self explanatory. Finally, I think it's likely that Trone Sings13 meant to write "so he shot me with a bobocloth". The probable meaning for "bobocloth" (more often also given as "bloodcloth" and a "bombocloth") is the cloths that were used before the invention of "maxi pads" and "tampons".

As a self-described community folklorist whose particularly interested in Black children's rhymes and cheers, I'm curious if kids or teens in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean sing this parody or other "I believe I can fly" parodies and if so, when they started doing so."

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The three Jamaican examples of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that I found use what I call a "trading rhymes" format.

Here's an excerpt from a pancocojams post about trading rhymes http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/10/childrens-trading-rhymes-such-as-hush.html:
"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

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Probably the most widely known example of "trading rhymes" in the United States 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.

The trading rhyme format that these Jamaican examples use is in contrast to every United States example of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that I've found except for Example #12 above.

Also, in contrast to the United States versions of these parodies, some lines of the Jamaican versions of "I Believe I Can Fly" don't rhyme. Also, the three Jamaican examples that I've come across aren't as violent as some of the United States examples. However, the inclusion of the word "bombocloth" ("bobocloth") in the Jamaican versions make those examples more gross than their United States counterparts.

Please share any examples of these children's parodies that you know along with demographic information (where- city/state in the USA or the nation & city outside of the USA; when (decade or year, and who (gender/s and ages that you first sung or chanted this rhyme. I'm also interested in knowing if you sung this song with any physical activity such as jumping rope or doing hand claps. Thanks in advance for sharing this information for the folkloric and cultural record.
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