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Showing posts with label What will we do with the baby-o song. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What will we do with the baby-o song. Show all posts

Friday, October 21, 2022

(Old Time Music Song) "Sugar In My Coffee-O" (sound files, information, & lyrics)


BBYMRLCCOTN, Jan 15, 2010
-snip-
Here's information about Fiddlin'" John Carson from 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlin%27_John_Carson 
"Fiddlin'" John Carson (March 23, 1868 – December 11, 1949) was an American old-time fiddler and singer who recorded what is widely considered to be the first country music song featuring vocals and lyrics

**** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post showcases two YouTube sound files of the old time music songs that are related to the song that is known as "Sugar In My Coffee-O". Some information and comments about and lyrics for songs entitled "Sugar In My Coffee-O" and some related songs are also included in this pancocojams post. The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and entertainment purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to the unknown composers and the performers of these songs. Thanks also to all those musicians who are featured on this showcased sound file and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube. -snip- Click for these related pancocojams posts: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/02/1844-old-time-music-minstrel-song-dandy.html "1844 Old Time Music, Minstrel Song) - "Dandy Jim From Caroline" (video, information, comments, & lyrics)" and http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/09/whatll-i-do-with-baby-o-fudge-fudge.html "The Folk Song "What'll I Do With The Baby-O" Is A Source For The Children's Rhyme "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" (also found as "Mama's Having A Baby")"
**** SHOWCASE SOUND FILE #2:
Uncle Dave Macon - Wouldn't Give Me Sugar In My Coffee

Tom Page, Apr 6, 2020 Uncle Dave Macon - Wouldn't Give Me Sugar In My Coffee, 1927 -snip- Here's some information about (White American) Uncle Dave Macon: From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Dave_Macon "David Harrison Macon (October 7, 1870 – March 22, 1952), known professionally as Uncle Dave Macon, was an American old-time banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian. Known as "The Dixie Dewdrop", Macon was known for his chin whiskers, plug hat, gold teeth, and gates-ajar collar, he gained regional fame as a vaudeville performer in the early 1920s before becoming the first star of the Grand Ole Opry in the latter half of the decade.

Macon's music is considered the ultimate bridge between 19th-century American folk and vaudeville music and the phonograph and radio-based music of the early 20th-century."... **** INFORMATION ABOUT THE OLD TIME MUSIC SONGS "SUGAR IN MY COFFEE-O" From http://bluegrassmessengers.com/sugar-in-the-coffee-o--version-7-carson.aspx Sugar in My Coffee-O

..."Old-Time Song and Breakdown, Widely known.

[...]

CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes

DATE: 1843 as “Dandy Jim from Caroline.” First recording as Sugar in My Coffee-O by Crockett's Kentucky Mountaineers, "Sugar in my Coffee" (Crown 3075, c. 1930); First recording as What are You Going To Do With the Baby 1928 by the Hodge Brothers; then Grayson & Whittier in 1929; First recording as Prettiest Little Gal in the County by Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett in 1924. [...]

RELATED TO: Cornstalk Fiddle and a Shoestring Bow; Prettiest Little Girl/Gal in the County-O/Country/World; What'cha Goin' to Do with the Baby; Baby-O; Hell Up Hickory Holler; Who’s Been Here Since I’ve Been Gone?

[...] NOTES: Typical lyrics found in the chorus are “How in the world do the old folks know/That I like sugar in my coffee-o.” Sugar in my Coffee-O is one of a large group of songs that originated from the chorus of Dandy Jim from Caroline:"...

There are three distinct branches of songs that have evolved from Dandy Jim from Caroline. Because they are from the same family the titles and lyrics are interrelated. There are different versions from both black and white sources:

1) The Prettiest Little Girl in the County-O: Includes the titles “Prettiest Little Gal in the Country-O” and “Prettiest Gal in the County-O.” Recorded by Skillet Lickers in 1924.

2) Sugar in my Coffee-O: Includes the titles Sugar in my Coffee/Sugar in my Coffee-O Wouldn't Give Me Sugar in My Coffee/I Like Sugar in my Coffee-O;

3) What’ll We Do With The Baby-O: Titles include “Baby-O.” There are more recordings in this branch.

From Kuntz: Bayard (1981) thinks there is a relationship between Sugar in my Coffee-O and his Pennsylvania-collected sets of "Up Jumped Jinny With Her Shirt Tail Torn" and this tune. The title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954.

African-American collector Thomas Talley, in his book Negro Folk Rhymes (reprinted 1991, edited by Charles Wolfe), prints a song called "Sugar in Coffee" that is related to this song, and predates white recorded versions such as Tennessee's Uncle Dave Macon's ("She Wouldn't Give Me Sugar in My Coffee") and Georgia's Fiddlin' John Carson's ("Little More Sugar in My Coffee").

The “Prettiest Girl in the County-O” tune is similar in its melodic contour to "What're We Gonna Do with the Baby-O" and to “Turkey Buzzard.” R.P. Christeson notes similarity to his “Sugar in the Coffee” (Old Time Fiddler’s Repertory, vol. II, No. 129). "A popular 19th century fiddle and play party tune well remembered by older informants across the South" (Charles Wolfe). Jeff Titon says the tune is generally well known in the South, but not frequently found in the repertoires of Kentucky fiddlers. Alan and Elizabeth Lomax recorded the tune for the Library of Congress from the playing of fiddler George C. Nicholson. See also Thomas Tally’s No. 41. [Kuntz]

Meade shows a relationship with Cornstalk Fiddle and a Shoestring Bow/Who’s Been Here Since I’ve Been Gone?/Pretty Little Girl with the Blue Dress On songs to the "Sugar in Coffee" family of songs. Meade also references “Prettiest Little Girl in the County-O” songs to "Dandy Jim from Caroline."

Since the Skillet Lickers recorded “Prettiest Little Gal in the County-O” in 1924, with the “I like sugar in the coffee-o” lyrics, it seem likely that most of the “Sugar in the Coffee” titles and songs came from that recording. Many of the early country groups would play the same song under a different title to avoid copyright problems. They would also change some of the lyrics."...

****
SOME LYRICS FOR THIS SONG
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only. These numbers don't coincide with their order in the cited discussion threads.

ONLINE EXCERPT #1
From  http://bluegrassmessengers.com/sugar-in-the-coffee-o--version-7-carson.aspx SUGAR IN MY COFFEE- Fiddlin' John Carson
"Fiddlin' John Carson's 'Little More Sugar In The Coffee' [Okeh 45542]

One stanza only. It is repeated with the third line left out and the

last line is repeated in isolation.

Prettiest girl in the country-o
Daddy and mammy both said so
All dolled up in calico
Little more sugar in the coffee

Prettiest girl in the country-o
Daddy and mammy both said so
Little more sugar in the coffee

Little more sugar in the coffee

****
ONLINE EXCERPT #2 
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=40593 Subject: Sugar In My Coffee 
1. From: Stewie, Date: 29 Oct 01 - 08:31 PM
"The Fiddler's Companion entry for this gives the following verses:

SUGAR IN MY COFFEE

Go there once and go no more
If they don't give no sugar in my coffee-o
How in the world's the old folk know
That I'll take sugar in my coffee-o

Sugar's high and sugar's low
But I'll take sugar in my coffee-o
How in the hell's the old folk know
That I'll take sugar in my coffee-o

It refers to versions by Uncle Dave and Fiddlin' John and gives a precursor from Talley's 'Negro Folk Rhymes':

Sheep's in de meader a-mowin' o' de hay
De Honey's in de bee-gum, so dey all say
My head's up an' I'se boun' to go
Who'll take sugar in de coffee-o? (Similar to Uncle Dave Macon's lyric)*

I'se de prettiest liddle gal in de county-o
My mammy an' daddy, dey bofe say so
I looks in de glass, it don't say, "No"
So I'll take sugar in de coffee-o. (Close to John Carson's lyric)*
-snip-
*Pancocojams Editor's Note: Those words in parenthesis aren't part of the song lyrics that are found in the 1922 book Negro Folk Rhymes. That book was edited by Black American university professor and folklorist Thomas W. Talley  (October 9, 1870 – July 14, 1952) 
who collected examples from his memories and from his Black American students. Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_W._Talley for information about Thomas W. Talley. 

**
Here's an explanation about the term "bee-gum" from https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2156 "Sugar in de Coffee-o"
[That website quotes the song lyrics from Talley's Negro Folk Rhymes]

"
Notes: *A bee-gum is a bee-hive. Originally it was specifically a hive found in a hollow log or tree."  

**
2.  Stewie, Date: 21 Jan 03 - 01:52 AM
..."Fiddlin' Ryan,

This is what I hear Uncle Dave singing. The transcription, as always, is open for correction. How does it line up with what you hear?

WOULDN'T GIVE ME SUGAR IN MY COFFEE

Instrumental [banjo] introduction.

[Spoken] Hot dog! People, you know, a gentleman asked me last night what I was doing. I said, 'Well, sir, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I don't do anything'. He says, 'Well, what do you do on Thursday, Friday and Saturday?' I says, 'Why, I rest'. He says, 'You do anything on Sunday?' 'Oh, yes sir, that's my busiest day'. He says, 'What are you doing on Sunday?' I says, 'Getting ready to do nothing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday'. Ha! Ha!

I'll be dogged if I can see,
How my little honey got away from me,
Been there once, I'm going home,
Wouldn't give me sugar in my coffee-o

Just one thing that bothers my mind,
A world full of women and none of 'em mine
Been there once, I'm going home,
Wouldn't give me sugar in my coffee-o

Well try to look for a needle in the sand,
Try to find a woman that's got no man
Been there once, I'm going home,
Wouldn't give me sugar in my coffee-o

Jaybird sitting on a hickory limb,
Picked up brickbat took him on the chin - hi-ho mister don't you do that again,
Brother, you'll kick the bark off a seasoned hickory limb
Been there once, I'm going home,
Wouldn't give me sugar in my coffee-o

Preacher went to Florida, the truth to tell, he went to Miami at a big hotel,
He went to the beach and the bathing was fine,
Sued for divorce in an hour's time
Been there once, I'm going home,
Wouldn't give me sugar in my coffee-o

Never you mind what your mammy say,
Shake your little foot and sail away,
Been there once, I'm going home,
Wouldn't give me sugar in my coffee-o

Source: transcription of Uncle Dave Macon 'Wouldn't Give Me Sugar In My Coffee' recorded on 8 September 1926 and issued as Vocalion 15440 in December 1926 [also as Vocalion 5002 in February 1927]. Reissued on Uncle Dave Macon 'Wait 'Till The Clouds Roll By 1926-1939' Historical LP HLP-8006 [1975].

Fiddlin' John Carson's 'Little More Sugar In The Coffee' [Okeh 45542] is one stanza only. It is repeated with the third line left out and the last line is repeated in isolation.

Prettiest girl in the country-o
Daddy and mammy both said so
All dolled up in calico
Little more sugar in the coffee"

**
3. GUEST,Bob Coltman, Date: 19 May 09 - 03:06 PM
"Hi Stewie, (only 6 years later ... how's that for quick response?)

Some suggested changes:

Chorus: Been there once, I wouldn't go no mo'


That badly mixed up 4th verse is usually something like:

Jaybird sittin' on a hickory limb,
He looked at me and I looked at him,
Picked up a brickbat, hit him on the chin,
Great Godamighty, don't you do that again.

My theory on the hash Uncle Dave makes of it is that the A&R man, or perhaps Uncle Dave himself, decided that divine reference was disrespectful and it caused Uncle Dave to lose track and mess up the verse. He was a pretty good improviser on the spot, but this one tied him in knots."

**
4. Jim Dixon, Date: 20 May 09 - 09:06 PM
"From an article "Some Play-Party Games of the Middle West" by Edwin F. Piper, in The Journal of American Folk-Lore, Vol XXVIII, 1915, page 281:

B.

(Western Iowa, 1900.)

1. First your heel, and then your toe,
And I'll take sugar in my coffee, O.

2. How do you think my mammy knows,
I take sugar in my coffee, O.

3. Cornstock fiddle and a shoestring bow,
And I take sugar in my coffee, O.

4. Sugar's high and coffee's low,
And I take sugar in my coffee, O."

**
5. GUEST,Joanne Stevenson, Date: 14 Oct 10 - 11:17 PM
"My children's British kindergarten teacher taught us in Canada in the 70s

I don't know how the old folks know
I like sugar in my coffee-o

Wind blows high, wind blows low
Blows my sugar and coffee-o

Oh what do I do with the baby-o
What do I do with the baby-o
What do I do with the baby-o
Take him to his mammy-o"

**
6. Azizi, Date: 16 Sep 12 - 10:07 AM
"For those who may be interested, this page on my Cocojams website http://cocojams.com/content/sugar-my-coffee-o-fiddle-song-early-sources-examples is a compilation of information, comments about and text examples of the song "Sugar In My Coffee O".[website no longer available]

Included in that page are several posts from this thread and from another Mudcat thread. That page also includes other examples such as this US civil war recollection:

 "I got up this morning whistling 'Sugar In The Coffee', one of the old tunes of that day. I want to tell where I first heard it. Uncle Burns Malone and his cousin, Jack Malone, waked me up in the night back in 1868, singing that old song."http://www.granburydepot.org/z/biog/malone.htm 
[Pancocojams Editor's Note 10/21/2022: Here's some information about that link: 
 "Hood County Texas Genealogical Society; Biographical Note: The William Burns Malone Family;
Experiences Of Early Settlers....Hood County Genealogical Society Newsletter No. 14; No. 1; May 1996"]
-end of additional information-

And this version from Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin 5, April 1939, page 32-33 and quoted on that same online site:

"How in the world did you all know
I like sugar in my coffee so?
Some like it hot, some like it cold,
But I like sugar in my coffee so.

I had a girl named Sally, Oh,
But she won't put sugar in my coffee so.
Up in the hollar the cowbells ring,
The hound dog barks, and the hoot owl sing.

I had a girl Sweet Nancy,
I asked her if she'd marry me.
She says, "I like your manners so,
And I like sugar in my coffee too." "

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" - Twins & Triplets In Playground Rhymes


Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Revision: November 7, 2022

This pancocojams post presents examples of the children's rhyme "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" or other titles. Some versions of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" that refer to twins or triplets is the focus of this post although other versions of rhyme are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who are published the YouTube videos that are mentioned in this post.
-snip-
This pancocojams is dedicated with love to the memory of my twin. RIP Dee Dee.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
Most of the English language playground rhymes about twins that I've been able to find are those from the "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" family. 

The earliest dates that I've come across for "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes are "the 1950s" in the United States.

Ny guess is that "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes have their  source in the "What'll I Do With the Baby-O" folk songs.  Click http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Whatll_We_Do_With_the_Baby-O.htm to find the lyrics to that song as sung by the (Anglo-American) folk singer Jean Ritchie). Here's a portion of those lyrics:

What'll we do with the baby-o?
What'll we do with the baby-o?
What'll we do with the baby-o?
If he don't go to sleepy-O?

Wrap him up in calico,
Wrap him up in calico,
Wrap him up in calico,
Send him to his mammy-o.

What'll we do with the baby-o? etc.
Wrap him up in a table-cloth, (3x )
-end of quote-
"What'll We Do With The Baby-O" not only has lyrics that refer to wrapping a baby in something or another, but some versions of that song also refer to throwing the baby out the window or somewhere else- just like the lyrics of many versions of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge.

****
The Ballad Index ( https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/MHAp239C.htmlindicates that the earliest example of this rhyme is from 1934 and gives the following information for the rhyme family that I call "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge":

"Oh Fudge, Tell the Judge

DESCRIPTION: "Oh, fudge, Tell the judge, Mother's got a baby. Oh, joy, It's a boy, Father's nearly crazy." "Wrap it up in tissue paper, Send it down the elevator." "First floor, second floor... send it out the back door."

AUTHOR: unknown

EARLIEST DATE: 1934 (Henry, from Mrs. Henry C. Gray, or her maid)"...

****
Until the 1960s, "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" appears to have been chanted while jumping rope or bouncing a ball. As is the case with most former jump rope/ball bouncing rhymes, after the 1960s "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes appear to be chanted while performing partner hand clap routines.

Most, but not all, of the rhymes in this family reflect the fact that children aren't always pleased to welcome a new sibling into their family. Alternatively, some examples of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes document girls' concerns about their future child bearing experiences and/or the baby's father's* reaction to the birth of a child or children. Some other examples of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes serve as a way of predicting information about the jumpers' future offspring (such as whether the jumper will give birth to one child, or twins, or triplets; what gender the child or children will be; how many pounds the babies will weigh, and/or the first letter of the child's name or children's names.)

*In some "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes the baby's father is referred to as "her boyfriend" and not "her husband". Also, the only reaction which is noted is that the baby's father is "going crazy". While it's true that the word "crazy" is a near rhyme for "baby", the words "lazy" and "hazy" are also near rhymes for "baby" and those two words are never used in those rhymes."

Visit this discussion thread I started in 2009 about the playground rhyme "We Wear Our Hair In Curls" for different parental reactions to their daughter getting pregnant: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=123101&messages=62.

Warning: While they contain no profanity, some examples of "We Wear Our Hair In Curls" rhymes are much more sexually explicit than "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes.

****
EXAMPLES OF "FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE" THAT MENTION TWINS OR TRIPLETS
Here are a few text (word only) examples of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge". These examples are given in no particular order.

FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #1)
From my eleven-year-old daughter come these jump rope rhymes. She says they don't sing them, they are more of a chant than a song. They do this at school during recess.

Fudge, fudge, call the judge, (Sally's*) having a baby.
Wrap it up in toilet paper, send it down the elevator,
What shall it be?
Boy, girl, twins, triplets, boy, girl, twins, triplets...
(repeat until jumper misses)
*substitute jumper's name
-Jon W; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300#23452 Cinderella Dressed In Yella; 3/10/1998

****
FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #2)
There was one extremely long one I knew with very complicated gestures/clapping, but I can't remember all of it ...

[something something something]
That's how nice neighbors can be
Fudge, fudge, fudge
I called the judge
[something about the singer's mother being pregnant]
If it's a boy, I'll give it a toy
If it's a girl, I'll give it a curl
If it's a twin, I'll give it a spin
Wrap it up in toilet paper
Send it down the elevator
First floor, STOP
Second floor, FREEZE
Third floor, you better watch out,
Before I give you a SQUEEZE!!

(Then each player tries to grab the other by the wrists. The successful grabber wins.)
-sparkofcreationlhttp://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/4327510.html#comments; 2/20/2003

Editor:
Note that this rhyme appears to have been played while doing handclaps.

****
FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #3)
the jump rope song goes like this.......................

fudge, fudge!
call the judge!
_______'s havin a baby,
_______'s goin crazy!
wrap it up in toilet paper,
send it down the elevator.
boy, girl, twins, triplets?
repeat until jumper screws up, and that is what she supposidly had, lol!
-lexy; Whee Blog (website no longer viable); June 24, 2005

****
FUDGE GUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #4)
Fudge, gudge, call the judge!
[girl's name] Is having a baby!
Hey boyfriend's going crazy!
Wrap it up and toiliet paper,
Send it down the elevator.
what will it be?
A boy?
A girl?
Twins or aliens?
A boy?
A girl?
Twins or aliens?
[Jumprope game. Player jumps until they mess up. Whatever they land on is what they have.]
-Liz again. ; Whee Blog (website no longer viable); April 12, 2005

Editor: "gudge" is probably a typo for the word "fudge".

****
FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #5)
fudge,fudge,call the judge(name),having a baby, her boyfriends going crazy, how many babys will she have,1,2,3,4.... what kind of babys will she have,boy,girl,twin,triplets....what will their names be(start with a and go on until they stop on a letter and then pick the name.kepp on doing it until you cover all the babys names)
Source: http://www.homeschool.co.uk/resource/jump-rope/baby.html ; Dec 03 2005

Editor:
This example doesn't include any concerns about the birth of the baby/babies, i.e. there's no mention of "boyfriend's going crazy" or "wrap the baby up" and "throw the baby away".

**
FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #6)
ABC, easy as 123,
my daddy drank Cocafee(don’t ask what that is) right off of my feet.
That’s how nasty people can be.
Judge, judge, call the judge!
Mama’s gonna have a baby,
a sweet little choc-o-late baby!
If it’s a boy, I’ll give it a toy.
If it’s a girl, I’ll give it a curl.
If it’s a twin, I’ll give them a spin.
Wrap it up in toilet paper,
Send it down the elevator.
First floor, STOP.
Second floor, STOP.
And then it would just go on until someone screwed it up….usually me.
-ChloeMireille, http://kateharding.net/2009/10/02/miss-lucy-had-friday-fluff/
-snip-
I'm considering the line "ABC, easy as 123" as an introductory line and not the title of this rhyme.

**
FUGE FUGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #7) 
It's  fuge fuge Call the  Judge mommy's having a baby daddy's going crazy what will  It be girl boy twin or alien
-Chelsey Hooten, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJOXgz89OLc , [comment in] Fudge Fudge Call The Judge, Theatre Geek, August 4, 2015
**
-snip-
The word "fuge" is a typo for "fudge".  The person who published that video wrote this comment in reply to that example:
"I didn't learn it that way. It's a jump rope rhyme and they get changed all the time."
-Theatre Geek, 2020

****
EXAMPLES OF "FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE" THAT DON'T MENTION TWINS OR TRIPLETS

JUDGE JUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #1)
Judge, Judge call the judge momma's got a brand new baby
It ain't no boy, it ain't no girl, it's just a plain ol baby
1st floor stop: (trap the jump rope with your feet) second floor stop: (trap the jump rope with your feet) third floor kick it out the door (run out)
Now there is no b a b y!
Source: http://www.homeschool.co.uk/resource/jump-rope/baby.html ; 2006

**
FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #2)
In Michigan City, Indiana, in the late 50's at our Catholic grade school we jumped rope to:

Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge
Momma's got a newborn baby
It isn't a girl
It isn't a boy
It's just an ordinary baby

Wrap it up in tissue paper
Send it down the elevator
First floor-push
Second floor-Push
Third floor- Kick 'em out out the door
Momma doesn't want that baby anymore
-Guest, Mary;
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=99131&messages=9 Fudge, Fudge Call The Judge; Feb. 11, 2011

**
FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #3)
We played a ball bouncing game to this.

Fudge Fudge call the judge
Momma's having a baby
It isn't a boy; it isn't a girl
It's just a plain old baby.
Wrap it up in tissue paper.
Send it down the escalator.
How many pounds did the baby weigh?
Close your eyes and I shall say:
(with eyes closed and bouncing ball under leg)
One
two
Three...until you miss.
Sinsull, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=99131&messages=9 Fudge, Fudge Call The Judge; July 9, 2011

Editor: Notice that this is described as a rhyme chanted while bouncing a ball.

**
FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #4)
Back in the 50s in Flint, MI. We chanted while jumping rope:
Fudge, fudge. Call the judge.
Mama's gonna have a new born baby.
Wrap it up in tissue paper.
Send it down the elevator.
First floor - miss.
Second floor - miss.
Third floor - kick it out the door. (kicking motion)
That's the end of the baby (Run out from swinging rope)
- dulcimer42, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=99131&messages=15 , August 1,2013

Editor: Notice that this is described as a jump rope rhyme.

**
JUDGE JUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (Example #5)
Judge, Judge, call the judge, Mama had a newborn baby
It isn't a boy and it isn't a girl, It's just an ordinary baby.
Wrap it up in tissue paper, Send it down the elevator.
How many floors does it go ...1, 2, 3,
(And so on until the jumper misses)

Where learned: Michigan
[...]

Date learned: 00-00-1967 [Jump rope rhyme]
-http://research.udmercy.edu/find/special_collections/digital/cfa/index.php?term=J&field=keyword&start=500 The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
-snip-
All of the words of this rhyme were written in capital letters on that page.

**
FUDGE FUDGE FUDGE (Example #6)
Yeah, so me and my sister sat on the phone last night trying to remember some more chants. I know, I need a life.

Fudge, Fudge, Fudge
Let's go tell the Judge
Mama's gonna have a baby
A cute little chocolate baby
If it's a boy, I'll give it a toy
If it's a girl, I'll give it a curl
Wrap it up in tissue paper,
throw it down the elevator :eek: (We used to say that?!?)
First floor STOP
Ba doom doom doom
Second floor STOP
Ba doom doom doom
Third floor you'd betta watch out
'Cuz here comes the lady with the big boom bop.
-Bamboozled, http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/archive/index.php/t-31403.html, 03-26-2003, 11:38 AM
-snip-
Commenters on this discussion thread were members of historically Black Greek letter sororities.

**
FUDGE, FUDGE (Example #7) 
Here's how we did it (1950s):

Fudge, fudge
Call the judge
Mama's had a newborn baby!
Wrap it up in tissue paper
throw it down the elevator -
how many floors did it fall?
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven (etc.).

Gruesome, but  we thought it fun as a counting out rhyme.
-phoebecatgirl, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJOXgz89OLc , [comment in] Fudge Fudge Call The Judge, Theatre Geek, August 4, 2015

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FUDGE, FUDGE (Example #8)  
Fudge fudge call the judge
Mama's gunna have a baby not a girl not a boy just a plain old baby
Wrap up the dirty diaper throw it down the elevator
How many floors does it fall?
-Possim :}, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJOXgz89OLc , [comment in] Fudge Fudge Call The Judge, Theatre Geek, August 4, 2015

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FUDGE, FUDGE (Example #9)  
Here's how I learned it.

Fudge fudge call the judge mom is going to have a baby not a boy not a girl just a plain old baby wrap it up in tissue paper send it down the elevator first floor stop 2nd floor stop third door shut the or you'll windup on the floor
-supreme Savage 5923, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJOXgz89OLc , [comment in] Fudge Fudge Call The Judge, Theatre Geek, August 4, 2015

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RELATED RHYMES
Here are two closely related playground rhymes:
Neither rhyme includes the "fudge fudge call the judge" line. The first rhyme mentions wrapping up the babies and throwing them away, but the babies are wrapped up in tissue paper instead of "toilet paper":

CALL THE ARMY CALL THE NAVY
Call the Army, call the Navy
(name)'s gonna have a baby.
Wrap it up in tissue paper,
send it down the elevator,
(Rope turned double time)
Boy, girl, twins, triplets, boys, girls, twins, triplets, etc
Source: http://www.homeschool.co.uk/resource/jump-rope/baby.html

Editor: Note that in this example, the baby is wrapped up in tissue paper and not toilet paper.

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OH MY BABY JUST KICKED
Oh My Baby Just Kick
Oh my baby just kick, oh my baby just kick
time for the baby to come,time for the baby to come
is it a girl? is it a boy? is it a twin? is it a triplet? (pick a boy or a girl)
it's a _____ !
how many mouths? how many years?
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11...... (pick the mouth or year)
What letter should the name start with?
A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z
(pick a letter)
And i name ______(pick a name)
and that's my baby
-Guest,my baby; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300 Children's Street Songs; 1/17/2005

Editor: This rhyme mentions twins or triplets. The word “mouths in line 5 is almost certainly a typo for “months".

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HOT SHOT BABY
hot shot baby
chicken and gravy
here comes a lady
with a bald head baby
*point to other person* THATS YOU
-http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/inthe80s/smf/1109960765.shtml This is a topic from the The 1980's forum on inthe00s.
Subject: Those clapping songs
-snip-
No racial/ethnic identification is given for the person who contributed this rhyme.

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VIDEO EXAMPLES 
Update: Sept. 15, 2022
When I first published this post, there were no YouTube videos of children jumping rope or doing any other activities while chanting "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge". I noted that chanting while jumping rope or bouncing balls appear to be rarely done nowadays..

As of Sept. 2022, I've come across a video of a young girl jumping rope while chanting this rhyme and two other rhymes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsGQMfUOSDk&t=8s "Jump Rope Songs: Fudge, Cinderella, and Lemonade' published by The Great Outdoor Kids, June 23, 2020. 

I've also come across a video of a father jumping rope while his daughter's chant the rhyme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpk6EiW3Egw "Momma's Having A Baby? published by AndreCadillac, May 25, 2012

I decided not to showcase those videos but continue to focus on the video that was featured in this post when it was originally published.
-end of update- 

...I found a video of a young girl reciting a variant form of the "fudge fudge call the judge" rhyme. In the beginning of the video, believe that the words the girl chants are:
"Fudge fudge call the judge
Gary’s* havin a baby
Sponge Bob’s getting crazy
How many babies do they got
They are crying
Color white and blue
Is it 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4
3, 2, 1"

-snip-

From then on, the words of the rhyme are more difficult for me to decipher. The words appear to be made up on the spot which is a creative exercise in & of itself. Here's that video:

Fudge,Fudge,Call the Judge!



Joshua AwsomeOne, on Jul 9, 2011
-snip-
Update: 1/14/2012

* Here's a comment that I received in response to my query to the video uploader:

@azizip171 she told me the lyrics were based on the show SpongeBob, so what you thought was mary, was really gary, since i THINK he's a character in that show
- MULTIAWSOMEONE

-snip-
Note: A girl in another video of this rhyme prefaces her example by saying that she does this while she jumps rope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccX3E7kB1Ig.

And in another video of this rhyme a girl pantomines the words along with her little brother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7AqdCoLqjs

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