Latest update- April 1, 2026
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on parody examples of R. Kelly's hit 1996 R&B song "I Believe I Can Fly". These parodies are also entitled "I Believe I Can Die" among other titles.
This post showcases text examples and two videos of this parody.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/childrens-parodies-of-i-believe-i-can.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides information and comments about parody examples of R. Kelly's hit 1996 R&B song "I Believe I Can Fly", including information about the song source for those parodies.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/10/comparisons-between-united-states.html
for "Comparisons Between United States Versions & Jamaican Versions of Children's Parodies Of "I Believe I Can Fly, I Got Shot By The FBI".
Click the tags below for other pancocojams post about "I Believe I Can Fly" children's parodies.
Also, 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."
In addition, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/i-believe-i-can-fly-parodies-comments.html for "I Believe I Can Fly" Parodies (Comments From The 2013 Pancocojams Post On These Children's Parodies)".
****
TEXT EXAMPLES
(These examples are posted in chronological order based on their collection date or the date that they were posted online. Some examples were changed from paragraph form to a song line formation.)
Example #1:"I Believe I Can Fly"
I believe I can fly.
I got chased by the FBI. (or "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
****
Example #2: [no title given]
Hand Jives I've learned as a kid living in VA. Please Post some that you know!!!
(To the tune of I Believe I Can Fly)
I believe 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 believe I can soar
I got a beaten at the geocery store
-GUEST,Natasha Woods, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=102055&messages=44 "Folklore: Play Ground Hand Jives", May 30, 2007
****
Example #3: [no title given]
i believe i can fly
i was shot by the fbi
all i wanted was a chicken wing
from mcdonalds or burger king
i believe i can soar
i was killed by an open door
all i needed was 20 cents
to buy a pack of junior mints!!!
there are alot of different versions but good question!!!
-Amy R, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070526124029AA1nFbA "what is The lyrics to the funny i believe i can fly?" [hereafter given as Yahoo: I Believe I Can Fly Funny Lyrics], 2007
****
Example #4: [no title given]
I believe I can fly.
I got shot by the FBI.
All I wanted was a chicken wing.
So my mom took me to Burger King.
I believe I can soar.
Take a dash through that open door.
Then my dog skippy jumped up and said yippy.
there you go
-SiiSco, Yahoo: I Believe I Can Fly Funny Lyrics, 2007
-snip-
That same year another commenter in that discussion thread wrote that the first two lines were
"i believe i can fly
i got ran over by tha icecream guy"
-snip-
Added June 20, 2017
Judging from YouTube videos and comments, the "Burger King" examples of this parody seem to be at least as widely known as the "all I wanted was some chicken wings and collard greens [or "corn bread and collard greens"] versions. Each of these versions are still being used in 2017. The "Burger King" versions might actually be quite widely recited. Its "wing"/"king" fits the "AABB" rhyming pattern while the "wings"/ "greens" does not. That said, I wonder if the Burger King versions were composed later than the chicken wings and collard greens versions. That might especially be true if this version of "I Believe I Can Fly/I Got Shot By The FBI" parody was composed (by Black person? or by a White person?) to joke about or otherwise put down (insult) Black Americans.
Also, the "wings/dingaling" and "chips"/"dangling bits" versions of this parody are even newer and than the "wings"/Burger King" versions.
****
Example #5: no title given
ha ha ha its funny here it is
I believe I can fly!
I got shot by the FBI.
All I wanted was a chicken wing.
From McDonalds or Burger King.
I still believe I can fly!
I got caught by the Pepsi Guy.
All I wanted was a Mountain Dew!
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.
And was that one hot guy.
I believe I can soar.
I got killed by an open door.
All I needed was 20 cents!
For a package of junior mints.
HOPE THIS HELPS its the full song
-Hollie, Yahoo: I Believe I Can Fly Funny Lyrics, 2007
****
Example #6: All I Wanted Was A Chicken Wing
I believe I can die (fly?)*
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing
From the burnt down Burger King
I believe I can soar
I got shot down by the superboy
I believe I can die (fly?)*
[Repeat first verse a number of times]
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hz_pgnc4pI "All I Wanted Was A Chicken Wing", June 5, 2011
-snip-
*Pancocojams Editor. This is my transcription of the video. I'm not sure if the word sung is "fly" or "die".
This video is embedded below as Featured Example #1.
****
Example #7: [no title given]
I believe i can fly
i got shot by the fbi
all i wanted was a chicken wing
french fries from burgerking
i believe i can soar
got caught robing a dollar store
all i wanted was a balloon
but they gave me some loony toons
i believe i can fly
-angiiemary, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw06X9WZ59I [hereafter given as Video: i believe i can fly], 2010
****
Example #8: I Believe I Can Die
Growing up as a little girl in the 90's I had a group of friends and during playground time at school the seven of us would sit on the playgrounds benches and sing. We enjoyed it. We used to sing a sing called
I believe I can die
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was some chicken wings...
-Danielle Jordan, Video: i believe i can fly, 2012
-snip-
This commenter's photograph was that of a Black woman. I included this example because it describes when & how this parody was sung. This comment also documents that the "I believe I can die" line was used in the "90s".
****
Example #9: I Believe I Can Die
I belive i can die
I was killed by FBI
all i wanted was chicken wings
some i stole from burger king
I belive i can die....
TheCuteRat, Video: i believe i can fly, 2012
****
Example #10: [no title given]
One time, I was in middle school & I was riding the bus back from some field trip when some kids sang
"I believe I can die,
I've been shot by the F.B.I.,
all I wanted was a chicken wing,
but they shot me at Burger King."
-http://twilingstarfish.deviantart.com/art/I-believe-I-can-fly-Parody-64225265, retrieved September 28, 2013
-snip-
The commenter then shares a further development of this parody that he or she wrote as an adult.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: All I Wanted Was A Chicken Wing
Leticia Santos, Uploaded on Jun 5, 2011
This video was uploaded from an Android phone.
****
Example #2:"all I wanted was a chicken wing..."
jenmurphy2002, Uploaded on Jul 22, 2010
Give the kid a harmonica and this is what happens. I had never heard this before, so it was rather shocking when my 4 year old daughter sang it to me for the first time. hahaha.
-snip-
Here are the words that this little girl sung:
“I believe I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing”
****
This ends Part II of this series.
Thanks to all those who I quoted in this post. Thanks also to those featured in these videos & thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
TEXT EXAMPLES
(These examples are posted in chronological order based on their collection date or the date that they were posted online. Some examples were changed from paragraph form to a song line formation.)
Example #1:"I Believe I Can Fly"
I believe I can fly.
I got chased by the FBI. (or "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
****
Example #2: [no title given]
Hand Jives I've learned as a kid living in VA. Please Post some that you know!!!
(To the tune of I Believe I Can Fly)
I believe 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 believe I can soar
I got a beaten at the geocery store
-GUEST,Natasha Woods, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=102055&messages=44 "Folklore: Play Ground Hand Jives", May 30, 2007
****
Example #3: [no title given]
i believe i can fly
i was shot by the fbi
all i wanted was a chicken wing
from mcdonalds or burger king
i believe i can soar
i was killed by an open door
all i needed was 20 cents
to buy a pack of junior mints!!!
there are alot of different versions but good question!!!
-Amy R, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070526124029AA1nFbA "what is The lyrics to the funny i believe i can fly?" [hereafter given as Yahoo: I Believe I Can Fly Funny Lyrics], 2007
****
Example #4: [no title given]
I believe I can fly.
I got shot by the FBI.
All I wanted was a chicken wing.
So my mom took me to Burger King.
I believe I can soar.
Take a dash through that open door.
Then my dog skippy jumped up and said yippy.
there you go
-SiiSco, Yahoo: I Believe I Can Fly Funny Lyrics, 2007
-snip-
That same year another commenter in that discussion thread wrote that the first two lines were
"i believe i can fly
i got ran over by tha icecream guy"
-snip-
Added June 20, 2017
Judging from YouTube videos and comments, the "Burger King" examples of this parody seem to be at least as widely known as the "all I wanted was some chicken wings and collard greens [or "corn bread and collard greens"] versions. Each of these versions are still being used in 2017. The "Burger King" versions might actually be quite widely recited. Its "wing"/"king" fits the "AABB" rhyming pattern while the "wings"/ "greens" does not. That said, I wonder if the Burger King versions were composed later than the chicken wings and collard greens versions. That might especially be true if this version of "I Believe I Can Fly/I Got Shot By The FBI" parody was composed (by Black person? or by a White person?) to joke about or otherwise put down (insult) Black Americans.
Also, the "wings/dingaling" and "chips"/"dangling bits" versions of this parody are even newer and than the "wings"/Burger King" versions.
****
Example #5: no title given
ha ha ha its funny here it is
I believe I can fly!
I got shot by the FBI.
All I wanted was a chicken wing.
From McDonalds or Burger King.
I still believe I can fly!
I got caught by the Pepsi Guy.
All I wanted was a Mountain Dew!
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.
And was that one hot guy.
I believe I can soar.
I got killed by an open door.
All I needed was 20 cents!
For a package of junior mints.
HOPE THIS HELPS its the full song
-Hollie, Yahoo: I Believe I Can Fly Funny Lyrics, 2007
****
Example #6: All I Wanted Was A Chicken Wing
I believe I can die (fly?)*
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing
From the burnt down Burger King
I believe I can soar
I got shot down by the superboy
I believe I can die (fly?)*
[Repeat first verse a number of times]
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hz_pgnc4pI "All I Wanted Was A Chicken Wing", June 5, 2011
-snip-
*Pancocojams Editor. This is my transcription of the video. I'm not sure if the word sung is "fly" or "die".
This video is embedded below as Featured Example #1.
****
Example #7: [no title given]
I believe i can fly
i got shot by the fbi
all i wanted was a chicken wing
french fries from burgerking
i believe i can soar
got caught robing a dollar store
all i wanted was a balloon
but they gave me some loony toons
i believe i can fly
-angiiemary, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw06X9WZ59I [hereafter given as Video: i believe i can fly], 2010
****
Example #8: I Believe I Can Die
Growing up as a little girl in the 90's I had a group of friends and during playground time at school the seven of us would sit on the playgrounds benches and sing. We enjoyed it. We used to sing a sing called
I believe I can die
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was some chicken wings...
-Danielle Jordan, Video: i believe i can fly, 2012
-snip-
This commenter's photograph was that of a Black woman. I included this example because it describes when & how this parody was sung. This comment also documents that the "I believe I can die" line was used in the "90s".
****
Example #9: I Believe I Can Die
I belive i can die
I was killed by FBI
all i wanted was chicken wings
some i stole from burger king
I belive i can die....
TheCuteRat, Video: i believe i can fly, 2012
****
Example #10: [no title given]
One time, I was in middle school & I was riding the bus back from some field trip when some kids sang
"I believe I can die,
I've been shot by the F.B.I.,
all I wanted was a chicken wing,
but they shot me at Burger King."
-http://twilingstarfish.deviantart.com/art/I-believe-I-can-fly-Parody-64225265, retrieved September 28, 2013
-snip-
The commenter then shares a further development of this parody that he or she wrote as an adult.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: All I Wanted Was A Chicken Wing
Leticia Santos, Uploaded on Jun 5, 2011
This video was uploaded from an Android phone.
****
Example #2:"all I wanted was a chicken wing..."
jenmurphy2002, Uploaded on Jul 22, 2010
Give the kid a harmonica and this is what happens. I had never heard this before, so it was rather shocking when my 4 year old daughter sang it to me for the first time. hahaha.
-snip-
Here are the words that this little girl sung:
“I believe I can fly
I got shot by the FBI
All I wanted was a chicken wing”
****
This ends Part II of this series.
Thanks to all those who I quoted in this post. Thanks also to those featured in these videos & thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
