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Monday, May 4, 2026

May The Force Be With You: What The Yoruba Word "Àṣẹ" (Aché, Axé, Ashe) REALLY Means (complete reprint)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about the Yoruba (Nigerian) word "Àṣẹ" (also given as "aché", "axé", or "ashe").

Part I presents several online excerpts about the word "Àṣẹ".

This is a complete reprint with the addition of two YouTube videos of the March 2, 2020 pancocojams post with a similar title. That post is still available on this blog.

The Addendum to this post presents a reprint from the only two comments for that March 2020 post. The comment section for that post is still open and comments are welcome for this 2026 post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/03/videos-that-include-yoruba-word-ase.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II presents several YouTube videos that include the Yoruba word "Àṣẹ".

The content of this post is provided for cultural and linguistic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

May the Force be with you.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #1


AfrikCosmos, Nov 7, 2025

Unlock the ancient power of Àṣẹ and Ịse — the sacred science of vibration in Yoruba and Igbo thought. Discover how the spoken word creates worlds, and learn how to use these forces for manifestation, authority, and spiritual power.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 --  Àṣẹ àti Orí: What Do 'Ase' and 'Ori' Mean? | The Physical & Spiritual Aspects and Connections


Yorùbá Lessons with Adérónkẹ́, Jul 5, 2019

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE WORD "ÀSE" (ALSO GIVEN AS ACHE, AXE, AND ASHE)

(These excerpts are given in no particular order.)

Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orisha#Ashe
"Ashe is the life-force that runs through all things, living and inanimate. It is described as the power to make things happen. It is an affirmation that is used in greetings and prayers, as well as a concept of spiritual growth. Orìṣà devotees strive to obtain Ashe through iwa-pele, gentle and good character, and in turn they experience alignment with the ori, what others might call inner peace and satisfaction with life. Ashe is divine energy that comes from Olodumare, the creator deity, and is manifested through Olorun, who rules the heavens and is associated with the sun. Without the sun, no life could exist, just as life cannot exist without some degree of ashe. Ashe is sometimes associated with Eshu, the messenger òrìṣà.[6] For practitioners, ashe represents a link to the eternal presence of the supreme deity, the orishas, and the ancestors.[7]

The concept is regularly referenced in Brazilian capoeira. Axé in this context is used as a greeting or farewell, in songs and as a form of praise. Saying that someone "has axé" in capoeira is complimenting their energy, fighting spirit, and attitude.[1]"

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Excerpt #2
From https://www.orishaimage.com/blog-gallery/ashe
" "Ashe" is a very central word and concept for Orisha-worship. On the one hand it is used often at the end of prayers. It means "may our prayers become reality, may we receive the blessing by the Orisha, short: may it manifest!"

On the other hand "Ashe" more generally also stands for the eternal energy that fills the cosmos. It is the abstract power and principle of Olodumare, God. Calling for "Ashe" is calling for what lies beyond our human reality, that God’s will manifests on earth, where we live at the moment, and that we can experience Olodumare’s power.

It is written in the four main languages of Orisha-worship worldwide, from Nigeria to the diaspora of slavery and from there to the rest of the world: Yoruba, Spanish/Lukumi, Portuguese/Nago and English."

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Excerpt #3
From https://science.jrank.org/pages/11051/Religion-African-Diaspora-Spiritual-Assets-Ase-Konesans.html
"Religion
African Diaspora Spiritual Assets: Ase And Konesans

Two central concepts in some African-derived religions are ase (or axe) and konesans (connaissance). Ase is the divine force, energy, and power incarnate in the world. Olodumare gives ase to everything, including inanimate objects. Ashe is the power behind all things in the universe. It enables people to find balance in life. The orishas are bearers of asheSanteros (Santerían priests) use ase to provide blessing and healing to devotees. "Ashe is a current or flow, a groove that initiates can channel so that it carries them along their road in life. The prayers, rhythms, offerings, taboos of Santería tune initiates into this flow" (Murphy, 1993, p. 131). In Santería, herbs are impregnated with ashe. The color of the Obatala conducts ashe. Part of the Vodun initiation ceremonies gives the priest intuitive knowledge, or konesans, enabling him to understand people, diagnose problems, and perform healing."...

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Excerpt #4
From http://capoeira-connection.com/capoeira/2011/10/what-is-axe/
"What is axé?

[...]

The term axé (also spelled aché or ashé – all pronounced ah-SHEH) comes from the Yoruba peoples of Western Africa. It is the name they gave to the life force; the concept is similar to the Eastern idea of qi.

In capoeira today, axé has come to mean something like “energy.” If a roda has a lot of axé, it means it has good vibes, powerful energy. Some groups use the word as a greeting.

Some references to axé in capoeira songs:
Axé, axé / Capoeira tem muito axé
Axé, axé / Capoeira has lots of axé

Dos velhos Mestres que viveram na Bahia,
Manda todo o seu axé e também sua magia
Bahia manda seu axé pra mim

From the old Mestres who lived in Bahia,
Send all your axé and also your magic
Bahia send your axé to me

Axé also refers to a style of popular music (not related to capoeira) that originated in Salvador, Bahia.

There is also a capoeira group called Axé Capoeira that was founded by Mestre Barrão."
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ax%C3%A9_(music) for information about the genre of Brazilian music called "Axé".

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Excerpt #5
From http://capoeiraucainla.com/home-capoeira-losangeles/2010/12/13/capoeira-wiki-word-of-the-week-axe-updated.html
Excerpts from the website CANDOMBLE - Uma Religião sem Mistérios a Serviço do Povo.

Translated by yours truly Guatambu (any improvements to the translation contact me)
"O Axé

A magical energy, the universal sacred of the orixá. A powerful energy that is always neutral. Manipulated and directed by men through the orixás and their symbols and/or elements. "

The most precious of Ilê*, axé is the force that ensures dynamic existence.It is transmitted, should be maintained and developed, as all forces may increase or decrease; and this variation is related to the activity and conduct of the ritual.The conduct is determined by the scrupulous observance of the duties and obligations of each holder of axé, yourself, orixá, and Ilê.The development of individual and group axé affects the axé of the Ilê.

* - Ilê requires its own definition here. Ilê is basically synonymous with terreiro. A terreiro is a temple or house of candomblê. Think of it like you would your local church, synagogue, mosque, or buddhist temple. Each of these types of houses of worship have their unique characteristics in terms of symbols, architecture, look, and feel, and the same is true for a terreiro. - Guatambu

"The axé is connected to the initiated, and directly proportional to its ritual conduct - the relationship with his deity, his community, his duties and his babalorixá (priest of candomblé)."

The strength of the axé is contained and transmitted by certain elements and material substances, is transmitted to humans and objects, maintaining and renewing the powers of accomplishment.The axé is contained in a variety of representative elements of the kingdoms: animal, vegetable and mineral, water (fresh and salt), earth, and forest (untamed vegetation or urban space).It is contained in the natural and essential substances of each being whether simple or complex, living or dead, that make up the universe.

There are places, sounds, objects and body parts (especially animal) impregnated with axé. For example, the heart, liver, lungs, gizzard, kidney, feet, hands, tail, bones, teeth, ivory, genitals, roots, leaves , river water, sea, rain, lake, pool, waterfall, orô (prayer), Adja (sort of bell), illus (drums) ...

Every ritual act and offering involves the transmission and revitalization of axé.To be truly active, these ritual acts and offerings must come from the combination of those elements that allow for a specific result or achievement. To receive axé means to incorporate the symbolic elements that represent the vital and essential principles of all that exists.

Xerife pointed out Mestre Acordeon's song "Pedir o Axé", and added the lyrics with translation below...

Vamos pedir o axé

(Lets ask Axé)

Pressa roda começar

(So this round can begin)

De conforme os fundamentos

(Within the fundations)

Capoeira e candomblé

(Capoeira and candomblé)

Axé Babá

(Axé Babá)

Oh ie viva Meu Deus! AXÉ BABÁ

(Oh yea viva my god! Axé Babá)

Oh Ie viva Seu Bimba! MEU CAMARÁ

(Oh yea viva my Bimba! My friend)

Oh ie é mestre meu! SEMPRE SERÁ

(Oh yea you are my master! ALWAYS WILL BE)

Oh ie volta do mundo! QUE O MUNDO DÁ

(Oh yeaa the world spins! That the world does)

Vamos pedir o axé, meu pai! MEU PAI XANGô

(Lets ask axé, my father! My father Xangô)

Vamos pedir o axé, minha mãe! IEMANJÁ

(Lets ask axé, my mother! IEMANJA)

Vamos pedir o axé, meu rei! REI OXALÁ

(Lets ask Axé, my king! KING OXALÁ)

Vamos pedir o axé, meu pai MEU PAI XANGÔ

(Lets ask Axé, my father MY FATHER XANGÔ)

Reparado added from Mestre Acordeon's book...

"Aché (Axé, Asé) is the magic force that moves all things in the universe according to the African religions in Brazil. It exists in all realms of nature and can be transmitted through specific rituals. Although Capoeira has no direct connection with religion, the capoeiristas, as the majority of Brazilians, are related one way or another with Afro-Brazilian rituals. Aché in Capoeira means the connection with the roots, a special energy to be developed by any capoeirista. To wish aché to someone means to wish good luck. For those who believe, some special people transmit aché through their wishes."

p.6 Almeida, Bira(Mestre Acordeon). Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 1986. Print.

Espantalho added...

“At the heart of this Yoruba religion is the concept of àse, an individual’s personal spiritual power, which grows throughout life through a person’s diligent application to doing good deeds, coupled with appropriate and calm behavior and with service to the gods in the form of sacrifice. The reciprocity of service between gods and humans is essentially the giving of strength, the renewal of àse to the orisa through blood sacrifice of animals designated as belonging to a specific deity. Renewed and grateful deities in turn bless their supportive worshipers with added ase. The rules of this loving support between humans and gods are all known to that father-of-all-knowledge, the babalawo”

~The Way of the Orisa by Philip Neimark p. XII

Babalawo is a priest of Yoruba religion.

“The orisa are energy that, for the most part, represent aspects of nature. Osun (pronounced O-SHUN) represents sweet waters, love, money, conception; Sango (pronounced Zhan-GO) represents thunder and lightning, strategy, and he is the warrior; Esu (pronounced A-shew), messenger to Oludumare (the single God), owner of roads and opportunities, owner of ase (spiritual energy)"...

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Excerpt #6
From http://www.orishanet.org/vocab.html
"Lucumí Vocabulary

Lucumí or Lacumí is the Yoruba language as it is spoken in Cuba and the United States. Yoruba is a tonal language like Chinese. The accents serve to approximate the tones for those of us who aren't familiar with tonal language. Also, some of the difficult sounds like the african "p" sound which is pronounced as kind of a "kp" sound is approximated using "kp" or "cu". This vocabulary follows the Spanish orthography with a few exceptions to help English speakers:

The "ch" in Spanish is used simply because there is no "sh" in Spanish. We use "sh" here.

The "y" in Spanish often has an edge to it that approximates the English (and Yoruba) "j" sound. I have taken the liberty of using "j" here where applicable.

The "ñ" sound is used very sparingly here and is usually substituted here with "y".

As in Spanish, the accent is on the second to last syllable unless there is an accent mark over another syllable.

I should note here that Lacumí is an oral tradition and that the written versions were meant to be more "cheat sheets" than anything else and should not be used as "proof" of the decomposition of the language. Lakumí speakers in Matanzas and other areas speak very much as any Yoruba speaker would. I have spoken with Nigerian born Yoruba speakers in Lacumí without any difficulty whatsoever. In fact, on one occasion I was greeted with a very surprised "you speak Yoruba!!!" from the astonished Yoruba man I was speaking with.

Here are a few words in Lucumí to get you started:

[...]

Ashé: So Be It, The Spiritual Power of the Universe, Talent”...

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Excerpt #7
From https://www.spanishdict.com/answers/39/ritmo-con-ach Ritmo Con Aché

[...]

a) "Aché does not mean ache. Ache is dolor, or achaques. The letter H is hache in Spanish. According to the Diccionario de la lengua española, of the Real Academia Española, aché is not a word in the Spanish language. However, looking up the song, if found a page on the song stating that aché is an african word that means a divine life force (in the santeria religion). Aché is a word in the West African Yoruba language."

updated Apr 20, 2011
posted by manutd

**
b) "I suppose that you are talking about a brasilean music. It's pronounced "Aché" is Spanish but is written "Axé" in portuguese.

Please, look at this place*."
updated Dec 26, 2009
posted by Carlos-F
-snip-
*That commenter gives the link to the Wikipedia page for Axe music that is given after Excerpt #4.

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ADDENDUM- COMMENTS FROM THE 2020 PANCOCOJAMS POST' DISCUSSION THREAD

Thank you very much for sharing!! I feel very related to this! I'm a Latina from Venezuela! And we Latinos from the Caribean and other Countries have a lot of African influence!! And we Love it! Most of our salsa songs have the word ache! We sing to chango, yemaya and so on! It is beautiful! It feels like home 🤗 Thank you 💖

ReplyDelete
Replies
  1. Your welcome,Keyla.

    I know so very little about Salsa. .

    I didn't know that the word "ache" was in most salsa songs.
    I also didn't know that people in Venezula sung to the orishas.

    There's so much that I don't know. :o(

    Best wishes. from your sister in the United States.

    Delete
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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are w
elcome.

Folk Processed Forms Of The Name "Billie Jean" In Some Examples Of Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" Rhymes (complete reprint)full

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents comments about and text examples of versions of the rhyme "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" that mention Pop star Michael Jackson and mention the name "Billie Jean" or folk etymology forms of the name "Billie Jean".  

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Michael Jackson for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those whose examples of this rhyme are included in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-
This is a complete reprint with only minor changes of the 2014 pancocojams post with the same title.https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/forms-of-name-billie-jean-in-down-by.html. That post has 25 comments as of May 4, 2026 and is still open for comments.

Most of those comments are examples of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" that don't include any folk process forms of the name "Billie Jean".    

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/12/hey-mr-willy-and-other-folk-processed.html for the related pancocojams post "Hey Mr. Willy" And Other Folk Processed Forms Of "Frog Missed The Lily Pad" In "Down ByThe Banks Of The Hanky Panky Rhymes (with geographical locations)"

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GENERAL OVERVIEW
"Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" (or similar names) is a very large family of playground (recreational) rhymes) that are very widely known in the United States. These rhymes are either played as a (usually two person) hand clap game or as a mildly competitive, group hand slapping game. The hand clapping game is usually played by children while the hand slapping version of this rhyme is often played by adults as well as children.

I refer to as "Michael Jackson" versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" as those examples that include a reference to pop singer Michael Jackson or a reference to another celebrity (such as "Michael Jordan") whose name probably inadvertently substitutes for Michael Jackson in "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes. Read an example of one of those rhymes in the comment section below.

Since the death of Michael Jackson in June 2009 some examples of these long forms of "Down By The Banks of the Hanky Panky" no longer refer to Michael Jackson but instead refer to another singer who some fans aren't fond of such as Lady Gaga & Miley Cyrus. Read two examples of those rhymes in the comment section below. Also, some examples of this rhyme that refer to Michael Jackson include "RIP" meaning "Rest In Peace" in parenthesis after that deceased Pop singer's name.

A number of "Michael Jackson" versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" allude to the incident in 1984 when Michael Jackson's hair accidently caught on fire during the filming of a Pepsi Cola commercial. However, my sense is that few children who recite those rhymes are aware that those rhymes are based on an actual historical event. Furthermore, most of these "long versions" of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" document the 1980s cola wars between Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola products. Click http://www.businessinsider.com/soda-wars-coca-cola-pepsi-history-infographic-2011-11?op=1 to read about what is known as "the cola wars".

WARNING: Some examples of "Michael Jackson versions" of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" include homophobic language or homophobic references. However, the examples featured in this post don't contain such language.

To date (December 2023) , I've not found any examples of Michael Jackson versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" in any books of children's playground rhymes.

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OVERVIEW ABOUT THESE RHYMES WITH THE NAME "BILLIE JEAN" OR WITH A FOLK PROCESSED FORM OF THAT NAME
Some "Michael Jackson" versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" are long form versions of that hand clapping or hand slapping rhyme* that include a reference to "Billie Jean" or a folk processed form of that female name. However, "Michael Jackson" versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" don't always include a reference to "Billie Jean" or a folk processed form of that female name.

* "Hand slapping games" is my term for recreational elimination games that are performed in a circle. The people forming the circle slap the hands with each word and the last person whose hand is slapped in an iteration of a chant is out. This process continues until there are only two people left from that circle. Those people hand slap each other or play rock, paper, scissor until one person misses or is out which means the other person is the winner.

Here's an example of a Michael Jackson version of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" which doesn't include any reference to "Billie Jean":

Down by the river with the hanky bankys
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
say an
epp
opp
epp
bop
bop
Skittle dittle curly pop
I pledge allegence to the flag
That Micheal jackson makes me gag
Diet Pepsi came to town
Coca-Cola pushed him down
Orange soda picked him up
Now I'm drinking 7 up
7up caught the flu
Now I'm drinking Moutain Dew
Moutain Dew fell off the moutain
Now I'm drinking from a fountian
Foutain Broke
Now I'm drinking plain old Coke
-Guest; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=940347/15/2007 "Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky", July 15, 2007

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THE NAME "BILLIE JEAN" 
In Michael Jackson's record "Billie Jean", the name "Billie Jean" is a female's first name. That first name is made up of two personal names- "Billie" and "Jean".  A personal name that is made up of two independent names is called a "double name". 

In the United States, most people have one first name. However, it's not completely out of the ordinary for females or for males to have a first name that is a double name.

The names "Billy Ray" and "Billy Bob" are examples of male double names. These male names are type casted (negatively perceived) as Southern (country i.e. poor or working class) male names. 

In contrast, the custom of giving double names to females is largely associated with the Catholic religion, particularly when the first name in that  double name is "Mary". Some common examples in the United States (particularly pre 1980s) are "Mary Ann", "Mary Jane" and "Mary Beth".

Similar to the male "Billie" double names, the female double name "Billie Jean" is mostly associated with the American South with probably the same negative connotations of the male "Billie" double names. 

The name "Billie" is rarely used for females. A famous woman with the name "Billie" was the African American jazz singer "Billie Holliday". However, probably very few children in 1982 when Michael Jackson wrote and recorded his record were familiar with Billie Holliday and unfortunately, even fewer children in the 2020s are familiar with Billie Holliday.

It's possible that a female who has the birth name (i.e. "government name"- the name on a person's official birth certificate) "Billie Jean" was named after their father whose name was "William" and whose nickname was "Billie", and also was named after their mother whose name was "Jean".

A female named "Wilhelmina" may have the nickname "Willie" which is almost always perceived as a male name.  I suppose it's possible that a female named "Wilhelmina" could have the nickname "Billie". 

(A Black woman who was a friend of my mothers when I was growing up in New Jersey was sometimes called "Willie". However, her name was "Willa Mae" (which is another female double name.) 

In the United States, the name "Jean" is almost always considered to be a female name, but the name "Eugene" and its shortened form "Gene" are always masculine names. 

When Michael Jackson wrote the song "Billie Jean" some Americans were familiar with the professional tennis star named Billie Jean King.In spite of that example, the name "Billie Jean" wasn't a common first name for females then and isn't a common name for females now. And that's the main reason why the name "Billie Jean" has been transformed into so many different words in examples of the "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes.

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FOLK PROCESSING THE NAME "BILLIE JEAN" IN "DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY" RHYMES 
Folk processing (also known as "folk etymology") is a process in which the spelling or pronunciation of a word or phrase is changed or an unfamiliar word or phrase is replaced with  a more familiar word phrase or sound. Folk processing occurs because of mishearing, misremembering, or a mistaken assumption about that unfamiliar word or phrase.

One of the most common example of folk processing the name "Billie Jean" in "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes is writing "jeans" or "gene" instead of writing the name "Jean". 

Because the name "Billie Jean" is so rarely used in the United States, children who hear that name may mistake it for the word "jean" (meaning a very commonly worn type of pants ("blue jeans") .

Another common folk processed version of the name "Billie Jean" is "jelly bean". Since jelly bean candies are so familiar in the United States and the female name "Billie Jean" is so unfamiliar, it's not surprising that some children unknowingly substituted that name for "jelly beans".

I've expanded the category of "folk processing forms of the name "Billie Jean" in these "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes to not only include words such as "levi jeans" or a word such as "jelly bean" but to also include the use of the words "Billie Jean" in ways that suggest that the person doesn't know that "Billie Jean" is a name (let alone a female's name).  Two examples from this pancocojams compilation are "
bilajean has no caffeine" and "jellybean is outa sight" 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO OF MICHAEL JACKSON'S SONG "BILLIE JEAN"

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean



michaeljacksonVEVO, Uploaded on Oct 2, 2009

Music video by Michael Jackson performing Billie Jean. © 1982 MJJ Productions Inc.

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SELECTED RHYME EXAMPLES
These ten examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting dates with the oldest examples given first. The line that includes the name "Billie Jean" or a folk processed form of "Billie Jean" is given in italics to highlight it and not because that line is emphasized when that rhyme is chanted.

Example #1
Down by the river near the hankey pank
where the bullfrogs jump from bank, to bank,
and they say E I O U,
your momma stinks and so do you
so ping pong ding dong
your daddy smells like king kong.
Ask your teacher what she wears,
polka dotted underwear.
Not too big and not too small,
just the size of city hall.
Michael Jackson went to town,
coca-cola brought him down.
Coca-cola brought him up,
now he's drinking 7up.
7up with no cafiene, now he's seein' belgain (pronounced beligene).
Belgain is outta sight
,
now we're talking dynamite.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BAM!
-Veggie; cocojams.com [website no longer active] August 21, 2006

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Example #2
I learned this and forgot most of it (not complete! but it goes sort of like this....

Down by the bay in beverly hills
where the bull frog jumps from bank to banky
and the heeps hops, coffee shops,
we all drink mochas and we wear flip flops
(faster)
I pledge allegence to the flag
Michal jackson makes me gag
coca cola has cafeine and now we're talking billy jean
billy jean when out of style now lets sit and talk a while

diddy diddy donkey
daddy had a donkey
donkey died, daddy cried
diddy diddy donkey!
theres a party round the corner wont you please please come
bring your own cappuchinos and your own chewing gum
what is your boy friends name?______ (whoever the clap lands on has to come up with a name)

_______ will be there blowing kisses in the air saying I love ______ (who ever came up with the name) saying I love_____ saying O U T spells you are out!
OR
______will be there blowing kissed in the air singin' I... Love...Ma..Ma...Mia, singin' I love ma...ma...mia singin' O U T spells you are out!
-Guest,mooseormeece?, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034 [hereafter given as Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky, May 21, 2008]

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Example #3
down by the river side hanky panky
were the bullfrogs jump from bank
saying a-e-i-o-u bamboo
a-e-i-o-u bamboo
michel jakson came to town
coca cola shot hem down
dr.pepper fixed him
up now were talking 7-up
7-up has no cafene
now were talking bilajean
bilajean has no caffeine

no caffene no caffeine
1234 shut the door enless u ant to here more
-Guest, maeson A., Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky, June 27, 2008

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Example #4
Down by the river with the hank to pank
where the bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
saying eeps ipes opes oops
chilly willy ding dong
i pledge allegiance to the flag
michael jackson sings so bad
coca cola roots me up
now we're talkin 7Up
7Up has no caffine
now we're talkin billy gene
billy gene whent outta sight

now we're talkin bobby white
bobby white went out of town
riding on a rocket
stuck a feather in his hat
and called it hershey's chocolate"
-Guest, Deana Ashley :); http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350 "I’m Rubber; You’re Glue", August 24, 2008
-snip-
"out of sight" = a 1960s African American originated vernacular phrase that meant "exceptional". However, in these "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes "out of sight" is almost always given its literal meaning of "someone or something that people are unable to see".

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Example #5
Down by the bank by the hanky pank
where the bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
singing eeeps ops ohps ooops
listen to the rythym of the ding dang dong
michael jackson went to town
pepsi cola shot him down
dr. pepper fixed him up
now we're talking 7up
7up has no caffiene
now we're billie jean
billie jean went down the street singing
dooo waaah diddy didy dum diddy dooo
-Guest; Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky Rhymes; November 6, 2009

****
Example #6
Down by the bank of the hanky panky,
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky,
To the Hip Hop Shirley Pop,
I pledge allegience to the flag,
of Michael Jackson makes me gag,
Coca-Cola burnt his butt,
Now he's drinking Seven-Up
Seven-Up has no caffeine,
So Now he's drinking Jelly Bean
Jelly Bean is out of sight,

So Now he's drinking Sprite
Spell it!
S-P-R-I-T-E!
-Guest, Madison from Metro Detroit, Michigan; Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky Rhymes; March 31, 2010

****
Example #7
mine goes like:down by the banks of hanky tank
were the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
saying eeps ipes opes ums
skiddle diddle dong
my brother smells like king kong
pledge allegiance to the flag
micheal jackson is a rat
coca cola blew up
now im drinking 7up
7up has got caffeine
no im drinking billy jean
billy jean is out of sigh

now im drinking sunny light
say 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
your out
-MegaGirlzation, http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=O2CSWmfiNKM; 2010
-snip-
"no" is probably a typo for the word "now".
"out of sigh" is a folk etymology form of the phrase "out of sight".
"your" = "you are"

****
Example #8
down by the banks of the hanky panks
fe fi fo fom me say ding dang dong
i pledge allegiance to the flag
Michel Jackson makes me gag
cocola fizes up
now i am talking 7up
7up has no caffeine now
i am talking jelly bean
jellybean is outa sight

now i im talking dynamite
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 boom
and who ever boom land on is out
-Kissyxblythe; http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=iqhvCN0Uvfk, 2011

****
Example #9
Down by the banks of the hanky pank,
where the bullfrogs jump from bank 2 bank,
sayin eeps, ipes, opes, oops,
listen to the rhythm of the ding dang dong.
Micheal Jackson went to town,
pepsi cola shot im down
Dr Pepper fixed im up,
now were talkin 7up
7up has no caffine,
now were talkin billy jean.
billy jean was walking down the street singin,

Ooh, I diddy diddy dum diddy doo.
Lincoln, Lincoln I been thinkin.
what on earth have you been drinkin
is it whiskey is it wine
OMG its turpentine 123...9
-MufinCat123, http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=ZC8INeM0w5A, 2011

****
Example #10
Its this:

Down by the banks of the hanky panky.
Oops i said yo booty stanky.
Oooh Ahh Skit Skat,
big fat dirty rat.
I pledge alegence to the flag.
Michael jackson is my dad.
Coca cola burning up,
now its time for 7-up.
7-up had no cafine,
now its time for Billy jean.
Billy jean went out of town riding on a pony,

stuck a feather in his head
and called it macaroni.
-uallnomecuz; http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=ZC8INeM0w5A, January 2012

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Sunday, May 3, 2026

Examples Of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" From Mudcat Folk Music Forum

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the Part IV of a four part pancocojams series about the children's singing game and skipping (jump rope) rhyme entitled "On The Mountain stands A Lady" (or similar titles).

This post shares comments from a Mudcat folk music forum discussion threads that provide examples of versions of this children's recreational rhyme/song. This discussion thread began in 2000 and is still open for comments (as of May 5, 2026).

The Addendum of this post showcases a video of Irish girls in the 1970s singing and playing recreational games. A variant form of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" is shown at around 9.30 to around 10.09 of that video.

Read that entire Mudcat discussion thread for other comments such as those that refer to the history of these rhymes and their possible connection to folk songs such as "No John No".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-history-of-on-mountain-stands-lady.html  for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post 
presents an excerpt about this singing game and rhyme from two bluegrassmessanger.com website. The second website indicates that the earliest documented example of "On The Mountain stands A Lady" is from 1846 with some sources for that song dating from 18th century Britain. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/on-mountain-stands-lady-part-ii.html for Part II of this pancocojams post. That post presents a 2025 Facebook post about a 2012 Isle of Man sound file by Violet Corlett of "On The Mountain Stands A Lady". Some comments from that post's discussion thread are also included in this pancocojams post. These comments include memories of that skipping rhyme mostly from the 1940s - 1970s with one commenter sharing her memory of singing this rhyme while skipping rope in the 1980s. 
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.

The Addendum to this post provides a general list of the locations that the selected commenters gave for where they lived when they sang this rhyme.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/on-mountain-stands-lady-jump-rope-rhyme.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part A of that post showcases a YouTube video example and some text (word only) examples of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" recreational rhymes from various online sources. 

Part B of that post showcases a YouTube video example of "There Stands A Lady On A Mountain" circle game and the lyrics for that example. 

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to 
all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this YouTube video and thanks to the producers of that video and its online publishers.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This post departs from this pancocojams blog's mission of showcasing the music, dances, language practices, & customs of African Americans and of other people of Black descent throughout the world.

While some singing games and recreational rhymes that are showcased on pancocojams have been documented to come from Black Americans or from other Black people, all of the examples from those folk genres-such as "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" did not come from those populations.

These e
xamples of and information about "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" are showcased on pancocojams because I'm interested in and like these genres of folk culture. Also, I like learning about the history of songs and rhymes and discovering how some elements of old songs and rhymes are retained in "new" songs and rhymes.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A MUDCAT FOLK MUSIC FORUM ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S RHYME "ON A MOUNTAIN STANDS A LADY" (or similar titles)

Numbers added for referencing purposes only.

From 
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23699

1.Subject: On a mountain stands a lady

From: GUEST,Sean Mac Ruaraidh
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:52 AM

"Hi,

Just the lyrics will do - I don't really expect to get any chords.

1. I require a full version of Childrens song - or is this all of it ?

'On a mountain stands a lady, who she is I do not know. All she wants is gold and silver, all she wants is a fine young man'

2. My dad's been singing a song that appears to be coming straight from his subconcious - i.e. starts to sing it when he is driving. Only words I have are :-

 'Old Uncle Albert was dancing with bears, dancing with bears, dancing with bears'

 Thanks,

 Sean MacRuaraidh."
-snip-
Here's a note from that folk music forum's moderator
" "Dancing With Bears" replies moved to this thread (click).

-Joe Offer-"
-snip-
That click command leads to this Mudcat discussion thread:
Lyr/Chords Req: Waltzing with Bears

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?ThreadID=14244

**

2. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain / Dancing Bears
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 09:09 AM

"The first song is a variant of "Oh no, John, no" and/or "Madam will you walk". As kids we used to sing:

On yonder hill there stands a lady

Who she is I do not know.

All she wants is gold and silver,

And a nice young man, you know

But I've heard so many versions, that I can't properly remember how it continued.

 Wassail! V"

****
3.  
Subject: ADD: On the hillside stands a lady
From: Jimmy C
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 09:21 AM

"The little girls in Belfast and probably other places used to sing a skipping song that went:

On the hillside stands a lady

Who she is I do not know

All she wants is gold and silver

All she wants is a fine young man

 

Lady, Lady, touch the ground

Lady, Lady spin around

Lady, Lady, touch your shoe

Lady, Lady, go right through.

During the singing of the second part the skipper would have to spin, touch her shoe etc, without getting tangled in the rope. If successful she would pass on and rejoin the line, if not she had to take the end of the rope and do the turning, this went on until everybody got a chance to skip. My sisters would sing it often, I suppose there are other verses but I can't recall any."

**
4. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Canada
Date: 20 May 10 - 02:26 AM

"For skipping we would sing (in the 1960s in northern Canada)


On a Mtn stands a lady

Who she is I do not know

All she wants is gold and silver

All she wants is ice and snow

 

So come in my lady, lady, lady

So come in my lady,

While I go out to tea

 

(this was an invitation for one girl to skip in and take the rope and the other girl to skip out)"

**
5. 
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Desideratum1731
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 02:11 PM


"
We girls sang it when skipping in the 40s and 50s in London. Two girls turned the rope while singing: 'On the mountain stands a lady, who she is I do not know. All she wants is gold and silver, all she wants is a fine young man. So come in my XXXX dear, XXXXX dear, XXXXX dear, so come in my XXXXX dear before I run away. Either a boys name or a girl's name would be called to take their place skipping over the rope."

**
6. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: Darowyn
Date: 24 Apr 11 - 04:37 AM

"I know a much longer version which goes to the tune used as the theme to the old TV series "The Liver Birds".

Everybody sings

Stands a lady, on the mountain

Who she is I do not know.

All she wants is gold and silver,

All she wants is a nice young man"

 

the 'young man' then sings (to different tune)

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

 

lady,

No!

 

'young man'

What if I buy you a nice arm chair,

to sit in the garden when you take the air?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

 

lady,

No!

 

'young man'

What if I buy you a silver spoon,

To feed your baby in the afternoon?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

 

lady,

No!

 

'young man'

What If I buy you a nice straw hat,

With long green ribbons hanging down the back?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

 

lady,

Yes!

 

Everybody (another different tune)

Off to church love, off to church love, farewell!

Home from church love, home from church love, farewell!

 

Young man+ all the boys

What's for breakfast love, What's for breakfast love, farewell!

What's for breakfast love, What's for breakfast love, farewell!

 

lady,+ all the girls

Bread and butter and watercress. Bread and butter and watercress.

Bread and butter and watercress, and you shall have some!

 

Young man

What's for dinner love, What's for dinner love, farewell!

What's for dinner love, What's for dinner love, farewell!

 

lady,

Bread and butter and beetles. Bread and butter and beetles.

Bread and butter and beetles, and you shall have some!

 

Young man

What's for supper love, What's for supper love, farewell!

What's for supper love, What's for supper love, farewell!

 

lady,

Bread and butter and RATS. Bread and butter and RATS.

Bread and butter and RATS, and you shall have some!

 

Then everyone runs about screaming for a while, then they all come back into the circle to start again.

 

My class of eight year olds used to play this in Leeds in the early 80's, and the fact that I remember it accounts for the reason that I made a birthday cake for one of my grandsons that was decorated with bread and butter and beetles one year. Two years later his little brother asked me "When you make my birthday cake granddad, will you put bugs on it please?"

Cheers

Dave"

**
7. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST
Date: 11 May 11 - 09:49 PM

"my mother used to sing...on a mountain stands a lady who she is i do not know...all she wants is gold and silver...all she wants is a fine young beau-      which makes more sense because it rhymes"


**
8. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 09:28 PM

"My mom sang it much different:

 

On the mountain, stands a lady,

Who she is I do not know

All she wears is gold and silver

All she needs is a punch in the nose

 

So I'm calling *( insert name here)* dear,

*Katie *dear,

*Katie* dear

 

So I'm calling Katie dear, when I go out to play.

 

Good day!"

**
9. 
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: Joybell
Date: 04 Jul 13 - 05:53 PM

"As a skipping song in the 1950s we sang "On a hill there stands a creature..."

I always loved that image. A dragon? A lady griffin? A she-bear?

Joy"


**
10. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Shay
Date: 14 May 14 - 02:34 AM


"
When I was a kid in the 1990s we used to sing:

on nmountain stands a lady

who she is i do know

all she wants is gold and silver

all she needs is a punch in the

So out goes *name of kid who was jumping*

and in goes *name of the next kid in line*

 

then we would start again."


**
11. Subject
: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Popsicle
Date: 23 Mar 24 - 12:49 PM

"We sang this version in Ireland in the 1950's:

There's a lady on the mountain, who she is I do not know.

All she wants is Gold and Silver and a nice young man I know.

Take your partner, take your partner, go to the church love, kneel down love, say your prayers love, come home love.

Open the gates and let me through!

Not 'til you show you're black and blue!

Here's my black and here's my blue!

Now open the gates and let me through!

 

This was sung in a circle of girls and 2 would pair off outside the circle and follow the actions of the song (kneeling, praying, etc.) and show their right leg for the black and their left leg for the blue. After that they could join the circle."


**
12. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Mar 24 - 03:53 PM

"You'll find it in here along with other kids street songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdpXTFy3zlw&list=WL&index=3
-snip-
That hyperlink led me to the documentary film that is given immediately below.
 

****
ADDENDUM - VIDEO : Dusty Bluebells 1971 Belfast kid's songs.

 

arfer, Jun 8, 2014

Belfast children's street songs filmed in 1971. Some charming performances.

Comments are turned off
-snip-
Unfortunately, the automatic transcript for this YouTube video is very poor. Also, no list of the featured songs and rhymes is provided. I'm reluctant to compile such a list because I'm not familiar with some of the songs and I'm not familiar with the Irish accent.
-snip-
A brief clip of that documentary film can be found elsewhere online, including 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theirishsettlers/posts/1388066094906249/ "The Irish Settlers" published by Mary Moriarty, April 24, 2021.

That post is entitled "A Trip Down Memory Lane—showing some Songs and Games" shows the portion from the film in which two children do a hand clap routine while chanting part of the rhyme "Long Legged Sailor" and the portion of the film where girls jump in a long rope while singing part of "On The Hillside Stands A Lady", a variant form of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady".

Captions for parts of both of those rhymes are given in that Facebook post (and not in that YouTube video). Here's the captions that were given for the "On The Hillside Stands A Lady" rhyme:
"On the hillside stands a lady
Who she is I do not know
Lady lady tip the ground
Lady lady give a burl around
Lady lady show your shoe
Lady lady run right through"
-snip-
As shown in that video, "tip the ground" = "touch the ground"  and "give a burl around" = "turn around".
-snip-
This portion of that rhyme is very similar to Comment #3 in this Mudcat discussion thread compilation that is given above in this pancocojams post.

****
This concludes Part IV of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

"On A Mountain Stands A Lady" Jump Rope Rhyme &"There Stands A Lady On A Mountain" Circle Game (Part III - videos and examples)

On A Mountain Stands A Lady - A skip rope rhyme

Megan Firth, Jun 14, 2020

A long rope rhyme for more than one skipper
-snip-
The words for this example is given below.

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the Part III of a four part pancocojams series about the children's singing game and skipping (jump rope) rhyme entitled "On The Mountain stands A Lady" (or similar titles).

Part A of this post showcases a YouTube video example and some text (word only) examples of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" recreational rhymes from various online sources. 

Part B of that post showcases a YouTube video example of "There Stands A Lady On A Mountain" circle game and the lyrics for that example. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-history-of-on-mountain-stands-lady.html  for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post 
presents an excerpt about this singing game and rhyme from two bluegrassmessanger.com website. The second website indicates that the earliest documented example of "On The Mountain stands A Lady" is from 1846 with some sources for that song dating from 18th century Britain. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/on-mountain-stands-lady-part-ii.html for Part II of this pancocojams post. That post presents a 2025 Facebook post about a 2012 Isle of Man sound file by Violet Corlett of "On The Mountain Stands A Lady". Some comments from that post's discussion thread are also included in this pancocojams post. These comments include memories of that skipping rhyme mostly from the 1940s - 1970s with one commenter sharing her memory of singing this rhyme while skipping rope in the 1980s. 
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.

The Addendum to this post provides a general list of the locations that the selected commenters gave for where they lived when they sang this rhyme.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/examples-of-on-mountain-stands-lady.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post presents examples and comments about the children's singing game and skipping rope (jump rope) rhyme entitled "On The Mountain Stands A Lady" (or similar titles) from a discussion thread on Mudcat folk music forum.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to 
all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this YouTube video and thanks to the publisher of that video on YouTube.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This post departs from this pancocojams blog's mission of showcasing the music, dances, language practices, & customs of African Americans and of other people of Black descent throughout the world.

While some singing games and recreational rhymes that are showcased on pancocojams have been documented to come from Black Americans or from other Black people, all of the examples from those folk genres-such as "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" did not come from those populations.

These e
xamples of and information about "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" are showcased on pancocojams because I'm interested in and like these genres of folk culture. Also, I like learning about the history of songs and rhymes and discovering how some elements of old songs and rhymes are retained in "new" songs and rhymes.

****
PART A - WORDS FOR THE EXAMPLE WHOSE VIDEO IS EMBEDDED AT THE TOP OF THIS POST

"
On a mountain

Stands a Lady

Who she is I do not know.

All She wants is Gold and Silver

Gold and silver for her beaux

So call on your sister (add your friends name here)

Sister (name), Sister (name)

Call on your sister (name)

She will take your place, Good-day.

(you jump out, your friend jumps in)

 

**You can substitute the word [sister] for[ brother] and [she] for [he] if you're skipping with a boy)"
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
The words to this rhyme are given in that video's summary.

This video doesn't indicate the country where the girls  live. However, the fact that they describe their activity as "jumping rope rather than "skipping" or "skipping rope" and their accents while speaking English leads me to guess that this video was taken in the United States.]

****
TWO ADDITIONAL WORD ONLY EXAMPLES OF THIS JUMP ROPE (SKIPPING) GAME

 1. From
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1613657848871679/posts/2842090312695087/ "The Yesteryears Revisited" published by Jeanette Walker ·

a) Jeanette Walker, June 6, 2020
"Who remembers the skipping rope songs in the playground as children here’s one of my memories

On the mountain stands a lady
Who she is I do not know
All she wants is silver and gold
all she wants is a fine young man
so call in (one of the girls’ names) Sandra dear
Sandra dear, then all fade away…

something like that
Then the next girl comes in to jump over the rope!
Love those skipping ropes!"
-snip-
I reformatted this example to add a space between the commenter's words and the words of this rhyme. I also used lower case letters to designate these comments/examples. All of these examples are from 2020.

**
b) Colleen Swan
"We sang the On a mountain etc at the end .... call in my Sandra dear as i go out to play. "

**
c). Patricia Walsh
"J remember singing call in my very best friend my very best friend and her name is ...."

**
d) Jeanette Walker /Author
"Patricia Walsh yes that’s it 😂"

**
e) ·Isabel Gardner Wilkie
"In a mountain stands a castle and the owner Frankenstein

With his daughter Pansy potter

Will she be my valentine lol"

****
2. From  https://ogmundsonstories.wordpress.com/2014/02/19/on-the-mountain-stands-a-lady/
On the mountain stands a lady, posted on February 19, 2014 by warburk2013

"Recess bell rings—out the door we go. The boys run to play baseball or soccer or marbles.  Most of the girls run out to play hopscotch, bounce the ball or to skip rope.  It is grade 5.  We are all expert skippers in our little plaid school dresses with leotards and oxford shoes.  There is a paved area where we take turns turning the rope for the line of singing friends.  Everyone is welcome to take a turn.  We know how to skip regular, slow rope, high rope (the rope a few inches from the ground), run through (run through the turning rope without stopping it or tripping), jolly-o (skipping while twirling around), coming in the door and going out the door on cue, and PEPPER (skipping as fast as the rope can be turned).  We play all the time and we always chant a skipping song.

No one supervises us or makes us sign out a skipping rope.  There might be a teacher out on the school property but most likely he came out for a quick smoke.  We skip through recess and then again at lunch break and for a while after school if we can.

Song:

 On the mountain stands a lady

 Who she is I do not know

All she wants is gold and silver

All she wants is a fine young man

So come in dear Lindy, dear Lindy, dear Lindy  (Lindy comes in and skips with Rosie)

So come in dear Lindy and I’ll go out to play (Rosie goes out the door)

 

We do not ask ourselves where this song came from.  No one knows.  We are all in the same boat as the lady on the mountain.  We would love gold and silver and a fine young man, but none of us would know what to do with them if they fell into our lap."...
-snip-
Comments about this example from that Facebook post's discussion thread

a). warburk2013, February 20, 2014
" “Back door” was coming into the skip rope the harder way–with the rope going away from you"

**
b) bogmundson, February 19, 2014 
"How did you remember the verses or songs? Was it like memorizing prayers?"

**
Reply
c) warburk2013, February 20, 2014
"Well repetition formed grooves in my brain that persist to today. If I walk or swim for awhile, one of those jingles starts up in my mind. “Keep the kettle boiling, have a cup of tea, in comes you and out goes me.” One of my goals in publishing this little story is to perhaps banish them from my mind after 50 years."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note: The “fifty years” comment dates subtracted from the 2014 posting date for this comment means that the commenter remembered these rhyme from 1964.  

**
d) Tony O,  March 6, 2014
" “All she wants is a fine young man – So come in dear Lindy”- That could only be Charles Lindberg, the finest young man in the whole world after his heroic trans-Atlantic flight. That would date that version of the skipping song to 1927 or 1928."

**
Reply
e) warburk2013, March 6, 2014
"Fine deduction, Sherlock. However the name Lindy is the name of the hypothetical girl currently skipping in time to the song. Linda was a very popular name in my day and at one time there were 3 Lindas in my class at school. One became “Lindy.” She appears in the story because she was my friend.(She may have been named after Lindbergh but I doubt it). Thanks for the fun comment Tony"
-snip-
This online post continues with the author's memory of three other rhymes. One of those rhymes includes the referents "Chinaman" and "Jews" which the author and some of the commenters indicated were slurs. I plan to publish a post about that rhyme and those comments ASAP and will include the link to that post when it is published.

****
PART B - CIRCLE GAME EXAMPLES

{Pancocojams Editor's Note- Documentation for this song/rhyme indicates that the circle game format is the earliest format for this song/rhyme. Read bluegrassmessanger.com information in Part I of this pancocojams series.)

Dany Rosevear, Aug 18, 2015

For music, chords, more circle games and how to play this visit: http://www.singinggamesforchildren.com...

A traditional resource for children, teachers, child care providers, librarians, parents and grandparents or just nostalgia enthusiasts.  Visit http://www.singinggamesforchildren.com to find many more songs including those from other countries and also to find out how to play this as a game and see it in the context of teaching singing games for children.

There stands a lady on the mountain,

Who she is I do not know;

All she wants is gold and silver,

All she wants is a nice young man.

Madam will you walk? Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me? NO!

Comments are turned off **** This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series. Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.

 

What if I buy you a nice arm chair,

To sit in the garden when you take the air? NO!

 

What if I buy you a silver spoon,

To feed your baby in the afternoon? NO!

 

What If I buy you a nice straw hat,

With seven yards of ribbon hanging down the back? YES!"

****
This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.