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Friday, November 13, 2026

Sources Of The Movie Big's Rap "Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop", Part 2 (2026 complete reprint of a 2011 pancocojams post)th



Sesame Street: Handclapping Chants

Uploaded by SesameStreet on Mar 27, 2009

[Viewer comment- "this was 1986!]

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is a complete reprint of a 2011 pancocojams post with the same title. This post remains in this pancocojams blog.

As of the date of this 2026 post, no comments have been published in that post's discussion thread.

That 2011 post begins here: 

This is Part II of a three part of a pancocojams series on playground rhymes sources for the "Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Pop" "rap" in the 1988 American movie Big.

Parts 2 & 3 include examples of older playground rhymes that are probable sources for movie Big's rap "Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Pop".

Part I of this post provides my general comments about children's playground rhymes. In that first part of this post, I also provided the words to three examples of the movie Big's "Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop" rap.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/12/sources-of-movie-bigs-rap-shimmy-shimmy.html for Part 3 of this series.

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POSTING EXAMPLES FROM SELECTED RHYMES
The featured line or phrase is given in capital letters. Underneath that title, information is given as to where that line or phrase is from with regard to the three recitations that Tom Hanks did of the movie Big's "Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop" rap. Those three examples I'm referring to in this post are two times in the 1988 movie itself, and one time in 2009 during a BBC television show interview. Each of those examples are given in full in Part 1 of this series.

The title of the selected example of the "source rhyme" is given in capital letters followed by the code SR ("source rhyme" or "selected rhyme") and an assigned number. These numbers are used consecutively throughout Parts 2-3 of this post. In each example, the focus line is given in italics to highlight that line.

With those introductory comments, here is Part II of this series:

PART II
SOME COMMENTS & EXAMPLES OF "THE SPADES GO" AND "THE SPACE GO".
"The spades go" is given as line 1 in Example #2 of the movie Big's "Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop" rap.

"The space goes" is given as line 1 in Example #3 of the movie Big's "Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop" rap.

I believe that the phrase "the spades go" predates the phrase "the space goes". I also believe that "the space goes" probably first came about as a result of mishearing or misremembering the phrase "the spades go". That misheard or misremembered phrase then was transmitted as the "real" words of that rhyme.

It's my position that "the spade goes" originally meant the same exact thing as "The Black [people] go". That phrase was said to give the mark of authenticity to the words that followed, since Black people - and in this sense Black girls- were seen of the arbiters of "the real way" that handclap rhymes were supposed to be said and performed. For this reason, persons who are interested in the origin of playground rhymes can look at examples of rhymes that begin with "the spades go" or "the space goes", or -much less frequently- "the Blacks go", as an indication that the people reciting those rhymes believed that the words came from Black people - or that Black people (that is to say, Black females) were the role models for the way those rhymes were "supposed to be" performed.

I wrote a rather lengthy reply to a question that was posed to me on another forum about my rather tepid reaction as an African American to the inclusion of the phrase "the spades go" in a British playground rhyme. In summary, I indicated that whereas I have a strongly felt visceral reaction to the pejorative word which is now known as "the n word" regardless of who uses it, I don't have that same hit in the gut reaction to "the spades go". I believe that there are three main reasons for that:

1. Even though I believe that the phrase "the spades" is a referent for "Black people", it's not a referent that is used that often in the United States (at least, in my experiences).

2. Because it's children who are reciting rhymes that include the phrase "the spades go", I give them the benefit of the doubt that they don't know the pejorative meaning of "the spades". That pejorative meaning is sometimes alluded to in the colloquial expression "call a spade a spade". The racial meaning of that expression came about because in a deck of playing cards, the spade category of cards is the color black.

3. In the context of children's playground rhymes, the phrase "the spades" has no literal meaning nowadays, but merely serves as an introduction to the rhyme itself.

To read my full comment in that discussion about the phrase "the spades", on that folk music forum, visit http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350#1922124.

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EXAMPLES OF "THE SPADES GO"

Source Rhyme #1
"INY MINY POPSA KINEY"
The spades the spades the spades go iny miny popsa kiney i love bomaragn a hop a scoth a liver roch a peach a plum i have a stick of chewing gum and if u want the other half this is wut you say: amen amen amendiego sandieago bostn bruins rah rah rah boo boo boo criss cross apple sauce do me a favor get lost while ur at it drop dead either that or lose ur head bang on trash cans bang on tin cans i can u can nobody else can sitting on the bench nuthing to do along comes some one..cohey coochey coo! andu tickle the other person

Source: Sally on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 08:07 pm:
http://www.streetplay.com/discus/

[Note that I'm using the phrase after the introductory words "the spades go" as the title for this rhyme. Also, as an aside, note that this rhyme is written in essay form with little punctuation. For various reasons which are beyond this post, this is an increasingly common online way of writing children's playground rhymes.]

**
Source Rhyme #2:
"TWO LIPS"
I remember parts of this song:

The spades go two lips together
tie them together
bring back my love to me.

What is the me-ee-eening
of all these flow-er-er-ers
they tel the sto-or-or-y,
the story of love,
from me to you.

I saw the ship sail away,
it sailed three years and a day,
my love is far far away,
and I love him so, oh yes I do.

My heart goes bump ba de dump bump,
bump ba de dump bump,
over my love for you.

You are my one and only,
I love you passionately,
Source: Guest, susan; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350 I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes [hereafter given as Mudcat: CR]

Note: The rhyme "Two Lips" will be the subject of an upcoming pancocojams post.

**
"the space goes"

Source Rhyme #3:
"BRING BACK MY LOVE"
The space goes true love together
twilight forever
Bring back my love to me
What is the matter?
When we get married
And have some children
We’ll name them
Sandra and Jane
and Billy and Tom
And Betty and Jimmy now,
Source: Let's Slice The Ice (Eleanor Fulton and Pat Smith; St. Louis, Missouri; Magnamusic-Baton; 1978; p. 30 [This is a collection of African Americans' children rhymes from various states; hereafter given as "Slice The Ice", with the example's page number]

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Source Rhyme #4:
"APPLES ON A STICK"
The space goes
apple on a stick just makes me sick make my tummy go 2 4 6
not because im hungry
not because im clean
just because i kiss a boy behind the magazine
hey girls lets have some fun
here comes (name) with his pant undone
he can wiggle he can wobble he can do the twist
but most of all he cant do this close your eyes and count ten if you messs up start ova again
1, 2, 3, 4, ...
Source ; Cece; Whee Blog (website no longer viable); 10/9/2005

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Source Rhyme #5:
"CINDERELLA DRESSED IN YELLA"
Cinderella dressed in yella went up stairs to kiss her fella. She stepped on a crack and broke her back. Tried to stand and cut her hand. How many stitches did it take? The space goes boom boom skitty wat and tat and ah ah ah ah boom boom boom skitty witty wa wa, bubishka wa wa bubishka wa wa pow bang boom. I went to a Chinese restaurant to buy a loaf of bread bread bread. She put it in a half brown bag and this is what she said said said, my name is ki yi yippee yi, yippe yi ki yi humble berry, chocolate cherry, walla walla Washington, chop chop chow
- a href="http://www.inthe80s.com/rhymes.shtml assessed 8/13/2009

**
Here's an example of a handclap rhyme with the introductory phrase "the Blacks go":

Source Rhyme #6
"SHIMMY SHIMMY COKE CA POP"
The Blacks go down down baby
Down by the roller coaster
Sweet sweet baby
I don't wanna let you go

Shimmy shimmy shimmy shimmy
shimmy shimmy-pop!
Shimmy shimmy shimmy shimmy
shimmy shimmy coke-ca-pop!

[Source: Shimmy Shimmy Coke-Ca-Pop!, A Collection of City Children's Street Games & Rhymes (John Langstaff, Carol Langstaff: Garden City, New York, Double Day & Co; 1973; p. 78)

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SHIMMY SHIMMY ROCK ; SHIMMY SHIMMY COCOA POP
The lines "shimmy shimmy rock" is probably a folk etymology form of "shimmy shimmy cocoa pop". "Shimmy shimmy rock" is given as line 2 & line 4 of Example #1 of the movie Big's "Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop" rap, Those words are given as lines 6 and 8 of Examples #2 and #3 of that rap.

The line "shimmy shimmy cocoa pop" is given as lines 1 and 3 of Example #1 of that rap. Those words are also given as lines 5 and 7 of Examples #2 and #3 of that rap.

Refer back to SR #6 for a source example of those lines.

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DOWN DOWN THE ROLLER COASTER
The line "down down the roller coaster" is given as line 2 in Example #2 of the movie Big's "Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop" rap.

See SR #6 for a source example.

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SWEET SWEET BABY SWEET SWEET DON'T LET ME GO
The lines "Sweet, sweet baby,/ sweet, sweet, don't let me go" are given as lines 3 and 4 of Example #3 of that rap.

Example #1 does not include these lines. "Sweet, sweet baby!/Sweet, sweet delectable!" is given as lines 3 and 4 of Example #2. I believe that "Sweet, sweet delectable" is a folk etymology form of "sweet, sweet, don't let me go".

Refer to SR #6 for a very similar source example of "sweet sweet sweet don't let me go".

Comment: The lines "sweet sweet baby/I'll never let you go" (or similar versions of those lines) are a core verse of "Down Down Baby" handclap rhymes. Here's a very widely known version of that rhyme:

Source Rhyme #7:
"DOWN DOWN BABY"
Down, down baby
Down by the roller coaster
Sweet, sweet baby
I'll never let you go.

Shimmy shimmy coco pa
Shimmy shimmy pow!
Shimmy shimmy coco pa
Shimmy shimmy pow!
Grandma, Grandma sick in bed.
Called the doctor and the doctor said,
Let's get the rhythm of the head.
Ding dong.
Let's get the rhythm of the hands
Clap, clap.
Let's get the rhythm of the feet
Stomp, stomp.
Let's get the rhythm of the
Hot dog.
Put it all together and what do you get?
Ding-dong, clap, clap. Stomp, stomp. Hot dog.
Say it all backwards and what do you get?
Hot dog. Stomp, stomp. Clap, clap. Ding dong!
-multiple printed source; including Mudcat: CR

Editor: A video of this rhyme is included below.

I MET A GIRLFRIEND A TRISCUIT/ SHE SAID A TRISCUIT A BISCUIT

The lines "I met a girlfriend a triscuit!/ She said a triscuit a biscuit!" are given in lines 5 & 6 of Example #1 and lines 9 & 10 of Examples #2 and #3 of that rap.

Here are two selected source examples of those lines:
Source Rhyme #8:
"DOEMENIQUE DOEMENIQUE"
Doeminique Doeminique a biscuit*
Ooh cheechee wah wah
A biscuit.
How do you like your lover
Ah biscuit.
He's so fine.
Oh a biscuit.
Just like cherry wine.
Oh a biscuit.
How do you know it isn't so.
Ice cream (ice cream)
Soda pop (soda pop)
Ginger-ale (ginger-ale)
Seven up (seven up)
Now it's time to do your thing,
Now freeze.
-"Slice The Ice", p. 32

*Also, see other similar phrases in this example.

**
Source Rhyme #9:
"DOWN DOWN BABY"
Down Down Baby, down by the roller coaster
Sweet Sweet Baby, my heart's in love
Ooh, che-chihuahua
Biscuit*
I solemnly love her
Biscuit
She is so sweet
Biscuit
Like a cherry treat
Biscuit
Touche Turtle, pull down your girdle
Biscuit
Ruth Archer; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100653 Down Down Baby-Race in Kid's Rhymes (Clapping rhyme, Atlantic City NJ, late 70's); posted on 4/10/2007

Editor: "Ruth Archer" is a White woman I "met" online who happens to be from my hometown (I've never met her in person).

*Also, see other similar phrases in this example.

**
Source Rhyme #10:
"RONALD MCDONALD HAD A BISCUIT"
Ronald McDonald had a biscuit *
Oooh, chee chee wah wah a biscuit
I had a boyfriend a biscuit
he was so fine a biscuit
like a cherry pie a biscuit
now watch me, now watch me, now watch me do my thing
I said a popcorn cherry pie
bang bang choo choo train
chally wally shake my body
tutti frutti shake my booty
uh i'm goin down uh into the ground
uh i'm comin up uh like hot stuff uh
she push me down uh into the ground
uh i'm comin up uh to kick your but
i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i thought you did karate!
-Tierney; http://www.cocojams.com (Handclap Rhymes page); 2/36/2009

*Also, see other similar phrases in this example.
-snip-
Part 3 of this post provides additional examples of probable playground rhyme sources for the remaining lines of the movie Big's "Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Pop" rap.

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

"Blue Bird Blue Bird Through My Window" (with some lyrics and videos that document different ways this children's singing game is performed)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about, lyrics for, and videos of the children's singing game "Bluebird Bluebird Through My Window" (and similar titles).

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 featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
"Blue Bird Blue Bird Through My Window" is documented as a children's singing game that has African American origin or early African American adaptations.

Read my comments after Showcase Video #4 in which I recommend NOT using color references when playing this game (such as "Black bird Black bird" or "White bird White bird" instead of the standard words "Blue bird, Blue bird". 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/11/why-its-important-to-document-share.html to read the 2026 pancocojams post about why I believe it's important to collect racial demographic information and to acknowledge the African American origin and/or the African American adaptations/versions of some children's recreational rhymes/singing games etc.

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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/11/blue-bird-blue-bird-through-my-window.html for a closely related pancocojams post about this singing game. A few video examples from that post are also showcased in this post.  

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This is not the same singing game as "There Stands A Blue Bird". Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/05/two-early-20th-century-examples-of.html for a pancocojams post on "There Stands A Blue Bird".

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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SINGING GAME

From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=158590
Subject: RE: Origins: Little Bird, Little Bird
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Nov 15 - 06:56 PM

"Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry for this song:

 Bluebird

DESCRIPTION: "Here comes a [blue]bird through my window, Oh, Johnny, I'm tired! [or "Hey, diddle, hi dum, day"] ... Take a little dancer and hop through the garden ... Take a little partner, and pat him on the shoulder"

AUTHOR: unknown

EARLIEST DATE: 1903 (Newell-GamesAndSongsOfAmericanChildren)

KEYWORDS: playparty bird

FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland) US(Ap,MW,SE) [Applachia, Midwest, Southeast)

[…]

Roud #7700

RECORDINGS:

Lorraine Hammond, "Little Bird, Little Bird " (Fragment: Piotr-Archive #690, recorded 10/01/2023)

Stanley Hicks, "Here Goes a Bluebird" (on OldTrad2, FarMtns2)

NOTES : This seems to have become relatively well-known from a recording by Elizabeth Mitchell on Folkways which begins

Little bird, little bird, fly through my window.

Little bird, little bird, fly through my window.

Little bird, little bird, fly through my window

And find molasses candy.

[…]

The Ballad Index Copyright 2025 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.
-snip-
Read my comment in this pancocojams post's discussion thread about the meaning of the "Round number" index for folk songs.

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LYRICS AND ONE WAY THIS CHILDREN'S SINGING GAME IS PERFORMED
From http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=3382

"Bluebird, Bluebird

Circle Game

Bluebird, bluebird through my window,

Bluebird, bluebird through my window,

Bluebird, bluebird come through my window,

Oh, Johnny, I am tired.

 

Take a little girl,

and tap her on the shoulders,

Take a little girl,

and tap her on the shoulders,

Take a little girl,

and tap her on the shoulders,

Oh, Johnny, I am tired!

 

Bluebird, bluebird through my window,

Bluebird, bluebird through my window,

Bluebird, bluebird come through my window,

Oh, Johnny, I am tired.

 

Take a little boy,

and tap him on the shoulders,

Take a little boy,

and tap him on the shoulders,

Take a little boy,

and tap him on the shoulders,

Oh, Johnny, I am tired!

Game Instructions

Children stand in a circle holding hands high up in arches (to form the "windows" in the song). One kid is the "Blue Bird" who flies in and out of the arches or "windows". During the second verse, the "bird" chooses a partner by patting him/her on the shoulder. The second kid then follows holding the 1st kids shoulders while they pass through the "windows". Then game continues on until all the kids make a chain and there are only 2 children left forming an arch (or "window". They become the first two bluebirds in the next round."

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These videos are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.


SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 - Bluebird Through My Window Demo



Deborah K Oakes Published on Apr 24, 2013

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 -

Rob Amchin—University of Louisville—"Bluebird" Singing game process 

Robert Amchin Published on Sep 30, 2013

My music education majors are learning singing games and how to incorporate Orff instruments (bordun accompaniment to a steady beat). This short lesson focuses on steady beat, pitch matching, and building community. There are many different versions of this primary age singing game.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXxD04HnKcA
-snip-
Selected comments from that video's discussion thread(Numbers are added for referencing purposes only)

1. @eriksuyoburga6918, 2015
"sorry ..could you write the subtitles of this song ,please?)

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Reply
2. @RobertAmchin, 2015
"ERIK SUYO BURGA Bluebird bluebird through my window (three times). My molasses candy."

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3. @wolffandom8963, 2017
"Bluebird bluebird in and out my window three times oh Jonny I'm tired"

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Reply
4. @RobertAmchin, 2017
"So many versions of this song!"

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5. Karoline Braten, 2016
"I'm a 1st year music teacher. I'm still learning what activities are good for each grade. What grade would you do this with?

Love your videos. They give me so many ideas while I do my lesson plans."

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Reply
6. Robert Amchin, 2016
"+Karoline Braten I did this with my Kindergarteners and 1st graders (young 1st graders).  I wouldn't do that for older kids."

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Reply
7.  Karoline Braten, 2026
"Thank you!"
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note: I retrieved some comments from this discussion thread in 2016. Some of those comments are no longer shown in that discussion thread as of November 13, 2026

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3- Ring Play: Bluebird! Bluebird!



whitfiddy, Dec 19, 2012

Kids at the Deep Creek Middle School(Eleuthera, Bahamas) afternoon program take time out to play a game.
-snip-
"Ring play" is an old Caribbean and Black American term for playing games in a circle (i.e. singing games that are performed by children forming a circle).

The word "plays" is the general referent that Bessie Jones, singer and co-author with Bess Lomax Hawes of the Step It Down book of Gullah Geechee  [Georgia] children's songs and games, used to refer to those recreational compositions and their performances.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4- Blue Bird



Vincent Bates, March 30, 2011
-snip-
These lyrics use the color of birds instead of just singing "blue bird blue bird through my window." for instance singing "Black bird Black bird through my window".

 However, given the racial history and present racial dynamics/sensitivities in the United States and elsewhere in the world, I strongly believe that 
when playing this singing game, people shouldn't use other color words instead of "blue".

This statement applies even if these color designations are meant to only refer to what a child is wearing (for instance if a White child is wearing a black shirt and the group sings "Black bird, Black bird through my window").

The consequences of chanting "Black bird Black bird") or "Brown bird Brown bird" could be almost as bad as if the only Black child or the only Black child in the group is wearing a black shirt and the group sings "Black bird Black bird through my window."

The same goes for the only Brown child or any Brown child and the group sings "Brown bird, Brown bird through my window."

These statements shouldn't be interpreted to mean that there's anything wrong with being Black or being Brown. Nor do these statements mean that people should always be colorblind when it comes to everyday interactions. However, in the context of performing children's singing games and rhymes, my recommendation is that people should be mindful of the implication of words that could have unexpected negative emotional consequences given past and current racial realities.
 
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Bluebird Game, Kinder



Amanda Vessels, Mar 6, 2023

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

"Blue Bird Blue Bird Through My Window" (history, videos, lyrics, & comments )

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about, lyrics for, and videos of the children's singing game "Bluebird Bluebird Through My Window" (and similar titles).

Most of the content of this post is reprinted from a 2016 pancocojams post with a similar title that remains in this blog. That post has no visitor comments as of this 2026 date.


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 featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
"Blue Bird Blue Bird Through My Window" is documented as a children's singing game that has African American origin or early African American adaptations.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/11/why-its-important-to-document-share.html to read the 2026 pancocojams post about why I believe it's important to collect racial demographic information and to acknowledge the African American origin and/or the African American adaptations/versions of some children's recreational rhymes/singing games etc.

**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/11/blue-bird-blue-bird-through-my-window_081855460.html for additional videos of and comments about this singing game., including my statement about why I strongly believe that when playing this singing game, people should stay away from using any other color referent than "blue". 

**
This is not the same singing game as "There Stands A Blue Bird". Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/05/two-early-20th-century-examples-of.html for a pancocojams post on "There Stands A Blue Bird".

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EARLY LYRICS FOR "BLUE BIRD BLUE BIRD" THROUGH MY WINDOW
From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=158590
"Subject: Lyr Add: Little Bird, Little Bird
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Nov 15 - 06:55 PM

This has been mentioned a couple of times here, but there hadn't been a thread on it. I know it as "Bluebird, Bluebird" or more commonly "Little Bird, Little Bird." Here are the lyrics I came up with for the Rise Again Songbook:

LITTLE BIRD, LITTLE BIRD

Little bird, little bird fly through my window (3x)
And buy molasses candy

Fly thru my window my sugar lump (2x)
And buy molasses candy

insert: chickadee, jaybird, whippoorwill, robin, bluebird, crow,
bobwhite, hummingbird

——trad. (Amer. play party song)*

Players join hands in a circle & raise their joined hands to form windows. One or more birds in the center go in & out the
windows. At "buy molasses candy" bird stops at another player, who then goes to the center.

In American Folk Songs for Children (Ruth Crawford Seeger). On Pete Seeger Birds, Beasts, Bugs, & Little Fishes (as "Fly thru My Window") & Eliz Mitchell You Are My Little Bird.

****
Subject: RE: Origins: Little Bird, Little Bird
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Nov 15 - 06:56 PM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry for this song:

Bluebird

DESCRIPTION: "Here comes a [blue]bird through my window, Oh, Johnny, I'm tired! [or "Hey, diddle, hi dum, day"] ... Take a little dancer and hop through the garden ... Take a little partner, and pat him on the shoulder"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1903 (Newell)
KEYWORDS: playparty bird
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland) US(MW,SE)
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Wolford, pp. 39-40=WolfordRev, p. 228, "Down in Jay Bird Town" (1 text, 2 tunes)
Lomax-Singing, "Little Bird, Go Through My Window" (1 text, 1 tune)
Opie-Game 97, "Bluebird" (1 text, 1 tune)
Newell, #51. "Blue-birds and Yellow-Birds" (1 text)
ADDITIONAL: Robert Ford, Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories (Paisley, 1904 (2nd edition, "Digitized by Google")), p. 78, "The Blue Bird" (1 text)
Emelyn E. Gardner, "Some Play-Party Games in Michigan" in The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. XXXIII, No. 128 (Apr 1920 (available online by JSTOR)), #4 pp. 94-95, "Bluebird" (1 text, 1 tune)
Leah Rachel Clara Yoffie, "Three Generations of Children's Singing Games in St. Louis" in The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. LX, No. 235 (Jan 1947 (available online by JSTOR)), #49 p. 43 ("Here comes a bluebird through my window") (1 text)
Roud #7700
File: OpGa097"
-snip-
The "Traditional Ballad Index" entry for this song (in 2016) is http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/OpGa097.html. This song is listed under the name "Little Bird Through My Window", but the title on the page is "Bluebird".

Here's information about the term "play party":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_party_(U.S._traditional)
"A play party is a social event in which people gather to sing and dance. Play parties began in the 1830s in the United States as a route around strict religious practices banning dancing and the playing of musical instruments. The areas most influenced by the practice were the Southern and Midwestern parts of the United States. Folk songs, many of European and English origin, were used as means to give the attendants choreographed movements for each phrase. No instruments were played at the events, as they were banned by the religious movements of the area. Singing and clapping were used to convey each song. Because dancing was banned, the movements took on the quality of children's games. Though the performance of play parties dwindled in the 1950s, music educators use them as ways to incorporate music and dance in their classrooms.[1]

Some traditional examples of play-parties are: Skip to My Lou, Buffalo Gals, Bingo, Pop Goes the Weasel, Old Dan Tucker, Coffee Grows on White Oak Trees, Shoot the Buffalo, etc."

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LYRICS & GAME INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONE CONTEMPORARY VERSION OF THIS SONG
From http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=3382

BLUEBIRD BLUEBIRD (Circle Game)

Bluebird, bluebird through my window,
Bluebird, bluebird through my window,
Bluebird, bluebird come through my window,
Oh, Johnny, I am tired.

Take a little girl,
and tap her on the shoulders,
Take a little girl,
and tap her on the shoulders,
Take a little girl,
and tap her on the shoulders,
Oh, Johnny, I am tired!

Bluebird, bluebird through my window,
Bluebird, bluebird through my window,
Bluebird, bluebird come through my window,
Oh, Johnny, I am tired.

Take a little boy,
and tap him on the shoulders,
Take a little boy,
and tap him on the shoulders,
Take a little boy,
and tap him on the shoulders,
Oh, Johnny, I am tired!

....

Game Instructions
Children stand in a circle holding hands high up in arches (to form the "windows" in the song). One kid is the "Blue Bird" who flies in and out of the arches or "windows". During the second verse, the "bird" chooses a partner by patting him/her on the shoulder. The second kid then follows holding the 1st kids shoulders while they pass through the "windows". Then game continues on until all the kids make a chain and there are only 2 children left forming an arch (or "window". They become the first two bluebirds in the next round.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Graduation 2011 - Bluebird Through My Window

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9qhlEpnMMs

Embedding disabled by request

HopSiEuPeAici, Uploaded on Jun 28, 2011
-snip-
Lyrics for this version: Bluebird bluebird, through my window (3x)
Oh! I am really tired"

Play instructions: At the beginning of this game, an adult calls out one child’s name and only that child only goes “through the window” (under the arms of other people forming the circle). At the end of the song, that child rejoins the circle (at any position in that circle), and the song begins with the same adult calling out another child’s name. Presumably, this continues until the adult judges that the group is getting tired of playing this game.

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Example #2: Nursery Rhymes - Blue Bird



onmirza's channel Uploaded on Nov 16, 2011

Nursery Rhymes - Blue Bird
-snip-
Lyrics for this computer animated short:
Bluebird , bluebird through my window (3x)
Oh Johnny, what a day
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this animated short's discussion thread:
Kalvin Cheeseborough, 2012
"what was the name of the tape this was from I remember this from when I was a kid and i want to find it for my two daughters but cant remember the name of the tape i only want this version"

**
Reply
Zara Ahmed, 2012
"read with me"

**
Antonio Green, 2012
"Can you please tell me were you got this again"

**
Reply
Zara Ahmed, 2012
"read with me a disc with games and songs, i still have it but only work on win xp"

**
Reply
Cristina Sartin, 2016
"Antonio Green
I bought this dvd set from Costco around 1996 for my daughter. Microsoft bought it out from the company and sold it to the schools to be used in kindergarten. I loaned out my set years ago and wish I could remember the titles of the dvd set."

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Example #3: Bluebird Through My Window Demo



Deborah K Oakes Published on Apr 24, 2013
-snip-
The lyrics to this song are the same as or very similar to those given in the mamalisa.com quote above.

Here's how this singing game was played:
The group forms a large circle. Each person forming the circle holds hands with the person on either side and then the group holds up both arms, forming an arch (a window).

The song begins and one designated person (DP) goes through each "window". When the group sings "take a girl and pat her on the shoulder", the DP randomly selects a girl and taps her on the shoulder. That girl then follows the DP under "through each window". When the group sings "take a boy and pat him on the shoulder", the DP randomly selects a boy and taps him on the shoulder. That boy then follows the girl and the DP. When that rendition of the song is over, the DP and the selected girl and boy form a new circle in the center of the first circle.

When the song begins again, the DP and those she or he had selected start the selection process again. This continues until everyone has been selected to follow the DP.

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Example #4: Rob Amchin—University of Louisville—"Bluebird" SInging game process



Robert Amchin, Published on Sep 30, 2013

My music education majors are learning singing games and how to incorporate Orff instruments (bordun accompaniment to a steady beat). This short lesson focuses on steady beat, pitch matching, and building community. There are many different versions of this primary age singing game.
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread (The lyrics are given in the second comment)
ERIK SUYO BURGA, 2015
"hello..please could you write the title of the song ,please?"

**
Reply
Robert Amchin, 2015
"+ERIK SUYO BURGA Bluebird bluebird through my window, (3 times) my molasses candy."

**
Karoline Braten, 2015
"I'm a 1st year music teacher. I'm still learning what activities are good for each grade. What grade would you do this with?
Love your videos. They give me so many ideas while I do my lesson plans."

**
Reply
Robert Amchin, 2015
"+Karoline Braten I did this with my Kindergarteners and 1st graders (young 1st graders). I wouldn't do that for older kids."

**
Reply
Karoline Braten, 2016
"Thank you!"

**
natanamoon, 2015
"I liked the use of the xylophones. I couldn't see from the video angle whether the students were playing particular intervals? Varying 2-note chords? Could you elaborate on that piece a bit?"

**
Reply
Robert Amchin, 2015
"We are playing a bordun (Tonic and dominant notes) to a steady beat."

**
Reply
Robert Amchin, 2015
"+natanamoon Sure... they are playing a bordun (C and G--open fifth) and the instrument is in the center of the circle where a student is playing. Eventually I add a few more instruments into the center."

****
Example #5: Bluebird Through My Window-Kids song-青い鳥の歌



Mother Goose Published on Sep 12, 2015

[Lyrics for this version of] Bluebird Through My Window

Bluebird, bluebird, through my window,
Oh Johnny I’m tired

Red bird, red bird, through my window
Oh Johnny I’m tired

Yellow bird, yellow bird, through my window
Oh Johnny I’m tired

Purple bird, purple bird, through my window
Oh Johnny I’m tired
-snip-
The singer also says “Nite nite” at the end of each rendition.

This version of this song helps children learn their colors.

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.

Another Astrology Post: Be Aware! "November into December 2026 - it's not letting up!" (video & transcript excerpt)





November into December 2026 - it's not letting up!

Sue Brayne: Celebrating Astrology, Nov 12, 2026

"Steve and I are back together again,  discussing the astrology for the rest of November and into December 2026, and a lot more besides."
-snip-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOenUWN7N-0

The discussion about astrology begins in this video around 1.481 minutes.

-snip-
This video is a conversation between two British astrologers-Sue Brayne and Steve Judd about the astrological transits of November and December 2026.  

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post departs from the usual subjects that are presented in this blog.

Instead, this post showcase a YouTube astrology podcast and presents a small excerpt from that podcast's automatic transcript. 

The content of this post is presented for astrological, socio-cultural, political, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Sue Brayne and Steve Judd for their astrological information and explanations. Thanks also to all others who are quoted in this post.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
I came across while "surfing" YouTube. I had recently subscribed to Steve Judd's YouTube channel, but this was the first time that I came across any videos of Sue Brayne. After watching this video-which admittedly went over my head lots of times, I also subscribed to Sue Brayne's YouTube channel. I liked the bantering, casual conversation, and close friends vibes these two projected. And I understood enough of the astrological discussion to want to share what they were saying with the people on this pancocojams blog who are interested in astrology.

As such, what these two "seasoned" astrologers are saying feels like a continuation of the last post on astrology that I published on November 1, 2026- "The Astrology of the 2026 United States Midterms: Election Chaos, Delays & a Major Turning Point."
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/11/the-astrology-of-2026-united-states.html 

I recommend that people reading this pancocojams post also read that November 1st post -either before or afterwards.

So MUCH has happened since November 1, 2026, particularly in the United States that massive Blue Tsunami of a midterm election that brought what previously would have been considered to be impossible results-such as (two cite just two examples) Texas becoming a blue (Democratic) state and a Black American man winning the election in Mississippi and becoming that state's Democratic United States Senator-elect.

****
TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT 
From 1:48 to 7:19; 12:43 to 15:25

[This automatic transcript doesn't designate which of the astrologers are speaking. I added those designations in brackets as "Sue" and "Steve". Other than that, this transcript is given "as is" with no time stamps, no punctuation marks additions,  and no spelling corrections etc. Corrections regarding these speaker designations are welcome.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOenUWN7N-0

... [Sue] "So talking of which, I think we ought to move on now um to what's cooking.

[Steve] in that sky above so much. Yeah. Should we do it in chronological order?

[Sue] Shall we? Yes, that would be a good idea. I think that's what the only way my brain is going to be able to cope with what's going on.

[Steve] Well, Mercury retrograde stationing squaring Pluto for a week.

[Sue] [laughter]

[Steve] Yep. Uh, hunker down all. [laughter] Just be really extra careful about not getting into any fights or saying not, you know, crazy stuff to to each other.

[Sue] Just be really mindful of that.

[Steve] Um, Mercury is retrograde, standing still over the next two or three days, squaring the ruler of Scorpio, which Mercury is in. And Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, is in Aquarius, where Mercury is exalted.

[Sue] [snorts]

[Steve] Yeah.

So, it seems to me that there's this is not just a little bit of two bits of sandpaper going up against each other gently. This is boom, hammer and tongs.

In fact, it's more than that. This is sharp knives with poison tips.

[Sue] Yeah, this is subtrauge.

[Steve] There's a lot going on in the background behind the scenes that we're not aware of yet. But look at what's been happening in the last few days in the UK.

[Sue] Yes.

[Steve] David Williams, Russell Brand, and others yet to be named.

[Sue] And others yet to be named. And look what's happening in um Spain as well with all the riots.

[Steve] Yeah. And and France last week with the riots.

[Sue] Yeah. And American the American political system is hanging on a knife edge at the moment.

[Steve] And don't forget Trump's um chart is being really triggered as well. His shortly. Yeah. The next and I noticed

[Sue] that nice Mr. Hexf got into big trouble yesterday.

[Steve] I know. It's such a shame. I can't understand why. Can you?

[Sue] Well, laughing in the face of the death of thousands of American soldiers and being bollocked by a soldier. Oh, well that was

[Steve] appropriate I think. Well, anyway, I think his days are numbered.

[Sue] Oh god. Yeah. Yeah.

[Steve] Well, a lot of people in America days are numbered in the political level.

[Sue] [clears throat]

Yeah. I mean, Mercury's not, isn't it? But it's also scary.

[Steve] Of course, it's scary, but it's it's more than scary because Mercury's not that comfortable in Scorpio. Let's face it.

All right. Unless you're a private detective or a tax inspector.

Um, Mercury and Scorpio is like it it doesn't take things at face value. No.

[Sue] To dig deep, get it has that forensic mind, doesn't it? Yeah, very much so. Yeah.

[Steve] And when it's square Pluto, it's particularly going to go for the rot and the poison. Yeah.

[Sue] Hence all the sex cases in this last week.

[Steve] Yeah. and and and Mercury's going to stay square to Pluto till well basically this time next week.

So yeah, it's move it's moving forward as of tomorrow afternoon. But [clears throat] even so even so there's more to come.

[Sue] There's to there's all but the thing is Steve there's always more to come, isn't there? That's the thing. But it's the theme of the more to come.

[Sue] Yeah. So, you know, just to say everyone out there, just be I mean, we're not doomongerers, but just be really cautious and careful. What I am interested in, and maybe this does feed into this, the fact even in Holland, they're being advised to get at least three to five days of food and supplies.

[Steve] I've been speaking to people all around the world in this last week and it's up to 30 or 40 countries now been saying the same to their population.

[Sue] Yes. I also noticed that Sweden has now banned laptops and mobiles from the classroom and they're going back to books and paper, pen and paper um because of the hacking. Yeah. Yes. Yes.

And um that's interesting. That's very Pluto in Aquarius, isn't it? My god. But this is this is if what we think is if the unspoken thing that we think is going to happen shortly does happen, it's going to tip a certain person over the edge then the world will unite against them, including people who they might think are their allies because the whole of world trade will be impacted.

[Steve] Yes. Yeah. I this is not a long-term permanent thing.

[Sue] No, it's Yeah, it's going it is life changing though. I'm going it is. Yeah, it's going.

[Steve] And coming back to what you said about to individuals being careful. Yeah

At the moment there's a lot of people cutting loose just delivering words that in a sane world they wouldn't say. Yeah.

[Sue] So I I am also asking people out there look there's a lot of vitriol.

Don't let it get to you and don't give it back.

[Steve] Yeah. And just Yeah. And you know yourself watch the addiction of getting onto social media and you know in that immediate kind of really you know nasty

[Sue] You don't need to do that. Just take a breath and go for a walk instead. Don't feed [clears throat] the beast.

[Steve] Exactly. But that's just the star. That's just Mercury square Pluto.

[...]

[Steve] ... This is a this is a double prong thing because first you got the sun on its own square Jupiter a node and Mars and then less than a week later on the 24th you've got that full moon moon conjunct Uranus yes um and sudden changes or something and and Mars is at 29 Leo degrees yeah now not only is that regulus in most of our charts there are some people who say that regulous has moved into Virgo maybe. I'm not sure. Yeah.

But 29 degrees Leo has always been the degree of Regulus, the royal star, the emperar of the emperor, the king, the president, the the royal figure. And [clears throat] let me think, I'm trying to think of someone famous who might have a prominent point such as the ascendant at 29 Leo. Can you think of anyone?

[Sue] Uh, [laughter]

I mean, yeah, it's mind you orange. Does he live in America? The orange guy. The orange guy.

[Steve] Yeah.

[Sue] Mind you, Steve, people have been foretelling his downfall for a very long time, and he bounces back like a rubber ball.

So, I don't know, but maybe this is it.

[Steve] Something with Mercury square Pluto now and especially with the result of Mississippi this morning. Yeah. Yes. Right.

[Sue] I am certain that there's words going on in the background.

[Steve] Yeah. Yeah. But I think that the sun square Jupiter and node Mars in in four or five days time is going to bring those words out into the world and then there will be action full moon conjunct Uranus action action.

[Sue] Yeah.

[Steve] surprising action, sudden surprising Oh, didn't Oh, didn't really I suspect certain individuals in the world will suddenly um be retiring from position due to ill health.

[Sue] Yes. Yes. Or wanting to spend more time with their family. Yes.

[Steve] Or standing too close to fifth floor windows.

[Sue] Whoops. Cancel clearly. Yes. Uh yes.

[Steve] [laughter] I'm not at my most subtle today, Sue.

[Sue] I don't think either of us are really, but I think I absolutely I find it I do I mean I am I'm very conscious of the of being told to get food and supplies in which well you know it's always been nibbling in the background but it's like the government is telling us to do this and you know that the Holland is doing that in Poland I think it's it's at least eight days supply something's going on in the background that we don't know about something's cooking"... 

****
Click https://horoscopes.astro-seek.com/current-planets-astrology-transits-planetary-positions
Today's current planets-Astrology Planetary Positions And Transits

This page changes daily.

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.