pancocojams

Friday, May 1, 2026

What "Fly", "Fly Girl" & "Fly Guy" Mean In African American Slang (reprint of 2013 pancocojams post with comments)

Boogie Boys - A Fly Girl

FunkyVinylJunkie, December 12, 2007

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about the meanings of the African American Vernacular English terms "fly", "fly girl", and "fly guy".

This post also showcases some YouTube examples of records entitled "Fly Girl" or records that include the term "fly", "fly guy" or "fly girl" in their lyrics.

In addition, this pancocojams post provides some cultural examples of those words in books, on television, as well as text (word only) examples of foot stomping cheers with the title "Fly Girl from the 1980s, 1990s, and the early 2000s.

This is a complete reprint of a 2013 pancocojams post with this title (with some minor formatting changes. That 2013 post was substantially revised after I published it as a result of visitor comments.(Read the section below entitled "Pancocojams Editor's Note"). That revised 2013 pancocojams post is still available on this blog and its comment section is still open..

This 2026 post also includes an urbandictionary.com definition for "fly" that isn't included in that original or revised 2013 pancocojams post.

The Addendum of this post presents all of the comments from the 2013 pancocojams post on this subject (as of May 1, 2026 at 4:07 PM.). Additional comments may still be added to that 2013 post and comments may be added to this 2026 post.

The content of this post is provided for linguistic, historic, socio-cultural, entertainment, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all the composers & performers of the "Fly Girl" records. Thanks to all who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of the YouTube videos that are embedded in this pancocojams post.

Special thanks to all of the commenters who shared their knowledge about the word African American meanings of the adjective "fly" and in so doing corrected the inaccurate information that I shared in this post.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE (May 1, 2026)
To clarify, my original 2013 post was inaccurate because it didn't include the definition of "fly girl" or "fly guy" as stylish dressers. Instead, I focused on the definition that I believe was used in the 1980s, 1990s, and the early 2000s by Black girls who performed foot stomping cheers - a "fly girl" was a hip, self-confident, street wise, sexy girl who was up to date with the latest Black urban cultural lifestyle (such as dances and lingo).

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WHAT "FLY" MEANS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN VERNACULAR ENGLISH
1. An African American Vernacular English meaning of "fly" is someone who is stylishly attired in the latest fashions (according to the criteria of African American urban culture) and is also "hip" to the latest urban cultural mores such as lingo, dances etc..

In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, it appears to me that the most commonly used noun form of "fly" was "fly girl". The meaning of "fly girl" that I believe was most common in those decades was a female who was/is not only stylishly attired (according to African American urban standards), but also "hip" to other aspects of that culture (such as its lingo and its latest dances.)

A "fly guy" referred to a male who was a stylish dresser and is hip to African American urban culture. The term "fly guy" may have been used less often than "fly girl" in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s especially in the mass media.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-partial-timeline-for-positive.html for the 2020 pancocojams post entitled "A Partial Timeline For Positive Meanings For The Word "Fly" In African American Culture".

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2.From https://www.etymonline.com/word/fly
"fly (adj.)

slang, "clever, alert, wide awake," by 1811, perhaps from fly (n.) on the notion of the insect being hard to catch. Other theories, however, trace it to fledge or flash. Slang use in 1990s might be a revival or a reinvention."
-snip-
The slang meanings of being "hip" or being "cool" can have similar meanings to being "clever, alert, and wide awake".

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3. [This is an excerpt from https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/06/muhammad-alis-float-like-butterfly.html "Muhammad Ali's "Float Like A Butterfly Sting Like A Bee" Line & Its Use In "Fly Girl" Foot Stomping Cheers", published by Azizi Powell, June 4, 2016]

Pancocojams Editor's Note: In African American Vernacular English a "fly girl" is a hip, street wise, self-confident young female.

Here's a definition of a "fly girl" from
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fly%20girl
"flygirl
A flygirl is a sexy chic with a swag all her own. She is confident and just exudes hawtness! Her outfit fits right in with her personality and she is always the shutter of all things down!
She shut that club DOWN last night. Thats what I call a FLYGIRL!
#fly #confident #sexy #swagged #hot stuff"
by Flygirl617 August 09, 2010"
-end of quote-
This is the definition of "fly girl" that I believe was used by girls performing foot stomping cheers (Read examples of those cheers below.) .

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HOW FLY GOT ITS SLANG MEANINGS [Revised October 10, 2020]
From http://www.word-detective.com/page/163/?3S9tVfvFI4TamAWNg4DADA&ved=0CB8QFjAC&usg=AFQjCNEBYbKDRQ7Pe3qZ236ksc_V4Fs6Lw&wpmp_switcher=desktop [This link is no longer active.]

"Word Detective: October 23, 2011

"Fly"
..."The adjective “fly” first appeared in slang with this sense of “sharp” or “in the know” in the early 19th century (“The rattling cove is fly; the coachman knows what we are about,” 1811); later in the century it also came to mean “dexterous, nimble” (“We’ll knap a fogle with fingers fly,” 1839). The “in the know” usage, which was originally largely confined to the criminal underworld, percolated out into general slang in the mid-19th century with the meaning of “smart, fashionable” and eventually “excellent, cool, attractive.” This sense took root in African-American slang in the mid-20th century, and was very common in rap and hip-hop culture starting in the 1980s or so.

Just where this use of “fly” as an adjective came from is a bit of a mystery. Most authorities regard it as most likely connected in some way to the verb “to fly” (from the Old English “fleogan,” from an Indo-European root meaning “to float or fly”), but no one has ever come up with a plausible explanation of the connection. (The noun “fly” originally meant simply “insect with wings,” and was applied to any insect that could fly, such as the butterfly.)

There are, of course, several theories about the origin of the adjective “fly.” Perhaps the simplest ties the “clever, in the know, not easily fooled” sense to the common fly, always vigilant and almost impossible to catch off-guard. The fact that this slang “fly” originated in the underworld, where scams and ruses were the rule and to let one’s guard down could be fatal, gives this theory some plausibility. Another theory, offered by the eminent slang etymologist Eric Partridge, suggests that this “fly” is actually a form of “fledge,” which we use to mean “mature” (as in “full-fledged”), but originally referred to a young bird that had grown enough feathers to fly. Since “fledge” is rooted in “fly” itself, we’re still in the ballpark with the verb “to fly” with that theory. Another theory suggests that “fly” was originally “fla,” a short form of “flash,” used in the 18th and 19th century as slang meaning “clever, in the know” (from “flash” meaning “intense light,” in this case a metaphor for intelligence)."

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Excerpt #2
From https://www.etymonline.com/word/fly#:~:text=slang%2C%20%22clever%2C%20alert%2C,a%20revival%20or%20a%20reinvention.

"fly (adj.)
slang, "clever, alert, wide awake," by 1811, perhaps from fly (n.) on the notion of the insect being hard to catch. Other theories, however, trace it to fledge or flash. Slang use in 1990s might be a revival or a reinvention."
-snip-
The words "hip" and "cool" are quite similar in meaning to "clever, alert, and wide awake".

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EXAMPLES OF THE SLANG MEANING OF "FLY" IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE

1. -"Super Fly is a 1972 American blaxploitation crime drama film directed by Gordon Parks Jr. and starring Ron O'Neal as Youngblood Priest, an African American pimp and cocaine dealer who is trying to quit the underworld drug business. The film is well known for its soundtrack, written and produced by soul musician Curtis Mayfield. It was released on August 4, 1972.

O'Neal reprised his role as Youngblood Priest in the 1973 film Super Fly T.N.T., which he also directed. Producer Sig Shore directed a second sequel, The Return of Superfly, released in 1990, with Nathan Purdee as Priest. A remake was released in 2018."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Fly_(1972_film)

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2. Here's a portion of a comment that was sent in to this pancocojams post by Mambo207 on September 14
"... the term "fly" goes back to the 1970s. At least that's how it was in New York City. It had to do with being stylish; now, if you were ultra-stylish, then you would be considered Super Fly. Back in the 70s, there used to be a men's shop on 42nd Street called The Super Fly Boutique. Remember, there was also a film that came out in the 70s called Super Fly. It was about a drug dealer who was trying to get out of the business; however, he was "fly" because of his clothes, and his customized Eldorado pimpmobile.

I've always liked this term, and I still use it today"
-end of quote

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3. January 5, 1980 - Sugarhill Gang's Hip Hop record "Rappers Delight" was released.

Here's the line in that track that includes the word "fly":
"Check it out, I'm the C-A-S-A, the N-O-V-A,

And the rest is F-L-Y,"...

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4. The phrase "fly girl" was popularized by the Boogie Boys' 1985 Hip-Hop record with that title.

Given the differing descriptions of the term "fly girl" in the lyrics of that Hip Hop record, my guess is that when that song was recorded, the slang meanings of "fly" hadn't become fixed yet. However, this verse by Romeo JD best fits what a "fly girl" has come to mean in African American culture and elsewhere (judging from the comments in YouTube discussion threads of this song from women who said they were "fly girls" and still are "fly girls":

"…A fly girl a fly girl a fly girl a fly girl

A fly girl a fly girl a fly girl a fly girl

{A flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy [fades down]}

A fly girl a fly girl a fly girl a fly girl

{A flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy [fades down]}

[Romeo JD]

Well I'm Rome JD and I have learned

Fly girl is a name that you must earn

Fly girl's a girl who speak their mind

Some sneaky some freaky some mean some kind

Cold crush waves, fly Jheri curl

Gold watch, gold ring, and a neck full of pearls

Real slim waist, a made-up face

Head turns, eyes burn when she comes in the place

Perfume from France, put you in a trance

Fly enough to mingle, to fly dance

High-stakers, big money makers

Some fly girls are cold heart breakers

Bank accounts of unbelievable amounts

Very picky bout how their name's pronounced

Designer purse, leather mini skirt

Not a speck of dirt, can't help but flirt

She'll make you choke like you inhaled smoke

She gave you a number, it was dial-a-joke

You got a real nice voice, you'll be her choice

Till another man comes in a fly Rolls-Royce

The guys get jealous, how can you blame us?

You live a lifestyle of the rich and famous

To play your roll guys lose control

Picturin' you as a center fold

From the Rome JD, cest-la-vie

Each and every one a y'all too much for me

Could it be your style or the way you smile

That puts you on the top of the pile?

Queen of the Nile, o sweet child

Fly girl you drive me wild (you drive me wild)"
-snip-

A sound file of the Boogie Boy's "Fly Girl" record is given below.

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5. 1985-Plebblee Poo (female singer) - A Fly Guy (Part 1 and Part II)

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6. By at least Sept. 1991, as evidenced by Queen Latifah's Hip Hop record "Fly Girl", the word "fly" when used to describe a female clearly moved beyond the meaning of "dressed in the latest fashions" to include the meanings “fine” (physically attractive), and "street wise" (able to handle oneself in urban street cultures).

An excerpt of the lyrics of Queen Latifah's "Fly Girl" is found below.]

**
7.In his 1993 Hip Hop record "I Get Around" Tupac brags about how he's a "fly guy" who easily scores with the ladies & then leaves them:

"baby got a problem saying bye bye
Just another hazard of a fly guy"
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/I-Get-Around-lyrics-2Pac/BF82D7758D3AF2DA4825686A000CF3B0
-snip-
My original interpretation that Tupac was saying that these actions were typical or essential characteristics for being a "fly guy". instead, I believe that Tupac meant that those characteristics were his view of how a fly guy acts.

8. The 2005 Hip Hop track "Stay Fly" by Three 6 Mafia is an example of the slang use of the term "fly".

The hook to that Hip Hop track is "I gotta stay fly, until I die" (rapped four times).

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS

Example #1 - Boogie Boys - A Fly Girl

This video is at the top of this pancocojams post.
-snip-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_Boys
"The Boogie Boys were an American old school hip-hop group from Harlem, New York. They scored one big hit in 1985 with "A Fly Girl", from the album "City Life", that peaked at number six on the R&B charts."

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Example #2: Queen Latifah - Fly Girl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OGMXKhJrPo&ab_channel=TommyBoy

Tommy Boy, October 29, 2018

Fly Girl from the album, "Nature of a Sista" by Queen Latifah 1991.

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PORTIONS OF LYRICS FROM TWO "FLY GIRL" RECORDS
From http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/boogie-boys-lyrics/a-fly-girl-lyrics.html
FLY GIRL
(as performed by the Boogie Boys)
...[Romeo JD]
Well I'm Rome JD and I have learned
Fly girl is a name that you must earn
Fly girl's a girl who speak their mind
Some sneaky some freaky some mean some kind
Cold crush waves, fly Gherri curl
Gold watch, gold ring, and a neck full of pearls
Real slim waist, a made-up face
Head turns, eyes burn when she comes in the place
Perfume from France, put you in a trance
Fly enough to mingle, to fly dance
High-stakers, big money makers
Some fly girls are cold heart breakers
Bank accounts of unbelievable amounts
Very picky bout how their name's pronounced
Designer purse, leather mini skirt
Not a speck of dirt, can't help but flirt
She'll make you choke like you inhale smoke
She gave you a number, it was dial-a-joke
You got a real nice voice, you'll be her choice
Till another man comes in a fly Rolls-Royce
The guys get jealous, how can you blame us?
You live a lifestyle of the rich and famous
To play your roll guys lose control
Picturin' you as a center fold
From the Rome JD, cest-la-vie
Each and every one a y'all too much for me
Could it be your style or the way you smile
That puts you on the top of the pile?
Queen of the Nile, o sweet child
Fly girl you drive me wild (you drive me wild
-snip-
From http://www.lyricsfreak.com/q/queen+latifah/fly+girl_10237192.html
"FLY GIRL"

(as performed by Queen Latifah)

... (desire) i know you want me
(you're fine) thank you
But i'm not the type of girl that you think i am
I don't jump into the arms of every man
(but i'm paid) i don't need your money
(i love you) you must be mad
Easy lover is something that i ain't
Besides, i don't know you from a can of paint…

(fly girl, fly girl)
(come here, cuz you're sexy and you're fine)
(and i want you to be mine)
(fly girl, fly girl)
(have no fear, your heart is in good hands)
(won't you let me be your man?)...

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SEVERAL ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF THE USE OF THE SLANG TERM "FLY" IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE
Example #1: Girls' foot stomping cheer*
FLY GIRL
All: Fly girl
Fly girl
Fly girl One
Fly girl Two
Pump it up Teresa
See what you do.
Soloist #1:(Oh) my name is Teresa
and I’m a fly girl.
It takes a lot of men
to rock my world.
‘cause I can fly like a butterfly
sting like a bee
and that’s way they call me
Sexy...

[The next soloist repeats the exact words of this cheer (except her name or nickname). Continue this pattern until every girl in the group has had a turn as the soloist.]
-Tazi M. Powell, (African American female, memories of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, mid 1980s)

*"Foot stomping cheers" is an informal recreational activity which is (or was) usually performed by African American girls ages 7-12 years. The text of "foot stomping cheers" are structurally distinctive from other cheerleader cheers and/or from other children's folk compositions such as handclap rhymes.

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Example #2: "Fly Girl" dancers on primarily African American television show In Living Color
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Living_Color
"In Living Color is a sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program...

The Fly Girls
The show employed an in-house dance troupe, known as the "The Fly Girls..."

Here's a link to a compilation video of "In Living Color" The Fly Girls dancing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExLQFMFgg40&ab_channel=HowieKemperVideo

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Example #3: Flyy Girl book by African American author Omar Tyree
From http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/290039.Flyy_Girl
Flyy Girl by Omar Tyree Published August 7th 2001 by Simon & Schuster (first published 1993)
"The bestselling urban classic novel about a young woman coming of age in the late 1980s. Tracy Ellison, a young knockout with tall hair and attitude, is living life as fast as she can. Motivated by the material world, she and her friends love and leave the young men who will do anything to get next to them. It's only when the world of gratuitous sex threatens heartbreak that Tracy begins to examine her life, her goals, and her sexuality."

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Example #4: Lyrics to a version of the Iota Phi Theta Centaur Walk Song/Chant,
From Iota Phi Theta member Dwayne Dixon in Elizabeth C. Fine: Soulstepping: African American Step Shows (Urbana & Chicago, University of Illinois Press, 2003; p 61
I say, my bro-thers....
-Yeah?
I say, Who's fly?
-I Phi!

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/01/iota-phi-theta-fraternity-inc-centaur.html for more information about the Centaur Walk and the Centaur Walk Song.

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ADDENDUM- COMMENTS FROM THE 2013 PANCOCOJAMS POST ON THIS SUBJECT

AnonymousJanuary 18, 2014 at 3:39 AM
"Fly Guy" goes back as early as 1979. That term is used in the hit song "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang.

ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousJune 24, 2015 at 2:30 AM
The term goes back at least to the mid 40s when it was used in a song by Nat King Cole in what is obviously its current sense. I can't remember the name of the song offhand but he sings 'I'm a fly guy, not a shy guy.'
ReplyDelete
Replies
Mambo207September 15, 2015 at 4:42 AM
Hey Azizi,

Thanks for this post. Actually the term "fly" goes back to the 1970s. At least that's how it was in New York City. It had to do with being stylish; now, if you were ultra-stylish, then you would be considered Super Fly. Back in the 70s, there used to be a men's shop on 42nd Street called The Super Fly Boutique. Remember, there was also a film that came out in the 70s called Super Fly. It was about a drug dealer who was trying to get out of the business; however, he was "fly" because of his clothes, and his customized Eldorado pimpmobile.

I've always liked this term, and I still use it today. Thanks again for the post. Peace.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousOctober 15, 2024 at 1:37 PM
As an African American who grew up in the 70s fly for a man wasn't specifically about his sexual conquests it was about his style. In Tupac's lyrics he says the "hazards of a fly guy" because style for anyone is a quality that can make one attractive to someone else but sexual conquest isn't being fly. I don't understand the assumption regarding sexual conquest as a quality of flyness. It may be what can make people popular and attractive. This is an intergenerational term that speaks to one's sense of personal style which is reflective of one's creativity and being current in terms of art and fashion. It is not about sexual pursuits and none of these references support that take.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Azizi PowellMay 1, 2026 at 4:07 PM

My apology for just adding links to this post almost two years after I said I would do so.

Here are links to four additional posts that I've published about the African American Vernacular terms "fly", "fly girl", and "fly guy":

2016 -"Muhammad Ali's "Float Like A Butterfly Sting Like A Bee" Line & Its Use In "Fly Girl" Foot Stomping" https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/06/muhammad-alis-float-like-butterfly.html

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2000 - https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-history-of-word-fly-meaning.html "The History Of The Word "Fly" Meaning Something Good & Comments About That Vernacular Use Of "Fly" In The USA In The 2000s"

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2000- https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-history-of-word-fly-meaning.html "The History Of The Word "Fly" Meaning Something Good & Comments About That Vernacular Use Of "Fly" In The USA In The 2000s"

and
2026 -https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/what-fly-fly-girl-fly-guy-mean-in.html "What "Fly", "Fly Girl" & "Fly Guy" Mean In African American Slang (reprint of 2013 pancocojams post with comments)"

Delete

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Viewer comments are welcome.

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Similarities Between The 1970s Sesame Street Clip "Girls Clap About The Letter "K" & The 1980s Foot Stomping Cheer "L.O.V.E "

LittleJerryFan92, Jul 11, 2007
-snip-
My transcription of the lyrics for this song is given below in this pancocojams post.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - May 1, 2026

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on a Jazz song with the title "L.O.V.E" and a foot stomping cheer with that same title.

This post showcases a 1970s clip that was aired on the Sesame Street children's television series That clip has the same tune, textual (word) pattern, and very similar performance style as the foot stomping cheer "L.O.V.E".

Unfortunately, I haven't come across any video of that foot stomping cheer. However, this post presents text (word only) examples of that cheer, including the earliest example of that foot stomping cheer that I've come across is from the 1980s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Directions about how the L.O.V.E" foot stomping cheer was performed in Pittsburgh are included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/nat-king-cole-love-1964-jazz-song.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube sound file and the lyrics for the 1964 Jazz song "L.O.V.E" that was recorded by African American singer Nat 'King' Cole.

Information about Nat 'King' Cole is also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post Thanks also to the publishers of the YouTube examples that are embedded in this pancocojams post or whose link is given in this post.
-snip-
A lot of this post was previously featured in a 2023 and 2025 pancocojams post with a similar title. I have deleted those post and substituted them with this one. The only comments that were found in the comment sections of those posts were ones that I wrote. One of those comments is reprinted in the comment thread for this 2026 post. The other comments were about the similarities between the textual (word) structure of the "L.O.V.E" foot stomping cheers and the "Tetherball" foot stomping cheer. I plan to publish a pancocojams post on those cheers and will include the link to that post here..

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
The only similarity between the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s foot stomping cheer "L.O.V.E." and the 2964 Nat King Cole's Jazz song "L.O.V.E" is the titles of these two compositions. That may have been a coincidence as it seems unlikely that the composer/s of that foot stomping cheer would have been familiar with that Jazz song.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SESAME STREET CLIP "GIRLS CLAP ABOUT THE LETTER K"
This showcased clip from the Sesame Street children's television series was created to showcase some words that begin with the letter "k". According to AI Overview (results as of April 30, 2026) this clip first aired on Sesame Street "in the early 1970s".

According to Google Results (2023), "The Sesame Street episode "Celebrating 'K' and 'DOG'" aired in 1995, and featured a clip of girls dancing and chanting about the letter "K". This episode was part of season 26 of Sesame Street".

I'm showcasing this clip in this pancocojams post because the tune for the "kah kah kah k" chorus of this song is exactly the same tune that my daughter remembers (and I remember) for the "L-O-V-E" foot stomping cheer that she and her friends performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the mid 1980s.

The self-boasting spirit of the "L.O.V.E" foot stomping cheer is different from the educational, having fun spirit of that Sesame Street chant.

However, the word structure for the "kah kah kah k" portion of that chant, and the tempo of that Sesame Street chant are the same as the "L.O.V.E." cheer. (Obviously, most of the words for the K chant are different from "L.O.V.E".)

Also, the hand clapping and stepping routine that are shown in this Sesame Street video clip is different from the movements that I observed in the mid 1980s (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) for the L.O.V.E. foot stomping cheer.

Unfortunately, I haven't found any YouTube videos of "L.O.V. E" foot stomping cheers (or YouTube videos of hardly any other foot stomping cheers).

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LYRICS FOR THE SESAME STREET CLIP " GIRLS CLAP ABOUT THE LETTER K"

All girls chant in unison:

Kah kah kah k (clap)

Kah kah kah kah kah kah

Kah kah kah k (clap)

The soloist chants:

Well, my name is Keanna

And my letter is K

K like a kite

And you blow me away.

K turns the key

K's a kick on me

All girls chant in unison:

Kah kah kah k (clap)

Kah kah kah kah kah kah

Kah kah kah k (clap)

All the girls except Keanna chant:

Well, her name is Keanna

Her letter is K.

Another girl chants alone:

K like a kangaroo

Hopping all day.

All the girls chant in unison:

K like a king, a kiss

K is like this -

[The girls point to an upper case letter "K" that is shown in the middle of where they are standing. The video ends with all the girls shouting "K".

The video ends with all the girls shouting "K"!].
-snip-
This is my unofficial transcription from this sound file of that Sesame Street Television series clip)

Additions and corrections for this transcription are very welcome.

I don't know if that line "K's a kick on me" is correct.

Here are some differences between the performance of that Sesame Street chant and the foot stomping cheer "L.O.V.E." that I observed in the mid. 1980s (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) :
In performances of this foot stomping cheer.

-The girls stood in one line or in a semi-circle facing toward their (often imaginary) audience. The soloist would step forward (about two steps) from her place in that line or in that semi-circle. She didn't stand in front of the center of that line or that semi-circle.) When her soloist part ended, she stepped back (while still facing forward (to her place in that line in that semi-circle.

An essential element of real (and not modified) foot stomping cheers is that each girl in that group had an equal turn as the soloist for that particular cheer. The fact that this consecutive soloist pattern takes a long time to perform is one of the main reason why foot stomping cheers are modified in the rare occasions that they are performed by real cheerleaders before a competitive game or during half time of an actual competitive athletic school basketball game.

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EXAMPLES OF THE FOOT STOMPING CHEER "L.O.V.E"

These are the only examples of this L.O.V.E cheer that I've come across either directly or by collecting examples online(as of April 30, 2026)

If you know this cheer, and/or other foot stomping cheers from the 1980s, 1990s, and on, please share that example or examples in the comment section below. Thanks!

Numbers for these examples have been assigned for referencing purposes only.

L.O.V.E. (Version #1)

All: L-O-V-E. [clap]

L-O-V-E. [clap

L-O-V.

L-O-V-E.[clap]
Soloist #1: Well, Kayla’s my name. [clap]

And love is my game.[clap]

I got this boy on my mind [clap].

And Lord knows he’s fine. [clap]

He calls me his girl. [clap]

His number 1 girl.[clap]

I don’t know his sign, [clap]

But Taurus is mine. [clap]
All: L-O-V-E. [clap]

L-O-V-E. [clap]

L-O-V.

L-O-V-E. [clap]
Soloist #2: Tamika's my name. [clap]

And love is my game. [clap]

I got this boy on my mind. [clap]

And Lord knows he’s fine. [clap]

I got his name on my shirt. [clap]

And don't call it dirt.[clap]

Don’t you worry bout my lover. [clap]

Cause there is no other. [clap]

(Return to beginning and repeat with a new soloist. That soloist repeats the same verses or similar verses. This pattern continues until everyone in the group has had one turn as the soloist with this cheer.)
-Tazi M. Powell.(African American female; remembrance of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the mid 1980s; performed by African American girls ages around 8-12 years old; Collected by Azizi Powell, 2/1996 although I had observed performances of this cheer in the 1980s.
-snip-
The beat for the "L.O.V.E" foot stomping rhyme routine that I observed in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania (in the East Liberty/Garfield neighborhood) used what I believe was the main beat pattern for foot stomping cheers: "stomp clapclap stomp". That beat pattern continues like a metronome throughout the entire foot stomping cheer, with each soloist without any interruption for every iteration of the cheer. Note: All foot stomping routines begin with the right foot.

However, the movement routine for "L.O.V.E" differs from the other foot stomping cheers that my daughter Tazi M. (Powell) Hughes and her friends performed in that it included a quick crisscross jumping motion for the last stomp in its "stomp clapclap stomp" routine.

The "criss cross" jumping motion is part of the lyrics & dance movement for DJ Casper's African American originated 2000 hit line dance "Cha Cha Slide".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZv62ShoStY Mr C The Slide Man - Cha-Cha Slide (Official Video) published by MrCTheSlideManVEVO, Jun 16, 2009

**
Here's a 2021 YouTube video short of a demonstration of the criss cross jump.

Criss Cross Jump

@byndphysical, April 29, 2021
-snip-
This quick jump movement replaces the toe tapping motions that the girls in the Sesame Street clip "Girls Clap About The Letter K".

****
Here are the performance instructions for the L.O.V.E. cheer that my daughter wrote on October 28, 2018 after she reminded me how she and her friends did that cheer:

[Girls stood in a half circle facing their (usually pretend) audience. While chanting, the girls would move this way. ]

"1. Right leg stomp forward - for the letter "L"

2. Jump open with both legs - "O"

3. Jump close with both legs -"V"

4. Right leg stomp forward" - "E"

Then clap your hands one time.

Continue this pattern for the entire cheer."

****
L-O-V-E (Version #2)
"I am a 25 year old African American woman from Eastern North Carolina.

The section on the chant L-O-V-E caught my attention we used to do this

when I was younger. We would stand in a circle and we would clap our hands and stomp our feet sort of tapping out the words L- O-V-E.

Group: L-O-V-E, L-O-V-E, L-O-V, L-O-V, L-O-V-E

First Person: Erica's my name love is my game I got this boy on my mind

he's looking real fine he calls me his girl his number one pearl

Then you move on to the next person and they repeat the same thing

only with their name in place.
-name and posting date not known (I accidentally deleted this information when I retrieved this example from my no longer available cocojams.com website.)
-snip-
Notice the commenter's reference to "tapping out the words L-O-V-E". It's interesting to note that the girls in that Sesame Street "Letter K chant" tapped their feet when they sung the chorus to that chant.

****
L. O.V.E (Version #3)
"on da playground-

L.O.V.E. L.O.V.E. L.O.V L.O.V. L.O.V.E

Well Terrie's my name

and Love is my game

I got da boys on my mind

Most of da time

Capricorn's My Sign

Say Wha?

Capricorn's My Sign

Say Wha?

Capricorn, Capricorn

Capricorn's My sign!"
- Geechie Gurl, August 26, 2009; http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=118895016491
“When I be a gal in da Ya'd! Memba Dese..Just a few of em”’

****
L.O.V.E. (fragment) Version #4
"Love these!! Anybody remember one that goes "L-O-V-E love L-O-V-E love, ...is my name, ...is my game, something something! Lmao, I can't remember the rest man, it used to be some footwork with it though!
-KaLa Roberts,2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&t=387s&ab_channel=Geneas 90s Hand Games [comment] This video is no longer available.

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

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Nat King Cole -" L.O.V.E" (1964 Jazz Song: information, song file, and lyrics)

L-O-V-E

Nat King Cole, Feb 19, 2017

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on a Jazz song with the title "L.O.V.E" and a foot stomping cheer with that same title.

This post showcases a YouTube sound file and the lyrics for the 1964 Jazz song "L.O.V.E" that was recorded by African American singer Nat 'King' Cole.

Information about Nat 'King' Cole is also included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/similarities-between-1970s-sesame.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 1970s Sesame Street clip that has the same tune, textual (word) pattern, and very similar performance style as the foot stomping cheer "L.O.V.E". That post presents text (word only) examples of that cheer, including the earliest example of that foot stomping cheer that I've come across is from the 1980s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Note: The only similarity between this foot stomping cheer and Nat King Cole's Jazz song "L.O.V.E" is the titles of these two compositions. That may have been a coincidence as it seems unlikely that the composer/s of that foot stomping cheer would have been familiar with that Jazz song.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Nat King Cole for his musical legacy. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT NAT KING COLE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole
"Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965),[1] known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and pop vocalist started in the late 1930s and spanned almost three decades where he found success and recorded over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts.

Cole began his career as a jazz pianist in the late 1930s, when he formed the King Cole Trio, which became the top-selling group (and the only black act) on Capitol Records in the 1940s. Cole's trio was the model for small jazz ensembles that followed. Starting in 1950, he transitioned to become a solo singer billed as Nat King Cole. Despite achieving mainstream success, Cole faced intense racial discrimination during his career. While not a major vocal public figure in the civil rights movement, Cole was a member of his local NAACP branch and participated in the 1963 March on Washington. He regularly performed for civil rights organizations. From 1956 to 1957, Cole hosted the NBC variety series The Nat King Cole Show, which became the first nationally broadcast television show hosted by a Black American.

Some of Cole's most notable singles include "Unforgettable", "Smile", "A Blossom Fell", "Nature Boy", "When I Fall in Love", "Let There Be Love", "Mona Lisa", "Autumn Leaves", "Stardust", "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "The Very Thought of You", "For Sentimental Reasons", "Embraceable You" and "Almost Like Being in Love". His 1960 Christmas album The Magic of Christmas (also known as The Christmas Song), was the best-selling Christmas album released in the 1960s; and was ranked as one of the 40 essential Christmas albums (2019) by Rolling Stone.[2] In 2022, Cole's recording of "The Christmas Song", broke the record for the longest journey to the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, when it peaked at number nine, 62 years after it debuted on the chart; and was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry.[3][4]

Cole received numerous accolades including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1960) and a Special Achievement Golden Globe Award.[5] Posthumously, Cole has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1990), along with the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award (1992) and has been inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame (1997), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000), and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (2020). NPR named him one of the 50 Great Voices. Cole was the father of singer Natalie Cole (1950–2015), who covered her father's songs in the 1991 album Unforgettable... with Love"

****

LYRICS - L.O.V.E

(written by Milt Gabler, composed by Bert Kaempfert )

[Verse 1]

L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can

[Chorus]

Love is all that I can give to you

Love is more than just a game for two

Two in love can make it, take my heart and please don't break it

Love was made for me and you

[Verse 2]

L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can

[Refrain]

Love is all that I can give to you

Love is more than just a game for two

Two in love can make it, take my heart and please don't break it

Love was made for me and you

[Outro]

Love a-was made for me and you

Love a-was made for me and you"

-snip-

About

“L-O-V-E” is a jazz/swing song written by Milt Gabler, composed by Bert Kaempfert, and sung by Nat King Cole. It was originally released on his 1964 album L-O-V-E. The song has been covered multiple times, including by Diana Krall and Michael Bublé.

online source - https://genius.com/Nat-king-cole-l-o-v-e-lyrics

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

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

The Jubalaires -"God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down" (1947 Black American Gospel recording)

upgrayeeed, May 21, 2010

1947(?)

Left to right: Orville Brooks, Ted Brooks, Caleb Ginyard and George McFadden.

[picture from vocalgroupharmony.com]

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases The Jubalaires' recording of the Black American Gospel song "-"God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down". This Gospel song is also known as "Run On For A Long Time".

This post presents information about The Jubalaires as well as the lyrics for that song and an explanation about what the title of that song means.

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

All copyrights remain with the owners.

Thanks to the Jubalaires and thanks to the composer/s of this Gospel song. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
-snip-

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/the-jubailaires-noah-1940s-gospel-rap.html for the pancocojams entitled "The Jubailaire's Noah - 1940s Gospel Rap (video, information, and lyrics)" and was published on pancocojams in 2012..

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/03/early-rap-recordings-and-lyrics-for.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Rap Sounding Recordings Before The Rap Genre Started For "The Preacher And The Bear" By The Golden Gate Quartet & The Jubaliares"

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE JUBALAIRES
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jubalaires
"The Jubalaires were an American gospel group active between 1935 and 1962. Originally known as the Royal Harmony Singers,[1] the band was known for song verses delivered in a rhythmic, rhyming style that has been described as an early version of rapping.[3][4]

History

The band's name was derived from Jubal, a biblical figure in Genesis who is sometimes regarded as "the father of all harpists and organists."[5]

The band reached no. 10 on the R&B charts on November 14, 1942, with "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" a song adapted from the speech of a naval chaplain in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor the previous year.[6] Other releases included "Before This Time Another Year" / "Ezekiel (Saw the Wheel A Rollin')" (released under the Decca Records label), "God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down" / "Go Down Moses" (King Records), and "My God Called Me This Morning" / "Ring That Golden Bell" (King Records).[7]

[…]

In 1946, the Jubalaires secured a spot on Arthur Godfrey's CBS radio show.[9] Willie Johnson left the Golden Gate Quartet to take the lead of the group in 1948, and in 1950 the band appeared in the musical comedy film Duchess of Idaho.[2][10]

[…]

Most of the music by the Jubalaires was released by Queen Records, a King Records subsidiary specializing in African-American music. However, later reissues of their music appeared under King Records.[13]

[…]

Background information

Origin Florida, United States

Genres American folk, gospel, spirituals, proto-rap

Years active 1935–1962

Labels Capitol, Decca, King”…
“Proto-rap” means "... black individuals engaging in some type of spoken word activity before rap became a recognizable genre in the 70s."
-https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsTalkMusic/comments/15ky841/what_counts_as_protorap/

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SONG
From AI Overview
"The earliest recorded version of the traditional folk song "Run On For A Long Time" (often known as "God's Gonna Cut You Down" or "God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down") is generally credited to the Golden Gate Quartet, who recorded it on June 5, 1946.

Here are the key early recordings of this traditional song:

1946: The Golden Gate Quartet.

1947: The Jubalaires (first issued/released version).

1949: Bill Landford & The Landfordaires (released "Run On For A Long Time").

Key Details:

Nature of the Song: It is a traditional American folk/gospel hymn that has been recorded in various genres.

Other Early/Notable Versions: Odetta recorded a version in 1956. Elvis Presley recorded a version titled "Run On" in 1967.

Moby's Sample: The 1999 song "Run On" by Moby, which popularized the song for many, is a remix that heavily samples the 1949 recording by Bill Landford & The Landfordaires.

Johnny Cash: His well-known version was recorded in 2003 and released posthumously on American V: A Hundred Highways (2006

****
LYRICS - GOD ALMIGHTY'S GONNA CUT YOU DOWN'*
(as recorded by The Golden Gate Quartet

"You may run home for a long time

Run home for a long time

Let me tell you, God Almighty gonna cut you down

You may run home for a long time

Run home for a long time

Let me tell you, God Almighty′s gonna cut you down

Go tell that long tongued liar (well, well)

Go tell that midnight rider (well, well)

Tell the gambler, the rambler, backbiter

Tell 'em God Almighty′s gonna cut 'em down

Stop, God Almighty, let me tell you the news

My head been wet with the midnight dews

Now I been down on my bended knees

Talkin' to the Man from Galilee

My God spoken, he spokes so sweet

I thought I heard the shuffle of angels′ feet

He put one hand upon my head

Great God Almighty, let me tell you what He said

Go tell that long tongued liar (well, well)

Go tell that midnight rider (well, well)

Tell the gambler, the rambler, backbiter

Tell ′em God Almighty gonna cut 'em down

You may run home for a long time

Run home for a long time

Let me tell you, God Almighty′s gonna cut you down

You may throw your rocks and hide your hand

Working in the dark against your fellow man

But you sure as God made the day and the night

What you do in the dark will be brought to the light

You can run and hide, slip and slide

You talk about the mote in your neighbor's eyes

But you sure as God made rich and the poor

You going to reap just what you sow

You can run home for a long time

Run home for a long time

Let me tell you, God Almighty′s gonna cut you down

Go tell that long tongued liar

Go tell that midnight rider

Tell the gambler, the rambler, backbiter

Tell 'em God Almighty gonna cut ′em down

Some brother go to church just to signify

You try to make a date with the neighbor's wife

But brother let me tell you just as sure as you're born

You better leave that woman alone

Because one of these days you mark my word

You′ll think brother has gone to work

You′re going to creep up and knock on his door

That's all brother, you′ll knock no more

You can run home for a long time

You may run home for a long time

Run home for a long time

Let me tell you, God Almighty's gonna cut you down

Go tell that long tongued liar (well, well)

Go tell that midnight rider

Tell the gambler, the rambler, backbiter

Tell ′em God Almighty's gonna cut ′em down"
-snip-
Statement on that page: "Writer(s): Clyde Riddick, Orlandus Wilson, Willie B Johnson, Henry Lee" Owens members of the Golden Gate Quartet]

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/The-Golden-Gate-Quartet/God-Almighty-s-Gonna-Cut-You-Down
-snip-
The words "Run on for a long time/God Almighty gonna cut you down" means "people may do evil for a long time, but they will eventually have to face God's punishment."

The lyrics "Run home for a long time" in that musixmatch transcription are always given as "Run on for a long time" in other transcription of this Gospel song .

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.

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Friday, May 1, 2026

What "Fly", "Fly Girl" & "Fly Guy" Mean In African American Slang (reprint of 2013 pancocojams post with comments)

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Similarities Between The 1970s Sesame Street Clip "Girls Clap About The Letter "K" & The 1980s Foot Stomping Cheer "L.O.V.E "

Nat King Cole -" L.O.V.E" (1964 Jazz Song: information, song file, and lyrics)

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

The Jubalaires -"God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down" (1947 Black American Gospel recording)