This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about Black American women wearing a headwrap.
This pancocojams post showcases six YouTube videos of five contemporary (1960 to date) Black American singers wearing headwraps.
The Nigerian Yoruba term "gele" (pronounced gay-lay) or the French term "tignon" (pronounced "tee-yohn" may be used to refer to these headwraps (head coverings).
Information about the origin and meaning of the word "tignon" is also given in this pancocojams post.
The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the musical legacy and the role modeling of the women who are showcased in this pancocojams post. Thanks to the producers and publishers of the videos that are showcased in this pancocojams post.
**** ADDITIONAL SHOWCASED VIDEOS
These videos are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Erykah Badu - Tyrone (Live
Erykah Badu, Jun 16, 2009
Music video by Erykah Badu performing Tyrone. (C) 1997 Kedar Entertainment / Universal Records Inc.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 -Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song (Official Video)
RHINO, Aug 16, 2023
Roberta Flack performs her 1973 #1 hit Killing Me Softly With HIs Song from her album Killing Me Softly "Killing Me Softly With His Song" earned Roberta Flack the GRAMMY for Record of The Year in 1974
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - Brown Skin - 1000 Greatest Songs of All Time
"Brown Skin" is the second single by American soul and R&B singer-songwriter India.Arie from her debut studio album Acoustic Soul in 2001. The single failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but it became her highest charting single in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 29.
#velvet#favoritesongs#classics#indiaarie
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - BLACK IS KING, a film by Beyoncé | Now Streaming | Disney+
Disney, Aug 10, 2020 #BLACKISKING
Experience a new visual album inspired by The Lion King: The Gift. Black Is King, a film by Beyoncé, is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
Black Is King, based on the music of “The Lion King: The Gift,” will premiere two weeks after the one-year anniversary of the theatrical release of Disney’s global phenomenon, “The Lion King.” The film reimagines the lessons from the 2019 blockbuster for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.
**** ADDENDUM
Here's a bonus video of Erykah Badu wearing other types of headwraps. The tall headwrap that is shown in this video is now considered to be an iconic image of Erykah Badu..
Window Seat | Erykah Badu
@1DjDMoney, April 14, 2026
**** This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.
Hidden Black History Tignon Law Forces #Black Women to cover
their Hair #WomensHistory #Reels #beauty
@MichelleDuffieTV, Mar 25, 2026
Hidden Black History - Now You Know!
In 1786, Louisiana’s Tignon Law forced Black
women—especially free women of color—to cover their hair to suppress their
beauty and status. Instead of erasing them, it sparked a cultural rebellion.
Women transformed tignons into bold, elegant fashion statements with vibrant
fabrics and intricate wraps. What was meant to diminish became distinction.
Racism tried to hide beauty—Black women made it shine louder.
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about Black American women wearing headwraps.
This pancocojams post showcases three YouTube videos and presents information from Wikipedia about Louisiana's Tignon Laws (1786-1803).
Information about the origin and meaning of the word "tignon" is also given in this pancocojams post.
The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the courage, determination, and creativity of Louisiana's women who challenged the Tignon Laws. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the producers and publishers of these YouTube videos that are showcased in this pancocojams post.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2- The Tignon Law — When They Tried to Regulate Black Beauty - Part 1
@hotepcreations, May 5, 2026
In 1786, Spanish colonial law forced free Black women in New Orleans to cover their hair as a sign of the slave class. What they did next — no one saw coming. Six styles. One message. You cannot legislate away a crown.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #3- The Tignon Law — When They Tried to Regulate Black Beauty -
Part 2
@HotepCreations, May 5, 2026
Black women in New Orleans wrapped
their tignons in silk, satin, jewels, and feathers — and turned a law meant to
oppress them into the most iconic crown in the room. Then Empress Josephine
copied it and erased where it came from. And today, Black women's hair is still
being policed. The Tignon Law never really ended. -snip- Here's some information about Empress Josephine from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9phine_de_Beauharnais "Joséphine Bonaparte (French: ...born Marie
Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was the first
wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804
until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. As Napoleon's consort,
she was also Queen of Italy from 26 May 1805 until the 1810 annulment. She is
widely known as Joséphine de Beauharnais (French: [ʒozefin də boaʁnɛ]) or
Empress Joséphine."...
**** WHAT IS A TIGNON? From AI Overview [results from May 8, 2026]
"A tignon (pronounced
ti-yohn) is a Louisiana French term for a head covering, specifically a scarf
or handkerchief wrapped around the hair, which originated in the late 18th
century. It stems from the French word tignon, an older synonym for a chignon
(a bun or coil of hair), which itself shares roots with tignasse (a head of
hair).
Key Etymological and Historical Facts:
French Origins: The word is derived from the French tignon,
often used to refer to a knot or coil of hair at the back of the neck, likely
referencing the bundled nature of the headwrap."...
**** WIKIPEDIA PAGE ABOUT TIGNONS From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tignon "A tignon (also spelled and pronounced tiyon) is a type of
headcovering—a large piece of material tied or wrapped around the head to form
a kind of turban that somewhat resembles the West African gele. It was worn by
Creole women of African descent in Louisiana beginning in the Spanish colonial
period, continuing to a lesser extent to the present day.
Tignon law
This headdress was the result of sumptuary laws passed in
1786 under the administration of Governor Esteban Rodriguez Miró. Called the
tignon laws, they prescribed and enforced oppressive public dress for female
gens de couleur in colonial society.
Historian Virginia M. Gould notes that Miró hoped the law
would control women "who had become too light skinned or who dressed too
elegantly, or who, in reality, competed too freely with white women for status
and thus threatened the social order."[2]
Afro-Créole protest
Miró's intent of having the tignon mark inferiority had a
somewhat different effect, according to historian Carolyn Long who noted:
"Instead of being considered a badge of dishonor, the tignon ... became a
fashion statement. The bright reds, blues, and yellows of the scarves, and the
imaginative wrapping techniques employed by their wearers, are said to have
enhanced the beauty of the women of color."[3]
The women who were targets of this decree were inventive and
imaginative. They decorated tignons with their jewels and ribbons, and used the
finest available materials to wrap their hair. In other words, "[t]hey
effectively re-interpreted the law without technically breaking the
law"[4]—and they continued to be pursued by men.
The tignon law remained in place into the Antebellum era and
while the original desire of the law was to create racial differences, the
adoption of the tignon by Empress Josephine made it stylish for white women, as
well as women of color, to wear their hair "in the Creole style" with
a tignon wrap. In the early 19th century, the tignon was associated with French
fashion, which appropriated styles from a variety of cultures, and with a sense
of "Frenchness."[5]
Tignons past and present
The tignon can be wrapped in many ways, and it was and is
worn in a different way by every woman. Madras was a popular fabric for tignons
among both free and enslaved populations, and has become iconic. Tignons were
often created out of mis-matched scraps of undyed fabric given to slaves by
their masters. The patchwork of material was made to appear festive. Tignons
worn by free women of color or enslaved women in Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe,
Saint Lucia and Dominica, were made from Madras fabric, and even had hidden
messages.[6]
The tignon is experiencing a revival in Louisiana. It is
found particularly in Creole-themed weddings. Celebrities such as Erykah Badu
and Jill Scott continue to wear headdresses, as a celebration of Afro-American
culture.
Law
Miró added an item to a decree that he was already going to
issue.[4] The June 2, 1786,[5] decree, formally titled the bando de buen
gobierno or "proclamation of good government,"[6] stated that women
of color had to wear a scarf or handkerchief over their hair as a visible sign
of belonging to the slave class, whether they were enslaved or not;[7]
specifying that "the Negras Mulatas, y quarteronas can no longer have
feathers nor jewelry in their hair. [Instead, they] must wear [their hair]
plain (Ilanos) or wear panuelos, if they are of higher status, as they have
been accustomed to."[4] Their style provoked anxiety among white elites,
who sought to control racial distinctions through apparel laws. [8] Black women
were demanded to submit to the law while they were working. This tactic was
enacted to obtain control to prevent the free black community from being too
powerful and putting a halt to exposure of one of their most attractive
features, hair.[2]
Effect
During the 18th century, laws restricting what black people
could wear were not uncommon.[4][6] Miró hoped that the law would halt plaçage
unions[3] and tie freed black women to those who were enslaved. While white
women in New Orleans initially stopped wearing their hair in the style, Empress
Joséphine of France eventually adopted the headpiece, and it became considered
haute couture in the early 19th century before decreasing in popularity in the
1830s.[9][10]
Virginia Gould writes that the true purpose of the law was
to control women "who had become too light skinned or who dressed too
elegantly, or who, in reality competed too freely with white women for status
and thus threatened the social order."[5] She also notes that there is no
evidence it was ever enforced and the women who followed the law turned the
headdress into a "mark of distinction".[2] This law was used as a
political tool disguised as morality regulation, intended to “remind black
women their social standing” in colonial society. [11]
In popular culture
Systemically, white media has weaponized images of Black
women in headscarves - like the Aunt Jemima stereotype - to sell the narrative
that they are unattractive, servile, and submissive, reinforcing gender and
racial hierarchies through caricatures and control. [12]
The laws used to prohibit Black women’s hair exposure as a
symbol of oppression turned into a symbol of self-expression and empowerment.
Within the 1960s and 1970s, Nina Simone and Angela Davis were known for wearing
headwraps as a statement of resistance against racial discrimination and
injustice and as a reclamation of black beauty, pride, and culture. [3] During
the 1990s and early 2000s, artists such as Lauryn Hill, India Arie, and Erykah
Badu to name a few showcased the reclamation of the headscarf as a beauty and
cultural symbol.[13] From fashion designers, celebrities, to media influencers,
they have displayed the versatility of the once law-abiding tool now stylish
accessory that can be worn in various ways to accentuate an outfit and
assisting with protection while sleeping. [4]
Publications such as Essence and Vice have discussed the law
and its effects" -snip- This is the complete content of that Wikipedia page except for references. -snip- Here's information in English about two of the non-English words that are found in that write-up:
*panuelos- English translation of that Spanish word = "scarves"
**plaçage - "Plaçage was a recognized extralegal system in French slave
colonies of North America (including the Caribbean) by which ethnic European
men entered into civil unions with non-Europeans of African, Native American
and mixed-race descent. The term comes from the French placer meaning "to
place with". The women were not legally recognized as wives but were known
as placées; their relationships were recognized among the free people of color
as mariages de la main gauche or left-handed marriages. They became institutionalized
with contracts or negotiations that settled property on the woman and her
children and, in some cases, gave them freedom if they were enslaved. The
system flourished throughout the French period, reaching its zenith during the
latter, between 1769 and 1803.
The system may have been most widely practiced
in New Orleans, where planter society had created enough wealth to support the
system.[1] It also took place in the Latin-influenced cities of Natchez and
Biloxi, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; St. Augustine and Pensacola, Florida;[2]
as well as Saint-Domingue (now the Republic of Haiti). Plaçage became
associated with New Orleans as part of its cosmopolitan society."... source-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pla%C3%A7age
**** This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.
This is Part II of a two part series that features examples of English language children's taunting rhymes. This post showcases a sample of children's rhymes whose titles (first words) begin with M-Z. In addition, this post includes a small number of children's retorts (come backs) to taunts.
These examples are posted for folkloric and recreational purposes.
Thanks to all who have contributed these rhyme examples. -snip- This is a complete reprint (with minor changes) of Part II of a two part series that is still published on my cocojams2 blog.
"Cocojams.com" was the name of my multi-page cultural website that was online from 2001 through 11/2014. Most of its children's rhymes and cheers content was submitted by children and teens via its easy to use internal form. I deactivated that website and published most of its children's rhymes and cheers on my pancocojams and my cocojams2 blogs.
**** SOME EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN'S TAUNTING RHYMES (M-Z) These examples are published in alphabetical order based on their titles or the first few words of their first line. Multiple versions of specific rhymes are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date online or their collection date, with the oldest dated examples presented first.
The title isn't chanted. Contributor comments are included before and/or after the rhyme for some of these examples.
A number of the examples in this collection were featured on my cocojams.com cultural website that was online since December 2001. That website vanished late October 2014 [!?!) and I am partially recreating its playground rhymes pages from back-up files and from recent internet "rhyme harvesting". That's the story behind this blog name cocojams2.
M, N
**** O, P
OH SAY CAN YOU SEE
We not only sang 'em after school, but also after Sunday School:
Oh say can you see Any bed bugs on me If you do Take a few "cause I got them from you... (For the person who wanted demographics, early to mid 1950's Washington, DC area) -Severn; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=2795#12230 "Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, I Bit the Teacher's Toe!", 3/27/2005; -snip- I was blogging on that Mudcat forum at that time. Severn responded to my request (or reminder) that other bloggers include demographical information for the folkloric record. I believed then and still believe that it's important to gather as much information as possible from rhyme contributors (who, what, where, when, and how) - including the race of those who are (or were) performing that rhyme.
I believed that a person's race can influence which types of rhymes a person knowns and likes, how rhymes are performed, and whether a person correctly understands vernacular terms and topical references in those rhymes.
For those reasons, I reminded people posting on the Mudcat folk music forum to add demographical information and I encouraged people sending in information to my cocojams.com website to include that information. However, most people didn't include racial information, even if they included other demographical information with their examples. I think that the main reason for this is the societal reasons including the (I think erroneous) view that mentioning race makes a person a racist.
**** ORDER IN THE COURT (Version #1) from the sf bay area in the 60's:
order in the court the monkey wants to speak speak monkey speak the first one to speak is the monkey of the week -Guest, sundaymonkey, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221, "I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes", 6/17/2005
**** ORDER IN THE COURT ROOM (Version #2) Order in the court room! Monkey wants to speak! Speak, monkey, speak!
And the first to speak is the monkey. Used in our family car for years in an attempt to keep five battling kids quiet. -Sinsull; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221, "I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes", 5/20/2005 -snip- The example below entitled "Silence In The Courtroom" is part of the same rhyme family as "Order In The Court (room).
**** Q, R
ROSES ARE RED (Version #1)
Roses Are Red Violets are blue God made me beautiful What the hell happened to you -Murubi, cocojams.com, 12/3/05
**** ROSES ARE RED (Version #2) Roses are red violets are blue God made me pretty, so what happened to you? -Anonymous, cocojams, 2/6/2007
****
S, T
SEE MY PINKIE (Version #1)
See my pinkie. See my thumb. See my fist You better run. -various sources, including Azizi Powell's memory of her childhood (Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1950s) -snip- Another ending to that rhyme was "See my fist/Gee, you're dumb." (because you stayed there and listened to the entire rhyme when it was clearly threatening physical violence).
****
MY PINKY (Version #2 of "See My Pinky")
See my pinky See my thumb See my peace sign Minus one. -Donk, cocojams.com, 1/23/2007 -snip- A peace sign (hand gesture) is made with two fingers in a "v" formation. A hand gesture that is made with only one finger means that the person is "giving someone the finger" which is an obscene and contemptuous hand gesture.
**** SEE THE BASKET Insult: For a basketball game:
See the basket See the ball Come on dummy Hit the wall
This was something my mother said in the 1950s in Reading, Pennsylvania.. -Beth Z. cocojams.com, 10/6/2006 **** SILENCE IN THE COURTROOM Silence in the courtroom! The monkey wants to speak. Whoever speaks now is the monkey for a week. The monkey's in the courtroom, eating a bowl of beans, While ----'s on the toilet, sinking submarines. -Joe F.http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221, "I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes", 5/20/2005
**** SOMEBODY FARTED Somebody farted P.U.! Who did it come from? From YOU! (Point to who you think is guilty.) When did it happen? Last night! How did it feel? Just right! -http://www.inthe80s.com/rhymes.shtml, retrieved on 10/15/2008
**** STUNK IN THE BARNYARD Stunk in the barnyard. Pee yew! Who did it come from? From you. -Mikane, (8 year old African American boy, Fort Pitt Elementary School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2001) collected by Azizi Powell -snip- Notice that Mikane said "stunk" instead of the animal "skunk".
**** TALK TO THE BOOTY Talk To The Booty (thrust hip forward) Coz The Hands Of Duty (show palm of hand and put it on your hip) And the Face Dont Wanna Know (look away) -Jade, Cocojams.com, 4/29/2008 -snip- "Booty" = butt
**** THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT There are hand motions that go with this ryhme, although I'm not sure I can explain them well, but I'll try, they're at the end}
That's the way uh huh uh huh I like it uh huh uh huh That's the way uh huh uh huh I like it uh huh uh huh Peace punch, Captain crunch Brick wall, waterfall, girl you think you got it all, you dont. I do. So poof with the attitude, As if- Whatever- Good bye- Forever.. . -Erin Sarah; 3/22/2008, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br9fAi7HdDk, [discussion thread example, August 27, 2011 -snip- Visit http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/03/thats-way-un-hun-un-hun-i-like-it-in.html for similar rhymes. Also, visit other pancocojams and cocojams2 posts for other examples from the large family of rhymes that is known as "Brickwall Waterfall".
**** TRICK OR TREAT Trick or Treat Smell my feet Give me something good to eat. If you don't I don't care. I'll pull down your underwear. -Azizi Powell, memories of Halloween door to door trick or treating, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1950s.
**** TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR twinkle twinkle little star what you say is what you are up above the world so high your a trash can in the sky. -baby girl1234, cocojams.com, 8/7/2007
**** U-G-L-Y (Version #1) U-G-L-Y You ain’t got no alibi You're ugly What? What? You’re ugly.
M-O-M-M-A That is how you got that way Your Momma yeah yeah Your Momma -Janell H (African American woman); from her memories of high school cheerleader cheers in Pittsburgh,PA in the mid to late 1980s; collected by Azizi Powell in 2003
**** U-G-L-Y (Version #2) U-G-L-Y. You don't have an alibi. You UGLY. Yea Yea. You UGLY.
M-A-M-A. How you think you got that way YO MAMA. Yea Yea. YO MAMA.
D-A-D-D-Y. You don't even know that guy YO DADDY. Yea Yea. YO DADDY.
C-U-T-E. Don't you wish you looked like me I'm CUTE. Yea Yea I'm CUTE -Coach Kasey, cocojams.com, 8/25/2006
**** U-G-L-Y (Version #3) U-G-L-Y you ain't got no aliby you ugly, yeah yeah you ugly
Don't be sad don't be blue Frankenstein was ugly too You ugly, yeah yeah you ugly -anonymous, cocojams, no date recorded. -snip- I remember the verse "Don't be sad/don't be blue/ Frankenstein was ugly too" from my childhood or teen years in the 1950s or early 1960s (Atlantic City, New Jersey.)
**** W, X
WHAT'S THE TIME When I was 4 or 5 I know we used to sing the following with great delight at primary school in Lancs, NW England:
What's the time? Ten to nine Hang your knickers on the line When they're dry, bring them in And put them in the biscuit tin Eat a biscuit, eat a cake Eat your knickers by mistake! -Guest Guestrainbow84uk http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=72240&messages=44, "I have lost my underwear" 5/17/2008 -snip- "Knickers" is a British word that means "underpants".
**** WHAT U NO BOUT ME what u no bout me, what u what u no bout me. what you no bout me, what u what u no i say (say da person name) is ugly u no dat its true so i dont no y u laughing cause im talking bout u -abc cant mess wit me; cocojams.com. 7/10/2007 -snip- "What u no bout me" = "what do you know about me?
"say da person name" = say that person's name "u no dat its true" = you know that 's true -snip- It's possible that this blogger (whose name is abc cant mess wit (with) me) might have been exaggerating his or her use of African American Vernacular English, or purposely using it (code switching) for one purpose or another. I call this online style of writing "putting on the Black" and write about it eblwrite about it on my pancocojams blog. Here's one link to a post on that subject: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/puttin-on-black-online-black-talk-code.html "Puttin On The Black - Online Black Talk & Code Switching".
**** Y, Z
YO MAMA DON'T WEAR NO DRAWERS (SOCKS) YO MAMA DON'T WEAR NO DRAWERS
(Version #1)
Yo mama don't wear no drawers. I saw her when she took em off. She threw them in the air... Superman said "I declare!" (We had a whole lot of sayings that came after the second line like...She threw them on the track and the train jumped 50 miles back). -Optimistic1 (African American female; Illinois); http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=4123&page=2 "Childhood chants and games......", 12-29-2000
Yo mama don't wear no draws (ah ding dong) I saw her when she took them off (ah ding dong) She threw them in the tree (ah ding dong) And the dog refused to pee.
Chorus
Yo mama don't wear no socks (ah ding dong) I saw her when she took them off (ah ding dong) She threw them in the sky (ah ding dong) And Superman refused to fly
Chorus
Yo mama don't wear no socks (ah ding dong) I saw her when she took them off (ah ding dong) She put them in ah nest (ah ding dong) And the birds refused to rest.
Yo mama don't wear no socks (ah ding dong) I saw her when she took them off (ah ding dong) She threw them on the wall (ah ding dong) And the roaches refused to crawl.
**** YO MAMA YO DADDY YO GREASY GRIMY GRANNY / ....YO BALD HEADED GRANNY
Examples of this rhyme (song) are posted without regard to their title.
YOUR MAMA MY DADDY YOUR BALD HEADED GRANNY (Version #1)
your mama my daddy your bald headed granny she 99 she think she fine she break it down like frankinstin. go frankie go frankie go, go, go frankie, go frankie go frankie go, go, go frankie.
my mama my mama short and fine she got a butt like mine and when she walk the street all cars go beep,beep beep and when she go down low she does a rollie o and when she com up high she does the butterfly. stop. drop. bring it to the top pop pop shake skake vibrate vibrate -erika, cocojams.com, 10/26/2006 -snip- In the context of this rhyme and most other 1960s African American playground rhymes, "fine" means "very attractive" (physically attractive). Both females and males can be "fine".
Many of the terms in this rhyme are names of social dances or are lifted from R&B/Hip-Hop song lyrics. The exception is that "the Butterfly" started out as a Caribbean dance. That dance was picked up by African Americans and is mentioned in a number of African American playground rhymes. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/01/yo-greasy-grimey-granny-black-talk-in.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Yo Greasy Grimey Granny - Black Talk In Playground Chants (Complete Reprint Of This 2012 Pancocojams Post & Comments)"
****
UR MOMMA UR DADDY UR BALD HEADED GRANNY (Version #2)
ur momma ur daddy ur bald headed granny shes 99 she thinks shes fine she breaks it down like frankenstein u wish u wish u just got dissed wait come back i think u need a tic tic i dont need mean not a sip not a swallow but the whole dang bottle! -kno 1, cocojams.com, 4/30/2007 -snip- "breaks it down" = does his (or her) best dance moves "dissed" = insulted (disrespected) Note that the lines after "u just got dissed" are from the "Brickwall Waterfall" insult rhyme. As an aside, notice the blogger's creative tag name "kno 1" = no one (rather than saying "anonymous").
****
YOUR MAMA, YOUR DADDY, YOUR GREASY GREASY GRANNY (Version #3)
your mama, your daddy, your greasy greasy granny with the hole in her panties, with a big behind, like frankenstein- going beep beep beep down sesame street! -AMY!, cocojams.com, 6/28/2007
****
YO MAMA YO GREASY GREASY GRAND MAMMY (Version #4)
I am 25 now and learned this when I was in KG, i'm from North Carolina. yo mamma yo, mamma, yo greasy greasy grand mammy, she got a big behind like frankinstine, it goes beat beat beat like sesame street. -Erica, cocojams.com, 1/3/2008 -snip- "KG" = kindergarten
**** YO MAMA YO DADDY YO GREASY STANK (Version #5) Yo mama yo daddy yo greasy stank granny she got holes in her panties she got a big behind like Frankenstein your mama got a big ole butt -CinciDiva, cocojams.com, Feb 13, 2011 -snip- "stank"= really stinky
**** SOME RETORTS/COMEBACKS (REPONSES TO TAUNTING RHYMES & INSULTS)
A,B,C
CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT
reply for when someone tells you your too nosey or too curious for your own good: curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back -Dallas;cocojams.com, 9/21/2006
****
D,E,F
****
G,H,I
I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE, BUT WHAT AM I?
if somebody called you a name, you'd say "I know you are, but what am I?" -various sources; 9/29/2006
****
I'M RUBBER YOU'RE GLUE
I'm Rubber You're Glue What you say bounces off of me And sticks on you -multiple sources
****
J,K,L
****
M,N,O
****
P,Q,R
****
S,T,U,V
STICKS AND STONES
[Wikipedia article excerpt]
The first appearance of this rhyme
"It is reported[1] to have appeared in The Christian Recorder of March 1862, a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where it is presented as an "old adage" in this form:
Sticks and stones will break my bones But words will never harm me.
The phrase also appeared in 1872, where it is presented as advice in Tappy's Chicks: and Other Links Between Nature and Human Nature, by Mrs. George Cupples.[2] The version used in that work runs:
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But names will never hurt me.
Falsity Although insulting words and name-calling do not cause bruises and broken bones, they cause emotional pain and psychological harm to the target. Insulting words are used to shame people.[3] Words are used as weapons by bullies and other antagonists to hurt people, but because of the prevalence of this idea in English-speaking culture, the victims and people around them may blame the victims for experiencing pain, by believing or saying that the victims are being "too sensitive", rather than recognizing that the aggressor is responsible for causing the pain.[4] This idea—that intentional insults should be sloughed off without acknowledging the pain they caused—is not prevalent in some other cultures.[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticks_and_Stones_(nursery_rhyme), retrieved, November 1, 2014
****
THAT'S ALRIGHT (Version #1)
That's alright. That's okay. We're gonna kick your butt someday -multiple sources; including Azizi Powell's memories of Atlantic City, early 1960s -snip- I remember some students and other supporters of my high school's basketball team chanting this to the opposing students and their other supporters after we lost a game.
****
THAT'S ALRIGHT (Version #2)
That's alright. That's okay. 'Cause you're gonna pump our gas some day. -Taejia & Daeji (Baldwin, Pennsylvania); 9/14/2006, collected by Azizi Powell -snip- This come back/put-down chant is recited to the other team when your team loses a basket or loses a game.
A visitor to the cocojams.com website named Lulu sent in a comment on 6/25/2007 that this retort came from one of the Bring It On cheerleader movies. I'm not sure which movie in that series this retort comes from.
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about the Yoruba (Nigerian) word "Àṣẹ" (also given as "aché", "axé", or "ashe").
Part I presents several online excerpts about the word "Àṣẹ".
This is a complete reprint with the addition of two YouTube videos of the March 2, 2020 pancocojams post with a similar title. That post is still available on this blog.
The Addendum to this post presents a reprint from the only two comments for that March 2020 post. The comment section for that post is still open and comments are welcome for this 2026 post.
The content of this post is provided for cultural and linguistic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
May the Force be with you.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
AfrikCosmos, Nov 7, 2025
Unlock the ancient power of Àṣẹ and Ịse — the sacred science
of vibration in Yoruba and Igbo thought. Discover how the spoken word creates
worlds, and learn how to use these forces for manifestation, authority, and
spiritual power.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 -- Àṣẹ àti Orí: What Do 'Ase' and 'Ori' Mean? | The Physical & Spiritual Aspects and Connections
Yorùbá Lessons with Adérónkẹ́, Jul 5, 2019
**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE WORD "ÀSE" (ALSO GIVEN AS ACHE, AXE, AND ASHE)
(These excerpts are given in no particular order.)
Excerpt #1: From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orisha#Ashe "Ashe is the life-force that runs through all things, living and inanimate. It is described as the power to make things happen. It is an affirmation that is used in greetings and prayers, as well as a concept of spiritual growth. Orìṣà devotees strive to obtain Ashe through iwa-pele, gentle and good character, and in turn they experience alignment with the ori, what others might call inner peace and satisfaction with life. Ashe is divine energy that comes from Olodumare, the creator deity, and is manifested through Olorun, who rules the heavens and is associated with the sun. Without the sun, no life could exist, just as life cannot exist without some degree of ashe. Ashe is sometimes associated with Eshu, the messenger òrìṣà.[6] For practitioners, ashe represents a link to the eternal presence of the supreme deity, the orishas, and the ancestors.[7]
The concept is regularly referenced in Brazilian capoeira. Axé in this context is used as a greeting or farewell, in songs and as a form of praise. Saying that someone "has axé" in capoeira is complimenting their energy, fighting spirit, and attitude.[1]"
**** Excerpt #2 From https://www.orishaimage.com/blog-gallery/ashe " "Ashe" is a very central word and concept for Orisha-worship. On the one hand it is used often at the end of prayers. It means "may our prayers become reality, may we receive the blessing by the Orisha, short: may it manifest!"
On the other hand "Ashe" more generally also stands for the eternal energy that fills the cosmos. It is the abstract power and principle of Olodumare, God. Calling for "Ashe" is calling for what lies beyond our human reality, that God’s will manifests on earth, where we live at the moment, and that we can experience Olodumare’s power.
It is written in the four main languages of Orisha-worship worldwide, from Nigeria to the diaspora of slavery and from there to the rest of the world: Yoruba, Spanish/Lukumi, Portuguese/Nago and English."
Two central concepts in some African-derived religions are ase (or axe) and konesans (connaissance). Ase is the divine force, energy, and power incarnate in the world. Olodumare gives ase to everything, including inanimate objects. Ashe is the power behind all things in the universe. It enables people to find balance in life. The orishas are bearers of ashe. Santeros (Santerían priests) use ase to provide blessing and healing to devotees. "Ashe is a current or flow, a groove that initiates can channel so that it carries them along their road in life. The prayers, rhythms, offerings, taboos of Santería tune initiates into this flow" (Murphy, 1993, p. 131). In Santería, herbs are impregnated with ashe. The color of the Obatala conducts ashe. Part of the Vodun initiation ceremonies gives the priest intuitive knowledge, or konesans, enabling him to understand people, diagnose problems, and perform healing."...
The term axé (also spelled aché or ashé – all pronounced ah-SHEH) comes from the Yoruba peoples of Western Africa. It is the name they gave to the life force; the concept is similar to the Eastern idea of qi.
In capoeira today, axé has come to mean something like “energy.” If a roda has a lot of axé, it means it has good vibes, powerful energy. Some groups use the word as a greeting.
Some references to axé in capoeira songs: Axé, axé / Capoeira tem muito axé Axé, axé / Capoeira has lots of axé
Dos velhos Mestres que viveram na Bahia, Manda todo o seu axé e também sua magia Bahia manda seu axé pra mim
From the old Mestres who lived in Bahia, Send all your axé and also your magic Bahia send your axé to me
Axé also refers to a style of popular music (not related to capoeira) that originated in Salvador, Bahia.
There is also a capoeira group called Axé Capoeira that was founded by Mestre Barrão." -snip- Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ax%C3%A9_(music) for information about the genre of Brazilian music called "Axé".
Translated by yours truly Guatambu (any improvements to the translation contact me) "O Axé
A magical energy, the universal sacred of the orixá. A powerful energy that is always neutral. Manipulated and directed by men through the orixás and their symbols and/or elements. "
The most precious of Ilê*, axé is the force that ensures dynamic existence.It is transmitted, should be maintained and developed, as all forces may increase or decrease; and this variation is related to the activity and conduct of the ritual.The conduct is determined by the scrupulous observance of the duties and obligations of each holder of axé, yourself, orixá, and Ilê.The development of individual and group axé affects the axé of the Ilê.
* - Ilê requires its own definition here. Ilê is basically synonymous with terreiro. A terreiro is a temple or house of candomblê. Think of it like you would your local church, synagogue, mosque, or buddhist temple. Each of these types of houses of worship have their unique characteristics in terms of symbols, architecture, look, and feel, and the same is true for a terreiro. - Guatambu
"The axé is connected to the initiated, and directly proportional to its ritual conduct - the relationship with his deity, his community, his duties and his babalorixá (priest of candomblé)."
The strength of the axé is contained and transmitted by certain elements and material substances, is transmitted to humans and objects, maintaining and renewing the powers of accomplishment.The axé is contained in a variety of representative elements of the kingdoms: animal, vegetable and mineral, water (fresh and salt), earth, and forest (untamed vegetation or urban space).It is contained in the natural and essential substances of each being whether simple or complex, living or dead, that make up the universe.
There are places, sounds, objects and body parts (especially animal) impregnated with axé. For example, the heart, liver, lungs, gizzard, kidney, feet, hands, tail, bones, teeth, ivory, genitals, roots, leaves , river water, sea, rain, lake, pool, waterfall, orô (prayer), Adja (sort of bell), illus (drums) ...
Every ritual act and offering involves the transmission and revitalization of axé.To be truly active, these ritual acts and offerings must come from the combination of those elements that allow for a specific result or achievement. To receive axé means to incorporate the symbolic elements that represent the vital and essential principles of all that exists.
Xerife pointed out Mestre Acordeon's song "Pedir o Axé", and added the lyrics with translation below...
Vamos pedir o axé
(Lets ask Axé)
Pressa roda começar
(So this round can begin)
De conforme os fundamentos
(Within the fundations)
Capoeira e candomblé
(Capoeira and candomblé)
Axé Babá
(Axé Babá)
Oh ie viva Meu Deus! AXÉ BABÁ
(Oh yea viva my god! Axé Babá)
Oh Ie viva Seu Bimba! MEU CAMARÁ
(Oh yea viva my Bimba! My friend)
Oh ie é mestre meu! SEMPRE SERÁ
(Oh yea you are my master! ALWAYS WILL BE)
Oh ie volta do mundo! QUE O MUNDO DÁ
(Oh yeaa the world spins! That the world does)
Vamos pedir o axé, meu pai! MEU PAI XANGô
(Lets ask axé, my father! My father Xangô)
Vamos pedir o axé, minha mãe! IEMANJÁ
(Lets ask axé, my mother! IEMANJA)
Vamos pedir o axé, meu rei! REI OXALÁ
(Lets ask Axé, my king! KING OXALÁ)
Vamos pedir o axé, meu pai MEU PAI XANGÔ
(Lets ask Axé, my father MY FATHER XANGÔ)
Reparado added from Mestre Acordeon's book...
"Aché (Axé, Asé) is the magic force that moves all things in the universe according to the African religions in Brazil. It exists in all realms of nature and can be transmitted through specific rituals. Although Capoeira has no direct connection with religion, the capoeiristas, as the majority of Brazilians, are related one way or another with Afro-Brazilian rituals. Aché in Capoeira means the connection with the roots, a special energy to be developed by any capoeirista. To wish aché to someone means to wish good luck. For those who believe, some special people transmit aché through their wishes."
p.6 Almeida, Bira(Mestre Acordeon). Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 1986. Print.
Espantalho added...
“At the heart of this Yoruba religion is the concept of àse, an individual’s personal spiritual power, which grows throughout life through a person’s diligent application to doing good deeds, coupled with appropriate and calm behavior and with service to the gods in the form of sacrifice. The reciprocity of service between gods and humans is essentially the giving of strength, the renewal of àse to the orisa through blood sacrifice of animals designated as belonging to a specific deity. Renewed and grateful deities in turn bless their supportive worshipers with added ase. The rules of this loving support between humans and gods are all known to that father-of-all-knowledge, the babalawo”
~The Way of the Orisa by Philip Neimark p. XII
Babalawo is a priest of Yoruba religion.
“The orisa are energy that, for the most part, represent aspects of nature. Osun (pronounced O-SHUN) represents sweet waters, love, money, conception; Sango (pronounced Zhan-GO) represents thunder and lightning, strategy, and he is the warrior; Esu (pronounced A-shew), messenger to Oludumare (the single God), owner of roads and opportunities, owner of ase (spiritual energy)"...
Lucumí or Lacumí is the Yoruba language as it is spoken in Cuba and the United States. Yoruba is a tonal language like Chinese. The accents serve to approximate the tones for those of us who aren't familiar with tonal language. Also, some of the difficult sounds like the african "p" sound which is pronounced as kind of a "kp" sound is approximated using "kp" or "cu". This vocabulary follows the Spanish orthography with a few exceptions to help English speakers:
The "ch" in Spanish is used simply because there is no "sh" in Spanish. We use "sh" here.
The "y" in Spanish often has an edge to it that approximates the English (and Yoruba) "j" sound. I have taken the liberty of using "j" here where applicable.
The "ñ" sound is used very sparingly here and is usually substituted here with "y".
As in Spanish, the accent is on the second to last syllable unless there is an accent mark over another syllable.
I should note here that Lacumí is an oral tradition and that the written versions were meant to be more "cheat sheets" than anything else and should not be used as "proof" of the decomposition of the language. Lakumí speakers in Matanzas and other areas speak very much as any Yoruba speaker would. I have spoken with Nigerian born Yoruba speakers in Lacumí without any difficulty whatsoever. In fact, on one occasion I was greeted with a very surprised "you speak Yoruba!!!" from the astonished Yoruba man I was speaking with.
Here are a few words in Lucumí to get you started:
[...]
Ashé: So Be It, The Spiritual Power of the Universe, Talent”...
a) "Aché does not mean ache. Ache is dolor, or achaques. The letter H is hache in Spanish. According to the Diccionario de la lengua española, of the Real Academia Española, aché is not a word in the Spanish language. However, looking up the song, if found a page on the song stating that aché is an african word that means a divine life force (in the santeria religion). Aché is a word in the West African Yoruba language."
updated Apr 20, 2011 posted by manutd
** b) "I suppose that you are talking about a brasilean music. It's pronounced "Aché" is Spanish but is written "Axé" in portuguese.
Please, look at this place*." updated Dec 26, 2009 posted by Carlos-F -snip- *That commenter gives the link to the Wikipedia page for Axe music that is given after Excerpt #4.
**** ADDENDUM- COMMENTS FROM THE 2020 PANCOCOJAMS POST' DISCUSSION THREAD
Thank you very much for sharing!! I feel very related to this! I'm a Latina from Venezuela! And we Latinos from the Caribean and other Countries have a lot of African influence!! And we Love it! Most of our salsa songs have the word ache! We sing to chango, yemaya and so on! It is beautiful! It feels like home 🤗 Thank you 💖
Thank you very much for sharing!! I feel very related to this! I'm a Latina from Venezuela! And we Latinos from the Caribean and other Countries have a lot of African influence!! And we Love it! Most of our salsa songs have the word ache! We sing to chango, yemaya and so on! It is beautiful! It feels like home 🤗 Thank you 💖
ReplyDelete