Latest revision: Feb. 29, 2024
This pancocojams post features versions of the United States military cadence "Mama Mama Can't You See" and versions of children's hand clap rhymes with that same title.
The Addendum to this pancocojams post also includes a few examples of historically Black Greek letter fraternities chants entitled "Mama Mama Can't You See".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/hand-clap-rhymes-that-mention-mp3s-cell.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Mama Mama Can't You See" - Military Cadence & Children's Hand clap Rhyme".
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/hand-clap-rhymes-that-mention-mp3s-cell.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Mama Mama Can't You See" - Military Cadence & Children's Hand clap Rhyme".
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE [added January 3, 2023]
"Mama Mama Can't You See" may be one of the most widely known examples of a playground rhyme that was inspired in part by the military cadence with that same name.
My guess is that "Mama Mama Can't You See" has its source in the 19th century Black American secular song "Hambone".
Both of those songs have the same call & response pattern and textual structure. Both of those songs also have very similar tunes although the tempo for the "Mama Mama Can't You See" military cadence is slower than the tempo for the song "Hambone".
Here's a YouTube sound file of the song "Hambone":
Hambone
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/08/various-versions-of-hambone-songrh for the pancocojams post entitled "Various Versions Of The "Hambone" Song (information, lyrics, & YouTube examples)."
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MILITARY CADENCES
These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only
I. A UNITED STATES MARINE CORP VERSION OF THIS CADENCE
USMC Cadence - Mama Can't You See
Colt28683, Published on Jun 29, 2011
United States Marine Corp Cadence
-snip-
transcription:
"Mama, Mama can't you see
What this Corp has done for me.
Put me in a barber's chair.
Snip snap and I had no hair.
And if I die in a combat zone
Box me up and ship me home.
Put me in a set of Dress Blues
Comb my hair and shine my shoes.
Pin my medals upon my chest
Tell my mama I did my best.
Mama Mama don't you cry
Marine Corp motto is "Do or die!"
left right layo, left right layo*
low right layo, lefty right low"
A lefty righty low.
-snip-
The caller chants each line and that line is then repeated by the "responders".
****
II. A UNITED STATES ARMY VERSION OF THIS CADENCE
"Mama, Mama Can't You See"
****
III. A UNITED STATE ARMY VERSION OF THIS CADENCE -#2
"Here is "Mama, mama can't you see". Needless to say, there are plenty of variants...
Mama Mama can't you see
What this road is doing to me
Mama Mama can't you see
What this road is doing to me
Chorus is a chant of the tune
(Whoa whoa), (Yay yay) or (Da da dada)....
Joined the army to get in shape
But all I do is hurry and wait
They put me in a barber's chair
Shaved my head 'til it was bare.
Use to wear designer jeans
Now I'm dressed in jungle greens
Thought I'd get to get to have some fun
But all I do is shoot my gun....
They took away my set of wheels
Now I've blisters on my heels....
Up in the morning much too soon
We're still marching after noon.
Standing tall and looking good
We ought to be in Hollywood....
Ain't no use in going slow
There are many miles to go
Ain't no point in going fast
We shall never be the last
(Someone's name) Don't be blue
Frankenstein was ugly too...."
-CET {Edmund}; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=10803 "Cadence or Marching Songs", 9/30/2004
****
IV. A UNITED STATES NAVY EXAMPLE OF THIS CADENCE
Navy Cadence
Tenee Brown, Published on Jun 6, 2016
-snip-
This example is given without transcription.
****
EXAMPLES OF "MAMA MAMA CAN'T YOU SEE" HAND CLAP RHYMES
Video #1: mama can't you see?
Uploaded by vdsmdac98mcs on Jun 11, 2010
juego de manos
hand shake games
-snip-
The two girls speak Spanish prior to starting the handclap game, and speak English while playing the game.
Here are the words to the version found in the video:
Mama,Mama can't you see
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
What the baby's done to me
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
Took away my MTV.
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
Now I’m watching dumb Barney
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
tic tac toe three in a row
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
barney got shot got shot by GI Joe
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
who ever got stop get a bump in the head
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
and that is how the game will end
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
-vdsmdac98mcs on Jun 11, 2010 (my transcription from video)
-snip-
I placed this version first because it's more similar to the examples of this rhyme that I've collected than the second featured example. The examples that I collected - African American girls & boys (ages 6-12 years old) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1999-2009 - usually say "what the army done to me" (instead of what the baby done to me, although I have also heard that version. And somewhere around 2004, instead of "Barney got shot by GI Joe", I started hearing children chant "your mama got shot by GI Joe". I consider this to quite a disturbing change in wording.
GI Joe is the small American army figurine toy that may not be as popular now as it was in the 1960s or so.
I should also mention that in most of the versions that I've seen online and in person, the tempo is faster in the beginning of the rhyme and MUCH faster at the end. The end lines that I've heard (and the end lines found in a number of online examples) are:
don't stop until your hands get hot/don't stop until your hands get red".
The palms of the hands get hot & red because of the fast paced slapping that is done in this competitive portion of this game. Those slaps can sting! The person who misses a hand slap because she or he moves her or his hands out the way (so the hands won't get slapped) is out. The last person remaining in the game is the winner.
****
Video #2: Mama Mama Can't You See?
daledot4kids | August 22, 2007
Silly Megan with the boys...
-snip-
Here's the words to this version:
Mama mama can't you see,
What the army done to me.
They took away my favorite toys,
Now I'm playin' with boys.
They took away my MP3,
Now I'm watching Barney.
They took away my favorite jeans,
Now I'm wearin' army greens.
I saw a lady chewin' gum,
I asked her if i could have some.
She looked at me like I was dumb,
That's when I said
See my pinky
See my thumb
See my fist
You betta run!
- daledot4kids | August 22, 2007 [transcription by Azizi Powell given without the boys' sound effects]
-snip-
All of the playground rhyme videos of "Mama Mama Can't You See" that I have seen and all of the performances of that rhyme that I have observed use the same tune. Notice that the tune used for the playground rhyme is different from the tune used for the "Mama Mama Can't You See" military cadences. The tempo that is used for those military cadences is also slower than the tempo for the "Mama Mama Can't You See" children's rhymes.
Also, notice the reference to Mp3s. To date, versions of "Mama Mama Can't You See" are the only examples of playground rhymes that I've collected that mention "Mp3s" (or any other Ipod type music player).
****
UPDATE: March 21, 2017*:
Here's another example of the children's rhyme "Mama Mama Can't You See"
"Mama mama can’t you see
What the army’s done to me
made me watch Barney
Tick Tock toe
three in a row
Michael got shot by GI Joe
this is Michael Jackson, some people say your mama but they don’t because you’re not supposed to talk about somebody’s mother"
-Conraya, (11 year old African American girl, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell), 2008
-snip-
I find this example and its comment significant for sociological/cultural reasons.
The earliest "Mama Mama Can't You See" rhymes that I've heard (in 1999) mentioned that Barney got shot by GI Joe ("Barney" being the purple dinasaur television character, and "GI Joe" being the small action soldier toy). I later observed some children -mostly girls- saying "Your mama got shot by GI Joe" (around 2002). This example substituted the name of Pop singer "Michael Jackson"
for "Mama" because "you're not supposed to talk about someone's mother".
-snip-
* I inadvertently added this example of "Mama Mama Can't You See" to a pancocojams post about parodies of the R&B song "I Believe I Can Fly". Here's the link for that post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/childrens-parodies-of-i-believe-i-can_2.html.
****
ADDENDUM - HISTORICALLY BLACK GREEK LETTER FRATERNITY "MAMA MAMA CAN'T YOU SEE CHANTS
MILITARY CADENCES
These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only
I. A UNITED STATES MARINE CORP VERSION OF THIS CADENCE
USMC Cadence - Mama Can't You See
Colt28683, Published on Jun 29, 2011
United States Marine Corp Cadence
-snip-
transcription:
"Mama, Mama can't you see
What this Corp has done for me.
Put me in a barber's chair.
Snip snap and I had no hair.
And if I die in a combat zone
Box me up and ship me home.
Put me in a set of Dress Blues
Comb my hair and shine my shoes.
Pin my medals upon my chest
Tell my mama I did my best.
Mama Mama don't you cry
Marine Corp motto is "Do or die!"
left right layo, left right layo*
low right layo, lefty right low"
A lefty righty low.
-snip-
The caller chants each line and that line is then repeated by the "responders".
****
II. A UNITED STATES ARMY VERSION OF THIS CADENCE
"Mama, Mama Can't You See"
Bob Soldier - Topic, s May 8, 2020
Provided to YouTube by SongCast, Inc.
-snip-
This sound file replaces one that is no longer available on YouTube
"Here is "Mama, mama can't you see". Needless to say, there are plenty of variants...
Mama Mama can't you see
What this road is doing to me
Mama Mama can't you see
What this road is doing to me
Chorus is a chant of the tune
(Whoa whoa), (Yay yay) or (Da da dada)....
Joined the army to get in shape
But all I do is hurry and wait
They put me in a barber's chair
Shaved my head 'til it was bare.
Use to wear designer jeans
Now I'm dressed in jungle greens
Thought I'd get to get to have some fun
But all I do is shoot my gun....
They took away my set of wheels
Now I've blisters on my heels....
Up in the morning much too soon
We're still marching after noon.
Standing tall and looking good
We ought to be in Hollywood....
Ain't no use in going slow
There are many miles to go
Ain't no point in going fast
We shall never be the last
(Someone's name) Don't be blue
Frankenstein was ugly too...."
-CET {Edmund}; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=10803 "Cadence or Marching Songs", 9/30/2004
****
IV. A UNITED STATES NAVY EXAMPLE OF THIS CADENCE
Navy Cadence
Tenee Brown, Published on Jun 6, 2016
-snip-
This example is given without transcription.
****
EXAMPLES OF "MAMA MAMA CAN'T YOU SEE" HAND CLAP RHYMES
Video #1: mama can't you see?
Uploaded by vdsmdac98mcs on Jun 11, 2010
juego de manos
hand shake games
-snip-
The two girls speak Spanish prior to starting the handclap game, and speak English while playing the game.
Here are the words to the version found in the video:
Mama,Mama can't you see
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
What the baby's done to me
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
Took away my MTV.
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
Now I’m watching dumb Barney
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
tic tac toe three in a row
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
barney got shot got shot by GI Joe
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
who ever got stop get a bump in the head
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
and that is how the game will end
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
-vdsmdac98mcs on Jun 11, 2010 (my transcription from video)
-snip-
I placed this version first because it's more similar to the examples of this rhyme that I've collected than the second featured example. The examples that I collected - African American girls & boys (ages 6-12 years old) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1999-2009 - usually say "what the army done to me" (instead of what the baby done to me, although I have also heard that version. And somewhere around 2004, instead of "Barney got shot by GI Joe", I started hearing children chant "your mama got shot by GI Joe". I consider this to quite a disturbing change in wording.
GI Joe is the small American army figurine toy that may not be as popular now as it was in the 1960s or so.
I should also mention that in most of the versions that I've seen online and in person, the tempo is faster in the beginning of the rhyme and MUCH faster at the end. The end lines that I've heard (and the end lines found in a number of online examples) are:
don't stop until your hands get hot/don't stop until your hands get red".
The palms of the hands get hot & red because of the fast paced slapping that is done in this competitive portion of this game. Those slaps can sting! The person who misses a hand slap because she or he moves her or his hands out the way (so the hands won't get slapped) is out. The last person remaining in the game is the winner.
****
Video #2: Mama Mama Can't You See?
daledot4kids | August 22, 2007
Silly Megan with the boys...
-snip-
Here's the words to this version:
Mama mama can't you see,
What the army done to me.
They took away my favorite toys,
Now I'm playin' with boys.
They took away my MP3,
Now I'm watching Barney.
They took away my favorite jeans,
Now I'm wearin' army greens.
I saw a lady chewin' gum,
I asked her if i could have some.
She looked at me like I was dumb,
That's when I said
See my pinky
See my thumb
See my fist
You betta run!
- daledot4kids | August 22, 2007 [transcription by Azizi Powell given without the boys' sound effects]
-snip-
All of the playground rhyme videos of "Mama Mama Can't You See" that I have seen and all of the performances of that rhyme that I have observed use the same tune. Notice that the tune used for the playground rhyme is different from the tune used for the "Mama Mama Can't You See" military cadences. The tempo that is used for those military cadences is also slower than the tempo for the "Mama Mama Can't You See" children's rhymes.
Also, notice the reference to Mp3s. To date, versions of "Mama Mama Can't You See" are the only examples of playground rhymes that I've collected that mention "Mp3s" (or any other Ipod type music player).
****
UPDATE: March 21, 2017*:
Here's another example of the children's rhyme "Mama Mama Can't You See"
"Mama mama can’t you see
What the army’s done to me
made me watch Barney
Tick Tock toe
three in a row
Michael got shot by GI Joe
this is Michael Jackson, some people say your mama but they don’t because you’re not supposed to talk about somebody’s mother"
-Conraya, (11 year old African American girl, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell), 2008
-snip-
I find this example and its comment significant for sociological/cultural reasons.
The earliest "Mama Mama Can't You See" rhymes that I've heard (in 1999) mentioned that Barney got shot by GI Joe ("Barney" being the purple dinasaur television character, and "GI Joe" being the small action soldier toy). I later observed some children -mostly girls- saying "Your mama got shot by GI Joe" (around 2002). This example substituted the name of Pop singer "Michael Jackson"
for "Mama" because "you're not supposed to talk about someone's mother".
-snip-
* I inadvertently added this example of "Mama Mama Can't You See" to a pancocojams post about parodies of the R&B song "I Believe I Can Fly". Here's the link for that post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/childrens-parodies-of-i-believe-i-can_2.html.
****
ADDENDUM - HISTORICALLY BLACK GREEK LETTER FRATERNITY "MAMA MAMA CAN'T YOU SEE CHANTS
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Added Nov. 25, 2022: Alpha Phi Alpha song "Mama Mama Can't You See"
Craig Henry, Mar 15, 2013
15,616 views • Mar 15, 2013
[lead] Mama Can’t You See
[group]- What them Alphas done to me [repeat this lead/group format throughout]
Standing strong standing bold
For the mighty black and gold
[This verse is repeated a number of times and end with that verse again and repeating these lines ]
For the mighty black and gold
For the mighty black and gold
For the mighty black and gold
For the mighty black and gold
[end with humming that verse].
-snip-
The tune is the same as the military cadence but the tempo is much slower.
****
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Added August 5, 2016 [video no longer available]
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Added August 5, 2016 [video no longer available]
"We Are The Men Of Que Psi Phi" is a historically Black fraternity song that has a similar two call & response verse structure and similar or the same verses as the military cadence "Mama Mama Can't You See".
Here's an example of that song which was sung at a Omega Psi Phi (also known as "Que") probate (a show where new members are introduced to the public):
Lincoln University Beta Chapter 2016 probate
Caasi Brim, Published on Apr 10, 2016
Lincoln University Omega Psi Phi Beta Chapter Spring 2016 "Apollo" leads bruhs in song.
-snip-
This YouTube video is no longer available for public viewing.
This example has the verse "I told my mother not to cry" verse. And the verse "they shaved my hair...they even took my jeans/now I'm wearing kelly green".
That verse is very similar to the "they shaved my hair...now I'm wearing army green" verse in that Army military cadence.. However, the tempo of "We Are The Men Of Que Psi Phi" is much slower than the military cadence and the children's rhyme versions of "Mama Mama Can't You See"
****
Added Feb. 29, 2024:
Team Stay Motivated, Nov. 17, 2023
-snip-
This song has the same tune and structural format as the children's rhyme "Mama Mama Can't You See", but its tempo is slower than those rhymes.
I can't understand all of the words that are sung in this call and respond format, but the song starts with the words "Mama Mama can't you see/What the Ques have done to me". Another verse that is sung is "Mama Mama don't you cry/I'll be a Que before I die".
Here's an example of that song which was sung at a Omega Psi Phi (also known as "Que") probate (a show where new members are introduced to the public):
Lincoln University Beta Chapter 2016 probate
Caasi Brim, Published on Apr 10, 2016
Lincoln University Omega Psi Phi Beta Chapter Spring 2016 "Apollo" leads bruhs in song.
-snip-
This YouTube video is no longer available for public viewing.
This example has the verse "I told my mother not to cry" verse. And the verse "they shaved my hair...they even took my jeans/now I'm wearing kelly green".
That verse is very similar to the "they shaved my hair...now I'm wearing army green" verse in that Army military cadence.. However, the tempo of "We Are The Men Of Que Psi Phi" is much slower than the military cadence and the children's rhyme versions of "Mama Mama Can't You See"
****
Added Feb. 29, 2024:
Mama Mama Can’t You See (Tau Mu Nu Macomb County Ques) #12
RQCK Steady - Omega Psi Phi Cadence
-snip-
This song has the same tune and structural format as the children's rhyme "Mama Mama Can't You See", but its tempo is slower than those rhymes.
I can't understand all of the words that are sung in this call and respond format, but the song starts with the words "Mama Mama can't you see/What the Ques have done to me". Another verse that is sung is "Mama Mama don't you cry/I'll be a Que before I die".
****
Added Feb. 29, 2024
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Alpha Omicron FA2K17 Probate Show - Mama, Mama, Can't You See?
-snip- The first two lines of this song are "Mama Mama can't you see/What the Kappas done to me".
i can't transcribe the rest of this song besides some random lines such as "I didn't want that black and gold"*/???.bold".
"Black and old gold" are the colors for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. so that verse undoubtedly disses (puts down) that fraternity.
For the cultural record, please share the words to this song and other historically Black fraternity and sorority songs and chants that are based on the military cadence "Mama Mama Can't You See". Thanks!
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams..
Viewer comments are welcome.
Added Feb. 29, 2024
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Kappa Alpha Psi Alpha Omicron FA2K17 - Mama, Mama, Can't You See?
"Black and old gold" are the colors for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. so that verse undoubtedly disses (puts down) that fraternity.
For the cultural record, please share the words to this song and other historically Black fraternity and sorority songs and chants that are based on the military cadence "Mama Mama Can't You See". Thanks!
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams..
Viewer comments are welcome.
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