Rockin Robin (Tweeleelee) - Analysis, Performance Activity, & Text Examples

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Revision: January 24,2023

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the playground rhyme "Rockin Robin" (also known as "Tweeleelee", "Tweet Baby" and similar sounding names). Part I includes a general overview, performance information, text analysis, and several text examples of this rhyme.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/rockin-robin-tweeleelee-videos.html for Part II of this series. Part II of this series showcases selected videos of the Rock & Roll records that inspired this rhyme, as well as selected videos of the rhyme itself.

My thanks to all those who contributed examples to this post.

PART I
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE "ROCKIN ROBIN" PLAYGROUND RHYME
The first recording of the R&B song "Rockin Robin" was made by American Bobby Day in 1958. That song was written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas.

While Bobby Day's version of "Rockin Robin" was a hit,, it didn't result in any children's recreational rhymes.  

Michael Jackson recorded an adapted version of  "Rockin Robin" in 1972. That hit record resulted in numerous "Rockin Robin" hand clap rhymes.

The early 1970s is the earliest date that I repeatedly come across online for "Rockin Robin"/"Tweeleelee" rhymes (not the Rockin Robin song). I also was told this date for "Rockin Robin"/"Tweeleelee" rhymes by an African American woman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during my direct collecting of children's rhymes. 

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OFESufsZG0&t=1s for a YouTube video of Bobby Day's song "Rockin Robin". Also, click for https://genius.com/Bobby-day-rockin-robin-lyrics for lyrics and information about Bobby Day's version of the Rockin Robin" song. 

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2vzTKh-O5c for a YouTube video of Michael Jackson's adaptation of the song "Rockin Robin". Also, click https://genius.com/Michael-jackson-rockin-robin-lyrics for lyrics and information about Michael Jackson's version of "Rockin Robin" song.

The earliest "complete" versions of a "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") rhyme that I have directly collected (from observation or from face to face interviews) are from the 1980s. However, multiple online commenters remember playing "Rockin Robin" hand games in the 1970s . Some commenters recall playing this hand game while listening to and/or singing along to the 1972 Michael Jackson record "Rockin Robin". A larger number of commenters recall that two, three, or four children recited verses other than Michael Jackson's (or Bobby Day's) version of "Rockin Robin" while performing a hand clap routine. The four person formation is the most often used formation for this hand clap routine.

In 1992, while I was conducting informal written surveys of playground rhymes at my work place, several African American women (ages mid 30s-mid 40s) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania indicated they knew that rhyme from the 1970s, and that they recited "Rockin Robin" while doing a handclap routine. Unfortunately, those informants couldn't recite the entire rhyme, but shared that "the words were like the "Rockin Robin song". One informant indicated that "it began with something like "tweet baby/tweet baby"/you're butt [or "your breath"] stinks". Those introductory lines or similar lines are still a common part of the "Rockin Robin" handclap rhyme.

Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockin'_Robin_(song) for more information about the song "Rockin Robin". More information about the text of "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") is found below.

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PERFORMANCE ACTIVITY
"Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") is a handclap rhyme that usually appears to have been (and still is) performed by girls between the ages of 6-12 years old. That said, in the game song sessions that I conducted between 1992-2005 in numerous mostly African American communities in & around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I observed that boys ages 6-8 years old also knew this rhyme, and sometimes boys within those particular age ranges would be as eager as the girls to perform that rhyme in front of their peers and in front of adults. As a matter of fact, it appeared to me that "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") was the most well known and well liked handclap rhyme among the children who I encountered throughout my years facilitating those non-profit foundation sponsored game song after-school and summer programs.

Like almost all handclap rhymes, "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") is chanted in unison. Usually performers are standing while chanting this rhyme. Chanters who are standing usually perform an over/under hand slap and dipping up & down motions that are done to the beat of this rhyme. I've observed this type of handclap routine performed with some other rhymes, but it still is rather unique.

"Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") is also unique among playground rhymes in that its usual manner of performance -at least in the USA- appears to be as a four person partner handclap rhyme (two sets of partners facing each other in a square formation). At specific times in the hand clap routine, one set of partners clap over while the other set claps under. I've witnessed this formation used with a few other handclap rhymes, it appears that this pattern of four players is "the way Twee Lee Lee" is supposed to be played", rather than a formation that is arbitrarily done when four people who are interested in playing a hand clap game at the same time. In addition to observing this four person, over/under manner of performing "Rockin Robin" 'in real life' in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, I've also observed it in various YouTube videos. 

All of the performances of Rockin Robin  (Twee Lee Lee") that I directly observed were done by four people (two sets of partners) or, less often, by three people in a triangle formation. All of the clappers were standing and all of these performances were done while chanting versions of  "Rockin Robin" ("Twee Lee Lee") rhymes. I never observed any performances that were done to the record "Rockin Robin" by Michael Jackson (or by Bobby Day).

However, there are several YouTube videos of people doing a hand clap routine along with  Michael Jackson's R&B record-sometimes without singing the words to that song and sometimes singing along. Here's a link to one of these YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jTIadToieU&ab_channel=GirlConductor "Twee-Lee-Lee (Rockin Robin) Hand Game" Girl Conductor, April 12, 2021

That video shows an African American woman teaching three other women how she plays the "Rockin Robin" ("Twee Lee Lee") hand game.

Here's my transcription of the verse she chants at 1:49 (Prior to that, she and the other women are singing along with that record).
I went downtown
To see James Brown
He gave me a nickel
to buy me a pickle
The pickle was sour
He gave me a flower
To take in the shower
Rockin Robin…"
-snip-
Anonymous, December 24, 2019  shared another example of this verse within "Rockin Robin" ("Twee Lee Lee") rhymes in the comment section below.

There are also a very "dirty" verses in some versions of "Rockin Robin" ("Twee Lee Lee") rhymes. Some notes about those verses (but not the complete lines themselves) are given below. 

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TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

"Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") has the following characteristics that many other African American hand clap rhymes have: 
1. Introductory phrase

An introductory rhyming or non-rhyming line or phrase is usually chanted before the actual "Rockin Robin" rhyme begins.

This introductory phrase can be considered the first verse of the rhyme except that the movement activity for the introductory words is different from the movement activity of the actual rhyme. Usually, the two sets of partners who form the four person square swing hands while reciting this passage.
For that reason, I consider that phrase or line/s to be an introduction to the rhyme and not the first verse of the actual rhyme. 

Here are two examples of these introductory lines for the "Rockin Robin" rhyme. There are other examples besides these.
"Twee lee lee
Tree top!
Twee lee lee
My prop.
Popsicle, popsicle
Your butt stinks!"

**
"Swing swing swing to the USA
Hey hey"

-snip-
This "twee lee lee" phrase has its source in the introduction to Michael Jackson's "Rockin Robin" song
"Tweedily deedily dee, Tweedily deedily dee
Tweedily deedily dee, Tweedily deedily dee
Tweedily deedily dee, Tweedily deedily dee
Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet"
-end of quote- https://genius.com/Michael-jackson-rockin-robin-lyrics

2. Verses consist of two sets of rhyming couplets.
Verses of the actual handclap rhyme are composed of two sets of rhyming couplets (AABB rhyme scheme).

3. In longer forms of this rhyme, verses are lifted from other rhymes or songs.   

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In "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") rhyme, the first verse is almost exactly the same as the Michael Jackson's borrowed from the "Rockin Robin" song:

"He rocks in the tree tops all day long
Hopping and a-bopping and singing his song
All the little birdies on Jaybird Street
Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet"
-end of quote- https://genius.com/Michael-jackson-rockin-robin-lyrics

Some "Rockin Robin" rhymes have some interesting folk processed variations for the line "all the little birds on J-Bird street". And some "Rockin Robin" rhymes may (also) contain a purposely dirty (vulgar) substitution for the phrase "tweet, tweet, tweet" .

 3. Examples of the rhyme often include "floating" verses (lines from other stand alone (independent) rhymes and/or songs .

As discussed below, many of the floating verses for the "Rockin Robin" song are lifted from dirty (vulgar) African American songs. It's likely that most children (and pre-teens, teens, and adults) chanting these verses don't know that they come from bawdy songs. It's also quite likely that some children, especially younger children, don't "get" the vulgar meanings of the words that they are chanting.

That said, common movements of switching your hips and patting down your butt while chanting the words "fruit cocktail" in the line "sister on the corner selling "fruit cocktail" strongly suggests that children have at least an inkling that these words refer to "sister" being a street prostitute.

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NOTES ABOUT PROFANITY AND OTHER RISQUE REFERENCES IN "ROCKIN ROBIN" ("TWEELEELEE") RHYMES  

The main source for "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") is the 1958 R&B song "Rockin Robin" and, specifically, Michael Jackson's 1972 cover of that song that begins with "Twee Lee Lee".

Many versions of "Rockin Robin"/"Tweeleelee" children's rhymes are "clean", meaning they contain no profanity and/or or sexually explicit referents.

However, the core verses of "Rockin Robin"/"Tweeleelee" are adaptations of verses in the early 20th adult only "dirty" songs "Doing The Dirty Boogie" & "Ala Boogie". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/11/documenting-some-examples-of-verse includes comments about certain risque verses that are found in those adult only songs and in some versions of "Rockn Robin" ("Tweeleelee") . .

For instance, here's a relatively clean version of a  verse in a version of "doing The Dirty Boogie" 

"Mama in the kitchen, Papa in jail.
Sister on the corner singing "pussy for sale".
It's a dirty, dirty boogie that's what I crave.
Dirty, dirty boogie gonna drive me to my grave."

-snip-

An example of those cleaned up verses in Rockin Robin rhymes is :

"Momma's in the kitchen, cookin' rice
Daddy's on the corner, shootin' dice
Brother's in jail, raisin' hell
Sister on the corner selling fruit cock tail"
-end of quote-

Some longer forms of the "Rockin Robin" rhyme, contain what I refer to as "the James Brown" verse. In the examples that I've come across, the James Brown verse follows the "Mama in the kitchen" verse. The "James Brown" verse is sexually explicit and violent. Furthermore, its original form includes profanity.  That verse refers to a man named James Brown who may or may not be the famous R&B singer/writer. In that verse James Brown is laying in the gutter. Someone puts a piece of glass in his ass and he ran away very fast. For some reason, the man in this verse is always named "James Brown".

In my direct rhyme collecting experiences, when they recited "Rockin Robin" for me, children either self-censored that "James Brown verse or cleaned up those words, or refused to share that verse. In first learned about this verse from a teenage girl during a 1999 session in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but after the formal presentation (when girls and boys recited that rhyme and did its group hand clap routine). An older woman who hosted that session shared with me that some children recited other "dirty" verses after "Rockin Robin", but no one would share those verses with me. 

Because pancocojams is a family friendly blog, I only include amended forms of curse words (including those whose that refer to violent actions).  

All the other words in those examples found in this post are presented "as is" (without any corrections of typographical errors)

Some examples of "Rockin Robin"/"Tweleelee" that contain amended spelling "dirty" verses are included in this discussion thread for this post. 

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SELECTED TEXT (WORD ONLY) EXAMPLES OF THE RECREATIONAL (PLAYGROUND) RHYME "ROCKIN ROBIN" ("TWEELEELEE")

EXAMPLE #1: ROCKIN ROBIN
swing swing swing to the usa
hey hey
rockin in a tree to
all day long
huffin and a puffin
and singin that song
all the lil birdies on jaybird street
love to here therobins
go tweet tweet tweet

rockin robin
tweet tweetalee rockin
robin tweet tweetalee

mama in he kitchen cookin fried rice
daddy oUt side shootin some dice
brothA in jail drinkin gingerale
sista roun te corner sellin FRUIT COCTAIL

rockin robin tweet tweetalee
rockin robin tweet tweetalee

batman and robin flyin in the air
batman lost his underwear
batmn said i dont care cause
robin goin to by me azillion more pair

rockin robin tweet tweetalee

iwent down town to getsum btta*
saw james brown sittin ina gutta
gotta piece of glass stuck it up his
i neva seen a black man
run so fast
rockin robin tweet tweet alee
- j-mil; 3/19/2005 ; (African American male; Maryland), http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php
-snip-
btta=butta (butter)

Note: This link is no longer active. blog.oftheoctopuses.com (also known as "Whee Blog") was a multi-page blog with a small group of members who knew each other off-line. My understanding from communicating by email with one of those members was that the page of playground rhymes was the only page that was open to non-members. I added several examples of rhymes on that page, and asked j-mill if he would share information about his race and state. Thankfully, he did so for the folkloric record.

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EXAMPLE #2: TWEEDLE TWEEDLE DEE
...remember hand games....

tweedle tweedle dee
treetop
tweedle tweedle dee
treetop
tweet baby tweet baby
your mama says

she rocks in a treetop
all day long
huffin and puffin
and saying a song
all the little birds
james bell street
love the little robins
go tweet tweet tweet

rockin robin
tweet tweet tweet
rockin robin
tweet tweet tweet

i went down town to get a stick of butter
and saw james brown sitting (people cursed on my block) in the gutter
i took a piece of glass and stuck it up his (you know what)
i never saw a (kids are mean) run so fast.

we even played that in college.
hmmm...those hand games were violent and had curses in them, huh?
holla at me if you remember
-MaMaBuddha; [African American female]; Harlem, New York, New York}; 7/31/2000]
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/archive/index.php/t-5627.html

Note: Commenters on this blog were members of Black Greek lettered sororities who lived in the United States and were sharing their memories of childhood games.

I added spaces to show where the rhyme ends and the commenter's notes begin. 

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EXAMPLE #3: ROCKIN ROBIN
There was also the street Rockin Robin that I heard/played in the same [Boston summer] camps.

Tweedily diddly dee(3x)
tweet tweet, your breath stinks.
Rockin' in the treetop all day long
huffin' and a puffin' just singin' that song
all the little birdies on jail bird street
love to hear the birdies go tweet tweet tweet

Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
All the little birdies on jail bird street tonight
tweet tweet tweet

Momma's in the kitchen, cookin' rice
Daddy's on the corner, shootin' dice
Brother's in jail, raisin' hell
Sister's on the corner selling fruit cock tail

Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
All the little birdies on jail bird street tonight
tweet tweet tweet
-Guest, Spain (Boston, Mass); http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221 ,I'm Rubber. You're Glue: Children's Rhymes, 5/30/2006

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EXAMPLE #4: ROCKIN ROBIN
Tweet baby tweet baby,
my mama said:
shes rocking in the tree top
all day long
huffing and a puffing and singing that song
all the little girls on dainburn street
love to hear the birds go tweet tweet tweet,
rocking robin tweet twirly
rocking robin tweet twirly.
Batman and robin flying in the air
batman lost his underwear
batman says I don't care
mamas gonna buy me a brand new pair,
rocking robin tweet twirly
rocking robin tweet twirly,
I went down town to get a stick a butter
all i saw was james brown sitting in a gutter
took a piece of glass shoved it up his ahhhhh...
never saw a motha sucka run so fast 
rocking robin tweet twirly
rockin robin tweet twirly,
went to the movies to see king kong
all I saw was a rubber ding dong
rocking robin tweet twiyly
rocking robin tweet twirly,
mothers in the kitchen cooking rice,
poppa's in the bathroom shooting dice,
brothers in jail raising hell,
sister's in the corner selling fruit cocktail
rocking robin (some children sing other parts not to sure what they are, the words were the same since I was young but now they add things that relate to their time)
-Guest KLC,(East Harlem, New York, New York, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 ; Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes?; July 11, 2008

-snip-
After the line "never saw a motha sucka run so fast", Guest KLC wrote the observation "(crazy isnt it). That comment isn't part of the rhyme itself.

-snip-:
In response to my request for demographical information, KLC posted this information on that same Mudcat thread:
"The children that play these games range from 5 - 12 years old. Both boys and girls play these games but girls are more into it and know a lot more hand games then the boys. The children that I see playing these games are Hispanic, African American, Caribbean, Caucasian and Asian because that is the population that I serve at my program."

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EXAMPLE #5: ROCKIN ROBIN (excerpt)
the new one is "ching ching ching to the rythm to the beat,were gonna rock to the tree top all night long huffin n a puffin n a singing that song,all the lil birdies on daver's street huffin and a puiffin singin tweet tweet tweet,rockin robins ,tweet-tweet a-leet,rockin robins,tweet-tweet a-leet,momma's in the kitchen,cookin fried chicken,daddy's in bed,half-way dead,sister's in school acting all cool/like a fool,brother's in jail eating fruit cock tail.!!
-Larasgun3, http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=VjGAwEEBn0c "Rockin Robin", 2011

-snip-
Note: Another common version of the "brother's in jail" line that I've read since at least 2005 or so is "brother's in jail/drinkin ginger ale".

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EXAMPLE #6: TWEE LEE LEE
Twee lee lee
Tree top
Twee lee lee
My bra 
Popscicle popscicle
Your breath stinks.

He rocks in the treetop all day long
huffin' and a puffin' and singin' that song.
all the little birdies on jay bird street
love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet.

Momma's in the kitchen, cookin' rice.
Daddy's outside shootin' dice .
Brother's in jail ringin that bell.
Sister's outside playing fruit cock tail.

I went to the store to get a stick of butter 
I saw Chris Brown singing in the gutter .
He had a piece of glass stuck up his sssh
I never knew a Black man run so fast.
-Naijah S. (African American girl, age 9, Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) ; January 14, 2011; collected by Azizi Powell
-snip-
EDITOR'S NOTES:
I had the good fortune of collecting several examples of rhymes from Naijah when she came early to an African storytelling presentation that I did in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for some families of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

After she shared other rhymes with me, I specifically asked Naijah did she know the rhyme "Twee lee lee". She said yes, she had been thinking of that rhyme [to share with me], but it wasn't a good rhyme. I said yes, I know what she meant, but I asked her to share that rhyme with me for the sake of the collection. Without any further hesitation, Naijah began reciting that rhyme.

Naijah was very reluctant to say the word "bra". When I reassured her that it was alright to say it for the sake of this collection, she spelled out that word. I repeated it out loud to make sure that that was the right word, and Naijah said that was right but that some of the girls who do this (and she said only girls did these rhymes) didn't like saying that word.

Naijah ended her recitation with the "Mama's in the kitchen verse". I asked her did she know another verse, and she said yes, but that "It was bad". I again asked her to share "for the sake of this Internet collection". She then recited the verse that is found above.

Naijah said that some girls say "James Brown" and others say "Chris Brown". She then said that line using the name of "Chris Brown" (who is a currently popular young African American R&B singer and actor).

Naijah said that "We say 'shss' when they are supposed to say a "bad word". I asked her did she know what it was. She said yes, but that when they said this part, she and all her friends said "Sssh! (meaning "Be quiet").

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EXAMPLE #7: TWEE TWEE TWEE
twee twee twee, and the way we go,
so rocking in the tree top,
all the days long,
rocking and puffing and singing the song,
all the little girls from JBC,
like to here the robin go twee twee twee,
go wash bagie,
twee twee twee
jonny and i went to the beach
jonny bruk a bottle and throw it on me,
mom told dad,
dad told mom,
mom got a beaten with a mmm stick,
so freezy american cheese,
don't skin your dirty teeth
colgrate is very cheap.
-babygirl200922, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpexeCmzKjM&context=C4073e20ADvjVQa1PpcFPnnebeReOtf8G_6F2ZCR3a9Rl0MRFFkRc= , March 2012 (Jamaica)
-snip-
"bruk"= broke

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EXAMPLE #8: SWING SWING SWING TO THE USA [fragment]
Ha i heard of a handshake kinda simliar to this but I don't know the whole thing here it is (dont know if u looking for this)

Swing,Swing,Swing to the U S A Hey hey!
Momma's in the kitchen cooking fried chicken
Dad's in bed half way dead
Sisters at School Looking like a fool (or acting like a fool)
Brothers In Jail Drinking Ginger Ail
And i dont know the rest...”
- GUEST,Kjnnhh22, 17 Dec 10, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=84591 "Lyr Req: Boogie Woogie ???????????????"
-snip-
WARNING: Some of the examples on that page contain profanity and sexually explicit references.

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This concludes Part I of this series.

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Visitor comments are welcome.