Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision- November 26, 2023
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the playground rhyme "Rockin Robin" (also known as "Tweeleelee", "Tweet Baby" and similar sounding names). 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.
A general overview, performance information, textual analysis, and text examples of "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") are provided in Part I of this series. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/rockin-robin-tweeleelee-analysis.html for that post.
My thanks to the musical artists and handclap performers featured in these showcased videos. My thanks also to all the video publishers.
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PART II: FEATURED VIDEOS
[Warning: YouTube viewer comments may contain profanity, and otherwise may not be suitable for children.]
VIDEO #1: Rockin' Robin The Jackson 5 Five 1972 Michael Joseph Jackson 08-29-1958 To 06-25-2009
Gold Song, Published on Oct 29, 2011
He rocks in the tree tops all day long Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song All the little birdies on Jaybird Street Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet Rockin' robin, tweet tweet tweet Rockin' robin' tweet tweetly-tweet Blow rockin' robin Cause we're really gonna rock tonight
Every little swallow, every chick-a-dee
Every little bird in the tall oak tree
The wise old owl, the big black crow
Flappin' their wings singing go bird go
Rockin' robin, tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin' tweet tweetly-tweet
Blow rockin' robin
'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight
Yeah yeah
Pretty little raven at the bird-band stand
Told them how to do the bob and it was grand
They started going steady and bless my soul
He out-bopped the buzzard and the oriol
He rocks in the tree tops all day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song
All the little birdies on Jaybird Street
Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin, tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin' tweet tweetly-tweet
Blow rockin' robin
'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight
Pretty little raven at the bird-band stand
Told them how to do the bop and it was grand
They started going steady and bless my soul
He out-bopped the buzzard and the oriol
He rocks in the tree tops all day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song
All the little birdies on Jaybird Street
Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin, tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin' tweet tweetly-tweet
Blow rockin' robin
'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight....
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockin'_Robin_(song):
"Michael Jackson recorded and released a cover version of "Rockin' Robin" in 1972, which was taken from his first solo album titled Got to Be There. It was the biggest hit from the album, peaking at number two on the Hot 100 and R&B charts."
-snip-
I showcased Michael Jackson's version of the "Rockin Robin" song first because it and not the 1958 version by Bobby Day appears to be the inspiration for the handclap rhyme. In support of that position, there doesn't appear to be any examples of "Rockin Robin" handclap rhymes prior to Michael Jackson's recording of that song.
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VIDEO #2: Rockin' Robin (Original)
Buddha Mist Uploaded on Feb 10, 2011
Bobby Day_Rockin Robin
-snip-
From the Pop's Chart
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockin'_Robin_(song):
"'Rockin' Robin' is a song written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas and recorded by Bobby Day in 1958. It was Day's only hit single, becoming a number-two hit on the Billboard Hot 100."
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VIDEO #3: Tweet Baby
bkmamii | May 25, 2008
The girls playing waiting for the train
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VIDEO #4: Rockin' Robin part 2
Posted by OMGxxWeeWaa / July 01, 2007
"science class, last day of school"
-snip-
This version of "Rockin Robin" includes lines from the playground rhyme "I Woke Up Sunday Morning."
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VIDEO #5: Rockin' Robin Clapping Game
braellyra, Uploaded on Mar 5, 2010
We finally succeeded at the 3 person version of the Rockin' Robin clapping game. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is until you try...
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VIDEO #6: Rockin' Robin
uploaded by KatiiV3nom / February 20, 2009
"My friends and I after school: Kari(orange), Jalen(brown), Jetrin(navy blue), Me(black). Shake, shake, shake to the bottom of the lake!"
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VIDEO #7: Jamaican Ring Games
ochoriostube | June 13, 2009
Clord playing ring games with children of the Epworth All Age school
-snip-
It appears that the Jamaican definition for "ring games" includes hand clap rhyme routines and other children's movement activities that isn't done in a ring. This is different from the definition of that term in the USA ("ring games" = "singing games performed by people standing or sitting in a circle".
The way these three Jamaican school girls and a woman (their teacher?) perform this hand game is very similar to the American way this game is played, except for the players shaking their hands out (wiggling their fingers in front of their bodies) when they say the introductory lines to that rhyme. I think that I hear a version of "Oh Ah I Wanna Piece Of Pie" ("Take A Peach Take A Plum") rhyme after the first verse of the rhyme that they call "Twee Twee Twee". Unfortunately, I can't decipher what they are saying.
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UPDATE: November 27, 2018
VIDEO #8: rockin robin "twee tweet" ahah!
amyuthi, Published on Dec 18, 2009
we played this game and it was funn. LOL!xD
-snip-
Notice that these girls aren't chanting but are performing this hand clap routine to Bobby Day's 1958 "Rockin Robin" record*. This contrasts with other video performances of this hand clap rhyme and with my observations of this game played in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and some surrounding communities. Furthermore, the record that usually is considered to be the source of the Rockin Robin hand game is The Jackson Five's record and not Bobby Day's record.
*I've never known children or adults do hand clap routines while listening to a record.
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
JellicleKat, 2014
"LOL Not bad girls! We use to play this on the playground at recess in the 1970’s when I about your age. We started differently and we started to the sides but yea it’s basically the same so WELL DONE!!!"
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VIDEO #9: Old school hand game (tweet tweet)
Sharon Humes, Published on Aug 31, 2014
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
1. willow407, 2015
"I LOVE THIS Thank y'all for posting it...gonna play this with my friends. I'm 52. Reminds me of my Bed-Stuy early days playin this! Y'all was great, including the video recording guy , the singing guy. GREAT FUN ! Thanks!"
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2. trinigyul, 2017
"I love you guys for this, it was also very heart warming to see the big ass men in doo rags playing clap games. Brings back memories of west indian primary school days. We couldnt wait til recess and after school to form clap game cliques lol. Well done guys!"
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3. debba9802, 2017
"Love this! My 8 year old daughter just taught me some of her hand clap games so I had to find a video to show her what we used to do back in the 80s."
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This concludes this two part series on "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee").
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