Examples Of Black Fraternity Chants That Are Based On The "Mama's In The Kitchen" Verse From The Bawdy Song "Doing The Dirty Boogie"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post documents two examples of historically Black fraternity chants that appear to have their source in the "Mama in the kitchen"* verse from the bawdy songs "Doing The Dirty Boogie" and "Ala Boogie".

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.

WARNING: Some of the links provided in this pancocojams post include examples that contain sexually explicit references and/or profanity.

*Note: By coining the name "Mama in the kitchen" for these verses, I don't mean to imply that every song, or chant, or children's rhyme that includes the words "Mama's in the kitchen" is an example of or a variant form of this verse from the above mentioned bawdy songs or any other bawdy song.

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INFORMATION ABOUT "DOING THE DIRTY BOOGIE" AND "ALA BOOGIE" & THE VERSE FROM THOSE SONGS THAT IS THE SOURCE OF VERSES IN SOME OTHER BLACK FOLK COMPOSITIONS
"Doing The Dirty Boogie" and "Ala Boogie" are two African American originated bawdy songs from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s that include a verse that I refer to as "Mama's in the kitchen". That verse is consistently found in examples of the African American originated hand clap rhyme "Rockin Robin" (also known as "Tweeleelee" or a similar sounding word).

Here are some examples of these verses in those two above mentioned bawdy songs or in the children's rhyme "Rockin Robin" (These examples are quoted in https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/11/documenting-some-examples-of-verse-from.html "Documenting Some Examples Of A Verse From The Adult Only Songs "Doing The Dirty Boogie" & "Ala Boogie" In "Rockin Robin" ("Tweeleelee") Hand Clap Rhymes")

Example #1: [from a bawdy song]
"I'm not sure of the title or how old this song is but I learned this much back in the 1930s.Does anyone have the rest of the lyrics or even heard it.All help really appreciated.This is what I remembered
Daddy's in the Whorehouse
Momma's in jail
Sis is on the corner
Hollering Boogie Woogie for sale"...
-Louie Roy 12 Sep - 10:47 AM, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=84591 "Lyr Req: Boogie Woogie ???????????????"

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Example #2:
Songs of Raunch and Ill-Repute page 25 has something similar to the Boogie Woogie / Rockin' Robin:

ALA BOOGY

Mom's in bed, Pop's on top,
Kid's in the cradle yellin', "Shove it to her, Pop."
Ala Boogy -- That's all I crave.

Mom's in bed, Pop's in jail,
Sis's in the corner yellin', "Pussy for sale."
Ala Boogy -- that's all I crave.

Mom's in the kitchen, Pop's locked up,
My hunchback brother has my sister knocked up.
Ala Boogy -- that's all I crave""...
-and e, 22 Jul 08 - 11:30 AM, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=84591 "Lyr Req: Boogie Woogie ???????????????"

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Example #3 [a version of the children's hand clap rhyme "Rockin Robin"]
Momma's in the kitchen cooking rice
Daddy's outside shooting dice
Brother's in jail raising hell
Sister's on the corner yelling pussy for sale.

(Rockin Robin...70's SE DC version)"
-Mint, Jul 21, 2005, http://www.afrocentriconline.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=33952&sid=20e079412142da6abbee2eb0ed11f670 "Childhood Chants/Songs/Clapping games.."

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Example #4 [a version of the children's hand clap rhyme "Rockin Robin"]
..."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, 2011, http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=VjGAwEEBn0c "Rockin Robin"

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TWO EXAMPLES OF HISTORICALLY BLACK FRATERNITY GROUP INSULTS/GROUP BRAGGING CHANTS THAT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AT LEAST PARTLY COMPOSED USING THE "MAMA'S IN THE KITCHEN" VERSE AS A MODEL

Note: Greek letter organization chants should only be recited or performed by persons who are affiliated with the specific organization from which the chant comes.

From http://onolympus.proboards.com/thread/1471

Post by Nupey on Mar 3, 2008 at 10:13am
All the sigmas in the Kitchen!
All the Q’s in jail!
All the Alphas on the Corner yelling Booty for Sale


I said sell it!
Sell It
Sell it
Sold to the Freaks in the purple and gold!

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Post by Robelite on Mar 5, 2008 at 10:21pm
"nupe, I think you got that chant...ALLL WRONG! The one I KNOW goes something like...

The ALPHAS in the White House sippin' champaign,
The SIGMAS on the farm, prayin' for rain.
The QUES in the alley drinkin' cheap ass wine,
and the KAPPAS on the corner sellin' ass for a dime!"

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EXPLANATION ABOUT THE REFERENCES IN THESE TWO CHANTS

Here's are explanations for these references (in the order of their appearance in these chants)
"Sigmas" = Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Ques (Q's) = Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Alpha= Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Kappas =Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

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"the purple and gold" = refers to members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (Their colors are purple and gold).

**
"Nupe" is a referent for members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

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Pancocojams Editor's comment:
These two chants refer to negative stereotypes about and group bragging images for four of the five historically Black Greek letter fraternities that part of "the Divine Nine".
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
"The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
-snip-
These chants don't refer to Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (whose members are known as the Iotas). That fraternity was founded in 1963 while the other eight organizations was founded in the 1930s and became members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council in the 1930s. However, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity didn't become a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council until 1996. Perhaps because the Iotas have fewer chapters nationwide than other members of the Divine Nine, that organization isn't mentioned as often in "dissing" chants

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Also, based on his superlative depiction of the Alphas, I think Robelite is that fraternity.

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If you know other examples of historically Black fraternity/sorority chants that include a verse that is similar to these chants, please share it in the comment section below.

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