Latest Update: May 28, 2023
This pancocojams post showcases the foot stomping cheer/recreational rhymes that are often called "Hula Hula". Other titles for these cheers that I've come across include "Who Now", "Razzle Dazzle", and "Call Reputation".
Text (word only) examples of this cheer and similar cheers are also included in this post along with one video of Hula Hula being chanted without any accompanying foot stomping movements..
This post also included information about foot stomping cheers.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and recreational purposes.
Thanks to all those who are shared these examples. Thanks also to those who are featured in the showcased video and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-
This post replaces a 2016 pancocojams post on this subject.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
"Foot stomping cheers" is the term that I coined in 2000 for a relatively new category of children's informal, recreational play that belongs to the larger category of "cheerleader cheers". I coined this term to distinguish these compositions and their performance from "traditional" cheerleading cheers and from stomp and shake cheerleading cheers.
Foot stomping cheers are (were?) performed mostly by African American girls around ages 6-12 years old pretending to be cheerleaders. These cheers involve chanting while performing choreographed foot stomping combined with (individual) clapping movements.
I believe that foot stomping cheers are an updated form of African Americans' (and other Americans') "show me your motion" circle games. "Going To Kentucky" is a widely known example of a "show me your motion" circle game.
Foot stomping cheers "traditionally" have a signature group call & consecutive soloist response structure. "Group call" means that the entire group (or the group minus the first soloist) is heard first. "Consecutive soloist"' means that in that cheer is immediately repeated from the beginning so that every member of the squad can an opportunity to be the soloist. Each soloist's performance is the same length. Some foot stomping cheers have several group calls followed by brief responses by the soloist before the soloist has a somewhat longer verbal and/or movement response. Other foot stomping cheers have one or two group calls followed by the soloist's verbal and/or movement response.
Traditionally, foot stomping cheers are chanted while the group performs a synchronized, percussive routine in which individual hand claps (chanters clapping their own hands) (and sometimes substitutes hand claps for body pats) and alternates those hand claps with bass sounding foot stomps. Once this foot stomping routine begins, it is supposed to continue throughout the routine. Usually, these cheers are performed by two or more girls as part of their informal recreational play, often without any actual planned audience.
Most cheers that I observed (in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania mostly in the 1980s) had a "stomp stomp clap, stomp stomp clap" beat pattern. Another beat pattern that was used for some cheers was "stomp clap, stomp stomp clap". Either one of these metronome-like beat was performed using bass sounding foot stomps and individual hand claps (clapping your own hands) without stopping throughout the entire cheer. The tunes to the record "We Will Rock You" and the tune to the record "Fly Girl" serve as excellent examples of these beat patterns.
Click the "foot stomping cheer tag" for additional pancocojams posts about this recreational sub-category.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Hula Hula! Who think she bad?
Naturalandthecity, Uploaded on Dec 22, 2011
-snip-
This video is no longer available. I'm keeping it because of the description I wrote of the video and the transcription that I did of the chant that was spoken in that video.
transcription for this video*
First girl: Hula Hula, who think she bad.
Second girl: I do.
First girl: Hula Hula, who think she bad.
Second girl: I do.
I think I'm bad
'Cause Riska's my name.
Pink is my color.
Don't you worry 'bout my brother.
First girl: Ooh, she think she bad.
Second girl: Correction baby, I KNOW I'm bad.
First girl: Ooh, she thinks she's hip.
Second girl: Hip enough to steal your chips.
*Transcription by Azizi Powell
-snip-
Although this video doesn't include any foot stomping cheer movement activities, it does somewhat demonstrate the "don't mess with me" attitude that girls "put on" while performing this cheer.
In the context of these songs and these cheers, "bad" is a self-bragging word that means "very good".
"Hula Hula"/ "who think they bad" cheer predates both L.L. Cool J's June 1987 Hip-Hop record "I'm Bad" and Michael Jackson's August 1987 Pop record entitled "Bad" since an example of this cheer is included in the 1983 book by Barbara Michels and Bettye White, Editors: Apple On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children. [Example #1 below].
Therefore, an argument could be made that those records had their source in the "Who Thinks I'm Bad" cheers, and not the other way around.
In the showcased video, "brother" probably means "boyfriend"/"your man". "Chips" may mean the "potato chips" snack or, more generally, may mean anything that or anyone who the person addressed likes.
When this cheer is performed as part of recreational play, it immediately begins from the beginning after the last line. The next soloist would say her name and her favorite color...
****
COMMENTS ABOUT HULA HULA" CHEERS
"Hula Hula" is an introduction, bragging, and taunting/confrontational foot stomping cheer. The earliest example of this cheer that I've found is from 1983 (Example #1 given below).
"Shabooya Roll Call" is another example of an introduction, bragging, confrontational foot stomping cheer. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/right-rhyming-pattern-for-shabooya-roll.html for a pancocojams post about "Shabooya Roll Call".
****
SPECULATIVE MEANING OF THE WORD "HULA"
I used to think that the word "hula" was a folk processed form of the word "hollah", a colloquial word that means "hello". That examples that include the words "Who now who now, who thinks they bad" is a (further) folk processed form of the word "hula".
**
I don't believe that the word "Hula" in these cheers has anything to do with the Hawaiian Hula dance or with the "hula hoops" toys. Notice the title "Hello" that was given for the example presented below as Example #3.
**
Like a number of other foot stomping cheers from the late 1970s and the 1980s, "Hula Hula" documents the African American females' twin values of toughness and being sexy (being able to attract boys). While the girls who chanted these cheers talk tough, it should be noted that (as is the case with all other foot stomping cheers), these cheers are indeed "acts" - these girls are (or were) engaging in a form of dramatization, and aren't (or weren't) as tough or as ready for romantic and sexual relationships as the words of these cheers suggest.
****
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS FOR THESE CHEER EXAMPLES [Updated June 7, 2016]
In addition to the example that I collected from my adopted hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1980s to around 2007), the other geographical locations that were noted for these cheers are Houston, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Connecticut.
In addition, a few lines from this cheer are found in Kyra D. Gaunt's 2006 book Games Black Girl's Play.... In that book one version of that cheer was from Ann Arbor, Michigan and another version was from Denver, Colorado.
****
TEXT EXAMPLES OF THIS CHEER
These examples are given in relative chronological order (by decade) or by the date that the example was published online (with the oldest dated example given first).
Example #1: HULA HULA
Hula hula
Now who thinks they bad
Hula hula
Now who thinks they bad
I think I’m bad
‘Cause Acie my name
And toys is my game
Take a sip of my potion
And dance in slow motion
Uh-huh
She thinks she bad
Baby baby don’t make me mad
Un-huh
She thinks she cool
Baby baby don’t act a fool
Uh-huh
She think she sweet
Sweetest person you ever meet
Uh-huh
She thinks she fine
Baby baby I’ll blow your mind
-Barbara Michels and Bettye White, Editors: Apple On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children (Putnam Juvenile; First Edition November 11, 1983) [Houston, Texas]
-snip-
The examples in this book were given without performance instructions or the specific category of playground rhyme or cheer. However, this example's text structure is characteristic of what I refer to as "foot stomping cheer". That said, I don't know if this example was performed using synchronized foot stomping choreography.
The word "bad" in these cheers means "very good", "hip" (up to date with the latest African American urban street culture).
****
Example #2: HULA HULA
(All of the group except for the soloist):
Hula Hula, who thinks they bad.
Soloist: I do.
Group: Hula Hula, who thinks they bad.
Soloist: I do.
Group: Ool! You think you bad. (or "Ool, she think she bad.")
Soloist #1: Correction, Baby, I KNOW I’m bad.
Group: Ool!, you think you smart. (or "Ool, she think she's smart.")
Soloist #1: Smart enough to break YOUR heart.
Group: OOl, you think you tuff?
Soloist #1: Tuff enough to strut my stuff
Cause when I twist
like this
The boys cannot resist.
and when I turn
I burn
and break down like a worm
(Repeat the entire chant with the next soloist until everyone has had a turn as soloist.)
Directions: The group (usually all girls) choose the order of soloists, and then start the beat (“step”) that goes with this cheer. Stomp, Clap, Stomp Stomp clap. This is the step pattern that is used with the majority of foot stomping cheers.
-snip-
TMP, mid 1980s, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (collected by Azizi Powell); My daughter TMP collected the exact same cheer in 1996 from 7-12 year old African American girls who attended Lillian Taylor summer camp (Most of the boys and girls who attended that camp were African American. They lived in various neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
****
Example #3: HELLO
H-e-l-l-o,
we are here
to say hello to Mocha
Mocha is my name
and cheering is my game
Pink and purple are my colors
don't you worry 'bout my lovers.
(Uhm she think she bad)
Correction baby, I know I'm bad.
(Uhm, she think she cool)
Cool enough to steal your dude.
(Uhm, she think she fine)
Fine enough to blow his mind.
-Miss. Mocha, http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=31403&page=5, 03-28-2003 [no geographic location given]
-snip-
Comment from Honeykiss1974 03-28-2003, 10:51 AM
"OHHHH Thank you Miss Mocha for this chant!
This one takes me BACK!!!! *lol* WAYY! BACK!!!
I remember doing this chant during recess in the third grade!"
-snip-
This example is a combination of an introductory foot stomping cheer (the first seven lines) and a taunting/confrontational cheer (the remainder of the cheer).
Participants in this greekchat discussion shared their memories of childhood rhymes & cheers (chants). All of the participants were members of historically Black Greek letter sororities. From certain comments made in this discussion and from a screen name that includes the year "1974" which is probably a birth year, my guess is that most of these examples were from the 1980s.
That said, one example entitled "Tell it" mentions the rapper Nas who wasn't active until 1991.
****
Example #4: WHO NOW WHO NOW
Who now Who now, Now who think they bad
Who now Who now, Now who think they bad
I do
I know I'm bad cause Afro's my name
Uh Huh
Football's my game
Uh Huh
Black is my color dont u worry about my lover
Um she think she bad
Bad bad super bad, bad enough I know I'm bad
Um she think she tough
Tough tough super tough tough enough to kick your butt
Um she think shes fine
Fine enough to blow Eric's mind
Um she think she's cute
Cute enough to steal your dude
- Afrochic (Location: Memphis [Tennessee],
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=31403&page=5, 03-28-2003
****
Example #5: HULA HULA
(Hula Hula
Who thinks she's bad now
Hula Hula
Who thinks she's bad)
I think I'm bad
'Cause Shelly's my name
Black is my color
And love is my game
(Ooh, She think she bad)
[posturing] Ooh, I know I'm bad.
(Ooh, she think she bad)
Ooh, I know I'm bad
(Ooh, she think she bad)
Chile, go kiss my ass (or “Chile, your breath is bad” or “Chile go take a bath”)
repeat rhyme from the beginning.
-bublackberry (African American woman; Connecticut; example via email to Azizi Powell, 11/11/05)
****
Example #6
Who now, who now now now
Who think they bad
("I do!")
I think I'm bad because
_____ is my name
and love is my game
So take a sip of my potion
and we'll do it in slow motion!
("Oooo she think she bad!")
Baby, baby don't make me mad!
("Oooo she think she fine!")
Baby, baby I blow his mind!)
("Oooo she think she sweet")
Sweetest girl he'll eva meet!
((((....repeat with each girl around the circle.)))))
-old-tha (location Houston, Texas); http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/43158-Hood-Cheers/page4 08-20-2006
-snip-
Notice that this blogger writes that the cheer "repeat with each girl around the circle".
I found that interesting because the only formations that I observed for foot stomping cheers (in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and some nearby communities from the mid-1980s to around 2007) were girls standing in (usually) one horizontal line, or one semi-circle, or one vertical line. Early on, in the first two formations, the "soloist" remained in place in that line or semi-circle/ However, around the mid to late 1990s on, the soloist stepped in front of the line to chant her soloist portion, and then still facing forward, stepped back joining the other girls standing in that line or semi-circle. I believe the custom of the soloist moving to the front occurred when these foot stomping cheers were performed for actual audience (during school talent shows and otherwise). Previously, the chanters just pretended that they had an audience.
Usually, soloists in the vertical lines said their solo portion and then stepped to the right or (alternating) to the left to form two more vertical lines. These two lines then combined together at the end to form one solo line.
Click for a pancocojams post about foot stomping cheers. This post includes a video of girls performing the cheer "Move Girl" in a circle, with one girl in the middle. That formation probably is the earliest way these cheers were performed, since it's the same as the formation used in circle games ("ring games") with one person in the middle.
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Example #7: WHOOA WHOOA
(Whoooa Whooa
now who think they bad)
I do
(Whooa whooa
Now who think they bad)
I do
I think I'm bad
cause Queen is my name
take a sip of my potion
Move in my motion
Red is my color
don't you worry bout my lover
(uh she think she bad)
Bad enough to beat yo....
(uh she think she cool)
Cool enough to go to school
(uh she think she fine)
fine, fine blow yo mind
take a nicca anytime
knick knack paddywack
now who the ___ you looking at
-QueenOH (Queen Old Head), Aug 5, 2009, http://onolympus.proboards.com/thread/7297/favorite-childhood-rhymes-clapping-games [no geographical location given]
-snip-
This is how this example was given on that blog.
"Old head" probably means that the blogger honors/respects the "old school" ways (suchas music and dances. In the context of this example of the cheer, "old school" probably means the 1980s and 1990s)
"Nicca" is probably a substitute spelling for what is called "the n word". The dash in that cheer was probably used in that written chant in place of a curse word.
****
ADDENDUM - SOME EXAMPLES OF VERY SIMILAR CHEERS THAT DON'T INCLUDE THE WORDS "HULA HULA" (or "Who now Who now" or other similar sounding words)
These foot stomping cheers have similar words and the same bragging & taunting/confrontational attitudes- as "Hula Hula":
1. CALL REPUTATION (also known as "Razzle Dazzle")
my name is yonnqa
i'm number one
my reputation has just begun
so if you see me
step a side
cause i don't take no jive
oh think she cool
correction baby
i no i'm cool
i no karate
i no kunfu
you miss with me
i co it on you*
rasasol o dazzo o ox2 **
-yaya, cocojams.com, 2/23/2007
-snip-
"cocojams" was the name of my multi-page cultural website. I de-activated that blog in October 2014. A lot of the content from that website can be found on this pancocojams website, as well as my cocojams.com blog and civilrightssong blog. The links to those two blogs are found on the side of this page.
*"co" here is probably a typo for "do"
**"ox2" probably means "repeat two times.
****
2. RAZZLE DAZZLE
Razzle Dazzle (all the girls are in a circle, one girl goes in the middle to sing)
my name is ____ i'm number 1,
my razzle dazzle has just begun
so if you see me better step aside
cause this bad girl don't take no jive
(everybody else in the cirle:) ooh. she thinks she's bad
correction baby, i KNOW i'm bad
ooh. she thinks she's fine
fine enough to blow YOUR mind
razzle dazzle uh huh uh huh
razzle dazzle uh huh.
WOO WOO razzle dazzle uh huh
uh huh razzle dazzle uh huh.
WOO WOO (repeat with everybody in the circle)
-liz, cocojams.com, 6/22/2007
-snip-
Several other (similar) examples of "Razzle Dazzle" and "Call Reputation" were posted on my no longer active cocojams.com website.
****
3. MY NAME IS (Version #1)
SOLO :My name is Naomi on the Phone with my Daisy Dukes on
if you see me on the street boy you better speak to me.
GROUP: Oo she think she bad
SOLO: At least i use a wash rag
GROUP: Oo she think she cool
SOLO: Soap and water will do
GROUP: Oo she think she fine
SOLO: Fine Fine #9 take yo man anytime, he took me out he brought me back he besta have my cadillac. he brought you 1 he brought me 2, married me and divorced you.
he taught me Karate and taught me Kung Fu. mess wit me
and i'll do it on you
GROUP: Bang Bang choo choo train
wind her up she'll do her thang
SOLO: I can't
GROUP:Why not
SOLO: I said I can't
GROUP:WHY NOT?
SOLO: I said my back is aching and my bra's too tight.
my booty's shakin from the left to the right
GROUP:Left Right Left Right yo mama is a ugly sight
-Naomi; cocojams.com, 1/17/2007
****
4. MY NAME IS (Version #2, Fragment)
My name is Shakeila and I’m number one
I step to the beat and I no it’s fun
all these haters go to hate like this so all
I got to do is left right left.
-Shakeila; African American girl, age 11; Garfield neighborhood,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, 10/16/2007,
****
5. THAT'S THE WAY
"for that's the way,
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
transcription for this video*
First girl: Hula Hula, who think she bad.
Second girl: I do.
First girl: Hula Hula, who think she bad.
Second girl: I do.
I think I'm bad
'Cause Riska's my name.
Pink is my color.
Don't you worry 'bout my brother.
First girl: Ooh, she think she bad.
Second girl: Correction baby, I KNOW I'm bad.
First girl: Ooh, she thinks she's hip.
Second girl: Hip enough to steal your chips.
*Transcription by Azizi Powell
-snip-
Although this video doesn't include any foot stomping cheer movement activities, it does somewhat demonstrate the "don't mess with me" attitude that girls "put on" while performing this cheer.
In the context of these songs and these cheers, "bad" is a self-bragging word that means "very good".
"Hula Hula"/ "who think they bad" cheer predates both L.L. Cool J's June 1987 Hip-Hop record "I'm Bad" and Michael Jackson's August 1987 Pop record entitled "Bad" since an example of this cheer is included in the 1983 book by Barbara Michels and Bettye White, Editors: Apple On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children. [Example #1 below].
Therefore, an argument could be made that those records had their source in the "Who Thinks I'm Bad" cheers, and not the other way around.
In the showcased video, "brother" probably means "boyfriend"/"your man". "Chips" may mean the "potato chips" snack or, more generally, may mean anything that or anyone who the person addressed likes.
When this cheer is performed as part of recreational play, it immediately begins from the beginning after the last line. The next soloist would say her name and her favorite color...
****
COMMENTS ABOUT HULA HULA" CHEERS
"Hula Hula" is an introduction, bragging, and taunting/confrontational foot stomping cheer. The earliest example of this cheer that I've found is from 1983 (Example #1 given below).
"Shabooya Roll Call" is another example of an introduction, bragging, confrontational foot stomping cheer. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/right-rhyming-pattern-for-shabooya-roll.html for a pancocojams post about "Shabooya Roll Call".
****
SPECULATIVE MEANING OF THE WORD "HULA"
I used to think that the word "hula" was a folk processed form of the word "hollah", a colloquial word that means "hello". That examples that include the words "Who now who now, who thinks they bad" is a (further) folk processed form of the word "hula".
**
I don't believe that the word "Hula" in these cheers has anything to do with the Hawaiian Hula dance or with the "hula hoops" toys. Notice the title "Hello" that was given for the example presented below as Example #3.
**
Like a number of other foot stomping cheers from the late 1970s and the 1980s, "Hula Hula" documents the African American females' twin values of toughness and being sexy (being able to attract boys). While the girls who chanted these cheers talk tough, it should be noted that (as is the case with all other foot stomping cheers), these cheers are indeed "acts" - these girls are (or were) engaging in a form of dramatization, and aren't (or weren't) as tough or as ready for romantic and sexual relationships as the words of these cheers suggest.
****
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS FOR THESE CHEER EXAMPLES [Updated June 7, 2016]
In addition to the example that I collected from my adopted hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1980s to around 2007), the other geographical locations that were noted for these cheers are Houston, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Connecticut.
In addition, a few lines from this cheer are found in Kyra D. Gaunt's 2006 book Games Black Girl's Play.... In that book one version of that cheer was from Ann Arbor, Michigan and another version was from Denver, Colorado.
****
TEXT EXAMPLES OF THIS CHEER
These examples are given in relative chronological order (by decade) or by the date that the example was published online (with the oldest dated example given first).
Example #1: HULA HULA
Hula hula
Now who thinks they bad
Hula hula
Now who thinks they bad
I think I’m bad
‘Cause Acie my name
And toys is my game
Take a sip of my potion
And dance in slow motion
Uh-huh
She thinks she bad
Baby baby don’t make me mad
Un-huh
She thinks she cool
Baby baby don’t act a fool
Uh-huh
She think she sweet
Sweetest person you ever meet
Uh-huh
She thinks she fine
Baby baby I’ll blow your mind
-Barbara Michels and Bettye White, Editors: Apple On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children (Putnam Juvenile; First Edition November 11, 1983) [Houston, Texas]
-snip-
The examples in this book were given without performance instructions or the specific category of playground rhyme or cheer. However, this example's text structure is characteristic of what I refer to as "foot stomping cheer". That said, I don't know if this example was performed using synchronized foot stomping choreography.
The word "bad" in these cheers means "very good", "hip" (up to date with the latest African American urban street culture).
****
Example #2: HULA HULA
(All of the group except for the soloist):
Hula Hula, who thinks they bad.
Soloist: I do.
Group: Hula Hula, who thinks they bad.
Soloist: I do.
Group: Ool! You think you bad. (or "Ool, she think she bad.")
Soloist #1: Correction, Baby, I KNOW I’m bad.
Group: Ool!, you think you smart. (or "Ool, she think she's smart.")
Soloist #1: Smart enough to break YOUR heart.
Group: OOl, you think you tuff?
Soloist #1: Tuff enough to strut my stuff
Cause when I twist
like this
The boys cannot resist.
and when I turn
I burn
and break down like a worm
(Repeat the entire chant with the next soloist until everyone has had a turn as soloist.)
Directions: The group (usually all girls) choose the order of soloists, and then start the beat (“step”) that goes with this cheer. Stomp, Clap, Stomp Stomp clap. This is the step pattern that is used with the majority of foot stomping cheers.
-snip-
TMP, mid 1980s, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (collected by Azizi Powell); My daughter TMP collected the exact same cheer in 1996 from 7-12 year old African American girls who attended Lillian Taylor summer camp (Most of the boys and girls who attended that camp were African American. They lived in various neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
****
Example #3: HELLO
H-e-l-l-o,
we are here
to say hello to Mocha
Mocha is my name
and cheering is my game
Pink and purple are my colors
don't you worry 'bout my lovers.
(Uhm she think she bad)
Correction baby, I know I'm bad.
(Uhm, she think she cool)
Cool enough to steal your dude.
(Uhm, she think she fine)
Fine enough to blow his mind.
-Miss. Mocha, http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=31403&page=5, 03-28-2003 [no geographic location given]
-snip-
Comment from Honeykiss1974 03-28-2003, 10:51 AM
"OHHHH Thank you Miss Mocha for this chant!
This one takes me BACK!!!! *lol* WAYY! BACK!!!
I remember doing this chant during recess in the third grade!"
-snip-
This example is a combination of an introductory foot stomping cheer (the first seven lines) and a taunting/confrontational cheer (the remainder of the cheer).
Participants in this greekchat discussion shared their memories of childhood rhymes & cheers (chants). All of the participants were members of historically Black Greek letter sororities. From certain comments made in this discussion and from a screen name that includes the year "1974" which is probably a birth year, my guess is that most of these examples were from the 1980s.
That said, one example entitled "Tell it" mentions the rapper Nas who wasn't active until 1991.
****
Example #4: WHO NOW WHO NOW
Who now Who now, Now who think they bad
Who now Who now, Now who think they bad
I do
I know I'm bad cause Afro's my name
Uh Huh
Football's my game
Uh Huh
Black is my color dont u worry about my lover
Um she think she bad
Bad bad super bad, bad enough I know I'm bad
Um she think she tough
Tough tough super tough tough enough to kick your butt
Um she think shes fine
Fine enough to blow Eric's mind
Um she think she's cute
Cute enough to steal your dude
- Afrochic (Location: Memphis [Tennessee],
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=31403&page=5, 03-28-2003
****
Example #5: HULA HULA
(Hula Hula
Who thinks she's bad now
Hula Hula
Who thinks she's bad)
I think I'm bad
'Cause Shelly's my name
Black is my color
And love is my game
(Ooh, She think she bad)
[posturing] Ooh, I know I'm bad.
(Ooh, she think she bad)
Ooh, I know I'm bad
(Ooh, she think she bad)
Chile, go kiss my ass (or “Chile, your breath is bad” or “Chile go take a bath”)
repeat rhyme from the beginning.
-bublackberry (African American woman; Connecticut; example via email to Azizi Powell, 11/11/05)
****
Example #6
Who now, who now now now
Who think they bad
("I do!")
I think I'm bad because
_____ is my name
and love is my game
So take a sip of my potion
and we'll do it in slow motion!
("Oooo she think she bad!")
Baby, baby don't make me mad!
("Oooo she think she fine!")
Baby, baby I blow his mind!)
("Oooo she think she sweet")
Sweetest girl he'll eva meet!
((((....repeat with each girl around the circle.)))))
-old-tha (location Houston, Texas); http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/43158-Hood-Cheers/page4 08-20-2006
-snip-
Notice that this blogger writes that the cheer "repeat with each girl around the circle".
I found that interesting because the only formations that I observed for foot stomping cheers (in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and some nearby communities from the mid-1980s to around 2007) were girls standing in (usually) one horizontal line, or one semi-circle, or one vertical line. Early on, in the first two formations, the "soloist" remained in place in that line or semi-circle/ However, around the mid to late 1990s on, the soloist stepped in front of the line to chant her soloist portion, and then still facing forward, stepped back joining the other girls standing in that line or semi-circle. I believe the custom of the soloist moving to the front occurred when these foot stomping cheers were performed for actual audience (during school talent shows and otherwise). Previously, the chanters just pretended that they had an audience.
Usually, soloists in the vertical lines said their solo portion and then stepped to the right or (alternating) to the left to form two more vertical lines. These two lines then combined together at the end to form one solo line.
Click for a pancocojams post about foot stomping cheers. This post includes a video of girls performing the cheer "Move Girl" in a circle, with one girl in the middle. That formation probably is the earliest way these cheers were performed, since it's the same as the formation used in circle games ("ring games") with one person in the middle.
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Example #7: WHOOA WHOOA
(Whoooa Whooa
now who think they bad)
I do
(Whooa whooa
Now who think they bad)
I do
I think I'm bad
cause Queen is my name
take a sip of my potion
Move in my motion
Red is my color
don't you worry bout my lover
(uh she think she bad)
Bad enough to beat yo....
(uh she think she cool)
Cool enough to go to school
(uh she think she fine)
fine, fine blow yo mind
take a nicca anytime
knick knack paddywack
now who the ___ you looking at
-QueenOH (Queen Old Head), Aug 5, 2009, http://onolympus.proboards.com/thread/7297/favorite-childhood-rhymes-clapping-games [no geographical location given]
-snip-
This is how this example was given on that blog.
"Old head" probably means that the blogger honors/respects the "old school" ways (suchas music and dances. In the context of this example of the cheer, "old school" probably means the 1980s and 1990s)
"Nicca" is probably a substitute spelling for what is called "the n word". The dash in that cheer was probably used in that written chant in place of a curse word.
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ADDENDUM - SOME EXAMPLES OF VERY SIMILAR CHEERS THAT DON'T INCLUDE THE WORDS "HULA HULA" (or "Who now Who now" or other similar sounding words)
These foot stomping cheers have similar words and the same bragging & taunting/confrontational attitudes- as "Hula Hula":
1. CALL REPUTATION (also known as "Razzle Dazzle")
my name is yonnqa
i'm number one
my reputation has just begun
so if you see me
step a side
cause i don't take no jive
oh think she cool
correction baby
i no i'm cool
i no karate
i no kunfu
you miss with me
i co it on you*
rasasol o dazzo o ox2 **
-yaya, cocojams.com, 2/23/2007
-snip-
"cocojams" was the name of my multi-page cultural website. I de-activated that blog in October 2014. A lot of the content from that website can be found on this pancocojams website, as well as my cocojams.com blog and civilrightssong blog. The links to those two blogs are found on the side of this page.
*"co" here is probably a typo for "do"
**"ox2" probably means "repeat two times.
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2. RAZZLE DAZZLE
Razzle Dazzle (all the girls are in a circle, one girl goes in the middle to sing)
my name is ____ i'm number 1,
my razzle dazzle has just begun
so if you see me better step aside
cause this bad girl don't take no jive
(everybody else in the cirle:) ooh. she thinks she's bad
correction baby, i KNOW i'm bad
ooh. she thinks she's fine
fine enough to blow YOUR mind
razzle dazzle uh huh uh huh
razzle dazzle uh huh.
WOO WOO razzle dazzle uh huh
uh huh razzle dazzle uh huh.
WOO WOO (repeat with everybody in the circle)
-liz, cocojams.com, 6/22/2007
-snip-
Several other (similar) examples of "Razzle Dazzle" and "Call Reputation" were posted on my no longer active cocojams.com website.
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3. MY NAME IS (Version #1)
SOLO :My name is Naomi on the Phone with my Daisy Dukes on
if you see me on the street boy you better speak to me.
GROUP: Oo she think she bad
SOLO: At least i use a wash rag
GROUP: Oo she think she cool
SOLO: Soap and water will do
GROUP: Oo she think she fine
SOLO: Fine Fine #9 take yo man anytime, he took me out he brought me back he besta have my cadillac. he brought you 1 he brought me 2, married me and divorced you.
he taught me Karate and taught me Kung Fu. mess wit me
and i'll do it on you
GROUP: Bang Bang choo choo train
wind her up she'll do her thang
SOLO: I can't
GROUP:Why not
SOLO: I said I can't
GROUP:WHY NOT?
SOLO: I said my back is aching and my bra's too tight.
my booty's shakin from the left to the right
GROUP:Left Right Left Right yo mama is a ugly sight
-Naomi; cocojams.com, 1/17/2007
****
4. MY NAME IS (Version #2, Fragment)
My name is Shakeila and I’m number one
I step to the beat and I no it’s fun
all these haters go to hate like this so all
I got to do is left right left.
-Shakeila; African American girl, age 11; Garfield neighborhood,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, 10/16/2007,
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5. THAT'S THE WAY
"for that's the way,
I'm born in south Africa
And we sang it
that's the way uh hu uh hu I like it uh hu uh hu ×2
"..." is my name
"..." is my game
".." is my colour
and ".." is my lover.
singing that's the way bla bla bla yeah it replayed for
the other person."
-miekie, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&t=0s, 90s hand games,
-snip-
I'm including this example because the "-- is my name" etc. reminds me of "Hula Hula" cheers. Also, going back to the beginning of the rhyme (i.e. the "replayed for the other person" directions) sounds like what happens in foot stomping cheers. That said, this example may be (may have been) performed as a hand clapping game.
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