Sources For And Some Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "Ooh Ah, I Wanna Piece Of Pie"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about and examples of the large family of African American* children's rhyme that either begin with the line "Ooh-ah*, I Wanna Piece Of Pie" (or similar wording), or include those words and subsequent distinctive verses within other children's rhymes.

The content of this post is presented for cultural and recreational purposes.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
The "Ooh" in "ooh-ah" is usually pronounced to rhyme with the English words "too" and "you".

I believe that these rhymes come from African American culture, However, they can be (and are) also chanted by children who aren't African American.

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INFORMATION ABOUT AN EARLY VERSION OF THIS RHYME FOUND IN A SHORT STORY BY RICHARD WRIGHT
An early version of what I refer to as the "oo ah I wanna piece of pie" family of rhymes is found in the story "Big Boy Leaves Home," from Uncle Tom's Children by Richard Wright (1938). That story concerns a group of Black boys who entertain themselves on a walk by singing and chanting rhymes.

Here's information about the book Uncle Tom's Children
From https://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Toms-Children-Richard-Wright/dp/0061450200

[...]

"Set in the American Deep South, each of the powerful novellas collected here concerns an aspect of the lives of black people in the post-slavery era, exploring their resistance to white racism and oppression. Originally published in 1938, Uncle Tom's Children was the first book from Richard Wright, who would continue on to worldwide fame as the author of numerous works, most notably the acclaimed novel Native Son and his autobiography, Black Boy."...
-snip-
Here's that example:
"Bye n bye
Ah wanna piece of pie
Pies too sweet
Ah wanna piece of meat
Meats too red
Ah wanna piece of bread
Breads too brown
Ah wanna go t town
Towns too far
Ah wanna ketch a car
Cars too fas
Ah fall n break mah ass
Ah'll understan it better bye n bye"
-snip-
It's possible that Richard Wright composed this rhyme, but he may have heard it chanted and then included it in his "Big Boy Leaves Home" story.

That said, the 1940 song performed by Fats Waller is probably the source of the words "Oh ah, I wanna piece of pie".

I call the subsequent verses "trading rhymes" as one item is traded for another item because something is wrong with the first item. For example, "pies too sweet/I want a piece of meat; meat too read"/I wanna a piece of bread".

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LYRICS TO THE FATS WALLER SONG "EEP IPE WANNA PIECE OF PIE"
Quoting from https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=119521#2594206
Subject: Lyr Add: EEP, IPE, WANNA PIECE OF PIE (Fats Waller
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 06:12 PM

"This is the song that I was reminded of when reading the thread Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie, and which in turn inspired me to start this thread about eephing.

This is my transcription from Fats Waller and His Rhythm, on the 78-rpm record MIGHTY FINE (Razaf, Waller) b/w EEP, IPE, WANNA PIECE OF PIE (Blaine, Dann), Bluebird 10744, 1940:


EEP, IPE, WANNA PIECE OF PIE
By Jerry Blaine and Artie Dann (some sources add: Nick Catamas)
J. R. LaFleur & Son Ltd., 1940.

Eep*, ipe*, wanna piece of pie.
Eep*, ipe*, wanna bowl of soup.
Eep*, ipe*, let your tongue turn.
Eep*, ipe*, easy to learn.
Eep*, ipe*, clock is on the wall.
Eep*, ipe*, sounds like doubletalk.
Eep*, ipe*, ippy ippy way.
Eep*, wop*, wop*, wop*, you do it all day.

If your fire* on the copembagger* is worthwhile,
Then the fire* eeply*, op*, op* sets the style,
If you burrrowackasacki* and you hold real tight,
You need fop*, rop*, rop*, rop*, rop*, I guess'll do all right.
You pucker up your lips and then you hold real tight.
Let it go. It's bound to do all right.
Come on, children, one, two, three,
Together, come on, follow me:

Ah, eep*, ipe*, want a piece of pie?
Eep*, ipe*, want a bowl of soup?
A bowl of soup, bup*, bup*, bup*, piece of pie,
Sip*, sip*, sip*, sip*, sip*, sip*, yes, yes.

Aw, eep*, ipe*, wanna piece of pie?
Oop*, eep*, ipe*, wanna bowl of soup?
Eep*, ipe*, let your tongue turn.
Eep*, ipe*, eep*, easy to learn, yes,
Eep*, ipe*, clock is on the wall.
Eph*, eep*, yeah, sounds like doubletalk.
Yessiree.... [The recording I transcribed from breaks off at this point, but I don't think it's complete; it came from a "mix tape."]

[*Note: I have retained the spelling "Eep, ipe" because that is the spelling in the title, but that is only an approximation of how the words are pronounced. In fact, all the asterisked words are nonsense, and the spelling is approximate, and wherever I have used a "p" in them, Waller is more or less "blowing a raspberry." Even in the words that are intelligible English words, Waller frequently mumbles, slurs, or lisps in a manner that is surely intentional and quite unlike his other recordings, where his diction is normally clear as a bell.

[The line "if you burrrowackasacki* and you hold real tight" is apparently a reference to the song HOLD TIGHT (WANT SOME SEAFOOD, MAMA) made famous by the Andrews Sisters.]"
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eefing provides this definition of "eephing": "Eefing (also written eeephing, eephing, eeefing, eefin,[1] or eefn'[2]) is an Appalachian (United States) vocal technique similar to beatboxing, but nearly a century older. NPR's Jennifer Sharpe describes it as "a kind of hiccupping, rhythmic wheeze that started in rural Tennessee more than 100 years ago."[3]"...

Read that Mudcat discussion thread whose link is given above for more information about and examples of "eephing".

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z61bvAdlM4o
for a sound file of Fats Waller singing this song.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This post isn't meant to be a comprehensive compilation of children's rhymes that begin with or include the line "Oh ah, I wanna piece of pie" or similar wording. The "source" for each rhyme is provided after that example. These examples are given relative chronological order with the oldest examples given first.

These examples are numbered consecutively for referencing purposes only. When it is given, the "title" of the rhyme is capitalized and the "oh Ah, I wanna piece of pie" line (or similar wording) is given in italic to highlight it.

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EXAMPLES OF "OH AH, I WANNA PIECE OF PIE" FAMILY OF CHILDREN'S RHYMES
1. SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE
Shake, shake, shake
Eeny meeny
That's a queeny
Ooh ba Yhumbalina
Ah cha ca che Liberace
Oh baby I love you
Yes I do.
Take a peach
Take a plum
Take a piece of bubble gum
No peach
No plum
Just a piece of bubble gum
Oooshe ahshe
Oooshe ahshe
I want a piece of pie
The pie too sweet
I want a piece of meat
The meat too tough
I want to ride the bus
The bus too full
I want to ride the bull
The bull too black
I want my money back
The money too green
I want a diamond ring.
-Barbara Michels, Bettye White, Apples On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children {Houston, Texas 1983, p. 17}

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2. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
I learned it at summer camp as a clapping game:
Winston tastes good just like a cigarette should
Just like an - ooh, ah, I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet, I want a piece of meat
Meat too brown, I want to go to town
Town too far, I'll have to take a car
Car too black, I want my money back
Money too green, I want a limosine
..... I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour, by now we have the power
To close our eyes and count to ten
Whoever messes up has to do it again.

And at this point, the clapping pattern got more complicated and the players closed their eyes and counted to ten.
-GUEST,Chocolate Pi, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926, "Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie" [This Mudcat folk music forum discussion thread includes a lot of examples from this family of rhymes. I was very active in that discussion and posted some other examples that are found in this pancocojams post in that Mudcat discussion thread.]

**
3. TAKE A PEACH TAKE A PLUMB
...here's one we used to play at school. ( some words are not really words but are pronounced that way, this is not really the beginning to the song but the middle because I didn't know how to pronounce those words)

Take a peach take a plumb take a piece of bubble gum
No peach no plumb just a piece of bubble gum

Oche Iche, I want a piece of pie
The Pie to sweet
i want a piece of meat
the meat to rough
i wanna ride the bus
the bus to full
i wanna ride the bull
the bull to black
i want my money back
my money to green
i want a jelly bean
the jelly bean to white
goodnight sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite
if they do get a shoe an beat the black and blue
down by the river with the hangy pangy
where the bulldog jumped from bang to bang
there set a
A
E
I
O
U
That's all there set a
A
E
I
O
U
Listen to the beat
-R.S.; http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php ; November 7, 2003 [This blog is no longer available.]

**
4. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
A B C
it's easy as 1 2 3
yer mama's got funky feet
oosh ahsh I want a piece of squash
sqhash too sweet I want a piece of meat
meat too tough I wanna ride a bus
Buss too full I wana buy a bull
bull too black I want my money back
money too green I want a limosine
Limosine too long
I wanna write a song
song too old I want a pot of gold
gold to yella' I wanna kiss a fella
fella too fat
and that's the end of that

or
gold too yellow I'll Tickle you with a feather (and you reach out and try to tickle the person who you're playing with)

that's all I can remember right now...
-Reebob; 2/12/2004; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300&messages=155 ; Children's Street Songs; 2/12/2004

**
5. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
abc is easy as 123 my mama takes care of me my daddy watches MTV
oh my
i wanna piece of pie
pie too sweet, wanna piece of meat
meat too tough, wanna ride a bus
bus too full, wanna ride a bull
bull too fat, want my money back
money too green, wanna jelleybean
jelly bean not cooked, wanna read a book
book not read, wanna go to bed
bed not made, want some lemonade
lemonade too sour, wanna take a shower
shower too cool, wanna go to school
school too dumb, wanna suck my thumb
thumb to dirty, wanna ride a birdy
birdy to slow, and thats all i know
so close your eyes and count to ten
and if you mess up, start all over again!
-Jessie, https://www.mamalisa.com/blog/are-you-familiar-with-%E2%80%9Cwant-to-read-a-book-book-done-read/, August 6th, 2006

**
6. A-B-C
abc, easy as 123, my momma takes care of me, my daddy watches mtv, ooh ahh i want a piece of pie, pie to sweet i wanna piece of meat, meat to rough i wanna ride a bus, bus too full i wanna ride a bull, bull not black i want my money back, money back too green i wanna jelly bean, jelly bean not cooked i wanna read a book, book not read i wanna go to bed, bed not made i want some lemonade, lemonade too sour i wanna take a shower, shower too cool i wanna go to school, school too dumb i wanna suck my thumb, thumb to dirty i wanna ride a birdie, birdie too slow and thats all i know, so close your eyes and count to ten, whoever messes up starts all over again, 12345678910...noone messed up so thats the end!
-elle ; 4/3/2007; http://cocojams.com/handclap_rhymes.htm ["Cocojams" is the name of my cultural website which I deactivated in October 2014. A lot of the children's rhyme content from cocojams.com is available on my cocojams2 blog.]

**
7. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
want a piece of pie, pie too sweet
want a piece of meat, meat too rough
want to ride a bus, bus too full
want to ride a bull, bull too black
want my money back
money too green
makes me mean
here comes the lady with the bald headed baby
hot dog baby, sugar and gravy!
Chris W, https://www.mamalisa.com/blog/are-you-familiar-with-%E2%80%9Cwant-to-read-a-book-book-done-read/, March 17th, 2008

**
8. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
owww iiiiii,
i wanna peice of pie,
pie to sweet i wanna peice of meat,
meat to red i wanna go to bed,
bed not made i want some lemonade,
lemonade is sour to give us the power to try to count to ten,
who ever messes up must start over again!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10!
-GUEST,MG, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926, "Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie", 23 Dec 08

**
9. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
I found this thread trying to remember the rhyme myself.
If I'm not mistaken the version I learned went like this:

ABC!
As easy as 123!
My mama takes care of me.
Ooh. Ah. I wanna piece of pie.
Pie's too sweet; I wanna piece of meat.
Meat's too tough; I wanna ride the bus.
Bus too full; I wanna ride a bull.
Bull too black; I want my money back.
Money too green; I wanna jelly bean.
Jelly bean ain't cooked; I wanna read a book.
Book ain't read; I wanna go to bed.
Bed ain't made; I want some lemonade.
Lemons too sour; I wanna take a shower.
Shower too cold; I wanna piece of gold.
Gold too shiny, so kiss my behiny!
GUEST,Sarahlu, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926, "Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie" 27 Jan 09
-snip-
"A-B-C-, easy as 1-2-3" versions of "Oh Ah, I Wanna Piece Of Pie" come from the Jackson Five's 1970 #1 hit R&B record entitled "ABC".

**
10. OOH! AHH!
OK, I gotta join in because I came looking for just this discussion, and am surprised to not see the version I learned. I grew up in the Anacostia district of SE Washington, D.C. I was born in 1961 and vaguely recall that I learned this one from my older brother maybe between 1967 and 1970. I always assumed he got it from school, but we were pretty much the only whites on our street and the black girls next door spent a lot of time doing some skilled rope jumping with songs and chants, so maybe it came from them. The rhythm seems much too slow for skipping rope, though, unless they jumped at twice the meter or something. But it had a truly "boy sound" to it, always with a deep, growling voice like an alcoholic bum or something...can't imagine girls doing this one!

OOOH! AHH!
Wanna piece o' pie!
Pie too sweet,
Wanna piece o' meat!
Meat too tough,
Wanna ride a bus!
Bus too full,
Wanna ride a bull!
Bull too black,
Want ma' money back!
Money too green,
Go get Mr. Clean!
(with emphasis...)
Mr. CLEEAAN SEZ...(pause)
(start over at top and repeat, endlessly)

I had to do it for my 7-year-old son tonight, as I always do, when I got out the Mr. Clean to clean up a mess of his. Who knows, maybe I picked up some kind of marketing version of it!

And, BTW, we sometimes did this as we played penny-ante tunk, but that is another thread somewhere, I am sure!
-GUEST,Robert, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926, "Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie", 15 Apr 09

**
11. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
It starts out:
Winston tastes good
Like a cigarette should

Tastes like "Ooh, ahh! Want a piece of pie?...
Pie to sweet? I want a piece of meat
Meat too rough? I want to ride a bus
Bus too full? I want to ride a bull.

Bull too fat, want my money back
Money too green? Want a jelly bean
Jelly bean too red? Want to go to bed
Now close your eyes and count to 10
If you miss start all over again...
*close eyes while still clapping together*
1....2....3...4...etc
-Boston, http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/childhood-songs-or-rhymes_topic205958_page5.html Aug 06 2009 [Warning: Some examples in that discussion page include profanity and sexualized references.]

**
12. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
A, B, C! It's easy as 1-2-3!
My mama drinks cold coffee!
My papa takes care of me.
Ooh, aah
Want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet?
Want a piece of meat.
Meat too tough?
Wanna ride a bus.
Bus too full?
Wanna go to school? [etc.]
-posted by simulacra at 7:26 AM on May 19, 2009, https://ask.metafilter.com/122487/Teddy-Bear-Teddy-Bear-turn-aroundand-then-what

**
13. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
abc, easy as 123, my momma takes care of me, my daddy watches mtv, ooh ahh i want a piece of pie, pie to sweet i wanna piece of meat, meat to rough i wanna ride a bus, bus too full i wanna ride a bull, bull not black i want my money back, money back too green i wanna jelly bean, jelly bean not cooked i wanna read a book, book not read i wanna go to bed, bed not made i want some lemonade, lemonade too sour i wanna take a shower, shower too cool i wanna go to school, school too dumb i wanna suck my thumb, thumb to dirty i wanna ride a birdie, birdie too slow and that's all i know, so close your eyes and count to ten, whoever messes up starts all over again, 12345678910..no one messed up so that's the end!
-danielle !, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090615174236AAP762T, 2009

**
14. OOH AHH, WANNA PIECE OF PIE
This is how I remember it from 1969 in Western NYS- and after seeing the other posts I have to laugh because we always said Pa instead of pie and it never made any sense to me-but most of these didn't anyway.....And I also can see a reference to the times-related to the bus being too black....

Ooh Ahh, Wanna piece of Pa
Pa too sweet
Wanna piece of meat
Meat too tough
Wanna ride a bus
Bus too black
Want my money back
Money too green
Make me wanna scream
"Your father's got a head like a submarine!"
-GUEST,cknick, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926, "Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie", 21 Sep 10

**
15.[NO TITLE GIVEN]
ew ah i want a piece of pie,
the pie to sweet i want a piece or meat,
the meat to tough,
so ill just ride the bus,
the buss to fulll.ill just ride a bull,
if the bulls to black i want my money back,
if the bull is to white i want it out of sight,
if the bull is to yellow,
then its not mellow,
the bull to green,
then its not clean,
the bull to purple,
it looks like erkle,
the bull to red,
its now done and said!
GUEST,Dezzy Short chicka, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926, "Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie", 25 Sep 10

**
16. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
Sugar sweet just like a cinnamon treat
Just like a I I I wanna piece of pie
Pie to sweet wanna piece of meat
Meat to rough wanna ride a bus
Bus to full wanna ride a bull
Bull to black Want my money back
Money to green wanna jellybean
Jellybean not red wanna go to bed
Bed not made want some lemonade
Lemonade to sour now I have the power
To close my eyes and count to 10 then we can do it all over agian
-GUEST, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26926, "Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie", 28 Jun 12

**
17. A-B-C, IT'S EASY AS 1-2-3
A-B-C, it’s easy as 1-2-3.
My mama takes care of me.
My daddy watches MTV
Oh, ah, I wanna piece of pie.
Pie too sweet, I wanna piece of meat.
Meat too tough, I wanna ride a bus.
Bus too full, I wanna ride a bull.
Bull too black, I want my money back.
Money back too green, I wanna a jelly bean.
Jelly bean not cooked, I wanna read a book.
Book not read, I wanna go to bed.
Bed not made, I want some lemonade.
Lemonade too sour, I wanna take a shower.
Shower too cool, I wanna go to school.
School too dumb, I wanna suck my thumb.
Thumb too dirty, I wanna ride a birdy.
Birdy too slow, and wanna blow my nose..
Close your eyes and count to ten
Whoever messes up, start all over again.
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.
=sarah ware, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8akgLh6rxE&feature=emb_logo, Published on Jun 7, 2013
-snip-
This is my transcription of this version that is chanted in this YouTube video.

**
18. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
ABC, as easy as 123
My mama s got the allergies
Oh, ah, I wanna piece of pie
Pie too sweet, I wanna piece of meat
Meat to tough, I wanna ride a bus
Bus too full, I wanna ride a bull
Bull too black, I want my money back
Money too green, I wanna jelly bean
Jelly bean not cooked, I wanna read a book
Book not read, I wanna go to bed
Bed not made, I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour, I wanna take a shower
Shower too cool, I wanna go to school
School too dumb, I wanna suck my thumb
Thumb too dirty, I wanna ride a birdie
Birdie too slow and that s all I know
So close your eyes and count to 10
Whoever messes up starts all over again!
-Colleen N, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090615174236AAP762T, 2014

**
19. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
A-B-C, it’s easy as 1-2-3.
My mama takes care of me.
My papa plays do-re-mi.
Ohh, ah, I wanna piece of pie.
Pie too sweet, I wanna piece of meat.
Meat too tough, I wanna ride a bus.
Bus too full, I wanna ride a bull.
Bull too black, I want my money back.
Money back too green, I wanna lima bean.
Lima bean not cooked, I wanna read a book.
Book not read, I wanna go to bed.
Bed not made, I want some lemonade.
Lemonade too sour, I wanna take a shower.
Shower too cold, I wanna piece gold.
Gold too shiny, I wanna kiss my hiney.
Hiney too dirty, I wanna count to 30.
30 too high, I wanna say goodbye.
Goodbye too sad, I wanna talk to dad.
Dad too tall, I wanna go to the mall.
Mall too cheap, I wanna ride a jeep.
Jeep goes BEEP BEEP!
-Shana Newman, https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-lyrics-to-the-ABC-hand-game, Jul 12, 2016

**
20. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
ABC it's easy as 1,2,3,
My momma takes care of me (or it can be my momma sings do,re,mi)
My papa watched MTV,
My granny says:
Ooh, aaah, I wanna piece of pie.
Pie too sweet, i wanna piece of meat.
Meat too ruff I wanna ride a bus.
Bus too full, I wanna ride a bull.
Bull too black I want my money back.
Money back too green, I wanna a Lima bean.
Lima bean not cooked, I wanna read a book.
Book not read I want to go to bed.
Bed not made I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour I wanna take a shower.
Shower too cool, I wanna go to school.
School too dumb, I wanna suck my thumb.
Thumb too dirty, I wanna ride a birdie.
Birdie too slow and that's all I know so close your eyes and count to ten, Whoever messes up starts all over again.....

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
-Sanjay Sondhi, https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-lyrics-to-the-ABC-hand-game, Oct 18, 2017

**
21. [NO TITLE GIVEN]
The version I remember is sung to the old Winston cigarette jingle.

Winston taste good like. A cigarette should . Winston taste. Like ahh I want a. A piece of Pie. Pie too sweet. Want a piece of . meat. meat too tough. Want to ride the bus. . bus too full. Want to ride a bull. Bull too black Want to go back to my old Cadillac. Bonk Bonk.

We sang this along with clapping like patty cake. And I learned this version sometime between 1971 & 1973, when I was in the 5th and 6th grade.
-Sandra, https://www.mamalisa.com/blog/are-you-familiar-with-%E2%80%9Cwant-to-read-a-book-book-done-read/,
July 25th, 2018

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