Children's Examples Of The Hand Clap Rhyme "Mama Mama Can't You See" (without mps, cell phones, computers, or HDTV)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision -May 30, 2023

This pancocojams post showcases two YouTube video example of the children's rhyme "Mama Mama Can't You See" that don't contain any references to mps, cell phones, computers or computer games, or HDTVs.

This pancocojams post also includes a compilation of text (word only) children's examples of "Mama Mama Can't You See" that don't include any of those references. 

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in these video examples.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE

 "Mama Mama Can't You See" is one of the most widely known example of  playground (recreational) rhymes in the United States that was inspired in part by a military cadence. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/mama-mama-cant-you-see-usmc-cadence.html for examples of those military cadences. 

The earliest "Mama Mama Can't You See" children's rhymes that I've come across is from "the 1980s" (Example #1 below).  That example is much more closely modeled after the "Mama Mama Can't You See" military cadence than examples of that rhyme which have been composed after the Barney & Friends American television series first aired in 1992.

In the United States, the children's rhyme "Mama Mama Can't You See" is usually chanted while two children (usually girls) play a hand clap game. 

The tune for both the "Mama Mama Can't You See" is a United States military cadence and children's rhyme is the 19th century Black American secular song "Hambone".

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Here are some explanations about standard words/phrases in "Mama Mama Can't You See" rhymes:  

1. Barney
 "Barney" is a the large purple dinosaur who stars in the American television series Barney & Friends. That series was first aired in 1992 and is geared to pre-school children.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_%26_Friends. Here's an excerpt from that Wikipedia page:
"While popular with its intended audience, Barney drew severe negative reaction from the older set, who mocked the main character in popular culture through song parodies and comedy routines such as being beaten up by NBA star Charles Barkley on an episode of Saturday Night Live.[11] The anti-Barney phenomenon is the basis of the 2022 Peacock documentary I Love You, You Hate Me.[12] Barney has also received lots of praise from parents for being a wholesome yet engaging show for children that delves into common, kid-friendly topics."...
-snip-
In stark contrast to his depiction on that television series, most of the children's recreational rhymes that refer to Barney are very violent.

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2. "GI Joe" is a nickname for United States soldiers. "GI Joe" toys are small action figures of US soldiers.

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3. "Tic tac toe three in a row" refer to the "rock, paper, scissors" hand motion game. However, I think that a lot of children chanting ths rhyme don't realize that connection since they may not know the rock, paper, scissors game. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock-paper-scissors for information about that game. Also, read an example of the hand clap game "Tic Tac Toe" on the "S, T" post of cocojams2' series on children's rhymes.

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Some Changes That I Noticed In This Rhyme Around The Beginning Of 2000 (in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area)
The examples that I collected through direct collection are from African American girls & boys (ages 6-12 years old) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1999-2009 - usually say "what the army done to me" (instead of what the baby done to me, although I have also heard that version. And somewhere around 2002 and 2004, instead of "Barney got shot by GI Joe", I started hearing children chant "your mama got shot by GI Joe". I consider this to quite a disturbing change in wording.

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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/hand-clap-rhymes-that-mention-mp3s-cell.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Hand Clap Rhymes That Mention Mp3s, Cell Phones, HDTV, & Computers." 

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Additional examples of this children's rhyme are very welcome.

Please remember to include where you chanted this rhyme (city/state if in the USA, and add nation if outside of the USA) and when (year or decade such as 1990s). Please also remember to include information about any accompanying activity you did while chanting this rhyme (for example, a two person hand clap game, group hand clap game, jump rope rhyme etc.)

If you are sharing an online example of this rhyme, please add the link to that example.

Thanks in advance for adding examples to this compilation.  

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS

(My transcriptions of these examples are given below those videos.)

Video #1:  mama can't you see?



vdsmc98mcs, June 11, 2010

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Video #2: Mama can't you see



Kelly Tran, September 14, 2016

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CHILDREN'S EXAMPLES OF "MAMA MAMA CAN'T YOU SEE" 
(Also given as "Momma Momma Can't You See)
Examples in this compilation don't include any references to mps, cell phones, computers, or HDTV.

These examples are given in chronological order with the earliest example of the rhyme that I've collected or otherwise come across given first.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only. Some of these examples include my comments and/or a contributor's comments below the rhyme. 

1.

Mama mama cant you see, what the army did to me, they took away my favorite jeans, now I am wearing army greens, I went downtown to see my dad, he was looking pretty sad, I asked him could I cheer him up, he told me to shut up, I went downtown to see my mom, she was chewing spirit gum, I asked her if I could have some, she looked at me like I was dumb, I went downtown to milk a cow, I swear to god I dont know how
- http://www.inthe80s.com/rhymes.shtml

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2.
Momma momma can't you see
What the army's done to me
Took away my MTV
Now I got to watch Barney
Tic Tac Toe
Three in a row
Barney got killed
By GI Joe.
Don't stop till your hands get hot
Don't stop till your hands get red

(After this line, partners do a series of fast hand claps; the first person who moves her or his hand away so that the hand won't be hit, loses)
-African American girls and boys; around 8-10 years old; Duquesne, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, 7/1999
-snip-
"MTV" = "Music Television" is an American cable television channel that originally (in 1981) only aired contemporary music videos. 

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3.

Momma momma can't you see
What the army's done to me
Took away my MTV
Now I got to watch Barney
Tic Tac Toe
Three in a row
Your mama got killed
By GI Joe.
Don't stop till your hands get hot
Don't stop till your hands get red
-African American girls, ages 9 years old; Fort Pitt Elementary School; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, 10/2006
-snip-
"Momma Momma Can't You See" appears to be a rather widely known hand clap rhyme in the United States. I've seen this hand clap rhyme performed in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area by girls [up to the age of about 12 years] and boys up to the age of about 8 years old].

As shown above, some examples of this rhyme the earlier line Barney got killed by GI Joe" line has been replace by the line "your mama got killed".

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4.
"Mama mama can’t you see
What the army’s done to me
made me watch Barney
Tick Tock toe
three in a row
Michael got shot by GI Joe

this is Michael Jackson, some people say your mama but they don’t because you’re not supposed to talk about somebody’s mother"
-Conraya, (11 year old African American girl, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell), 2008

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5. 
oh i know it ;)

it's a hand game

mama mama can't you see?
what the baby's done to me?
took away my MTV
now i'm watching dumb barney
Tic Tac Toe three in a row
barney got shot by GI Joe
mama called the doctor and the doctor said
oops barneys dead shot in the head
(don't stop slappin' 'till your hands get red)
-♡♡♡, 2008, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090302175410AAJ9uqa "Anyone know this children song?"
-snip-
Here's the rest of that question:
"I know it starts "mama cant you see what the baby done to me, took away my MTV now I'm watching dumb Barney, oops Barney's dead got shot in the head by G.I. Joe, now I'm watching HBO." anyone know the rest?"

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6. 

Momma momma can't you see
What this baby has done to me
Took away my MTV
Now I'm stuck watching Barney
Barney got shot by GI Joe
Now I'm watching the Cosby show
Cosby show got fired
Now I'm getting tired.
-Guest, Mom From Bama http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=102055&messages=48 "Folklore: Play Ground Hand Jives", 5/2/2008
-snip-
"The Cosby Show" refers to a popular American television show that featured African American comedian Bill Cosby and his fictitious family.

Mom From Bama wrote that she learned this rhyme from her two small girls.

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7.

it goes mama mama cant you see clap clap clap what the babies done to me clap clap clap some one stole my screen tv clap clap clap now i got to watch dumb barney clap clap clap tic tac toe three in a row clap clap clap barney got shot by the g i joe clap clap clap mama called the Doctor and the doctor said clap clap clap play this game till your hands get red . that is it -manda, 2010, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090501175248AAWDxOq "does anyone know the hand game mama mama can't you sesee word?"

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8. 

Mama,Mama can't you see

[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
What the baby's done to me
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
Took away my MTV.
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
Now I’m watching dumb Barney
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
tic tac toe three in a row
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
barney got shot got shot by GI Joe
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
who ever got stop get a bump in the head
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]

and that is how the game will end
[clap clap clap clap clapclap]
-vdsmdac98mcs on Jun 11, 2010 (This is my transcription from the video given as #1 above. The words in brackets refer to clapping motions and aren't spoken.)

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9.

Mama mama can't you see

Look what the baby done to me

He took away my mtv

Now I'm watching dumb Barney

Tic tac toe three in a row

Momma got shot by GI joe

If you stop you get a pop

All the way to candy shop -Tina, 2016, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090501175248AAWDxOq "does anyone know the hand game mama mama can't you see word?"

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10.  

I know it as,

Mama mama can't you see

What this baby did to me

He took away my MTV

Now I'm stuck watching dumb Barney

Tic tac three in a row

Barney got shot by the g I Joe

Oops Barneys dead

Shot in the head

Barneys purple now he's red -Roxanne, 2016, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090501175248AAWDxOq "does anyone know the hand game mama mama can't you see word?" [This link is no longer active.]
-snip-

There are some additional examples of this rhyme on that page that are similar to the ones I've included in this compilation. That page also includes at least one military cadence example of "Mama Mama Can't You See".

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11.

Mama,Mama can't you see

[clap clap clap clap clapclapclap]
What these babies done to me
[clap clap clap clap clapclapclap]
Took away my MTV.
[clap clap clap clap clapclapclap]
Now I’m watching Barney
[clap clap clap clap clapclapclap]
Oops, Barney's dead
[clap clap clap clap clapclapclap]
Shot in the head
[clap clap clap clap clapclapclap]
Peed in the bed
[clap clap clap clap clapclapclap]

With Uncle Fred
[Start a new hand clap rhythm]
A. B. C. D. E. F. G.
H. I. J. K. L. M. N.
O. P. Q. R. S. T.
U. V. W. X. Y. and Z.
Now I know my ABC's
Next time come sing with me.
- Kelly Tran, September 14, 2016 [This is my transcription of the video that is given as #2 above.]

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12. 

growing up, our version was shorter and pretty dark now that I reflect on it as an adult. It goes:

mama mama cant you see
what the army did to me
they took away my favorite toys
now im playing with stupid boys
they took away my favorite jeans
now im wearing army greens
I saw a lady chewing gum
I asked her if I could have some
She looked at me like I was dumb
so i shot her with my BB gun
pow pow
fist fist
ooo take a look at this
pow pow
fist fist
ooo take a look at this

At the pow and fist part we would hit our fist against our other palm and then pretend to hit each other. I was literally thinking about this in the morning wondering what the heck brought on the words and started looking around the internet for some sort of clue.
-Unknown, August 23, 2020

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13. The version I grew up with went like this:

Mama mama can't you see

What this baby done to me

She took away my MTV

Now I'm watching dumb Barney

Tic-Tac-Toe three in a row

Barney got shot by Gi-I-Joe

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said

"Sorry kids Barney's dead"

I saw this lady with some gum

I asked her if I could have some

She looked at me like I was dumb

So I shot her with my B.B Gun

Pow Pow, Fist Fist, Ooh take a look at this

See my pinky, see my thumb, see my fist you betta run

If you stop you will get popped

All the way to the candy shop

-Unknown, 
October 20, 2020, (from the discussion thread for http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/hand-clap-rhymes-that-mention-mp3s-cell.html "Hand Clap Rhymes That Mention Mp3s, Cell Phones, HDTV, & Computers"

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14. The one we sang growing up was

Mama mama can’t you see what this baby’s done to me

Toll away my MTV now I’m watching Barney

Barney got shot by GI Jo now he’s missing a pinky toe
-Caitlin Shaddock, December 10, 2020 (from the discussion thread for http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/hand-clap-rhymes-that-mention-mp3s-cell.html "Hand Clap Rhymes That Mention Mp3s, Cell Phones, HDTV, & Computers"

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15. Mama Mama cant you see?

look what baby' done to me

took away my mini skirt

now i can go out to flirt

asked my boyfriend for some gum

looked at me like i was dumb
- Kit Penny, February 25, 2021 (from the discussion thread for http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/hand-clap-rhymes-that-mention-mp3s-cell.html "Hand Clap Rhymes That Mention Mp3s, Cell Phones, HDTV, & Computers"

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