Sharon Humes, August 31, 2020
-snip-
There are a number of YouTube videos of children performing the "Rockin Robin" hand clap game.
I selected this video to show how adults (and particularly men) have also performed this rhyme.
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Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision- April 20, 2022
This pancocojams post presents some text (word only) relatively clean examples of the "Rockin Robin" hand clap rhyme. This rhyme is also called "Twee lee lee" or similar words.
This post also includes some editorial notes about some of these featured examples.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composers of "Rockin Robin" rhymes and thanks to the unknown and known persons who composed and/or performed songs that are the source for the "Rockin Robin" rhyme. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/rockin-robin-tweeleelee-analysis.html for an analysis of the textual structure of and common verses for the "Rockin Robin" hand clap rhyme.
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SOME EXAMPLES OF ROCKIN ROBIN (TWEE LEE LEE)
These are some of the relatively clean versions of "Rockin Robin".
EXAMPLE #1: ROCKIN ROBIN
swing swing swing to the usa
hey hey
rockin in a tree top
all day long
huffin and a puffin
and singin that song
all the lil birdies on jaybird street
love to here the robins
go tweet tweet tweet
rockin robin
tweet tweetalee
rockin robin tweet
tweetalee
mama in he kitchen cookin fried rice
daddy oUt side shootin some dice
brothA in jail drinkin gingerale
sista roun the corner sellin FRUIT COCTAIL
rockin robin
tweet tweetalee
rockin robin
tweet tweetalee
batman and robin flyin in the air
batman lost his underwear
batmn said i dont care cause
robin goin to by me azillion more pair
rockin robin
tweet tweetalee
iwent down town to getsum btta*
saw james brown sittin ina gutta
gotta piece of glass stuck it up his
i neva seen a black man
runso fast
rockin robin tweet tweet alee
- j-mil; 3/19/2005 ; (African American male; Maryland),
http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php
-snip-
btta=butta (butter)
-snip-
This link is no longer active. blog.oftheoctopuses.com
(also known as "Whee Blog" and Octoblog) a was a multi-page blog with a small group
of members who knew each other off-line. My understanding from communicating by
email with one of those members was that the page of playground rhymes was the
only page that was open to non-members. I added several examples of rhymes on
that page, and asked j-mill if he would share information about his race and
state. Thankfully, he did so for the folkloric record.
****
EXAMPLE #2: TWEEDLE TWEEDLE DEE
...remember hand games....
tweedle tweedle dee
treetop
tweedle tweedle dee
treetop
tweet baby tweet baby
your mama says
she rocks in a treetop
all day long
huffin and puffin
and saying a song
all the little birds
james bell street
love the little robins
go tweet tweet tweet
rockin robin
tweet tweet tweet
rockin robin
tweet tweet tweet
i went down town to get a stick of butter
and saw james brown sitting (people cursed on my block) in
the gutter
i took a piece of glass and stuck it up his (you know what)
i never saw a (kids are mean) run so fast.
we even played that in college.
hmmm...those hand games were violent and had curses in them,
huh?
holla at me if you remember
-MaMaBuddha; [African American female]; Harlem, New York,
New York}; 7/31/2000],
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/archive/index.php/t-5627.html
-snip-
Note: Commenters on this blog were members of historically Black Greek
lettered sororities who lived in the United States and were sharing their
memories of childhood games.
****
EXAMPLE #3: ROCKIN ROBIN
There was also the street Rockin Robin that I heard/played
in the same [Boston summer] camps.
Tweedily diddly dee(3x)
tweet tweet, your breath stinks.
Rockin' in the treetop all day long
huffin' and a puffin' just singin' that song
all the little birdies on jail bird street
love to hear the birdies go tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
All the little birdies on jail bird street tonight
tweet tweet tweet
Momma's in the kitchen, cookin' rice
Daddy's on the corner, shootin' dice
Brother's in jail, raisin' hell
Sister's on the corner selling fruit cock tail
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin tweet tweet tweet
All the little birdies on jail bird street tonight
tweet tweet tweet
-Guest, Spain (Boston, Mass);
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221 ,I'm Rubber.
You're Glue: Children's Rhymes, 5/30/2006
****
EXAMPLE #4: ROCKIN ROBIN
Tweet baby tweet baby,
my mama said:
shes rocking in the tree top
all day long
huffing and a puffing and singing that song
all the little girls on dainburn street
love to hear the birds go tweet tweet tweet,
rocking robin tweet twirly
rocking robin tweet twirly.
Batman and robin flying in the air
batman lost his underwear
batman says I don't care
mamas gonna buy me a brand new pair,
rocking robin tweet twirly
rocking robin tweet twirly,
I went down town to get a stick a butter
all i saw was james brown sitting in a gutter
took a piece of glass shoved it up his ahhhhh...
never saw a motha sucka run so fast (crazy isnt it)
rocking robin tweet twirly
rockin robin tweet twirly,
went to the movies to see king kong
all I saw was a rubber ding dong
rocking robin tweet twiyly
rocking robin tweet twirly,
mothers in the kitchen cooking rice,
poppa's in the bathroom shooting dice,
brothers in jail raising hell,
sister's in the corner selling fruit cocktail
rocking robin (some children sing other parts not to sure
what they are, the words were the same since I was young but now they add
things that relate to their time)
-Guest KLC,(East Harlem, New York, New York, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097
; Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes?; July 11, 2008
-snip-
In response to my request for demographical information, KLC
posted this information on that same Mudcat thread:
"The children that play these games range from 5 - 12
years old. Both boys and girls play these games but girls are more into it and
know a lot more hand games then the boys. The children that I see playing these
games are Hispanic, African American, Caribbean, Caucasian and Asian because
that is the population that I serve at my program."
****
EXAMPLE #5: ROCKIN ROBIN (excerpt)
the new one is "ching ching ching to the rythm to the
beat,were gonna rock to the tree top all night long huffin n a puffin n a
singing that song,all the lil birdies on daver's street huffin and a puiffin
singin tweet tweet tweet,rockin robins ,tweet-tweet a-leet,rockin robins,tweet-tweet
a-leet,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,
http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=VjGAwEEBn0c "Rockin Robin",
2011
Note: Another common version of the "brother's in
jail" line that I've read since at least 2005 or so is "brother's in
jail/drinkin ginger ale".
Unfortunately, because YouTube's policy is to disallow comments on children's videos, examples such as this one and others from YouTube comment threads in this post have been deleted along with other comments..
****
EXAMPLE #6: TWEE LEE LEE
Twee lee lee
Tree top
Twee lee lee
My bra
Popscicle popscicle
Your breath stinks.
He rocks in the treetop all day long
huffin' and a puffin' and singin' that song.
all the little birdies on jay bird street
love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet.
Momma's in the kitchen, cookin' rice.
Daddy's outside shootin' dice .
Brother's in jail ringin that bell.
Sister's outside playing fruit cock tail.
I went to the store to get a stick of butter
I saw Chris Brown singing in the gutter .
He had a piece of glass stuck up his sssh ["sssh" is the sound that means "Be quiet" that is made with the finger over your lips.]
I never knew a Black man run so fast.
-Naijah S. (African American girl, age 9, Hazelwood section
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) ; January 14, 2011; collected by Azizi Powell
-snip-
I had the good fortune of collecting several examples of
rhymes from Naijah when she came early to an African storytelling presentation
that I did in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
After she shared other rhymes with me, I specifically asked Naijah did she know the rhyme "Twee lee lee". She said yes, she had been thinking of that rhyme [to share with me], but it wasn't a good rhyme. I said yes, I know what she meant, but I asked her to share that rhyme with me for the sake of the collection. Without any further hesitation, Naijah began reciting that rhyme.
Naijah was very reluctant to say the word "bra". When I reassured her that it was alright to say it for the sake of this collection, she spelled out that word. I repeated it out loud to make sure that that was the right word, and Naijah said that was right but that some of the girls who do this (and she said only girls did these rhymes) didn't like saying that word.
Naijah ended her recitation with the "Mama's in the kitchen verse". I asked her did she know another verse, and she said yes, but that "It was bad". I again asked her to share "for the sake of this Internet collection". She then recited the verse that is found above.
Naijah said that some girls say "James Brown" and others say "Chris Brown". She then said that line using the name of "Chris Brown". (Chris Brown is a currently popular young African American R&B singer who is also well known for his social dancing skills.).
Regarding the "sssh" sound, Naijah said that this was a bad word. I asked her did she know what it was. She said yes, but that when they said this part, she and all her friends said "Sssh! (meaning "Be quiet").
****
EXAMPLE #7: TWEE TWEE TWEE
twee twee twee, and the way we go,
so rocking in the tree top,
all the days long,
rocking and puffing and singing the song,
all the little girls from JBC,
like to here the robin go twee twee twee,
go wash bagie,
twee twee twee
jonny and i went to the beach
jonny bruk a bottle and throw it on me,
mom told dad,
dad told mom,
mom got a beaten with a mmm stick,
so freezy american cheese,
don't skin your dirty teeth
colgrate is very cheap.
-babygirl200922, March 2012 (Jamaica)
-snip-
This example is from a Youtube video and its comment thread that are no longer available.
-snip-
"bruk"= broke
"colgrate" = probably the Colagate brand of toothpaste
****
EXAMPLE #8: SWING SWING SWING TO THE USA [fragment]
Ha i heard of a handshake kinda simliar to this but I don't
know the whole thing here it is (dont know if u looking for this)
Swing,Swing,Swing to the U S A Hey hey!
Momma's in the kitchen cooking fried chicken
Dad's in bed half way dead
Sisters at School Looking like a fool (or acting like a
fool)
Brothers In Jail Drinking Ginger Ail
And i dont know the rest...”
- GUEST,Kjnnhh22, 17 Dec 10,
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=84591 "Lyr Req: Boogie Woogie
???????????????"
-snip-
WARNING: Some of the examples on that page contain profanity
and sexually explicit references.
****
EXAMPLE #9: SWING SWING SWING TO MY LIMOSUENE
When I was younger it went like this
SWing SWing to my limosuene
hey hey then clap x2
Rockin in the tree top alll day long
Huffin n Puffin
n signing that song
all the little birds around my strret ll the little birds go tweet tweet tweet rocka rocka tweet twirly x2
i went downtown to meet Chris Brown he gave me a nickel to buy me a pickel
the pickel was sour he gave me a shower
the shower was cold
he gave me a bowl the bowl was craked and then he gave me a slap
idk bu ththats why we said
-Anonymous,Dec.24,2019,http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/rockin-robin-tweeleelee-analysis.html
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