Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post documents dates for some examples of children's hand clap and other recreational rhymes based on contributors' comments about those rhymes that include a year or a decade.
These dates/decades may also refer to the years when the contributors were in elementary school and first heard or played these rhymes and cheers. The contributor's age also can help date examples of rhymes and cheers. And a contributor's screen name may also document when she or he learned these rhymes or cheers (for instance, the name "80s baby Sweetie".
These comments may also include the name of the city/state or nation where the contributors lived when they first heard or chanted these rhymes or cheers.
This is part of an ongoing pancocojams series about dating examples of children's hand clap rhymes and other recreational rhymes and cheers.
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.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENTS
Although most of this blog's content focuses on African American culture and other Black cultures throughout the world, this post is part of pancocojams's content that focuses on children's rhymes and cheers that were performed or still are performed by children (mostly girls) regardless of their race/ethnicity.
That said, this post (and other pancocojams posts about children's rhymes and cheers) pays particular attention to some versions of rhymes and cheers that are chanted by African American girls, and the ways that those rhymes and cheers may have been (or may be) performed by some African American girls that may be different from the ways they were performed by some girls of other races/ethnicities.
****
EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN'S RHYMES AND CHEERS THAT ARE GIVEN WITH COMMENTS THAT INCLUDE DATES
These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Example #1
Ladies and gentlemen, children too
This brown girl
She gonna boogie for you
She gonna turn all around
She gonna wear her dresses up above her knees
She gonna shake her fanny just as much as she please.
I never went to college.
I never went to school.
But when it comes to boogie,
I can boogie like a fool.
You go in out, side to side.
You go in out, side to side.
[Here's a second rhyme that this contributor indicated is sometimes sung right after "Ladies And Gentlemen"]
Hey baby, how about a date?
I'll meet you round the corner
'Bout half-past eight.
Hands up!
Tachie Tachie Tachie
Hands down!
Tachie Tachie Tachie!
Sans BOOTS!
Tachie Tachie Tachie
Hands down!
Tachie Tachie Tachie!
Sans BOOTS!
- Barbara Ray (African American female), memory of childhood
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1950s; collected in November 1996 & in
August 2009 (second interview) by Azizi Powell
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/wang-dang-doodle-videos-lyrics.html for a pancocojams post that showcases a version of both of these movement rhymes that are sung by The Pointer Sisters as an intro to the song "Wang Dang Doodle".
****
Example #2
"Diamonds, Rubies, Pearls and Aces
Keep the kettle boilin n leave no spaces.
We use to jump rope to this in the early 60's in Stow, Ohio.
"Leave no spaces" meant as soon as one person left the double dutch
jumping, another one in line had to jump right in behind her - without letting
the rope come around again."
-GUEST,Belinda, 22 Aug, 07, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300, Children's Street Songs
****
Example #3
"Here's a pretty innocuous version. Clapping rhyme, Atlantic
City NJ, late 70's:
Down Down Baby, down by the roller coaster
Sweet Sweet Baby, my heart's in love
Ooh, che-chihuahua
Biscuit
I solemnly love her
Biscuit
She is so sweet
Biscuit
Like a cherry treat
Biscuit
Touche Turtle, pull down your girdle
Biscuit
-Ruth Archer,
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100653&messages=29 "Down
Down Baby-Race in Kid's Rhymes", 10 Apr 07
-snip-
For the record, I was an active blogger on this same folk
music forum. I wasn't aware that Ruth Archer was from my hometown of Atlantic
City, New Jersey until I received an email from her with this example and
another rhyme example.
**
Example #4
"Here’s how I heard
it as a child in late 70s/early 80s Atlanta:
I like coffee I like
tea
I like the Jackson 5
and they like me
So step back white
boy you don’t shine
I’ll get the Jackson
5 to beat your behind
Last night and the
night before I met my boyfriend at the candy store
He bought me ice
cream he bought me cake
He brought me home
with a stomach ache
Mama mama I feel
sick
Call the doctor
quick quick quick
Doctor doctor shall
I die
Close your eyes and
count to 5
1 2 3 4 5 I’m alive
See that house on
top of the hill
That’s where me and
my baby gonna live
Gonna cook some
oatmeal cook some bread
Come on baby let’s
go to bed
-
Example #5
"I went to elementary school starting in 1980, in Bloomfield, Connecticut (adjacent to Hartford). The girls (including my sister) did clapping games on the bus everyday it seemed, and when they hung out in the street, etc. Demographic note: my family is White; Blacks (including many Jamaicans) are a majority in the town, and were most of our playmates.
The version to this one went:
"I like coffee, I like tea
I like a Black/White boy an' he likes me
So step back White/Black boy, you don't shine
I'll get a Black/White boy to beat your behind."
The girls would switch the race of the boy, depending on who was singing. Sometimes there'd be confusion if a White and a Black girl were playing together, and they'd sort of get jumbled up on that word and try to push their version. Sometimes they would agree on a skin tone based on a previous conversion about who the girl whose "turn" it was actually "likes." The reason why I remember distinctly that they did it both ways was that as a little kid I tried to imagine what "you don't shine" meant. I'd try to reason what skin tone "shined" more! Needless to say, I never figured it out!"
-Guest Gibs, 05 Mar 09, originally published on http://awe.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=115045&messages=154&page=2 RE: Not Last Night But The Night Before-rhyme
-snip-
Here's a portion of my March 5, 2009 response to Guest Gib (posted to that "Not Last Night But The Night Before-rhyme" thread)
..."Here's my take on that "you don't shine" phrase:
In this context, "shine" means to be as radiant as the sun or stars. Saying "you don't shine" to a boy means that you don't think that he is anything special (in looks, and/or in actions, or in his very being) as he or she thinks he is. "....
****
Example #6
"Zing zing zing
Like a washin machine
All the little birdies on jaybird street
Love to hear the robin sing
Tweet tweet tweet
Rockin robin
We gonna rock to the treetop
All night long
Hustlin and bustlin
And singing that song
Mama in the kitchen stirring that rice
Daddy on the corner shooting them dice
Brother in jail ringing that bell
Sister on the corner selling fruit cocktail
All the little birdies on jaybird street
Love to hear the robin sing
Tweet tweet tweet
Rockin robin
Tweet tweet twee
Rockin robin
Wow looking back there were some questionable lyrics lol
But every girl I ever met during my entire childhood knew
this and other rhymes and were an excellent way to break the ice and make
friends or chase away boredom. :-) memories
-GUEST,80s
Baby, Sweetie, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100653, Lyr
Add: Down Down Baby-Race in Children's Rhymes
****
Example #7
"Here's a version I used in a preschool in the 1990's. It is
another non-confrontational, non-racial example of this rhyme. I used this
"singing game" because the preschool was predominately black and I
identified this as a culturally relevant game.
Sweet sweet baby, I'll never let you go. (hug yourself)
Shimmy shimmy co-coa pop, (hands on hips and shimmy hips)
Shimmy shimmy bop! (hands on hips and shimmy hips)
Shimmy shimmy co-coa pop, (hands on hips and shimmy hips)
Shimmy shimmy bop! (hands on hips and shimmy hips)
-From: GUEST,MW, 19 Oct 10; https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100653, Lyr Add: Down Down Baby-Race in Children's Rhymes
Example #8
"
-
Example #9
"
i can't
why not
i just can't
why not?
cause my back hurt and my bra too tight with my hips shakin
from the left to the right
to the left
to the right
to that left
back to the right
-
-snip-
"Hood Cheers" mean "cheers that were performed in (predominately) African American working class or poor neighborhoods. Commenters in that lipstickalley.com forum were/are mostly African American. WARNING: Some comments and rhymes in that forum include profanity and/or sexually explicit references.
****
Example #10
"In the 70s we did Cinderella Dressed in Yella as a
jump-roping game... I still remember all the words LOL
Sweet family and the best instructional clapping game video I've seen."
-lissastube, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6aCugwqZJ4&t=87s&ab_channel=Lowtechgames , "6 HAND CLAPPING GAMES"
****
Example #11
"Very cool to finally find a historical resource of the musically interesting trauma I experienced in 1st grade 1971 North East Houston Texas. I’ve asked everybody all my life and they’d never heard the song sung to me after I was beat up by the neighbor children. I was an easy to beat up white kid (actually Hispanic) so they did it as often as possible until I stopped walking to and from school.
Me with a bloody nose crying on the ground would hear:
White patty white patty you don’t shine
You got bumps on your booty like Frankenstein.
There were 2 or 3 other verses that I can’t recall but that one would make me laugh. I tried to laugh with them in hopes I could be friends.
Thanks for this cathartic resource!"
-GUEST, Ehaw, 7 Oct 20, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100653, Lyr Add: Down Down Baby-Race in Children's Rhymes
****
Example #12
"Very cool to finally find a historical resource of the musically interesting trauma I experienced in 1st grade 1971 North East Houston Texas. I’ve asked everybody all my life and they’d never heard the song sung to me after I was beat up by the neighbor children. I was an easy to beat up white kid (actually Hispanic) so they did it as often as possible until I stopped walking to and from school.
Me with a bloody nose crying on the ground would hear:
White patty white patty you don’t shine
You got bumps on your booty like Frankenstein.
There were 2 or 3 other verses that I can’t recall but that one would make me laugh. I tried to laugh with them in hopes I could be friends.
Thanks for this cathartic resource!"
-GUEST, Ehaw, 7 Oct 20, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100653, Lyr Add: Down Down Baby-Race in Children's Rhymes
****
Pancocojams Editor's Note: Examples #13- #22 are from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&t=3s&ab_channel=Geneas
"90’s hands games !!!!!" [comments]
Example #13
"correct! The ones you sung that I use to play in my NYC childhood:
1. shame shame shame I don't wanna go to mexico no more more more. There's a
big fat policeman at the door door door. if he grabs me by the collar, man I'm
gonna holler. I don't wanna go to mexico no more more more SHAME! :)
2. Ms. Mary Mack, Mack Mack, all dressed in black black black she asked her
mother mother mother for 15 cents cents cents. to feed the elephants...
3. Slide baby 1, 2, 3... slide.. baby 1, 2, 3... slide...1,,, then 2... then
3.. etc until you mess up.
4. We called it Rocking Robin: She rocks in the treetops all day long. huffing
and a puffing and ah singing a song. all the little birdies on jaybird street,
love to hear the robin singing tweet tweet tweet. rocking robin. tweet twerly .
rockin robin tweet twirly. I went downtown to get a stick of butter.* …rockin
robin twirly... * …then the other verses…
5. hand up to whatever year it was: Example: Hands up to 93... It's gonna be. A
pic-a nic... No hesitation... Just concentration... Starting with.. Names of...
(TOPIC) boys... And whoever is first say a boys name... and the first person
who cant think of a boys name is OUT!
6. That's the way uh huh uh huh~ I like it.. uh huh uh huh.
My name... Is Mel Bell.. Uh huh uh huh.... my sign... is scorpio... uh huh uh
huh... I live... in Harlem... uh huh uh huh and boys... are on my mind ind ind
ind... that's the way... I like it...
7. You forgot quack dilly o so quack quack quack...
senorita, rita rita rita. valor, valor,...... 1,2,3 4... my favorite.
JeSuisMelBell, 2019
-snip-
I reformatted this comment to increase its readability. I also deleted some
explicit words (indicated by an asterisk).
-snip-
Here's a comment from contributor O.T.D 2020 that confirms what JeSuisMelBell wrote:
"JeSuisMelBell yes I’m from NYC as well and yes you got it. This right here is it. Considering some of the words are just a slight bit different but I right here with you 98% word up. Thanks for writing all of this. Yes🥰"
**
Example #14
"Doods, I’m 40 and I remember a lot of these. We also had one about Mc Donald’s Big Mac or something lol. Rockin Robin is older than me."
-
**
Example #15
“We did “hands up” a little different. Born in 91. We would do “hands up
85...and the focus was whatever topic; names, colors etc lol
I miss this stuff man 😭”
-Kerra Lordeus, 2020
****
Example #16
"I was born in '85 and we called it
Double Double This This. We also had an extra clap step to our Slide hand game
too. And we sang Swing Swing Swing differently, those were some good times
though. 😂
-
****
Example #17
"Born in 2003 and I thought it was called "double double this that" --
it goes --> "double double this this. Double double that that. double
this. double that. double double this that."
-Spring _Fire, 2020
****
Example #18
"Zing zing zing with 4 people and I Don’t
Wanna Go To Mexico. The Michigan 90s versions of these games have different
lyrics though.
-
****
Example #19
"I was born in 2003 and the boom boom tap tap we call it double double this this"
-A, 2019
**
Example #20
Reply
"Anjellica H we called it double double this this in my family in the nineties too"
-LabAccident, 2019
-snip-
"Anjellica H” apparently changed her screen name to “A”.
**
Example #21
"I was born in 1990 and we called it double double this this in chicago"
-Priddy Lipz, 2020
**
Example #22
I was born in '84. In New Orleans "Slide" is called 'Numbers.' Its the same concept with a different rhythm to the clapping. I've heard of slide from one of my cousins from Detroit but never in New Orleans
-Ink Pen, 2020
Example #23
"I'm 62 and played "Down, Down Baby" in L.A. in the 60's. LOVE you 2 beautiful ladies!"
-Eileen Clark-Nagaoka, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-NKrzvqz_I&t=309s&ab_channel=Geneas "90’s hand games (part 2)"
-snip-
"L.A." = Los Angeles, California, USA
**
Example #24
"ORDER IN THE COURT
from the sf bay area in the 60's:
order in the court
the monkey wants to speak
speak monkey speak
the first one to speak
is the monkey of the week
-Guest, sundaymonkey, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221, "I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes", 6/17/2005
-snip-
"sf bay" = San Francisco bay area (California)
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment