Some Songs And Rhymes That May Have Been Sources For The "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" Song

S. Espinosa, August 16, 2013
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I believe this version of "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" is sung by The Countdown Kids. 

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides some examples of and comments about the song "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin". 

I'm particularly interested in documenting old songs that may be sources for the "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" song or old songs may have influenced verses for that song reaa song.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/03/documenting-dates-for-some-lyric.html "Documenting Dates For Some Lyric Versions Of The "I'm A Nut" Song, Part II" for Part II of a three part series about the closely related song "I'm A Nut".

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
Almost all of the content of this pancocojams blog focuses on African American culture, African cultures, or cultures from other people of the African Diaspora.

However, with regard to the song "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin", I've found no information that directly or indirectly link the composition of early or later versions of that song to African Americans or to other Black people. 

Also, I've found no online comments by African Americans about the song "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" and I have no offline experience with this song being sung by African American children, teens, or adults. (I'm referrring here to my personal experiences, including the community programming that I did in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area from the late 1980s - 2007 in predominately Arican American schools and neighborhoods.) That said, I think it's probable that some African Americans know the song, "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" particularly from adult led school music classes and/or summer camps, Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts. 

Some pancocojams posts- such as this one- focus on children's recreational material (rhymes, cheers, chants, and singing games), without regard to the race or ethnicity of those who originally composed that material or without regard to who performed or performed that material.

That said, pancocojams' posts on children's recreational material often focus on versions of rhymes, cheers, and singing game that Black children compose/d, modifiy/ied, and/or perform'ed. The words and performance activities of those examples are sometimes different than the words and performance styles for the same titles of rhymes or other rhymes that are chanted by non-Black people.chanted by non-Black people. 

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GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE SONG "I'M A LITTLE HUNK OF TIN"
The song "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" is given online as having an unknown composer and no copyright. That song has the same tune as "I'm A Nut" (also known as "I'm An Acorn Brown" and other titles). Some verses for "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" are found in  "I'm A Nut" and vice versa. Also, both songs are often performed with imitative movements.

Unlike a few comments where people recall singing the song "I'm A Nut" in the 1940s and 1950s, I haven't found any comments or articles that refer to the song "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" with any dates. However, I've found some comments about old songs that may have influenced the composition of "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin".  

Versions of the closely related song "I'm A Nut" appear to have inspired the hand clap rhyme "I'm A Nut In The Hut", However, I haven't come across any hand game versions of "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin". 

Most of the versions for "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" song include references to the Ford brand of cars. While this song disparages Fords, it should be noted that there was a time when Ford cars were very highly valued and not considered "hunks of tin" that easily fell apart and that made rattling sounds and other strange sounds when they were driven.       

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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT THIS SONG
These online sources are given in no particular order.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.  These comments aren't numbered on the pages that I retrieved them, or the numbering sequences are different. Italics are used for comments with dates.

Source #1
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=25514

1.  [Explanation: This commenter shared some lyrics for the song "I'm A Nut" that she knew and asked for information about that song and more lyrics for that song. In this comment, she is responding to some lyrics for "I'm A Nut" that were shared in that discussion thread.]

Subject: RE: info on 'I'm a Nut'
From: Charcloth
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 05:56 PM

"thanks folks the "I can sing & I can dance" verse was new to me. The version I know is real close to what has been said but, here are some other verses I know. "Grandpa's beard is long & gray, growing grayer day by day, Grandma eats it in her sleep says it tastes like shreadded wheat, (Chorus) I'm an old antique car I travel near I don't go far, every time you're in my way this is what you'll hear me say, rattle, honk honk, ooggah, beep beep, whae,(Chorus)"
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Here's the "I can sing & I can dance" verse that was quoted by another commenter: 
"I can sing and I can dance
I wear ruffles on my...
sorry, boys, guess again
I wear ruffles on my dress"
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"I can sing & I can dance" is a type of "profanity avoidance" rhyme in which the taboo word is strongly alluded to, but a socially acceptable word is given instead. "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" is probably the most widely known profanity avoidance children's rhyme in the United States. The woman in those rhyme used to be known by the name "Lulu". There's a lot of explicit and near explicit "Lulu" songs and rhymes that were well known in the United States in the 1940s and later. The "Two Irishmen digging a ditch" rhymes are also examples of profanity avoidance (or non-avoidance). 

I think this type of profanity avoidance rhyme suggests that it was composed in the 1940s when that formulaic lyrical wittiness was in vogue.  

The "I can sing and I can dance " verse and the "Grandpa's beard" verse are also sometimes found in the "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" songs/rhymes. Those verses (without the chorus) come from the old song "Grandpa's Whiskers" (composer unknown and copyright unknown). Click https://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/g111.html  for some lyrics for that song.

Commenter Guest, ClaireBear (26 June 06) includes this verse for that song in this discussion thread https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=92441 Lyr Req: They're long and they're gray...":

"I have a dear old uncle
He owns a Ford machine
He uses Grandpa's whiskers
To strain the gasoline !"

Another commenter in that discussion thread speculates that "Grandpa's Whiskers" may date from World War II.

"open mike" shared another version of that verse on May 5, 2006 in the Mudcat discussion thread "Lyr Req: Songs about Fords":

"Grandpa has a car, it is a Ford machine

His whiskers come in handy for straining gasoline"

this line comes from the song Grandpa's Whiskers.."

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJHpWIg1fP0&ab_channel=Kids-Songs.TV for one of several YouTube videos for the song "Grandpa's Whiskers". The tune for that song is very similar or the same as the tunes that are used for "I'm A Nut" and "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin".

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2. Subject: Lyr Add: I'M A NUT
From: Tinker
Date: 19 Sep 00 - 12:18 PM

"Thirty Years ago we sang the I'm a nut verse followed by.

I'm a little hunk of tin
Nobody knows what shape I'm in
Got four wheels and a running board
Just a little Model Ford

Honk, Honk, Rattle, Rattle, Rattle, Crash, Beep, Beep, 3x Honk Honk! 3x"...
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The second line "Nobody knows what shape I'm in" is sometimes given as "Nobody knows where I have been".

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3. Subject: RE: Origin: I'm a Nut
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Nov 10 - 12:35 AM

When I was at Girl Scout camp, there was a song that began,

I'm wild about horns on automobiles that go wha a ah ah Beep beep!
I'm a nut, I'm a pest, but the things I like the best,
I'm wild about horns on automobiles that go etc.

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4 . Subject: RE: Origin: I'm a Nut - Girl Scout Camp Song
From: GUEST,Another guest
Date: 30 May 13 - 01:03 AM

"In response to the "10 Nov 10 - 12:35 AM" post - I learned that song in Girl Scout Camp, too. It is a modified version of an ooooold, OLD song from 1928 (?) called: "I'm Wild About Horns".

As I remember the song from Girl Scout Camp (in 1982), it went like this:

I'm Wild about horns on automobiles that go wah ah ah ah ah ah ah ooga ooga! (Repeat again)
I used to own a funny little car that I got from a guy named Greg
And every-time I honked that horn, this is what it said
I'm a pest, I'm a pest, I'm a pest, I'm a pest
But the things I like the best.....

(Repeat first line)"

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5. Subject: RE: Origin: I'm a Nut
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 09:17 PM

"There was a song that I learned at a leader training that went like this:

I once had a friend who owned a model A
and every time he beeped the horn this is what he'd say
"I'm a nut I'm a pest but the thing that I like the best
are old fashioned horns on Automobiles that go
an an an an, an an an an, an an an an Beep Beep.
Can't find this anywhere it was at Camp Kirkwold in Maine"
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These "car" songs (comments #3, #4, & #5) probably influenced the "I'm a little hunk of tin" verse in "I'm A Nut" songs and may also have also been an early source for the "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin" song.

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Source #2

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=80670,80670

1. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Fords
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 28 Apr 05 - 01:26 AM

"I don't want to trivialize this excellent thread, but when we were singing with migrant farm-working families in the New York State orchards, some of the kids sang:

    I'm a little piece of tin,

    Nobody knows the shape I'm in.

    Got four wheels and a runnin' board.

    I'm a Ford, Lord, I'm a Ford!

         Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep.

         Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep.

         Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep.

         Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep.

 

 Then one of the mothers sang (same tune, slightly blues-ified):

  I'm a little nut so brown

  Lyin' on the cold, cold ground.

  Everybody steps on me;

  That is why I'm cracked, you see.

         Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep.

         Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep.

         Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep.

         Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep."

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2. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Fords
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 28 Aug 15 - 05:45 AM

A ditty from my childhood days:

If you want to buy a wreck, buy a Ford

Four buckled wheels and a board

A biscuit tin

With the top bashed in

If you want to buy a wreck, buy a Ford

 

I don't know if there is any more."
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A "ditty" is a short, simple song. This "ditty" may have influenced the creation of the song "I'm A Little Hunk Of Tin". Unfortunately, no decades are given for that commenter's "childhood days". 

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Source #3
https://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/h022.html

Hunk of Tin

Written By: Unknown

Copyright Unknown

I'm a little hunk of tin
Nobody knows what shape I'm in
I've got four wheels and a running board
I'm not a Chevy, I'm a Ford

Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep

Grandpa's beard is long and grey
It gets longer every day
Grandma eats it in her sleep
Says it tastes like shredded wheat

Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep

I'm a little acorn round
Lying on the cold, cold ground
Everybody steps on me
That is why I'm cracked you see

Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep

I'm a little TNT
I'm as cute as I can be
I can sing and I can dance
I wear ruffles on my (oops, boys, take another guess)
I wear ruffles on my dress

Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep

Actions:
Honk: Pull your earlobe
Rattle: Shake your head back and forth quickly
Crash: Hit your chin with the heal of your hand
Beep: Hit your nose with your fingers"

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Source #4

https://sites.google.com/site/susiessongsa/real-lyrics-for-i-have-a-car

"I have a car it’s made of tin. Nobody knows what shape
it’s in. It has four wheels and a rumble seat. Hear us
chugging down the street. Honk honk rattle rattle
rattle crash beep beep. Honk honk rattle rattle rattle 
crash beep beep. Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash
beep beep. Honk honk."

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Source #5

https://sites.google.com/site/campfavoritesongbook/home/dining-hall-songs/hunk-of-tin Hunk of Tin

I’m a little hunk of tin
Nobody knows what shape I’m in
I’ve got four wheels and a running board
I’m a four door, I’m a Ford

CHORUS:
Honk honk rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk honk rattle rattle crash beep beep
Honk Honk

Romeo and Juliet
On a balcony they set
Juliet has got a date
Shakespeare’s coming at half past eight

CHORUS

Coca-Cola came to town
Pepsi Cola shot him down
Doctor Pepper fixed him up
Now we all drink 7-UP

CHORUS

I’m a little Mercury
Sailing from the Long Pond Beach
Now the wind is picking up
Hope I don’t go bottoms up

CHORUS"
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The "Coca-Cola came to town" verse can be dated to the 1980s Pepsi-Cola vs Coca-Cola "soda wars" (also called "cola wars"). Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cola_wars for information about those soda wars. 

"Coca- Cola (or "Pepsi-Cola) came to town" and variants such as "Michael Jackson came to town" are found in some examples of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" and "I Pledge Allegiance To The Flag"  rhymes.
  
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/information-about-examples-of-hand-clap.html for a pancocojams post that provides information and examples of these rhymes. 

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