Singing Games, Jan 27, 2018
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Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision: August 11, 2022
This pancocojams post showcases four versions of the children's recreational rhyme "A Sailor Went To Sea Sea Sea" (also given as "A Sailor Went To Sea").
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE RHYME "A SAILOR WENT TO SEA SEA SEA"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sailor_Went_to_Sea A Sailor Went to Sea
" "A Sailor Went to Sea" is a children's nursery rhyme, clapping game, and skipping rhyme. It was initially called 'My Father Went to Sea', before becoming more widely known as 'A Sailor Went to Sea'.[1] It is typically sung to the tune of The Sailor's Hornpipe.”…
-snip-
I haven't found any informatidn about when the rhyme "My Father Went To Sea" was first composed. who composed it and where. I also haven't found any information about when that rhyme changed to the "A Sailor Went To Sea Sea Sea".
It seems clear that the original lyrics for that rhyme didn't include the "chop", "China" and/or "knee" verses and/or similar verses. Iona Opie collected a version of "A Sailor Went To Sea" in the United Kingdom in 1972 that included "China", "chop" and "Africa". However, those verses could have been around before that. Read Example #3 in this post for that version.
Every example of "A Sailor Went To Sea" that includes directions for the words "sea", "chop", and "knee" gives the same performance directions as given in this post. However, in some YouTube videos of this recreational rhyme, the children perform partner and claps that don't include these movements.
Among other ways that the "sea", "chop", knee" version of "A Sailor Went To Sea" were popularized, the Australian music group the Wiggles performed that recreational rhyme that way in their 2012 record/video Dorothy the Dinosaur's Beach Party! and Nursery Rhymes 2 . That music group's records, television shows, and concerts are geared towards pre-school and young elementary school children'.The Wiggles in 2012. (https://wiggles.fandom.com/wiki/A_Sailor_Went_to_Sea and https://wiggles.fandom.com/wiki/Dorothy_the_Dinosaur%27s_Beach_Party!_(video).
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SHOWCASED EXAMPLES
These examples are given in no particular order.
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
Example #1"A SAILOR WENT TO SEA
"A Sailor Went to Sea" has fun actions that accompany it. Different versions of this song are sung throughout the English-speaking world.
(Australian Version)
Action Song
1. A sailor went to sea, sea, sea
To see what he could see, see, see,
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea.
2. A sailor went to chop, chop, chop
To see what he could chop, chop, chop,
But all that he could chop, chop, chop
Was the bottom of the deep blue chop, chop, chop.
3. A sailor went to knee, knee, knee
To see what he could knee, knee, knee,
But all that he could knee, knee, knee
Was the bottom of the deep blue knee, knee, knee.
4. A sailor went to toe, toe, toe
To see what he could toe, toe, toe,
But all that he could toe, toe, toe
Was the bottom of the deep blue toe, toe, toe.
5. A sailor went to Timbuktu
To see what he could Timbuktu,
But all that he could Timbuktu
Was the bottom of the deep blue Timbuktu.
6. A sailor went to sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
To see what he could sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu,
That all that he could sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, chop, knee, toe,
Timbuktu.
Notes
This is also played as a hand-clapping game.
Game Instructions
Action Song:
1. On every "Sea, sea, sea": Put your right hand up to your forehead, over your eyes, like you're looking - 3 times.
2. On every "Chop, chop, chop": Put one hand out
like an ax and "chop" inside the elbow of your other arm - 3 times.
3. On every "Knee, knee, knee": Clap your hands on
your knees - 3 times.
4. On every "Toe, toe, toe": Touch your toes 3
times.
5. Timbuktu:
On "Tim": Put hands on your shoulders.
On "buk": Put hands on your head.
On "tu": Put hands up in the air.
6. On "Sea": Put your hand up to your forehead,
over your eyes.
On "Chop": "Chop" your arm.
On "Knee": Clap your knees.
On "Toe": Touch your toes.
On "Tim-buk-tu": Hands on shoulders, head and then
up in the air."
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Example #2
"Sailor Variations
A sailor went to sea sea sea To see what he could see see
see But all that he could see see see Was the bottom of the deep blue sea sea
sea A sailor went to China** To see what he could China But all that he could
China Was the bottom of the deep blue China **every time you say China, put
your hands together and bow. A sailor went to Texas*** to see what he could
Texas but all that he could Texas was the bottom of the deep blue Texas! ***
Every time you say Texas, move your right arm around in the air, like twirling
a lasso A sailor went to doo-wop, doo-wop,**** to see what he could doo-wop,
doo-wop, but all that he could doo-wop, doo-wop, was the bottom of the deep
blue doo-wop, doo-wop!!! **** Every time you say doo-wop, doo-wop, shake your
butt like you're dancing."
-Aug 12 2003,
-snip-
"Bowing" when you say "China" may be considered stereotypical. However, that is a big improvement over the actions that are indicated for "China" in the example that is given as #4 below.
Example #3
"
This recording was made by Iona Opie in Birmingham in 1972.
‘A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea’ is a clapping game found on virtually every
playground across the country and belongs to what Roud refers to as the ‘core
repetoire’ of clapping games. The song began as ‘My Father Went to Sea’ before
becoming more widely known as ‘A Sailor Went to Sea’. After this opening line,
it is common for children to sing ‘a sailor went to chop, chop, chop, chop’ and
‘knee, knee, knee, knee’ before ending with ‘sea, chop, knee’. However,
children frequently offer their own substitutions, using the song to explore
different lyrical combinations and rhymes. The children in this recording refer
to ‘China’ and a video, found in this section, shows children from Sheffield
singing ‘pick, pick, pick’ while pretending to pick their noses!
Transcript
Children: [Singing and clapping]
A sailor went to sea, sea, sea, sea,
To see what he could see, see, see, see,
But all that he could see, see, see, see,
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea, sea.
A sailor went to China,
To see what he could China,
But all that he could China…
Child:
It’s China.
Child:
[Inaudible 0:00:35] you’re spoiling it.
Child:
Miss, they’re spoiling it.
Teacher:
Will you let them do it, please?
Child:
We’ll do it again.
Teacher:
Yes.
Children: [Singing and clapping]
A sailor went to China,
To see what he could China,
But all that he could China,
Was the bottom of the deep blue China.
A sailor went to chop, chop, chop, chop,
To see what he could chop, chop, chop, chop,
But all that he could chop, chop, chop, chop,
Was the bottom of the deep blue chop, chop, chop, chop.
A sailor went to Africa,
To see what he could Africa,
But all that he could Africa,
Was the bottom of the deep blue Africa.
Child:
And then you say all the things at the end."
- Iona Opie in Birmingham [United Kingdom], 1972; https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/a-sailor-went-to-sea-1972
-snip-
A sound file is given with this transcript. The words "sea sea sea" (and other repeated words at the end of each verse are sung faster than they are in other examples of this rhyme that I've heard. No directions given for the actions that are done for the words "China" and "Africa".
I'm pretty sure at my school in Cradley Heath so in the 70s/80s it ended with... Sea...Chop...Knee...Toe....China" -Ian James Morris, 7/13/2019, http://www.funnysongsforkids.com/childrens-classics/a-sailor-went-to-sea-sea-sea
[The example given on that page is the same as Example #1 in this pancocojams post.]
Example #4
WARNING:: "Pulling the corners of the eyes up" that is performed while saying the word "China" in this rhyme is offensive. This example is given for folkloric purposes, and NOT as a suggested way of performing this rhyme. Read Example #2 for another action that could be performed for the word "China".
OH SAILOR
Oh sailor went to sea, sea, sea,
To see what he could see, see, see,
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the ocean
See, see, see
(chop one arm with your hand every time you say chop, chop chop)
Oh sailor went to chop, chop , chop
To see what he could chop, chop, chop
But all that he could chop, chop, chop
Was the bottom of the ocean
Chop, chop, chop
(pull eyes back with index finger every time you say China)
Oh sailor went to China
To see what he could China
But all that he could China
Was the bottom of the ocean
China
(hit chest with left fist then right fist every time you say Hong Kong)
Oh sailor went to Hong Kong
To see what he could Hong Kong
But all that he could Hong Kong
Was the bottom of the ocean
Hong Kong
(hands on hips and roll every time you say ooh achi cachi)
Oh sailor went to ooh achi cachi
To see what he could ooh achi cachi
But all that he could ooh achi cachi
Was the bottom of the ocean
Ooh achi cachi
-Kisha, 03-25-2003, http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/archive/index.php/t-31403.html old school chants
-snip-
This "Greekchat discussion thread was comprised of members of historically Black Greek letter sororities. This examples documents that some African American children also used the offensive "pulling the eye" gesture when referring to Chinese and other Asians.
This example isn't the only time online that I've come across that offensive being used by African Americans when chanting this rhyme and other recreational rhymes that include the word "China" or "Japan".
In my years of directly (face to face) collecting children's rhymes (mostly from African American children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and some of its surrounding communities, 1985 to 2007), I didn't observe any examples of "A Sailor Went To Sea", nor did any children share that rhyme with me.
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