Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents a compilation of examples of "The Crazy Baldheaded Chinese song (and songs with similar titles/words) that I've come across online which include contributors' demographic information. This compilation also includes an example of that song that I remember from my childhood.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric purposes.
This compilation helps to document how this song was known throughout the United States, within certain populations, and during certain periods of time.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those whose examples are included in this post.
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This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series about this song. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/racially-derogatory-variants-of-old.html for the pancocojams post entitled "The Crazy Baldheaded Chinese' Songs" Are Racially Derogatory Variants Of The Song "Old Shoe Boots And Leggings".
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/08/anti-chinese-songs-such-as-in-china.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Anti-Chinese Songs Such As "In China There Lived A Great Man" & "The Crazy Baldheaded Chinese": Comments From Mudcat Discussion Forum & My Opinions & Recommendations:
Click the tags below for additional examples and comments about those songs.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE:
The examples of "The Crazy Baldheaded Chinese" (and other titles) that are included in this post aren't the only examples of this song that I've come across. This sub-set are examples of this song that include demographic information. By demographic information, I mean more than general comments such as "I sang this when I was growing up".
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WARNING: This song includes language that is considered offensive because it ridicules Chinese and (by extension) other people of East Asian origin.
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MY STATEMENT ABOUT SONGS AND RHYMES THAT HAVE RACIST BACKGROUNDS AND ELEMENTS
I believe that folk songs such as "The Crazy Baldheaded Chinese" that have racist backgrounds and elements shouldn't be sung or chanted as is for recreational or entertainment (including nostalgic) purposes, but may be sung in their revised forms (such as changing the referent "Chinese" to a non-racial or non-nationality referent). The "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo" counting out rhyme is an example of how the racist referent in a rhyme has been successfully changed while the rhyme itself has been retained.
I also believe that information about the racist nature of these folk songs and rhymes should be shared with older children, youth, and adults as a supplement to discussions about history, and racism, particularly about the history of anti-Chinese attitudes, actions, and songs/rhymes in the United States and elsewhere.
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For the folkloric record, please add examples of this song that you know with demographic information in the comment section to this post. Thanks!
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EXAMPLES OF "THE CRAZY BALDHEADED CHINESE" SONG THAT INCLUDE CONTRIBUTOR'S DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
These examples are given in relative chronological order based on their collection date or their publishing date with the earliest dated example given first. The numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only.
The demographic information is written in italics. The dates with two numbers should be read as "19__" for instead "the 50s" = "1950s".
1.
"I remember the first and last verse of a children's song from my youth in Boston (Massachusetts) in the 50s. Does anybody remember the middle?
My mother told me to open the door
But I didn't wanna
I opened the dool
He fell on the floor
The crazy old man from China
-Jacob B, 18 Jan 07, Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174
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2.
"My mother she told me to open the door.
The little bald headed Chinese nese nese.
I opened the door.
He fell on the floor.
The little baldheaded Chinese nese nese.
My mother she told me to get him a drink.
The little bald headed Chinese nese nese.
I gave him a drink.
He peed in the sink.
The little bald headed Chinese nese nese.
My mother she told me to give him a dance.
The little bald headed Chinese nese nese.
I gave him a dance.
He pulled down his pants.
The little bald headed Chinese nese nese.
-Azizi Powell, (African American, mid 1950s, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 18 Jan 07, Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174
3.
"
Gee I don't wanna
But I opened the door and in stepped the man,
The dirty old man from China,
My mother told me to take him to a dance
Gee I dont wanna
But I took him to a dance and he peed in his pants
The dirty old man from China
My mother told me to take him to school
Gee I don't wanna
But I took him to school and he acted like a fool
The dirty old man from China
My mother told me to take him to bed
Gee I don't wanna
But I took him to bed, and I screwed off his head
The dirty old man from China
My mother told me to bury his head
Gee I don't wanna
But I buried his head and that was the end
Of the dirty old man from China.
-Collected by Guest Lisa Null. January 2007, from her nieces who learned it in a school playground, early 1970s, in West Glover or Barton, Vermont; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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4.
"Dad used to sing this to us when I was a little. It was the
1950's. I never found out where he heard it. But he knew the lyrics backwards
and forwards. He called the song "The Poor Bald Headed Chinese":
My mother she told me to open the door.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
I opened the door.
He fell on the floor.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
My mother she told me to get him a drink.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
I gave him a drink.
He fell in the sink.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
My mother she told me to give him a dance.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
I gave him a dance.
He pulled down his pants.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
My mother she told me to put him to bed.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
I put him to bed.
He fell on his head.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
My mother she told me to give him a ride.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
I gave him a ride.
He fell off and died.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
My mother she told me to bury him deep.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
I buried him deep.
He stuck out his feet.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
My mother she told me to cut off his feet.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
I cut off his feet.
He laid there in peace.
The poor bald headed Chinese.
-GUEST,carol, Date: 16 Mar 07; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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5.
My mother told me to take off his coat
gee I don't wanna (southern version)
I took off his coat
he smelled like a goat
that crazy old man from china
-GUEST, 27 June 07, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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6.
"I grew up in Chicago in the 60s and our song was very similar.
My mother told me to open the door
But I didn't wanna
I opened the door, he fell on the floor
Crazy Bald Headed Chinese, Chinese
Crazy Bald Headed Chinese
My mother told me to give him a fish
But I didn't wanna
I gave him a fish,he ate the dish
Crazy Blad Headed Chinese, Chinese
etc.
Lots of the same verses: gave him a drink, he ate the sink; took him to church, he ate his shirt; took him to a dance, he pulled down his pants;
Last verse: Take him for a ride, he fell out and died."...
-GUEST,cheryl s, 04 Sep 09, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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7.
"Back in the 60's, we use to sing this version ... possible
varied because we didn't remember the right words?!? This is what I remember
now ...
My Mother told me to open the door, But I didn't wanna!
I opened the door, he fell on the floor...
The Crazy Man from China.
My mother told me to give him a drink, but I didn't wanna!
I gave him a drink, he swallowed the sink ...
The Crazy Man from China.
My Mother told me to put him to bed, but I didn't wanna!
I put him to bed, he fell on his head...
The Crazy Man from China.
My Mother told me to bury him, but I didn't wanna!
I buried him, he grew a limb...
The Crazy Man from China!"
-GUEST,Mary in Pennsylvania; 05 Nov 10; Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174
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8.
"My mom taught it to me as a kid in the 90s.
My mother she told me to open the door
but I didn't wanna
I opened the door, he fell on the floor
the bald headed man from China
My mother, she told me to take off his coat
but I didn't wanna
I took off his coat, he smelled like a goat
the bald head man from China
My mother, she told me to take off his hat
but I didn't wanna
I took off his hat, he looked like a rat
the bald head man from China
My mother, she told me to take off his shoes
but I didn't wanna
I took off his shoes, he sang the blues
the bald head man from China
My mother, she told me to take off his pants
but I didn't wanna
I took off his pants, he started to dance
the bald head man from China
My mother, she told me to take off his shirt
but I didn't wanna
I took off his shirt, he fell in the dirt
the bald head man from China
That's all I remember. I always wondered why my mom (born in
the 60s) told me to undress a bald head man from China who showed up at my door
-
9.
"
-GUEST,Pam A, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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10.
"I learned it this way in the early 70's, it was definitely
not to tune of Blow The Man Down. There was a girl at school who knew a lot of
these types of rhymes. I can't remember her name at all. We were not best
friends or anything like that.
That Silly Chinaman
My mother told me open the door, I did not, did not want to
I opened the door, he fell on the floor, that silly Chinaman
My mother told to take off his coat, I did not, did not want
to
I took off this coat he smelled like a goat, that silly
Chinaman
My mother told me to give him a bath, I did not, did not
want to,"
-Bus Girl, 16 May 12, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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11.
"When I learned this in elementary school in the 60s, the
tune was almost the same as "A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea."
-Nathan in Texas, 05 Marc 18, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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12.
"I heard this song performed in concert, probably in the
1980s, as "The Dirty Old Man from Fresno." (The performer had changed
it to remove the anti-Chinese slur, which I fully approved of. It doesn't
really matter to the song where the old man came from--it just needs two
syllables. I kind of like the idea of replacing the placename with
"Nowhere.") The performer also sang the English folksong it descended
from, which I remember as "Old Shoes and Leggings."
-GUEST,Anonymous, 05 Mar 18, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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13.
"I learned a version of this song in the early 2000s in the
Girl Scouts in rural Northwest Connecticut. Thinking back, the fact that they
were singing this in Girl Scouts is disturbing
-GUEST,Anonymous, 27 April 22, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98174, "Lyr Req: Crazy Old Man From China"
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14.
"I was taught a version of this song in 2000-2001 in the Girl
Scouts in rural northwest Connecticut. I'm Mexican-American, but the town I
live in is 97% non-hispanic white. ...
My mother she told me to open the door. I did not want to. I opened the door and he fell on the floor. The crazy old man from China.
My mother she told me to give him a drink. I did not want to. I gave him a drink and he fell in the sink. The crazy old man from China.
My mother she told me to take him to town. I did not want to. I took him to town and he walked upside-down. The crazy old man from China.
My mother she told me to take him to France. I did not want to. I took him to France and he pulled down his pants. The crazy old man from China.
My mother she told me to take him to bed. I did not want to. I took him to bed and he chopped off his head. The crazy old man from China.
My mother she told me to bury him deep. I did not want to. I buried him deep and he stuck out his feet. The crazy old man from China.
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The commenter for Example #13 and #14 is almost certainly the same person.
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