Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Update - December 9, 2023
This pancocojams post presents information about and examples of certain song sources and real life events that are reflected in some "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes.
These examples document how a number of children's recreational rhymes document or alter actual occurrences and/or provide comments upon those occurrences. In addition, these rhymes examples serve as commentary about a celebrity who is named in those examples.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and
recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who produced and published YouTube videos that are cited in this post.
****
CERTAIN SONG SOURCES AND REAL LIFE EVENTS THAT ARE REFLECTED IN SOME "DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY" RHYMES
[Update Nov. 28, 2023- I happened upon this song because I recalled reading a comment from a Guest on Mudcat that wrote that the word "Pasquotank" or "Pasquotanky " pre-dates the "Yankety Yank" references in the poem and song that became "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes. I believe that guest's name was "Scott". I'm sorry that I can't find that comment and its publishing date.
I'm quoting all of the lyrics for "Minstrels Of The Pasquotank" and some of the biographical information about James Biddle Shepherd because it appears that this song has mostly been forgotten and is difficult to find.]
"MINSTRELS OF THE PASQUOTANK
By James Biddle Shepherd
Away down yonder on the Pasquotank,
Where the bull-frogs jump from bank to bank,
And the tide moves slow mid the cypress knees,
And the pools are dark 'neath the arching trees;
How well I remember when the frogs are jolly,
Their deep bass calls and thunderous volley,
When the water creeps cool 'neath the matted roots.
"Down under the roots, down under the roots,"
And the river moves quiet and happy and deep,
Moves "happy and deep, knee-deep, knee-deep."
Away down yonder on the Pasquotank,
Where the flags are thick and the mosses dank,
When lulls the roar of the bull-frog band
The small frogs pipe on every hand,
And a million shrill throats sing of herrings,
Of "herrings, herrings, herrings, herrings,"
And of bacon, "fry-bacon, fry-bacon, fry-bacon,"
Pray what can they know about herrings and bacon!
And yet as a child I learned for true,
That is what they sing the whole night through!
Ah, wild, plebeian, boisterous frogs,
Your piping all night in the reeking bogs
Was melody sweet to my infant ear;
For softer notes 'twas not tuned to hear,
Like Philomel's on his sprig of holly,
But the bold frogs songs that are hearty and jolly,
Where all join in with a right good will,
And the big frogs roar and the little frogs trill,
And make the night merry along the bank
Of the shimmering, gloomy, old Pasquotank.
Ye wee frog-folk of the Pasquotank,
May your race dwell long on its reedy bank,
May you chant always the same old notes,
In the same white vests and bright green coats,
May you always sing "fry-bacon, fry-bacon,"
The song of plenty, of herrings and bacon;
May the tide creep cool 'neath the matted roots,
"Down under the roots, down under the roots,"
And the stream move quiet and happy and deep,
Move "happy and deep, knee-deep, knee-deep."
The Author.—James Biddle Shepard was born on November 14, 1815, in New Bern, [Craven County,]N. C. He was a son of William Biddle Shepard of that place, and wife, Mary Blount, of "Elmwood," Pasquotank County. He was educated at the University of North Carolina, and graduated with the first honors of his class in 1834. Later he studied law and was admitted to the bar. He was State Senator from Wake County in 1842, and a Representative in 1844.
James B. Shepard died in Raleigh on the 17th of June, 1871....
[North Carolina Poems, edited by Eugene Clyde Brooks: 1912. This is a Google book.]"
This poem was posted by The Story Keeper on Feb. 13, 2011 on that website.
1888 - VERSE IN BOOK OF COUNTING OUT RHYMES
"Hokey, pokey, hanky, panky
I'm the Queen of Swinkey Swankey;
And I'm pretty well, I thanky."
-posted by and e, 05 Jun 20, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034&page=9 "Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky"
-snip-
from https://www.amazon.com/Counting-Out-Rhymes-Children-Antiquity-Distribution/dp/1428651888 "The book 'The Counting-Out Rhymes Of Children: Their Antiquity, Origin And Wide Distribution"" by Henry Carrington Bolton is a comprehensive study of the counting-out rhymes that children have been using for generations. The author delves into the history and origins of these rhymes, exploring their roots in ancient cultures and their evolution over time. Bolton examines the wide distribution of these rhymes across different countries and cultures, highlighting their similarities and differences. The book includes a collection of counting-out rhymes from around the world, along with their translations and explanations".
-snip-
I don't know which country this rhyme is from.
1896 AND 1907 - "MAY IRWIN'S FROG SONG"
Charles E. Trevathan, 1896
"Away down a-yonder in Yankety Yank,
A bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
'Cause there wasn't nothin' else to do.
He stubbed his toe an' in he fell,
An' de neighbors all say dat he went to well,
'Cause he hadn't nothin' else to do."...
-snip
" "May Irwin's Frog Song" [is] one of several of this
massively built entertainer's hits— others included "Lulu" and
"Bully of the Town." She had a knack of picking up song material from
black sources, so it's not impossible that hers are rewrites of even earlier
stuff. Irwin repays study; I only wish she'd recorded so we could hear the
voice that tickled thousands in vaudeville days. --Bob Coltman, Lyr Req: a big
bullfrog jumped into the lake; posted as GUEST, 28 Dec 04 - 06:39 PM; https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=76856 Click that link for the complete lyrics for that song.
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_6jkGOgAsU for a YouTube song file of "May Iwin's "Frog Song". The singer may not be May Irwin.
Here's a statement that the publisher of this song file Wachamcaulid wrote in 2022 when this sound file was published: " This video may feature language which today is considered unacceptable. This is presented for historical purposes if so."
****
1911- NEWSPAPER ARTICLES MENTION OF "THE PIANKATANK ...WHERE THE BULLFROGS JUMP FROM BANK TO BANK
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034&page=6 Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky
Panky; From: Jim Dixon, 11 Apr 09
"From The Long Roll (a novel) by Mary Johnston, with
illustrations by N. C. Wyeth (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1911):
Being largely Valley of Virginia Virginians,
Louisianians, Georgians, Texans, and North Carolinians, the army had
acquaintance slight or none with the country through which it was passing.
Gordonsville left behind, unfamiliarity began. "What's this county? What's
that place over there? What's that river? Can't be the Potomac, can it? Naw,
'taint wide enough!"—"Gentlemen, I think it is the
Rappahannock."—"Go away! it is the headwaters of the
York."—"Rapidan maybe, or Rivanna."—"Probably Pamunkey, or
the Piankatank,
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank."
From Recollections, 1844-1909 (autobiography) by Henry
Clay McDougal (Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publishing Co., 1911)
She was born and reared down in the tide-water country
of Virginia, and in that part of the footstool, away back in Colonial days,
when the planter did not wish to disclose his exact location, or the human
interrogation point propounded the inquisitive question, he had the answer:
"From Pianketank (sic), where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank."
From Wikipedia:
The Piankatank River is a river in the United States
state of Virginia. Located on the Middle Peninsula, between the Rappahannock
and York Rivers, it was the site of numerous actions during the American Civil
War."
****
1946 & 1947 - CITATIONS ABOUT THE BULLFROG &THE YANKE-TE- HANK
(posted by Uke, 17 June 08, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034&messages=476&page=4
..."Here's some related variants from grown-ups printed in the Ozark folklore collection 'Blow the Candle Out' (Vance Randloph / Gershon Legman, 1992, p.689):
Bullfrog jumped from bank to bank,
Skinned his pecker shank to shank.
(Collected 1947, Missouri)
They also cite another version from 'What Happened to Mother Goose' (Ray Wood, 1946):
Down on the river Yank-te-hank,
The bullfrog jumped from bank to bank,
He spread his legs from shank to shank,
And split his hide from flank to flank"
-snip-
Here's a very similar example that was posted in another Mudcat thread:
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=6853
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Way Down Yonder on Beaver Creek
From: GUEST,Sharon oehler
Date: 28 Feb 05
Way down yonder in the Piankatank
A bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
He skinned his leg from shank to shank
Way down yonder in the Piankatank
The Piankatank is a river in Virginia that runs to the Cheasepeake Bay
Song a legend in those parts
****.
1955- PETE SEEGER'S FOOLISH FROG1955
A sound file of Pete Seeger's 1955 book and record entitled "The Foolish Frog" is found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NksJ32bjFd4
Here's an excerpt about that song from https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-the-foolish-frog-by-pete-seeger/ :
"The Foolish Frog" is a beloved children’s song written by the iconic American folk singer Pete Seeger. Released in 1955, the song has resonated with generations of young listeners, captivating their imaginations and teaching valuable life lessons. Its timeless lyrics and catchy melody make it a cherished addition to any children’s music collection."...
-snip-
Click https://genius.com/Pete-seeger-the-foolish-frog-lyrics for the complete lyrics for Pete Seeger's "Foolish Frog". Here's a portion of that song:
..."There was once a farmer, walking down the road whistling a tune to himself. He said, "Dog-gone, I wish I had some words to that tune. But all I've got is the melody." Just then he came to a little bridge, and he leaned on the railing looking down at the brook. There was a big old bullfrog, hopping from bank to bank. (Sound effects). Well, the bullfrog looked up and saw the farmer and decided to show off. He took an extra special big hop - z-z-z-z-tt! He landed, splash! in the water and got himself all wet. The farmer laughed and laughed and started singing :
"Way down south in the yankety-yank, a bull frog jumped from bank to bank, just because he'd nothing better for to do! He stubbed his toe and fell in the water; you could hear him yell for a mile and a quarter, just because he'd nothing better for to do."...
-snip-
Ironically given later developments of Pete Seeger's "Foolish Frog", that 1955 song includes a reference to people getting free Coca Colas.
**
Pete Seeger's sister Peggy Seeger also has a video of "The Foolish Frog" on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7utzhNPQhH8 , Part I and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8DUrnL-j28 Part II
In her summary of her videos, Peggy Seeger wrote: "The song is from a. My father, Charles Seeger, composed the story to go with it, for the entertainment of his sons Charles, John and Pete. I learned the whole thing from Pete in 1955 but I tell it in my own way."
**
Based on what I've read online, Pete Seeger's "Foolish Frog" record and the book that illustrates this story apparently was popular in a number of United States school districts and elsewhere. Here's a comment from a woman about her childhood memory of that Pete Seeger song:
"Mr. Cirillo teacher (1964) from Roosevelt School in
Englewood, NJ taught us:
Way down yonder and a yankety yank,
a bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
just because of having nothing for to do.
He jumped and stumbled and fell in the water.
You could hear him holler for a mile and a quarter,
just because there's nothing for to do.
Well there's a lot of foolish folks just like that frog of
mine.
Get themselves in trouble just to pass the time.
There's a lot of foolish folks just like that frog of mine,
just because there's nothing for to do."
-GUEST,Ms. Eason, 27 Oct 17; https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=76856 ; Req: a big bullfrog jumped into the lake
**
Here's an example from another Mudcat thread about that Pete Seeger song:
"Version from my childhood (California, late 70s-early 80s):
Way down yonder in the Yankety Yank
Where the bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
Just because there’s nothin’ better for to do, what to do, what to do, what to do
He stubbed his toe and he fell in the water
You could hear him holler for a mile and a quarter
Just because there’s nothin’ better for to do, what to do, what to do, what to do
Note: “there’s” meaning “there was” "
-GUEST,KGreene, 08 Sep 19, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034 Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
I don't know when the song with its reference to "Yankety Yank" changed to a rhyme that refers to "Hanky Panky".
Here's a short form of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" that reflects the older "Way Down Yonder In Yankety Yank" lyrics:
"down by the banks of the hanky panky,
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky.
with a hip, hop, belly flop
A E I O U
Wooo!"
****
1980s - THE COLA WARS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cola_wars
"The cola wars are the long-time rivalry between soft drink producers The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, who have engaged in mutually-targeted marketing campaigns for the direct competition between each company's product lines, especially their flagship colas, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Beginning in the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the competition escalated until it became known as the cola wars.[1][2]"
-snip-
Here's an example of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" that includes lyrics that reflect the "cola wars":
"Down by the river with the hanky bankys
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
say an
epp
opp
epp
bop
bop
Skittle dittle curly pop
I pledge allegence to the flag
That Micheal jackson makes me gag
Diet Pepsi came to town
Coca-Cola pushed him down
Orange soda picked him up
Now I'm drinking 7 up
7up caught the flu
Now I'm drinking Moutain Dew
Moutain Dew fell off the moutain
Now I'm drinking from a fountian
Foutain Broke
Now I'm drinking plain old Coke"
-Guest;, July 15, 2007,
-snip-
I haven't found any documentation of when the verse "I pledge allegiance to the flag/ [insert the name of a famous person] makes me [use a word that rhymes or near rhymes with "flag".] I also haven't found any examples of "I pledge allegiance to the flag" in any other rhyme but long forms of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky".
****
1980s - "YANKEE DOODLE WENT TO TOWN"
Here's information about the song "Yankee Doodle Went To Town"
From https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/music/story-behind-the-song/the-story-behind-the-song/yankee-doodle/ Yankee Doodle: The story behind the song - …A Colonial Insult?
..."The “Yankee Doodle” tune was already well known by the 1750s. But tradition says that in 1755 a British doctor named Richard Schuckburg penned new words to mock his American allies. He portrayed the colonists as rude, crude, and cowardly. In the song, Schuckberg referred to the American fighter as both a “doodle”—a country hick, and a “dandy”—a conceited jerk. No one has ever figured out exactly where the term “Yankee” comes from.
One guess is that “Yankee” started as the nickname “Little Jan” used by Dutch settlers at the time. But the Brits used it to mock all American colonists. Later, of course, it became the name of a very famous New York baseball team.
"Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy."
George Gaskin, 1897 - "Yankee Doodle"
[…]
Over time, new verses of “Yankee Doodle” were added, changed, moved, and removed. A verse about George Washington, for example, was tacked on after he took command of the Continental Army in June 1775. Interestingly, one of the most familiar verses did not appear until 1842. Today, it is the first verse of the song that every American knows:
A-riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni"*.
[…]
As you can see, the history of a song can be long, crooked, and crazy. And in the case of “Yankee Doodle,” a song now sung as a happy ditty was at one time a song of mockery, and then a song of war.
* This “macaroni” does not refer to a pasta noodle. It was a term for dressing so fancy that a person looked silly.
-snip-
The asterisk and the note after it is part of that original article.
**
Here's a version of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" that includes lines from "Yankee Doodle Went To Town:
"Down by the banks with the hanky pank
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
say E-I-O
You Yo Momma stank and so r u
ping pong donky kong
Yo Momma smell like king kong
Micheal Jackson went to town riding on the pony
stuck a feather in is hat n called him macaroni
resse pieces butter cup
u mess wit me ill bust you u up
i woke up in the morning i looked up on the wall
i saw a bunch of cocka roches playin basketball
and they score was 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9 and on 10 they have to try to slap the other person hands if the person misses n slaps their own hand they are eliminated"
-GUEST,Me![Her's The Miami Version], 20 Jun 08
-snip-
The song "Yankee Doodle Went To Town" eventually changed to the rhyme "Coca Cola Went To Town". I believe that change occurred in the 1980s before its inclusion in "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes. This change from "Yankee Doodle" to "Coca Cola
reflects the real life marketing event that is referred to as the "Cola wars"
Here's a version of a "Coca Cola Went To Town" rhyme that reflects the Cola wars and isn't a part of the "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhyme family.
coca-cola came to town
diet pepsi knocked him down
dr pepper fixed him up
now were drinkink 7up
7up caught the flu
now were drinking mountain s\dwe
muntain dew fell off the montain
now were drinking from afountain
fountain water makes me choke
nw were back to drinking coke!!!!!!!XD
-GUEST, 11 Nov 07, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034 : Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
**
In 1984 and afterwards, some versions of verses for what used to be "Coca Cola Went To Town" change that line to "Michael Jackson Went To Town" to reflect the real life event of Michael Jackson's scalp being burnt while he was performing his song "Billie Jean" during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.
****
1982 - MICHAEL JACKSON'S "BILLIE JEAN" RECORD
Pop superstar Michael Jackson recorded his hit songs "Billie Jean" in 1982. The female double name "Billie Jean" or a folk processed form of that name is found in a number of many long form versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky".
Here's an example of a "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhyme that mentions "Billie Jean":
"down by the banks of the hanky panks where the bullfrogs
jump from bank 2 bank signin eipps ippes opps oops chillie willy ding dong i
pledge alligance to the flag micheal jackson makes me gag..coca cola brought
him up now we're talkin 7up..7up has no caffeine now we're talkin billy
jean..billy jean has no butt now we're talkin pizza hut , pizza hut has no
bread now we're talkin really dead eippes ippes opps oops chilly willy ding
dong- i know theres more but ijst cant rember!"
*xoxo*
-christine, July 9, 2003, http://www.streetplay.com/discus/cgi-discus/show.cgi?75/75.html [This website is no longer available.]
**
Here's a "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhyme that includes a version of "Michael Jackson Went To Town" as well as a folk processed form of the double female name "Billie Jean":
"Down by the river near the hankey pank
where the bullfrogs jump from bank, to bank,
and they say E I O U,
your momma stinks and so do you
so ping pong ding dong
your daddy smells like king kong.
Ask your teacher what she wears,
polka dotted underwear.
Not too big and not too small,
just the size of city hall.
Michael Jackson went to town,
coca-cola brought him down.
Coca-cola brought him up,
now he's drinking 7up.
7up with no cafiene, now he's seein' belgain (pronounced beligene).
Belgain is outta sight,
now we're talking dynamite.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BAM!"
-Veggie; http://www.cocojams.com/content/handclap-jump-rope-and-elastics-rhymes, August 21, 2006 [Cocojams is the name of my no longer active cultural website.]
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/forms-of-name-billie-jean-in-down-by.html for the 2014 pancocojams post entitled "Forms Of The Name "Billie Jean" In "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" Rhymes".
****
1984 - MICHAEL JACKSON'S BURNING HAIR INCIDENT
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson
.."On November 1983, Jackson and his brothers partnered with
PepsiCo in a $5 million promotional deal that broke records for a celebrity
endorsement (equivalent to $14.7 million in 2022). The first Pepsi campaign,
which ran in the US from 1983 to 1984 and launched its "New
Generation" theme, included tour sponsorship, public relations events, and
in-store displays. Jackson helped to create the advertisement, and suggested
using his song "Billie Jean", with revised lyrics, as its jingle.[95]
On January 27, 1984, Michael Jackson and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi commercial...at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. During a simulated concert
before a full house of fans, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on
fire, causing second-degree burns to his scalp. "...
-end of quote-
Michael Jackson was singing a version of his hit song "Billie Jean" during that commercial filming, which at least partly explains why he and "Billie Jean" are named so often in "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes.
Here's an example of a "Hanky Panky" rhyme that directly refers to Michael Jackson's scalp being burnt:
"Down by the bank of the hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank
going eeps ieps ops oop
Listen to the ker-plop
i pledge allegience to the flag
Michael Jackson stinks so bad
Coca Cola burned him up
now he's drinking 7 up
7 up has no caffiene
now he's drinking gasoline
Gasoline has no good taste now he's drinking toxic waste"
-GUEST, Rebecca, 19 Dec 07, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034 Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
**
The lines "Michael Jackson went to town/coca-cola brought him down" that are found in certain "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" are indirect references to Michael Jackson's scalp being burnt, although the children chanting those lines may not have been (may not be) aware of that.
Given the "Cola wars" between Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola and other carbonated beverages companies, it's ironical that most of the "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes that refer to cola beverages blame "Coca Cola" for "burning him up". Those rhymes seldom say "Pepsi Cola burned him up" even though Pepsi was the brand of cola that Michael Jackson was singing about in the commercial when his hair got burned.
****
THE TUNE FOR PETE SEEGER'S "FOOLISH FROG" SONG
Notice that Pete Seeger's "Foolish Frog" is a song and not a rhyme. The tune for Pete Seeger's "Foolish Frog" is the same as that of "The Three Little Fishies" song. The "Three Little Fishies" song includes the word "Down in the meadow... ... And they swam and they swam right over the dam". The song "Three Little Fishes" was recorded by Kay Kyser in 1939. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-963CTDLy68 for a sound file of that song.
****
THE TUNES FOR "DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY" RHYMES AND THE "COCA COLA CAME TO TOWN" RHYMES
Whether they are short forms of long forms (i.e. a combination of two or more rhymes that could be chanted by themselves) , the "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes that I have heard (from direct experience and from YouTube examples) sound to me like they have a hint of the tune for Ky Kyser's 1939 "Three Little Fishes" song. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=541HKD8alfg for a YouTube song file of that song.
The tune that I've heard (online) for long form versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" doesn't change even when the words are from other songs. For example, the "Coca Cola Went To Town" lines in long forms of "Hanky Panky" rhymes that are updated versions of "Yankee Doodle Went To Town" rhymes sound like other long form versions of "Hanky Panky". Also, even when they are chanted alone, the "Coca Cola Went To Town" rhymes that I've heard don't sound like the "Yankee Doodle Went To Town" song.
****
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