"Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority" Chant "They Want Some Skee-Wee" (which includes the words "You Wish You Had A Knickel/You Wish You Had A Dime"

Alisha Lola Jones, PhD, Jan 14, 2012

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a sound file of a rendition of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.(AKA)  chant entitled "They Want Some Skee-Wee".

This post also presents the transcript of that sound file as well as lyrics for another online example of that AKA chant.

"Skee-Wee" is a high pitched sound that is the unofficial signature call of members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the first historical Black Greek letter sorority, was founded on January 15, 2008 on Howard University, Washington, D.C.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this chant and thanks to the AKA chanters on this sound file and its publisher on YouTube.

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LYRICS - THEY WANT SOME SKEE-WEE
(from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4fQ39F6aLU}

Loved by the Alphas
Chased by K A Psi
Wanted by the Sigmas
Now the Qs want to try

They want some skee-wee, skee-wee (skeeee-weeee)
Skee-wee, skee-wee (skeeee-weeee)

You wish you had a nickel
You wish you had a dime
You wish you had an AKA
To love you all the time

You wish you had a quarter
You wish you had a dollar
You wish you had an AKA
To make you scream and holler.

They want some skee-wee, skee-wee (skeeee-weeee)
Skee-wee, skee-wee (skeeee-weeee)

A-skeet-on, skeet-skeet, skeet-skee-wee
A-skeet-on, skeet-skeet, skeet-skee-wee
A-skeet-on, skeet-skeet, skeet-skee-wee
A-skeet-on, skeet-skeet, skeet-skee-wee

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EXPLANATIONS ABOUT THIS ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY CHANT
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Kappa_Alpha
"Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (ΑΚΑ) is the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority.[3] The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C.

[...]

The sorority is one of the nation's largest Greek-letter organizations, having had more than 360,000 members in 1,074 chapters in the United States and several other countries.[2][5] Women may join through undergraduate chapters at a college or university, or they may be invited to join by a graduate chapter after acquiring an undergraduate or advanced college degree.[6]"...

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"Skee wee" is the unofficial call of members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. "Skee wee" is pronounced with a high pitched voice and is often said and written in elongated forms such as "skeeeee-weeee".

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"They Want Some Skee-Wee" is an Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority group bragging chant whose words indicate that men who are members of historically Black Greek letter fraternities* love women who are AKAs. 

The first verse of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority chant "They Want Some Skee-Wee" refers to four fraternities that are members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). The NPHC  is also known as the Divine Nine. The fraternities that are mentioned in that chant are 
"the Alphas" = "Alpha Phi Alpha",

"K A Psi" = Kappa Alpha Psi", 

"the Sigmas" = "Phi Beta Sigma",

and "the Qs (also written "Ques") = Omega Psi Phi".

"They Want Some Skee-Wee" doesn't mention "Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc" ("the Iotas"). That historically Black Greek letter fraternity wasn't founded until 1963 and didn't become a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council until November 12, 1996.

*This Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority chant was likely composed after Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, the fifth fraternity that is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, was founded in 1963. The probable reason why Iotas aren't  mentioned in this sorority chant (and aren't mentioned  in a number of other post-1963 composed BGLO chants along with the other Divine Nine fraternities ) is that the Iotas have fewer undergraduate and graduate chapters than the other Divine Nine organizations.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/06/the-first-african-american-greek-letter.html for the related pancocojams post entitled "Founding Dates And Locations For The First African American Greek Letter Fraternity & The Nine Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternities & Sororities."
snip-
Click https://www.horntip.com/mp3/2000s/2001ca_black_greek_soundz_songs_and_chants_(CDs)/2001ca_alpha_kappa_alpha_sorority/14_they_want_some_skee-wee.htm for a different arrangement of "They Want Some Skee-Wee". The arrangement of that AKA chant is featured on the Jack Horntip Collection for recording CDs of this and other historically Black Greek letter organization chants and songs and publishing some examples of those songs and chants online in 2001.

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OTHER SONGS AND RHYMES THAT INCLUDE THE LINE "I WISH I HAD A NICKEL/I WISH I HAD A DIME"
"I wish I had a nickel/I wish I had a dime" is the first line for a verse that is found in some versions of several 19th century and early 20th century folk songs such as  Old Joe Clark" and "Cindy"/"Shady Grove". 

The "I wish I had a nickel" verse is also found in some versions of  "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" and some other examples of contemporary American children's recreational rhymes.

For more information about the songs and rhymes that include the "I wish I had a nickel/I wish I had a dime" line, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/examples-of-historically-black_65.html  for a pancocojams post about that rhyme that is entitled "Song Sources For The Children's Rhymes Verse "I Wish I Had A Nickel; I Wish I Had A Dime" & Some Examples Of That Verse In Recreational Rhymes"

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