Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest edition- December 11, 2024
This pancocojams post presents some examples of the hand clap rhyme "E.T. From Outer Space".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who contributed examples of "E.T. From Outer Space" that are included in this pancocojams collection.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/04/examples-of-miss-sue-from-alabama-with.html for a pancocojams post entitled "Examples Of "Miss Sue From Alabama" (with decades remembered or date collected)".
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NOTES ABOUT REFERENCES IN THESE RHYMES
"E.T. From Outer Space" is an updated version of the children’s recreational rhyme “Miss Sue From Alabama”. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/selected-examples-of-hand-clap-rhyme.html for a pancocojams pose entitled Selected Examples Of The Hand Clap Rhyme "Miss Sue From Alabama" (1965-1990s),
The earliest documented version of "Miss Sue From Alabama" is 1934 from African American children. However, the first word example that I've come across is from African Americans in 1940.
The earliest example of "E.T. From Outer Space" is 1982 after the American movie "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" was released. "E.T. From Outer Space" has the same tune, tempo, and textual structure as "Miss Sue From Alabama". Except for its first verse, the words for "E.T. From Outer Space" chants are the same or similar to the words for "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes. The earliest date that I've come across for "E.T. From Outer Space" chants is 1982, the same year that the "E.T." movie was released.
I'm interested in collecting examples of "E.T. From Outer Space" this rhyme, Please remember to add demographic information with any rhyme example that you share in this pancocojams discussion thread (including race/ethnicity, geographical location, and age/gender of those people who chanted this rhyme. Also, please share whether this was chanted while doing hand clap routines. Thanks .
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"E.T.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial .
"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (or simply E.T.) is a 1982
American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and
written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends
an extraterrestrial, dubbed E.T., who is left behind on Earth. Along with his
friends and family, Elliott must find a way to help E.T. find his way home."...
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"Betty Crocker'
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Crocker
"Betty Crocker is a brand and fictional character used in
advertising campaigns for food and recipes. The character was created by the
Washburn-Crosby Company in 1921 to give a personalized response to consumer
product questions. In 1954, General Mills introduced the red spoon logo with
her signature, placing it on Gold Medal flour, Bisquick, and cake-mix
packages.[1] A portrait of Betty Crocker appears on printed advertisements,
product packaging, and cookbooks.
The character was developed in 1921 following a unique Gold
Medal Flour promotion featured in the Saturday Evening Post. …
The portrait of Betty Crocker was first commissioned in
1936. It has been updated seven times since her creation, reflecting changes in
fashion and hairstyles.[3]
Described as an American cultural icon, the image of Betty
Crocker has endured several generations, adapting to changing social,
political, and economic currents.[4][5] Apart from advertising campaigns in
printed, broadcast and digital media, she received several cultural references
in film, literature, music and comics."...
-snip-
The words "Eating Betty Crocker" is probably a short hand form of the sentence "Eating Betty Crocker pastries" (cookies, pies, cakes, and/or other baked desserts).
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"Get your Black hands off of me"
This line is found in a number of these rhymes (and in some of the later "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes. The words reflect the negative valuation that a number of Black Americans had (have) for their race.
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"Get your mama [or grandmother] off of me"
These lines allude to a Dozens form of sexual putdown. Some versions of "Miss Sue From Alabama" includes the words "wipe those boy germs off of me" or similar words. I believe those words are (and the get your mama off of me" words are sexual references that may not be understood as such by children chanting those rhymes.
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EXAMPLES OF "E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE" RHYMES
These rhymes are presented in chronological order with the oldest examples that I've come across given first. These examples are numbered for referencing purposes only.
ET FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #1)
ET from outer space.
He has an ugly face.
Sittin in a rocket
eatin very tocket
watchin the clock go
Tick tock
tick tock shawally wally
ABCDEFG
You betta get your black hands offa me
You gotta smoooth cho
You gotta smoooth cho
You gotta smooth, smooth, smooth, smooth, smooth.
Now Freeze!
(alternative last line: My mama said "Black eye
peas").
-Kiera, African American girl, 8 years old, (Pleasantville,
New Jersey) and Kion, African American male, 6 years old, (Pleasantville, New
Jersey), 11/8/2008
-snip-
Kiara & Kion are my great niece & great nephew. Their mother, Kiemon, told me that she recited this same rhyme when she was a
child in the 1980s.
"You got smoooth cho" is a folk processed form of "take a smooth shot" [meaning a quick vaccination shot [probably as a protection against the tuberculosis disease] The words "Take a smooth shot" is found in an earlier version of "Miss Sue From Alabama".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/get-your-black-hands-off-of-me.html for a pancocojams post about the line "Get your black hands off of me."
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ET FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #2)
E.T.::clap clap::
E.T.::clap clap::
E.T. from outer space
he had an ugly face
sittin in a rocker eatin betty crocker
watchin the clock go tick tock
tick tock she walla wala
tick tock she walla wala
A. B.C.D. E. F.G.
YOU BETTA CET CHO BLACK HANDS OFFA ME
I gota smooth shaa(?)
I gota smooth shaa(?)
I gota smooth smooth smoth smooth shaa(?)
and then u say sumthin like ya name and then go FREEZE! LOL!
-SharmaineB; (African American female; no location given),
http://bn-in.facebook.com/notes.php?id=505682703&_fb_noscript=1 “HandClaps
Throwbacks”; posted 2007; retrieved 9/15.2009
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The question marks in this example was found in that
Facebook comment. It probably means that the writer wasn't sure what
"smooth shaa" means. In some versions of that rhyme, that line is
given as "smooth shot". People probably did a sliding to the side
movement while chanting that line.
E.T. (Version #3)
"E.T....E.T....
E.T from outer space he has an ugly face, sitting in the
rocker, eating betty crocker, watching the clock go tick tock, tick tock
shawawa(sp)(x2), a-b-c-d-e-f-g betta get your mama off of me, betta get your
mama off of me musha, musha, musha, freeze."
"^^I don't even know how to spell some of those words. But if
you don't that was a song to a hand game my friends and I used to play. We used
to love to play hand games on the playground, in the neighborhood, on field
trips. Do girls even play hand games anymore?? I wouldn't have the slightest
idea."
-Posted by August 3, 2008, https://nothingliketheninetys.blogspot.com/2008/08/etet.html
Labels: Hand games
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E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #4)
"Et from outer space. He had an ugly face. Sittin in the rocket. Eating hot chocolate something something tick tock tick tock, cho wala wala .tick tock tick tock, cho wala wala. ABCDEFG you better get your black hands off of me. I gotta smooth shirt... None of that correlates"
-peanut butter, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55TnrD5re5g, 2015
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E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #5)
"the one i remember best was "E.T from outer space, he has an ugly face, sitting in the rocker, eating betty crocker, watching the clock go tick tock, tick tock shawawa, tick tock, tick tock shawawa, a-b-c-d-e-f-g was that chocolate off of me, mushka mushka i know karate, mushka mushka i can call my mommy, mushka mushka FREEZE" and then whoever moved first lost. don't know what we had against ET though"
-Libby Jourdan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55TnrD5re5g, 2015
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ET HAND GAME (Version #6)
E.T. [clap clap]
E.T. [clap clap clap]
E.T. from Hollywood
The boys are looking good.
Sitting in a rocking chair
Eating Baby Cracker.
Watching the clock go
Tick tock
TickTok tawala wala
Tick tock
TickTok tawala wala
A,b,c,d,e,f,g
Watch those boy germs off of me
Cris cross applesauce
Tell your boyfriend to get lost.
If he doesn’t don’t you cry
Walk [?] him back and say bye bye.
-Jennifer Wulf, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmjCuDB2A7k
-snip-
The question mark is included in this transcription because I'm not sure what this word is
.
At the end of this rhyme, one of the girls playfully says “Bye Felicia” . The saying “Bye Felicia" came from a scene in the 1995 African American movie Friday. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bye,_Felicia
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ET (Version #7)
The most complicated clap game I remember was ET - if I tried the clap pattern now I'd probably accidentally hit my partner, because it involved switching from clapping across to the up and down claps a lot. But the rhyme itself went:
ET, (clap clap clap), ET (clap clap clap)
ET from outer space, he had an ugly face
Sitting in a rocker, eating Betty crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick tock, tick tock sha walla walla
A B C D E F G
You better get your grandma off of me
You better get your grandma off of me
Now freeze!
And whoever moved first lost.
- sirsparklepants, March 9, 2017,
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