More African American Versions Of "Little Sally Walker" (with city/state and/or decades played) from a 2025 Facebook page

AnnaGraceBananaFace, Feb 25, 2009

Playing little sally walker in the munchkin room at the show in Irving on the 23rd!!
-snip-
This example of "Little Sally Walker Walkin Down The Street" doesn't come from the
Facebook page that is the focus of this 2025 pancocojams post.

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents some examples of the singing game "Little Sally Walker" from a 2025 discussion thread of the Facebook page of  Vintage & Iconic African American Everything.

This compilation also includes some examples of "Little Sally Walker Walking Down The Street" and a few other recreational singing games and rhymes. 

That discussion was sparked by a brief black & white (no color) 1975 film clip of Black American girls and boys performing the singing game "Little Sally Walker" (sitting in a saucer).

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Vintage & Iconic African American Everything" Facebook account for embedding a 1975 film clip of Black children playing a version of the singing game "Little Sally Walker" and thanks to that Facebook account for starting a discussion thread about that singing game and other recreational games and rhymes. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-few-examples-of-little-sally-walker.html?m=1 for the closely related 2022 pancocojams post entitled "Some Examples Of "Little Sally Walker" Singing Games That African Americans Remember (with geographic location & decade remembered or collected)."

The comments that are given in that 2022 pancocojams post aren't included in this 2025 post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/05/how-let-your-backbone-slip-is-performed.html for the pancocojams post entitled What "Backbone" Mens &"How "Let Your Backbone Slip" Is Performed In The "Little Sally Walker" (Sitting In A Saucer) Singing Game".

Click the "Little Sally Walker" tag below for other pancocojams posts about this singing game

****
1975 FILM CLIP OF BLACK AMERICAN CHILDREN PLAYING A VERSION OF THE "LITTLE SALLY WALKER" SINGING GAME
This film clip that has the title "Children playing Little Sally Walker (1975) #1970s " is embedded on https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3653896478089568 "Vintage & Iconic African American Everything" Facebook account, January 29, 2025. 

This clip is a part of a longer documentary that is filmed in black & white (not color]. Unfortunately, I can't find this clip or that documentary on YouTube. If you have any information about the titles of these YouTube videos, please share them in the comment section of this pancocojams post. Thanks, in advance. 

shows Black American children (girls and boys) playing this ring game together, different ages (from pre-school to early middle school ages? From the girls and pre-school to elementary school ages for the boys)  I can’t find this video on YouTube. It’s part of a longer documentary since it cuts off when an older Black woman is sitting in a chair talking.

Film show a group of Black American boys and girls playing this game standing out doors holding hands and moving counterclockwise around one person standing in the middle of the circle [That person represents Little Sally Walker.

Note: The words "Little Sally Walker" are also used if a boy is the center regardless of the fact that "Sally" is a female name only.

Here are the words to that singing game:

"Little Sally Walker sittin in a saucer
Weepin and a cryin for a cool drink of water
Rise Sally Rise
Wipe between your eyes
Put your hand on your hip
And let your backbone slip
We’re gonna shake it to the East
We’re gonna shake it to the West
We’re gonna shake it to the one that you love the best
Mama said so
Papa said so…
-snip-
An older Black woman in that film is heard sharing her memories of the words to this singing game, although she doesn't say the last part of that game.

Commenter #31 [quoted below] wrote that the last line of that version of "Little Sally Walker"  that she remembers is "That's what you do if you wanna get a beau" [The word "beau" means "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" rhymes with the word "so"].

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS FACEBOOK PAGE
There are a total of 1,598 comments in reply to that first comment about the film of Black girls and boys performing "Little Sally Walker" that is embedded on that Facebook page. (Unfortunately, I can't embed that film in this pancocojams post.)

Given the name of that Facebook page and some of its comments that specifically referred to race and nationality, it's likely that all of the commenters who responded to that first comment are African American.

I tried to retrieve all of the comments that include the words to this singing game that the commenters remembered and/or comments that include demographic information (location, decade remembered playing this singing game). Unfortunately, at some point, I was unable to see the comments since I wasn't signed in to any Facebook account (I gave up my Facebook account decades ago). However, this compilation doesn't include all of the comments that I was able to read. For instance, I didn't include comments that said something like "I agree" or "I remember this from my childhood" that were given without any lyrics to any singing game or that were given without any demographic information. 

This compilation also includes some comments about a few other recreational rhymes, singing games, and other play activities that those commenters remembered. 

Numbers are added to these comments for referencing purposes.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3653896478089568 "Vintage & Iconic African American Everything" Facebook page of January 29, 2025. 

All comments are from February 2025.

Some of these comments refer to the 1975 film that was embedded in that Facebook page that showed children playing a version of "Little Sally Walker" (sittin in a saucer.) 

1. Melvenia V Pressley
"Wow! Thanks for sharing this brings back so many memories we played out doors. We played red light green light 123, hopscotch, jumped rope, hide and seek and so much more . We got our exercise."

**
2. Kimberlee Brown
"Wow! All of them are at least 60 years of age now, some of them are older than 60. My brother was born in 1962 and he's 62 or 63."

**
3. Jean Nanna Mayer
"I remember playing this but only with girls. The boys wouldn't play because of the name"Sally".....LOL."

**
Reply
4. Val Sawyer
"Jean Nanna Mayer some boys would play with us, because when they got to the part” shake it to the east,shake it to the west, shake it to the very one you loved the best, that was their time to shake it in front of the girl they had a cruse on!🥰"

**
Reply
5.  Veronica Johnson
"Jean Nanna Mayer ...I never recall boys playing it."

**
6. Wallace Collins
"Old man this takes me back I remember kids used to play this outside at school doing recess"

**
Reply
7. Dee Madden
"Wallace Collins oh my, we use jump rope at recess to, or at lunch, cause we went out of school for lunch"

**
8. PeaceLove Atman
"I've never heard of little Sally walker...it was ring around the rosie for my era....Sally walker sounds so much better and was way more positive.

**
Reply
9. Nora Keithley
"PeaceLove Atman

Either have I. I am 73 and it was Ring around the Rosie.

It looks like fun."

**
Reply
10. PeaceLove Atman
"Nora Keithley WOW, i wonder if the words were different within each state"

**
Reply
11. Tavika Kersey
"PeaceLove Atman ring around the rosie pocket full of posies ashes ashes we all fall down, something like that 😝"

**
12. Doris Neal-Alexander
"We played this as kids in the Chgo. Henry Horner Projects.. we said "Lil Sally Walker was walkin down th street, she didn know wat t do so she stopped in front of me. We said gone girl shake that thang, shake that thang, shake that thang, gone girl shake that thang, shake that thang and Stop! I can see my friends faces and that was over 50 years ago! 🥹 Thank you for the memories!!! 💋💋💋"

** 
13. Gloria Anderson
"This is what we sang in the Fifties!

Little Sally Walker

Sitting in a Saucer

Weeping and a Crying for

some young man!

Oh ! Rise Sally Rise

And wipe your weeping eyes

Now rise to the East

Now rise to the West

Now rise to the very one that you love the best

Shake it to the East

Shake it to the West

Shake it to the very one that you love the best!

Now put your hands on your hips and let your backbone slip !"

**
14. Shikim Collins
"Our generation was little sally walker walking down the street. She don’t know where she’s going but she’s always follow me. I said now gone girl shake that thang , shake that thang stop and repeat gone girl shake that thang shake that thang 🛑"

**
Reply
15. Lashawnda Monique Boykin
"Shikim Collins I been looking for this comment because that’s the version I knew 80’s Midwest."

**
16. Catherine Davis
"We sang ..lil Sally waker sitting in a saucer she weeping she wipping all her tears away rise sally walker wipe your tears away put your hands on your hip and let your backbone slip.. you skake it to the east ..and you skake it to the west ..you shake it to the one that you love the best..."

**
Reply
17. Carilyn Young
"Yes I remember that song when I was elementary school in the south."

**
18. Panessa Bankston
"I remember growing up my friends and I would play this☺️, I don't remember the boys playing,I noticed someone saying it was innocent times then, so true, now it's just crazy, kids will never understand how much fun we had growing up, anyhoot God bless all and remember, keep reminding them it was once safe for kids to play outside , but things have changed, people have changed, and it's only getting worse,STAY SAFE AND BE BLESSED 🙏"

**
19. Lori Guilbeau
"It sounds completely different. We didn't sing all the words!!!! What a strange but funny feeling I have, hearing and seeing kids playing together. Just having innocent fun."

**
20. Janice Swearinger
"I remember this but the words were a little different at the end of the song, but it still brings back good memories as a kid 👍♥️"

**
21. PJ Edwards
"In Houston Texas in the 1970s, we said...

Little Sally Walker sitting in a saucer rise Sally rise wipe your weeping eyes put your hand on your hips and make your backbone slip oh shake it to the East oh shake it to the West oh shake it to the very one you love the best turn to the east turn to the West turn to the very one you love the best."

**
Reply
22. Tracey Tball Williams
"PJ Edwards , 'and if you got a boyfriend I’ll tell you what to do, take some salt and pepper and shake it on your shoe now gone girl shake that thing shake that thing stop turn to the east turn to the west turn to the boy that you love the best'. I’m 62 years, and that song just came out my mouth so naturally"

**
Reply
23. Lisa Fisher
"Tracey Tball Williams I forgot about that version!"

**
Reply
24. Marilynn Pointer
"PJ Edwards exactly the way we did it in Memphis!!! Back then was the best days!! ❤️"

**
Reply
25. Ambree Blake
"PJ Edwards yes we did sing it exactly like that in Houston. My Lord! Great memories!"

**
Reply
26. Mattie Jones
"PJ Edwards, same in Arlington, Tennessee. But my times was in the 50's"

 **
Reply
27. Renita Abraham
"PJ Edwards we did too but we did say the last line like the video....mama said so papa said so that's the way you do it when you want to catch a boo 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣"

**
Reply
28. Candice Carter Allen
"PJ Edwards this is how we did it in the L.A. area too"

**
Reply
29. Ella Guillory Washington
"PJ Edwards the words were same in Lake Charles LA as in Houston. Back in da day… 60’s for me. I was teenager in the early 70’s, didn’t sing it much then."

**
Reply
30. Tamela Holley
"PJ Edwards same in Mississippi I teach red light green light stop n bubble gum bubble gum in the ditch still today to my grands n they lovvveee the simple games"

**
Reply
31. Callie Marshall
"PJ Edwards moma said so, papa said so, that's the way you do it when you wanna catch a beau! 😊"

**
Reply
32. Kimberly Alford Sitton
"PJ Edwards yes indeed , we did Houston , Proud"

**
Reply
33. Cheryl L Whittington Lockley
"PJ Edwards we did it in San Diego California...oh yes!!!!"

**
Reply
34. Denise Huntjones
"PJ Edwards I remember your same version of this growing up in my part of NC."

**
Reply
35. Lucille Shields
"PJ Edwards yes that's the way we sang it in Alabama to."

**
Reply
36. Michelle Waller
"PJ Edwards we sang it the way you mentioned in California also."

**
Reply
37. Jennifer Marie Jones
"PJ Edwards same - born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana."

**
Reply
38. Cynthia Giddens Hunter
"PJ Edwards I was born in 1953 and I played these same games growing up."

**
Reply
39. Shebrew Shebrew
"PJ Edwardsthat’s what we said in the 80’s in Oklahoma."

**
Reply
40. Zaneta Tolbert-Dean
"PJ Edwards that is what we song in Chicago as well"

**
Reply
41. Anna Longmeyer
"PJ Edwards that's the way we did it in Santana California"

**
Reply
42. Lisa Neal
"PJ Edwards my grandma taught me from Missouri."

**
Reply
43. Rita Whitsett Franklin
"PJ Edwards We sung it like you did in the 60’s in Mobile, Alabama."

**
Reply
44. Tracy Savoy
"PJ Edwards im from Houston and we said this one too!!! Remember Hollywood Swing It?"

**
Reply
45. Gwendolyn Ann Lollis-Smith
"PJ Edwards In New Orleans we said that same thing 😅😅😅😅"

**
Reply
46. Cindy Chretien
"Omg was we singing this song wrong lol we always sang Lil Sally Saucer sitting in the water cry Sally cry wipe off your eyes ?? We sang the I was going to Kentucky I was going to a fair I met a senorita with diamonds in here hair shake it shake it shake it shake it if u can shake it like a milk shake and shake it once again turn to east turn to the west turn to the one u like the best! And Ms Mary Mac Mac Mac all dressed in black black black with silver buttons buttons buttons all down her back back back with ask our mother for 50 cents to see the elephant elephant elephant jump over the fence fence fence"

**
Reply
47. Kimberly Alford Sitton
"I was born in 65 , grew up in these years with games etc. as girls we wore cool locks , like the lil girl in red , now called different , and shorts under your dress, but when returning home from school , you were to put on play clothes , meaning you didn’t play any games , in your school attire , and as a lil girl ,, you better act like a lil young lady , around boys at school , or in the neighborhood , they kept their eyes 👀 on us"

**
Reply
48. Nora Keithley
"PeaceLove Atman

Interesting question. Was this only in the black communities? I grew up as a military child and most of my school years, was overseas."

 **
49. April Love
"I’m from Cali,

We use to sing:

down down baby …down down… a roller coaster… sweet sweet baby sweet sweet. ..Don’t let me go…shimmy Shimmy Coco pop shimmy, shimmy…rise…Shimmy Shimmy Coco pop… I had a boyfriend ….a biscuit …he so sweet… a biscuit …like a cherry tree… a biscuit…ice cream, soda pop cherry on top …aweee BB awww Baby, I said it… I meant it… I’m cool ..smooth ?something….. don’t remember the rest😆😆"

**
Reply
50. Alieda Viruet
"April Love I'm from Chicago

We used to don't a variation of this song like this:

Down down baby, down down the roller coaster...

Sweet sweet baby I don't wanna let you go...

Just because I kiss you, don't mean I love you...

Shimmy shimmy coco pop, shimmy shimmy rock...

Shimmy shimmy coco pop, shimmy shimmy break down...

Man and lady sittin' on a bench, trynna make a dollar out of fifteen cent...

You missed, you missed, you missed like this

🤣😂😂Little less innocent than your lyrics... though we didn't realize it as kids."

**
Reply
51. Sherrea Jones
"April Love We did also in Dallas Texas I'm sure I'm lot older cause we sang and played these games in the 59s and 60s things started changing more in late 70s"

**
Reply
52. Michelle Waller
"April Love This is another one we also sang. We used to sing another version of little Sally Walker and another too."

**
Reply
53. Cassandra Thomas
"April Love must be a 70s or 80s baby because my children sang that. 😅😅"

**
Reply
54. Wendy Miller
"April Love yup. I remember those playground rhymes. I lived in Watts/Compton at the time."

**
Reply
55. Barbara Miller
"Lucille Shields you are ABSOLUTELY right. 1950’s. My classmates and I played this game and many others in Mobile, Alabama. Sweet Memories."

**
Reply
56. Marjie Edwards
"Lucille Shieds you are right. The 50s. Not the 70s."

**
Reply
57. Rosalyn Sinkfield
"Lucille Shields such good memories, when children were children 😃💗"

**
Reply
58. Anita Cloutier Bridge
"Lucille Shields I agree. Kids played this way before the 70’s."

**
Reply
59. Tommie Jean Thomas
"Lucille Shields ABSOLUTELY! I'm 82 and we did "Little Sally Walker" when I was 5.🙏❤️🎶💃🌹💋"

**
Reply
60. Bunnie Gaines-Tabb
"Lucille Shields these games were pre civil war! They are African traditions which combine percussions, dance, calls and responses. They had no toys..."

**
Reply
61. Veronica Johnson
"Lucille Shields .truth!"

**
Reply
62. Keith Duncan
"My Nana says she Remembers this

this is Priceless"

**
63. TenishiaNene Smith
"Wow!! We enjoyed playing games like this even in the 90's.

But Man, looking at how short some of these little dresses were. Somebody lied to us talking about when we were coming up you wouldn't see girls with these little dresses yall wear now. Honey they couldn't even bend or fall without everything showing lol"
-snip-
This comment refers to the 1975 film of children playing this singing game (ring game) that was embedded on that Facebook page. 

**
Reply
64. Benita P. Traphan
"Takes me back to my childhood when I played with children in my neighborhood. Those were the clothes we wore. Short little dresses were so cute. What innocence! Today’s children don’t have the innocent fun we had fifty years ago."

**
65. Nikki Berry
" 'Little Sally Walker walking down the street...She didn't know what to do so she stopped in front of me. She said, "Hey girl, shake that thang, shake that thang, don't stop.' Repeat and everytime she stops. The person she stops in front of does a dance and they switch places."

**
Reply
66. Kawana MsKay Renee
"Nikki Berry we use to say jumped in front of me.. and said gone girl shake that thang stop.."

**
Reply
67. Unique Buckley
"Kawana MsKay Renee we said gone girl do yo thang do yo thang in the 90s"

**
Reply
68. Lisa Marie
"Kawana MsKay Renee I’m from Detroit. That’s how we sang it!❤️"

**
Reply
69. Ray Ray
"Nikki Berry this is the one we sang in school in mid 2000's ❣️"

**
Reply
70. Taneisha McIntosh
"Nikki Berry yesssss I was looking for this version, we were poppin it at the playground in 1998 lol"

**
Reply
71. Kendra Thompson
"Nikki Berry now this is the Sally Walker I remember lol"

**
Reply
72. Era Smith-Perry
"Nikki Berry 💯except we said gone girl shake that thang🤣"

**
Reply
73. Terri Allen
"Nikki Berry I guess we all had different words.."

**
Reply
74. Georgia Williams
"Terri Allen I know right. I remember something like. Little Sally Walker sitting in a saucer? Rise Sally rise and wipe your weeping eyes etc..."

**
Reply
75. Daniele Green
"Nikki Berry my mama used to sing the one they’re singing*. We used to sing the one you just wrote. Maybe it’s different for every generation. I was born in 1988."
-snip-
This comment refers to the film that is embedded on that Facebook page.

**
Reply
76. Artimease Jackson
"Nikki Berry shake that thing Stop 🥰🤣"

**
Reply
77. Treneice Okpaku
"Nikki Berry this the one!!! 90s in Kansas"

**
Reply
78. Linnie Butler
"Nikki Berry Right. Thats the later version my nieces used to say. Except they would say "gon girl shake that thang." I guess lil Sally grew up. 😄😄😄😄🥰"

**
79. Carliss Deniece
"Coming up in the 70’s in Mississippi I remember

Lil Sally walker

Ring around the Rosie

Miss Mary Mac

I don’t wanna go to Mexico no more

It was one song when two people were facing each other and you sing a song and using your hands to the song…I done forgot so many years ago. Times were tough but we were happy."

**
Reply
80. Kathy Newby
"Carliss Deniece hello Queen I remember those also i lived in a different state but we played the same games must be a cultural experience"

**
Reply
81. Catherine Davis
"Carliss Deniece Mrs Mary Mac mac mac all dress in black black black with 24 buttons buttons buttons right down her back back back...lol"

**
Reply
82. Jackie Smith
"Carliss DenieceTake me out to the ballgame was one"

**
Reply
83. Drama Mo
"Carliss Deniece tweet-tweet-tweetalie"

**
Reply
84. Erin Traynum Cameron
"Carliss Deniece we did the Mexico one too in Ohio where I’m from

I don’t wanna go to Mexico no more more more

There’s a big fat policeman at the door door door

If you grab him by the collar you SHOLE to make him holler

I don’t wanna go to Mexico no more more more

🥰🥰"

**
Reply
85. Carliss Deniece
"Erin Traynum Cameron That’s it 😂 we say catch him by the collar and make him pay a dollar 😂😂"

**
Reply
86. Alieda Viruet
"Erin Traynum Cameron in Chicago we said, he grabbed me the collar, he made me pay a dollar🤣🤣😂"

**
87. Lucille Shields
"1970's heck these ring games were back in the 50's when I was a child at my elementary school, good memories."

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.