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Friday, May 30, 2025

Pancocojams Softball Chants Series, Part #2 (Softball Chants That Are Derived From Recorded Music)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision -May 30, 2025

This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series on softball chants. 

This post provides an alphabetical list of some softball chants that are derived from recorded music.

Other softball chants are actual examples of or adapted versions of military cadences, hand clap rhymes, children's cheerleader cheers, advertisement jingles, television theme songs, and other music sources. 


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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who contributed examples that are included in this compilation.

Click the softball tag below for other posts in this series.
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PANCOCOJAMS COMPILATION OF SOFTBALL CHANTS DERIVED FROM RECORDED MUSIC
This pancocojams compilation only documents a small number of softball chants and their recorded music source/s.

Although there are multiple versions of each softball chant, this pancocojams compilation only showcases one or two examples of each featured softball chant. This doesn't mean that those examples are the most common versions of that chant.

Please add to the folkloric record by sharing the examples of these types of softball chants that you know in the discussion thread below. Please remember to include demographic information (such as the year of decade and city/state that you first chanted or heard that example) and include what you believe is the source of that chant.

Additions/corrections to my notes about the source/s for each of these examples are welcome.

WARNING -  The lyrics & videos for the sources for some of these softball chants (particularly some of the Hip Hop sources and some of the military cadence sources) aren't suitable for children.

A, B

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C, D

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E, F

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G, H

HOW DARE THEY HIT THE FIELD LIKE WHOO
"how dare they hit the field like (whoo)
how dare they hit the field like (whoo)
how dare they hit the field like ( whoo)
all day like
all night like
whoo whoo whoo"
-commenter @Masterrage07, 2024),https://youtube.com/shorts/BKICqtlSg7Y?si=YCPCXRXZMpHxzOvu "What’s your favorite chant? @maxpreps.com (Via kaitlynnmariah._/tt), Mar 4, 2024
-snip-
I believe that this softball chant Inspired by the Hip Hop track "Whoa" by Black Rob, released Feb. 2000, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoa!_(Black_Rob_song): 

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I, J

i LIKE IT LIKE THAT
oooo I said I like it like that she be working that bat I don’t know how to act hit the ball for me right field left field center field for me❤❤❤❤❤❤
-
@andymagallon7270, May 2025 from https://youtube.com/shorts/zEg20EJ8QTo?si=e1qozsrscBGDylU5 "whats your favorite softball cheer pt 2", May 18, 2024 
-snip-
This softball chant is adapted from 2003 Juvenile featuring Soulja Slim's Hip Hop track "Slow Motion". Here's a portion of the lyrics from https://genius.com/Juvenile-slow-motion-lyrics
"Ugh, I like it like thatShe workin' that back, I don't know how to actSlow motion for me, slow motion for meSlow motion for me, move in slow motion for me"...
-snip-
Warning- This Hip Hop track includes explicit lyrics.

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JUMP ON IT 
"Hey (name)! Hey (name) Jump on it jump on it! Hey (name) Hey Name! You want it! you want it! Jump on it (name) jump on it! You want it (name) you want it)"
-
https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
I believe the softball chant "Jump On It" is an adaptation of The Sugarhill Gang's 1981 song  "Apache (Jump On It)". 

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K, L

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M, N

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O, P

OH [PLAYER'S NAME] BABY AWOO 

"Leader- oh (batters name) baby! Team- Aroo! Leader you look so good to me! Team- aroo! Leader- your drivin me crazy! Team- Aroo! Leader- so hit the ball for me! Team- AROO!" -
commenter @yummyicecreamcake3143, 2017; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAZlWDfvk48&list=PLbuVU_dRhzW7HGULgucf-vNSFfjMTyv0f, "My Favorite softball cheers", kpandocshow, May 5, 2009
-snip-
I believe that this softball chant Inspired by the Hip Hop track "Whoa" by Black Rob, released Feb. 2000, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoa!_(Black_Rob_song): 

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OLAY OLAY OLAY OLAY 
O‐lay O‐lay, O‐lay O‐lay,
hit that ball the other way,
our team is hot hot hot, your team is not not 
not,
so hit the ball ball ball, over the wall wall wall,
O‐lay.


(Say when your team hits a foul ball.)
-https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
I added parenthesis to those words to differentiate them from the chant itself.
"Ole Ole Ole Ole" (often incorrectly spelled "Olay") are words in the 1982 Soca song "Hot Hot Hot" by the Soca singer Arrow from the Caribbean nation of Montserrat.
Here's some information about that song from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Hot_Hot_(Arrow_song)
" "Hot Hot Hot" is a song written and first recorded by Montserratian musician Arrow, featured on his 1982 studio album, Hot Hot Hot.[1] The song was a commercially successful dance floor single, with cover versions subsequently released by artists in several countries, including in 1987 by American singer Buster Poindexter. The song was Arrow's first chart hit, peaking at No. 59 on the UK Singles Chart. A remix of the song, dubbed as the "World Carnival Mix '94" was later released in 1994 and peaked higher than the original, at number 38 on the UK Singles Chart."... 

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Q, R

ROCK THE BOAT
My name's Name
Rock the boat.
I'm feeling fine.
Rock the boat.
You mess with me,
Rock the boat.
I'll blow your mind.
Rock the boat.
I said a bing, bang, choo choo train,
Warm me up and I'll do my thing.
I know karate, I know kung fu,
You mess with me I'll use it on you.
Rock the boat, rock the boat,
Rock the boat, rock the boat.  
--https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
This softball chant is based on the 1973 R&B song "Rock The Boat" by the Hues Corporation.
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_the_Boat_(The_Hues_Corporation_song) for more information about that song.

"Rock The Boat" foot stomping cheers probably were the direct source for this softball chant. Those foot stomping cheers have the same or very similar words as this softball chant..
 
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ROCK THE BOAT TOO 
Rock The Boat Too Hey, _________, let me see you rock the boat No way! Let me see you rock the boat Okay, we slide, we slide, we give that horse a ride And you, and you could rock the boat too!
https://dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net/portals/12454/docs/cheers.pdf [No publishing date. Retrieved May 30, 2025)
-snip-
This softball chant is based on the 1973 R&B song "Rock The Boat" by the Hues Corporation.
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_the_Boat_(The_Hues_Corporation_song) for more information about that song.

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S,T

SHE HAS A BIG STICK AND SHE KNOWS HOW TO USE IT
She got up!
She got up!
She got a big stick
And she knows how to use it
-snip-
Commenter @Anywaysz, 2024 in the discussion thread for https://youtube.com/shorts/BKICqtlSg7Y?si=YCPCXRXZMpHxzOvu "What’s your favorite chant? @maxpreps.com "What's Your Fvorite Chant?", Mar 4, 2024

"It’s based off a song by magnolia shorty called juvie either that or the remix of it which is home girl by big boogie" 
-snip-
In the context of this softball chant, "a big stick" means a softball bat.

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SHE'S WALKING ON SUNSHINE
She’s walking on sunshine right down the first base line. WHOA She’s got to feel good.
-Commenter
@EvonneManor, 2024 https://youtube.com/shorts/ozS0VWcxDB0?si=h5Qly9tI6xtJfj1p "These cheers are so good 🔥🥎 #shorts" published by @maxpreps (via saffordhighsoftball0/tt), April 28, 2024
-snip-
This softball chant has its source in the 1983 British Rock song with that title.
Here's an excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_on_Sunshine_(Katrina_and_the_Waves_song)
"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for British rock band Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The rerecorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album

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SOUND OFF 
"A little birdie in a tree
(A little birdie in a tree)
Said something very true to me
(Said something very true to me)
He said that our team was the best
(He said that our team was the best)
Better than all the rest
(Better than all the rest)
Sound‐off!
(1,2)
Sound‐off!
(3,4)
Bring it all down now
(1,2,3,4)
One two, three four!"
-https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
"Sound Off" ("The Duckworth Chant") is the most iconic and most influential American military cadence. Here's a quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_cadence
"The Duckworth Chant

A V-Disc issued in 1944 credits the origin of "The Duckworth Chant" (also known as "Sound Off") to Private Willie Lee Duckworth of Sandersville, Georgia, an African-American soldier serving in the United States Army.

[...]

This cadence, known as the "Duckworth Chant", still exists with variations in the different branches of the U.S. military. Duckworth's simple chant was elaborated on by Army drill sergeants
 and their trainees, and the practice of creating elaborate marching chants spread to the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.

A musical version of the chant was recorded by Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra (Voc.: Vaughn Monroe & Chorus in New York City) on March 7, 1951."....

**
SWING THAT BAT AND RIP THAT BALL
• Swing that bat and rip that ball, honey, honey, Swing that bat and bust that ball, babe, babe Swing that bat and hit that ball, round those bases YEEHA! Swing that bat and rip that ball, babe, babe (repeat cheer while clapping) 
-https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
This softball chant is derived from "(The) Crawdad Song". Here's some information about that song from https://secondhandsongs.com/work/113622/all Secondhand Songs (retrieved May 30, 2025:
"Written by [Traditional]
Language English
Round Number 4853

Comments
Folksong originated in the southern United States and first published in a collection of songs in 1917 by Cecil Sharp. This song is apparently a variation of an older traditional work "Sweet Thing" which is of African American origin. "Crawdad Song" is collected as number 4853 in the Round Folksong Index. The tune for "Crawdad Song" is used for a number of other folksongs.   
This song was performed at southern "play parties" where dancing was generally not allowed for religious reasons." 

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THAT'S THE WAY (Example  #1)
That's the way uh huh uh huh
We like it uh huh uh huh
That's the way uh huh uh huh We like it

(sung when someone scores or hits the ball)
-https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf (no publishing date, retrieved May 26, 2025
-snip-
Here's an excerpt about the song "That's The Way I Like It" from the Wikipedia page:
"That's the Way (I Like It)" is a song by American disco and funk band KC and the Sunshine Band from their self-titled second studio album (1975). The single became the band's second No. 1 hit in the Billboard Hot 100, and it is one of the few chart-toppers in history to hit No. 1 on more than one occasion during a one-month period, as it did between November and December 1975....

The song was also an international chart hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada[5] and the Netherlands and charting in Australia (No. 5), Belgium (No. 2), Ireland (No. 17), New Zealand (No. 12), Norway (No. 5), the United Kingdom (No. 4) and West Germany (No. 20)."...
-snip-
Some words from the 1975 record "That's The Way (I Like It)" are found in a number of children's hand clap rhymes and children's cheerleader cheers, including the sub-set of cheerleader cheers that I refer to as "foot stomping cheers". The title "That's The Way. I Like It" is used for some of those hand clap rhyme and foot stomping cheers.

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THAT'S THE WAY (Example  #2)
That’s the way, uh-huh, uh-huh
We like it, uh-huh, uh-huh
That’s the way, uh-huh, uh-huh
We like it, uh-huh, uh-huh
Do it again, do it again, we like it, we like it
Do it again, do it again, we like it, we like it
-https://dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net/portals/12454/docs/cheers.pdf "Scripps Ranch Cheers"

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THERE SHE GOES JUST A WALKIN' DOWN THE LINE
There she goes just a-walkin' down the line,
Singin’ do-waa-diddy-diddy-dum-diddy-do.
Pointing her finger and laughin’ at you,
Singin’ do-waa-diddy-diddy-dum-diddy-do.
Ball two, ball three, ball four,
C’mon pitcher, walk some more.
Do-waa-diddy-diddy-dum-diddy-do,
Next batter up says, “Walk Me Too!!!”
-https://www.justballgloves.com/blog/post/softball-chants/ "Best Softball Cheers And Chants (no publishing date; retrieved May 30, 2025)

-snip-
Here's a quote from https://genius.com/Manfred-mann-do-wah-diddy-diddy-lyrics (About)
"This joyous love song was first recorded by the African-American “girl group” The Exciters and released in 1963 under the name “Do-Wah-Diddy”. A year later, Manfred Mann, a British r&b/pop band, covered it (with a slight change to the title) with great success: it reached No. 1 in the U.K. and the U.S.A." with great success: it reached No. 1 in the U.K. and the U.S.A.

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THERE WAS A LITTLE FROGGY WHO SAT UPON A LOG (Example #1)
There was a little frog! Who sat upon a log!
He cheered for the other team and had no sense at all!!
He fell into the water and bumped his little head! And when he came back up
this is what he said, he said “Go, go , go, go you mighty “team name”
Fight, fight fight you mighty “team name”
Win, win win, you mighty “team name”
Go, fight, win, and run the bases in!!
-
https://www.wattpad.com/57402308-softball-cheers-froggy[no publishing date; retrieved May 28, 2025]
-snip-
quote from AI Review: [retrieved May 28, 2025 – my question “What is the tune for the softball chant "There was a little froggy sitting on a log"?:
"The chant "There was a little froggy sitting on a log, He was cheering for the other team and had no sense at all" is sung to the tune of the children's song "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly"."
-snip-
The tune of this chant changes with the words to the iconic cheer "Go Go, you mighty __".
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Was_an_Old_Lady_Who_Swallowed_a_Fly  for information about the children's song "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly". Here's an excerpt from that page;

" "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" is a 1953 cumulative (repetitive, connected poetic lines or song lyrics) children's nursery rhyme or nonsensical song by Burl Ives.

[...]

According to the album liner notes, the song was "derived from an old ballad", rewritten by Alan Mills, and passed to Ives by Edith Fowke of CBC Radio"...

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THERE WAS A LITTLE FROGGY WHO SAT UPON A LOGGY (Example #2)
There once was a froggy who sat upon a loggy,
Cheering for the other team which made no sense at all!
He fell into the water and bumped hid little head,
and when he came back up again, this is what he said, he said,
Go, go, go, go you mighty *team name*
Fight, fight, fight, fight you mighty *team name*
Win, win, win, win you mighty *team name*
GO FIGHT WIN! And do it all again, WOO!
-commenter @WumsyTheLion, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WH0lbMTkSM "Softball Cheers", flacco96, Oct 7, 2009

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U, V

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W, X

WE'RE BAD
We're bad,
we know it!
We came, to show it!
What you see is what you get
And you ain't seen nothing yet! 
-
-https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
This softball chant is derived from Michael Jackson's 1987 hit R&B song "Bad".
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_(Michael_Jackson_song)for information about that song.

**
WE WILL ROCK YOU
We will, we will rock you,
Sock you, pick you up and drop you.
Turn on the engine, step on the gas,
Come on Everybody let's kick them in their
Everybody! We will, we will rock you,
Sock you, pick you up and drop you.
You're a big disgrace,
You're pitchin' that ball all over the place.
Singing: We will, we will rock you. 
--https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
"We Will Rock You" softball chants are from Queen's 1977 Rock song with that name (and-sometimes-with those exact words).

Here's an excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Will_Rock_You
" "We Will Rock You" is a song by the British rock band Queen from their 1977 album News of the World, written by guitarist Brian May.[3] Rolling Stone ranked it number 330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004,[4] and the RIAA it placed at number 146 on the Songs of the Century list in 2001. In 2009, "We Will Rock You" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[5][6]

Other than the last 30 seconds, which contains a guitar solo by May, the song is generally set in a cappella form, using only stomping and clapping as a rhythmic body percussion beat. In 1977, "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" were issued together as a worldwide top 10 single.[7] Soon after the album was released, many radio stations played the songs consecutively, without interruption.[8]

Since its release, "We Will Rock You" has been covered, remixed, sampled, parodied, referred to, and used by multiple recording artists, TV shows, films and other media worldwide.[9][10] It has also become a popular stadium anthem at sports events around the world, mostly due to its simple rhythm.[11][12]"... 

WE WILL ROCK YOU (Example #2)
We will, we will, rock you down,
shake you up, all volcanoes will errupt,
we're the mighty Flyers here to stay,
we're gonna rock you night and day,
so fasten your seatbelts, step on the gas,
we're gonna knock you on your..
Everybody! we will, we will, rock you!
-
https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]

**

WHO ROCKS THE HOUSE? 
"Who rocks the house?
I said Team Name rocks the house.
And when Team Name 
rocks the house,
They rock it all the way down! "
-
https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
The Hip Hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (actor Will Smith) released the record "Rock The House" in 1987 in their album "Who Rocks The House". The verse given above is found in numerous children's chants and cheers, including foot stomping cheers. 

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Y, Z 

YO BABY YO 

"I said yo baby yo baby yo baby yo I said yo baby yo baby yo baby yo I said you gots to be for Team Name or you gots to go I said you gots to be for Team Name or you gots to go I said yo baby yo baby yo baby yo I said yo baby yo baby yo baby yo" 
-https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/ec77-1740905/softball_cheers.pdf Funny Softball Cheers [no publication date or editor's name given; Retrieved May 26, 2025]
-snip-
From AI Review (retrieved online on May 30, 2025)
"
The phrase "yo baby yo" gained popularity in music, particularly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Determining the exact first recorded instance is difficult. Here is information regarding its emergence:

1. Early Use in Music:

The phrase "Yo Baby Yo" is in a song by Ralph Tresvant, released in 1990 on his self-titled album and later featured on the "House Party 2" soundtrack in 1991. This song is a notable early example of the phrase's use in music."...

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