Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision - August 1, 2025
This is Part III of a four part pancocojams series on a paper survey of children's rhymes, singing games, and cheer that I prepared and distributed to a small targeted population in 1999 9with a few additional surveys added in 2000 and 2001).
This post presents demographic results for that survey..
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/information-about-general-results-of.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post provides information & general results for the survey that I conducted in 1999 on American children's recreational rhymes, singing games, and cheers.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/categories-and-internet-links-for.html for Part II of this pancocojams series on this survey. That post presents the titles of the rhymes, singing games, and cheers that were listed in that survey, placed in their respective sub-categories. That post also presents links to pancocojams posts or other online sources for the words to these titles.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/comments-from-some-participants-in-my.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series on this survey. That post presents comments about children's rhymes, singing games, and cheers from some of that survey's respondents. In addition, that post includes a few examples of rhymes, singing games, and cheers that some of the respondents shared on their survey form .
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.
Thanks to all those who participated in this survey. Thanks to Tazi Hughes for helping me distribute these surveys in 1999 and tabulate their results between July 23-28, 2025. Thanks also to Marimba Johnson for distributing this survey to a small number of people in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area in 2001.
-snip-
As a reminder, on July 23, 2025, I found 112 completed survey forms for a survey on people's familiarity with 41 somewhat randomly selected titles of American English children's rhymes, singing games, and cheers. ("Cheers" here means a sub-category of children's cheerleader cheers that I referred in that survey as "sidewalk cheers", but which I later -apart from that survey- refer to as "foot stomping cheers."
This survey also included the title of what is now known as a children's camp song ("Ah Boom Chicka Boom"), a traditional African American folk song/dance song ("Juba"), and an African American religious song that has been included in a few records of American children's folk songs ("So Glad I'm Here").
My daughter Tazi Hughes and I tabulated by hand these surveys for the first time between July 23, 2025 and July 28, 2025.
My heartfelt thanks to all of this survey's participants and My sincerest apologies to all of the participants of this survey for my lack of attention to this survey project.
****
RACE GENDER, & AGE DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THIS SURVEY
Gender and age breakdown for African American respondents:
African American Females-60
Under 12 years - 08
12 years-16 years -16
17 years -25 years -11
26 years to 35 years-13
over 35 years – 09
African American race and female gender indicated, but no age indicated --03
**
African American Males-05
under 12 years - 01
12 years-16 years - 01
17 years-25 years - 01
26 years-35 years 02
over 35 years- 0
**
African American survey participants who didn’t identify their gender on their survey form -2
under 12 years - 01
12 years to 16 years- 01
Total number of respondents who indicated that they were African American -67
****
Asian Survey Respondents -1
(female age, 17 years to 25 years)
Asian/Caucasian Survey Respondents -01
(female, over 35 years)
****
Caucasian (White) Survey Respondents
Gender and age breakdowns:
Caucasian females - 31
12 years -16 years - 01
17 years to 25 years- 09
26 years to 35 years - 07
over 35 years - 14
Caucasian Males - 02
(17 years to 25 years)
Total number of Caucasian survey respondents - 33
****
Caucasian/Native American Survey Respondent- 01
(Female, over 35 years)
****
Hispanic Survey Respondent -01
(female, 17 years to 25 years)
****
American - 01
(Female,-over 35 years)
European American - 01
(
****
NO RACE GIVEN- 08
No Race, Gender, Or Age Given - 04
Gender and age given but no race given- 01
(Male, 26 years to 35 years) -
Gender given but no race or age given - 02
(Female)
Age Given But No Gender Or Race Given - 01
(under 12 years)
TOTAL NUMBER OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS - 112
-snip-
At some point after I received completed surveys in 1999, I wrote a consecutive number on the top of each form. #117 is the last number that was written on the survey forms that I found in a desk drawer on July 23, 2025. However, I only found 112 survey forms.
When I found that package of forms on July 23, 2025, I discovered that forms #1 though #9 were missing. Survey forms #71 and #80 were also missing. I also discovered that there were six unnumbered survey forms dated 2001 from the Washington D,C., Maryland, and Virginia region. On July 23, 2025 I assigned "new numbers #1 through-#6 on those forms that didn't have numbers. Those survey forms have the heading "new number __.", That left no survey forms with the numbers 7, 8, 9, 71, and 80.
It's possible that there were other numbered surveys after #117, but we'll never know.
****
B. CITY/STATE DEMOGRAPHICS
Names of city/state Number of survey participants from that city/state
Alexandria, Virginia -4
Ambridge, Pa-1
**
Braddock, Pennsylvania-14
Columbus, Ohio -1
**
Brownsville, Pennsylvania-2
Duquesne, PA-2
**
Erie, Pennsylvania-3
**
Fredericksburg, Virginia - 1
**
McKeesport, Pennsylvania-1
McKeesRccks, Pennsylvania-1
**
Mitchelville, Maryland - 1
**
Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania :1
**
New Wilmington, Pennsylvania- 1
**
North Braddock, Pennsylvania-10
North Huntington, Pennsylvania-1
**
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -1
**
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-50
**
Rankin, Pennsylvania -1
**
Swissvale, Pennsylvania -1
**
Uniontown, Pennsylvania-3
Verona, Pennsylvania-2
Washington, D.C..-1
**
West View, Pennsylvania -1
**
White Oak, Pennsylvania -1
**
No city/state identified -7
****
C. FAMILIARITY WITH TITLES OF RHYMES, SINGING GAMES, AND CHEERS SURVEY RESULTS (for the 41 titles that were given)
Ah Boom Chicka Boom-53
# of African American female respondents who checked this title-34
Under 12 years - 5
12 years -16 years-3
17-25 years-13
Other AA (female and male) surveys-13
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-12
Other respondents who checked this title -7
Ah Rah Rah Ah Boom Tang -31
# of African American respondents who checked this title-23
AA females under 12 years - 7
AA females 12 years -16 years-3
AA females 17-25 years-7
Other AA (female and male) surveys-6
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-3
Other respondents who checked this title -5
****
Banana Split -14
# of African American respondents who checked this title-12
AA females under 12 years -4
AA females 12 years -16 years-2
AA females 17-25 years-5
Other AA (female and male) surveys-1
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-1
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
Bang Bang Choo Choo Train-30
# of African American respondents who checked this title-23
AA females under 12 years -8
AA females 12 years -16 years-4
AA females 17-25 years-5
Other AA (female and male) surveys-6
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-5
Other respondents who checked this title -4
****
Boom Boom Check-30
# of African American respondents who checked this title-27
AA females under 12 years - 4
AA females 12 years -16 years-3
AA females 17-25 years-13
Other AA (female and male) respondents-7
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-3
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Bull Dog-19
# of African American respondents who checked this title-18
AA females under 12 years - 8
AA females 12 years -16 years-5
AA females 17-25 years-3
Other AA (female and male) respondents-2
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
Candy Girl-30
# of African American respondents who checked this title-28
AA females under 12 years - 9
AA females 12 years -16 years-5
AA females 17-25 years-7
Other AA (female and male) respondents-7
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -2
****
Chocolate City-9
# of African American respondents who checked this title-8
AA females under 12 years - 1
AA females 12 years -16 years-4
AA females 17-25 years-2
Other AA (female and male) respondents-1
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-1
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Coming Here To Get Married-2
# of African American respondents who checked this title-2
AA females under 12 years - 1
AA females 12 years -16 years-1
AA females 17-25 years-0
Other AA (female and male) respondents-0
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Down Down Baby I Know Karate)-54
# of African American respondents who checked this title-45
AA females under 12 years - 9
AA females 12 years -16 years-7
AA females 17-25 years-17
Other AA (female and male) respondents-12
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-6
Other respondents who checked this title -3
****
Down In The Valley, Two By Two-33
# of African American respondents who checked this title-25
AA females under 12 years - 0
AA females 12 years -16 years-3
AA females 17-25 years-16
Other AA (female and male) respondents-6
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-7
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
Funky Chicken -47
# of African American respondents who checked this title-28
AA females under 12 years - 9
AA females 12 years -16 years-7
AA females 17-25 years-5
Other AA (female and male) respondents-7
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-9
Other respondents who checked this title -5
****
Fly Girl-31
# of African American respondents who checked this title-27
AA females under 12 years - 6
AA females 12 years -16 years-7
AA females 17-25 years--9
Other AA (female and male) respondents-6
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-2
Other respondents who checked this title -2
****
Head & Shoulders Baby-17
# of African American respondents who checked this title-11
AA females under 12 years - 1
AA females 12 years -16 years-0
AA females 17-25 years-4
Other AA (female and male) respondents-6
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-4
Other respondents who checked this title -2
****
Hollywood Goes Swingin-33
# of African American respondents who checked this title-
AA females under 12 years - 6
AA females 12 years -16 years-7
AA females 17-25 years-12
Other AA (female and male) respondents-4
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-2
Other respondents who checked this title -2
****
Hula Hula-7
# of African American respondents who checked this title-
AA females under 12 years - 2
AA females 12 years -16 years-0
AA females 17-25 years--0
Other AA (female and male) respondents-0
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-3
Other respondents who checked this title -2
****
Humpty Danda-13
# of African American respondents who checked this title-11
AA females under 12 years - 4
AA females 12 years -16 years-0
AA females 17-25 years-4
Other AA (female and male) respondents-3
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -2
****
I Don't Want To Go To Mexico-12
# of African American respondents who checked this title-11
AA females under 12 years - 6
AA females 12 years -16 years-3
AA females 17-25 years-0
Other AA (female and male) respondents-2
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
I'm Fallin-2
# of African American respondents who checked this title-
AA females under 12 years - 1
AA females 12 years -16 years-0
AA females 17-25 years-0
Other AA (female and male) respondents-1
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -0
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
Jump In Jump Out-35
# of African American respondents who checked this title-24
AA females under 12 years -8
AA females 12 years -16 years-4
AA females 17-25 years-5
Other AA (female and male) respondents-7
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-7
Other respondents who checked this title -4
****
L.O.V.E.-11
# of African American respondents who checked this title-11
AA females under 12 years - 3
AA females 12 years -16 years-1
AA females 17-25 years-3
Other AA (female and male) respondents-4
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Miss Mary Mack-72
# of African American respondents who checked this title-54
AA females under 12 years - 11
AA females 12 years -16 years-8
AA females 17-25 years-16
Other AA (female and male) respondents-19
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-12
Other respondents who checked this title -6
****
Miss Sue (from Alabama)-45
# of African American respondents who checked this title-37
AA females under 12 years - 6
AA females 12 years -16 years-7
AA females 17-25 years-13
Other AA (female and male) respondents-11
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-7
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
Punchinella 47-20
# of African American respondents who checked this title-13
AA females under 12 years - 0
AA females 12 years -16 years-0
AA females 17-25 years-7
Other AA (female and male) respondents-6
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-4
Other respondents who checked this title -3
****
Really-7
# of African American respondents who checked this title-7
AA females under 12 years - 0
AA females 12 years -16 years-2
AA females 17-25 years-4
Other AA (female and male) respondents-1
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Ronald McDonald -15
# of African American respondents who checked this title-13
AA females under 12 years - 3
AA females 12 years -16 years-1
AA females 17-25 years-9
Other AA (female and male) respondents-0
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-1
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
Rocky Road-3
# of African American respondents who checked this title-
AA females under 12 years - 1
AA females 12 years -16 years-0
AA females 17-25 years-0
Other AA (female and male) respondents-1
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
Shimmy Shimmy Co Co Pa-73
# of African American respondents who checked this title-50
AA females under 12 years - 8
AA females 12 years -16 years-5
AA females 17-25 years-16
Other AA (female and male) respondents-21
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-17
Other respondents who checked this title -6
****
Slap Billeola-2
# of African American respondents who checked this title-1
AA females under 12 years -
AA females 12 years -16 years-
AA females 17-25 years-
Other AA (female and male) respondents-1
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
So Glad I'm Here-3
# of African American respondents who checked this title-
AA females under 12 years - 1
AA females 12 years -16 years-0
AA females 17-25 years-0
Other AA (female and male) respondents-2
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-1
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Stella Ola Ola-32
# of African American respondents who checked this title-26
AA females under 12 years - 5
AA females 12 years -16 years-5
AA females 17-25 years-13
Other AA (female and male) respondents-3
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-3
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Stop, Look, and Listen-25
# of African American respondents who checked this title-23
AA females under 12 years - 4
AA females 12 years -16 years-2
AA females 17-25 years-11
Other AA (female and male) respondents-6
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-2
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Strolla Ola Ola-15
# of African American respondents who checked this title-13
AA females under 12 years - 4
AA females 12 years -16 years-4
AA females 17-25 years-3
Other AA (female and male) respondents-2
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-1
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
That's The Way, I Like It-51
# of African American respondents who checked this title-41
AA females under 12 years - 8
AA females 12 years -16 years-5
AA females 17-25 years-16
Other AA (female and male) respondents-12
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-6
Other respondents who checked this title -4
****
Tick Tock-31
# of African American respondents who checked this title-25
AA females under 12 years - 1
AA females 12 years -16 years-3
AA females 17-25 years-14
Other AA (female and male) respondents-7
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-2
Other respondents who checked this title -4
****
Ting A Ling A-Ling-9
# of African American respondents who checked this title-7
AA females under 12 years - 0
AA females 12 years -16 years-1
AA females 17-25 years-4
Other AA (female and male) respondents-2
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-1
Other respondents who checked this title -1
****
Tweeleelee-51
# of African American respondents who checked this title-41
AA females under 12 years - 9
AA females 12 years -16 years-6
AA females 17-25 years-13
Other AA (female and male) respondents-13
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-3
Other respondents who checked this title -7
****
Two Way Pass Away-3
# of African American respondents who checked this title-
AA females under 12 years - 0
AA females 12 years -16 years-2
AA females 17-25 years-0
Other AA (female and male) respondents-1
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-0
Other respondents who checked this title -0
****
Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar?-72
# of African American respondents who checked this title-46
AA females under 12 years - 8
AA females 12 years -16 years-7
AA females 17-25 years-11
Other AA (female and male) respondents-20
Caucasian American female respondents who checked this title-17
Other respondents who checked this title -9
****
D. OVERALL TOP TEN EXAMPLES THAT RESPONDENTS WERE MOST FAMILIAR WITH*
The top ten of these 41 examples of rhymes, singing games, and cheers:
Shimmy Shimmy Co Co Pa-73
Miss Mary Mack-72
Who Stole The Cookie
From The Cookie Jar?-72
Down Down Baby I Know Karate)-54
Ah Boom Chicka Boom-53
That's The Way, I Like It-51
Tweeleelee-51
Funky Chicken -47
Miss Sue (from Alabama)-45
Jump In Jump Out-35
*None of the respondents checked all of the 41 titles of rhymes, singing games, and cheers that were listed in that survey.
Several African American females had the largest number of examples checked (around 35 examples).
****
This concludes Part III of this pancocojams post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
With regard to the race demographics, African American respondents and Caucasian respondents were included in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and in a number of the other cities in this survey.
ReplyDeleteBraddock and its adjourning city North Braddock had high numbers of survey respondents because Braddock was the city where I began my Alafia Children's Ensemble cultural group. That group and the Pittsburgh Alafia group were the initial focus of that survey.
Part of the reason why I extended the target population to employees at my then workplace which was headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but had offices throughout Western Pennsylvania, was because that agency had non-Black as well as Black employees while (with only three exceptions) all Alafia respondents were Black.
Here's information about Alafia [ah-LAH-fee-ah] Children's Ensemble group that I founded:
Delete"Alafia Children's Ensemble" was an after school recreational and performing arts group that I founded in 1999 to 2001 in Braddock, Pennsylvania (1999-2001) and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2001-2002). In Braddock, Pennsylvania the main part of the group was learning, sharing, and performing African American game songs (mostly girls ages 4-12 years, but also a few boys under 9 years old. In Braddock, another part of the group was for children ages 8-12 years who learned African djembe drumming (age requirement 8 to 12 years; the only participants were boys although that wasn't a requirement. In Braddock, almost all of the participants were African American. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the principal's directive, that after-school activity was limited to third grade girls. In Pittsburgh, almost all the participants were African American.
Here's information about the word "alafia" from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1067659546658706&id=575706419187357&set=a.575710522520280
DeleteIFA: Òrìṣa Scientific Spirituality
July 12, 2016
"For many, the Yoruba [Nigeria, West African] term "alafia" (also spelled alaafia) is used to mean "inner-peace" and said as a greeting like the use of the Kemetic word "hotep" and the Arabic word "salaam."
In preparing this survey I made the following mistakes regarding the possible age range groups:
ReplyDeleteI wrote "under 12" and then wrote "13-16 years".
I should have written "12 and under" and then "13-16 years."
Some respondents who may have been 12 years old, circled that number on their form. Other respondents circled the entire "12 and under" choice.
When my daughter and I tabulated these age results, we counted the "under 12" results as all of the respondents who circled those entire words, and renamed the next age choice as "12-16". Therefore, all of the respondents who had circled the number "12" were counted in the "12-16" age group.
The statistics for these age groups are given in this post.