Versions Of "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" Whose "Kissing In The Dark" Lines Include A Reference To "A Black Boy"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision- July 14, 2025

This pancocojams post documents versions of the children's recreational rhymes known as "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" (or similar titles) that have "kissing in the dark" lines which include a reference to a Black boy, a reference to a dark boy, or any other referent for Black boys. 

I'm also interested in documenting any comments that contributors make about their reactions or other people's reactions to these examples. 

This content is presented for folkloric and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/06/selected-examples-of-referents-for.html for the closely related pancocojams post "Selected Examples Of Referents For Black People In Children's Recreational Rhymes".

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
"Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" (and similar titles) is a large, widely known family of children's recreational rhymes that includes countless versions. Based on my informal online study of this rhyme, it appears that "kissing in the dark" is a standard line in examples of "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" (and similar titles)  i.e. "Miss Susie and her boyfriend are kissing in the dark" or "the girls and boys were kissing in the dark"..

Also, based on my informal study of this rhyme, it appears that only a very small number of "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" rhymes include a reference to "a Black boy" or "a dark boy." 

****
EXAMPLES OF MISS SUSIE HAD A STEAMBOAT (OR SIMILAR TITLES) THAT INCLUDE A REFERENCE TO A BLACK BOY OR A DARK BOY

These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only. The reference to a Black boy or a dark boy is given in italics for highlighting purposes only.  

1. Miss Susie had a steamboat,
the steamboat had a bell.
Miss Susie went to heaven
and the steamboat went to

Hello, operator,
Please give me number nine
And if you disconnect me
I’ll kick your

Behind the ’frigerator,
there was a piece of glass
Miss Susie sat upon it
and broke her little

Ask me no more questions,
Tell me no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom
zipping up their

Flies are in the meadow
The bees are in the park
Miss Susie and her boyfriend
are kissing in the

D-A-R-K
D-A-R-K
D-A-R-K
Dark, dark, dark,

Darker than the ocean,
darker than the sea,
Darker than the black boy
who’s chasing after me!
-frugalera, 2014; https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/3zcqt1/miss_susie_had_a_steamboat_the_steamboat_had_a/ nostalgia

**

2. "Kids Dont jump rope to this song im in the fourth grade and we just sing it we dont do any movements to the song

Miss Suzie had a steam boat
The Steamboat had a bell
Mrs.Suzie went to heaven
The steamboat went to

Hello Operator
Give me number 9
if you disconnect me
I'll kick you from

Behind the refrigerator
there was a piece of glass
Miss Suzie sat upon it
And broke her little

Ask me no more questions
ill tell you no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom
Zipping down their

Flies are in the meadow
Bees are in the grass
The boys and girls
Are kissing in the
D-A-R-K D-A-R-K

Darker than the ocean
Darker than the sea
Darker than the black boy
That's chasing after me

Dark is like a movie
A movie is like a show
A show is like a T.V. set
And that is all I...

Know my dad is a robber
I know my mom is a spy
I know that I'm the little brat that
Told the F.B.I.

My mom gave me a nickel
My dad gave me a dime
My sis' gave me a girlfriend
And I know she's is witch

she made me wash the dishes
she made me wash the floor
she made me wash her underwear
So I kicked her out the door

I kicked her over London
I kicked her over France
I kicked her to Hawaii
-GUEST, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=90418, "Folklore: Lady's alligator purse? Her own thread, 27 Feb 11 
-snip-
I reformatted this example that was given in paragraph form.  

**
3. "Sung to: The Merry Melodies theme song, from the old Warner Brothers cartoons.

Miss Suzy had a steamboat
The steamboat had a bell
Miss Suzy went to heaven
The steamboat went to-

Hello operator
Give me number nine
If you disconnect me
I'll kick your big be-

'Hind the 'frigerator
There was a piece of glass
Miss Suzy fell upon it
And cut her big old-

Ask me no more questions
Give me no more lies
The boys are in the restroom
zipping up their-

Flies are in the meadow
The bees are in the park
Miss Suzy and her boyfriend
Are kissing in the D. A. R. K.
D-A-R-K. D-A-R-K.
Dark Dark Dark Dark

Darker than the ocean
Darker than the sea
Darker than the black boy
That peed all over me!
-Jim, Houston, Texas,  http://inky.50megs.com/idlechild/songs/hellooperator.htm [Thislink is no longer active.]

**
4. "Wow, I guess I'm the only one who grew up with the racist version of "Miss Suzie"? Southern Indiana, late 80s and early 90s:

Miss Suzie had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell,
Miss Suzie went to heaven, the steamboat went to-

Hello operator, give my number nine,
and if you disconnect me, I'll chop off your behind-

the 'fridgerator, their lay a piece of glass,
Miss Suzie sat upon it, and broke her little-

Ask me no more questions, I'll tell you no more lies,
the boys are in the bathroom, zipping up their-

Flies are in the meadow, the bees are in the park,
Miss Suzie and her boyfriend are kissing in the

D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, dark dark dark!

Darker than the ocean, darker than the sea,
darker than the black boy, kissing Miss Suzie!

 

I remember having a sense that the last line was wrong in a way that the rest of it wasn't, that it went a little bit past the deliciously naughty tingle you got from almost saying dirty words. A lot of the time the last little bit got left off completely, and we just stopped with "dark, dark, dark!" I did know one girl who used to say "nig--r *boy" instead of "black boy," but that was frowned upon by the other kids."
-bookish, May 19, 2009, https://ask.metafilter.com/122487/Teddy-Bear-Teddy-Bear-turn-aroundand-then-what
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out on that page.   

**
5. "I learned

Miss Marry had a steamboat
The steamboat had a bell (ding ding)
Miss marry went to heaven
The steamboat went to

Hello operator, please give me number 9, if you disconnect me ill kick you from
Behind the frigerator
There lay a piece of glass
Miss marry sat upon it
And broke her big fat

Ask me no more questions
I’ll you no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom
Pulling down their

Flies are in the backyard
The bees are in the park
Miss Mary and her boyfriend were
Kissing in the dark dark dark

Darker than the ocean
Darken than the sea
Darker than the black boy next to me"
-@deadnunkiwi4official, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E6lZVqlM-s

**
6. [Pancocojams Editor's Note: Here's a comment from a woman who shared an example "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" that included the line  "darker than the black bird" that chasing after me" That page on that website is no longer available]

"Perhaps more often, the “black bird” is instead a “black boy,” which I only heard sung once as a child (by a white girl, to my shock). I’m guessing the “black boy” version precedes the race-neutral one I remember."
-SAHMURAI, April 18, 2016, https://sahmurai.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/miss-susie-a-hand-clapping-history/  Miss Susie: A hand-clapping history

**
7. [Pancocojams Editor's Note: This fragment was given as a reply to a version of "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" that ended with the lines "Miss Susie and her boyfriend are kissing
In the dark, dark dark".]
Reply
"Darker then the ocean
Darker then the sea
Darker then the boy chasing after me!"
-@AlloVettaIzKool, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E6lZVqlM-s

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.