Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision - October 14, 2025
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on English language children's recreational rhymes that mention one or more fictional characters.
This post showcases examples whose titles begin with the letter A-L.Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/09/childrens-recreational-rhymes-that.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases examples of these rhymes whose titles begin with M-Z.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/04/pancocojams-compilation-of-playground.html for the 2022 pancocojams post "Names Of Fictional Characters In Children's Recreational Rhymes". Most of the examples in that post aren't featured in this two part 2025 pancocojams series on the same subject.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
Definition of "Fictional"
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/fictional
"fictional
adjective
Fictional characters or events occur only in stories, plays, or movies and never actually existed or happened.
It is drama featuring fictional characters.
Synonyms: imaginary, made-up, invented, legendary"
Description of this pancocojams series
When more than one example of a rhyme is given in this compilation, I didn't use any particular criteria to decide the order of those examples.
Partly because of space concerns, I didn't add any information about these fictional characters. However, that information can be found on the Wikipedia page for each character.
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A Pizza Hut (make a square in the air)
A Pizza Hut
Kentucky Fried Chicken (flap your arms like you're doing the
chicken dance)
And a Pizza Hut
A Pizza Hut
A Pizza Hut,
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut
McDonalds McDonalds (use two hands-make an "M" in
the air, starting in the middle)
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut
Mc Donald's, Mc Donald's,
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut
A Jabba the Hut
A Jabba the Hut
Luke Skywalker
And a Jabba the Hut
A Jabba the Hut
A Jabba the Hut
Luke Skywalker
And a Jabba the Hut
Darth Vader Darth Vader
Luke Skywalker
And a Jabba the Hut
Darth Vader Darth Vader
Luke Skywalker
And a Jabba the Hut
A Burger King (mime eating a burger)
A Burger King,
A Taco Bell (mime ringing a bell)
And a Burger King
A Burger King
A Burger King,
A Taco Bell
And a Burger King
Red Lobster, Red Lobster, (make claws)
A Taco Bell
And a Burger King
Red Lobster, Red Lobster,
A Taco Bell
And a Burger King
-https://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/pizza-hut.html
BATMAN BATMAN
"batman, batman, i can do karate
batman, batman, i can shake my body
batman, batman, oops I'm sorry, you better be sorry, cuz im not sorry
can i go out with you?"
-BriiaNiccoo, August 9, 2013
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BRICKWALL WATERFALL (Example #1)
"Who remembers Brick Wall Waterfall?
I randomly remembered this little chant from elementary
school. I feel like everyone had a different version but i remember:
“That’s the way uh huh uh huh I like it uh huh uh huh You
got yours, i got mine so peace punch captain crunch Brick wall waterfall. Boys
think they know it all But they don’t, girls do. So poof with the attitude No
wait, come back. I think you need a tictac Not one, not two, but the whole six
pack Your mama your daddy your bald headed granny She 99 she think she fine.
Shes goin out with Frankenstein Go granny go granny Go go Go granny"
-Old-Application2936, 2022,
https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/160nmk0/who_remembers_brick_wall_waterfall/
BRICKWALL WATERFALL (Example #2)
My friends and I kept the brick wall one going like this: “not the tic, not the tac, but the whole six pack! yo mama! yo daddy! yo bald-headed granny! she’s 99, she thinks she’s fine, she’s dating Frankenstein! go granny, go go!”
-taylorcorpse, 2024,
https://www.reddit.com/r/OlderGenZ/comments/1evbrji/brick_wall_waterfall_you_think_think_that_you/
BUSTER BROWN WENT TO TOWN
Buster Brown went to town,
Riding a billy goat leading a hound.
Hound barked,
Billy Goat jumped,
And threw Buster Brown right over the stump!
-http://www.seedharvestmusicacademy.org/baby--me.htm
****
C, D
CINDERELLA DRESSED IN YELLA (Example #1)
Cinderella dressed in yella,
Went upstairs to kiss her fella.
By mistake she kissed a snake,
How many doctors will it take?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc.
Cinderella dressed in blue,
Went upstairs to tie her shoe,
By mistake she tied a knot,
How many knots will she make?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc.
Cinderella dressed in green,
Went downtown to buy a ring,
By mistake she bought a fake,
How many days before it breaks?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc.
The counting continues as long as the jumper does not miss a
jump.
-https://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/cinderella-dressed-in-yella-lyrics
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CINDERELLA DRESSED IN YELL0W (Example #2)
Cinderella, dressed in yellow
Went upstairs to kiss her fellow
Made a mistake
And kissed a snake
How many doctors
Did it take?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
-SheilaInSweden, 2023,
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/1am0g1d/do_you_remember_any_childhood_jump_rope_songs_so/ "Do you remember any childhood jump rope songs?"
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COCA COLA CAME TO TOWN
….then there was the song to the same tune that my friend
learned at camp and talked to me. we used to sing it like this:
coca cola came to town
pepsi cola shot him down
dr. pepper stiched him up
now we all drink 7-up
i'm a nut, i'm a nut, i'm a nut, i'm a nut, i'm a nut
romeo and juliet
on a balcony they met
scram you guys i got a date
shakespeare's coming in a '48
-bendergoonie1985, 09/01/05, http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/inthe80s/smf/1109960765.shtml, Those
clapping songs
COWBOY JOE [Example #1: COWBOY JOE FROM MEXICO]
Cowboy Joe from Mexico
Robbed a bank in Texaco.
Hands up, stick 'em up,
Drop your guns and pick 'em up,
O-U-T spells OUT!
-
-snip-
This rhyme was collected in Aberdeenshire, UK.
COWBOY JOE [Example #2: JOE JOE STAMPED HIS TOE]
Joe, Joe, stamped his toe
On the way to Mexico.
Coming back he hurt his back
Sliding down the railway track.
When at home he broke a bone
Talking on the telephone.
-snip
This rhyme was collected in Lismore, UK.
DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY (Example #1)
Me and my friends used to do down by the river like “down by
the river with a hanky panky(?😂) and a bull frog jump
from bank to bank I said fe fi fo fum
living in a ding dong yo mama smell like King Kong, listen to the bells go ring
ding dong”
-aniyah Azami, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-NKrzvqz_I&t=5s
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DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY (Example #2)
We do “Down by the river with the hanky-panky where the
bullfrogs jump from bank to banky where the east, ops, cherry pop. Daaaddy Pop.
Old Macdonald had a farm, EIEIO. 12345678910”
-
**
DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY (Example #3)
the way i was taught was:
Down by the banks with a hankey pankey
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bankey
sayin ooh aah skit skat
big fat dirty rat
i pledge allegiance to the flag
michael jackson is so bad
pepsi cola burnin up
now we're drinking 7-up
7-up has no caffine
now we're dating billy jean
billy jean went out of town
now we're watchin charlie brown
charlie brown went out of style
now we're watchin x-files
x-files way too scary
now we're watchin tom&jerry
tom&jerry went to lunch
now we're watchin brady bunch
brady bunch went out of town riding on a pony
stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni
johnny ate a booger
and it taste like sugar
johnny wanna know who ate that booger
mickey mouse
made a house
doanld duck
messed it up
who will pay the consequences
y-o-u spells you!!
the ending veried from
mickey mouse
made a house
donald duck
messed it up
to
mickey mouse
made a house
made out of glass
donald duck
messed it up
mickey kicked his a**
;D
-
**
DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY (Example #4)
I grew up in Memphis and this is how I personally heard the
song for the game goes:
Down by the river of hanky Panky
Bullfrog jumps from bank to bank he
Says "ooh! Ah! Skittle skat! Big fat dirty rat!"
I pledge allegiance to the flag, Michael Jackson is so bad
Coca-cola burnin' up, now it's time for seven up
Seven up has no caffeine, now it's time for billy Jean
Billy Jean went out of town riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his head and called it macaroni
Mickey Mouse had a house
Donald Duck messed it up
Who will pay the con-se-quenc-es
Y-O-U
And the person who's hand gets hit on the last U is the
"loser" and is removed from the circle and we keep going with the
game
-Caitlin Shaddock, December 10, 2020 (from the discussion
thread for
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/hand-clap-rhymes-that-mention-mp3s-cell.html
"Hand Clap Rhymes That Mention Mp3s, Cell Phones, HDTV, &
Computers"
**
DOWN BY THE RIVER WITH THE HANKY PANKY (Example #5)
Down by the river with the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
Singing E, I, O, U, your mama stinks and so do you
King Kong, Donkey Kong, went to school with nothing
on
Asked the teacher what to wear, polka dotted underwear!
Not too big and not too small, just the size of Broward Mall
I pledge allegiance to the flag, Michael Jackson makes me
gag
Pepsi cola burnt him up, now we’re drinking 7-up
7-up has no caffeine, now we’re singing Billy Jean
Billy Jean is out of sight, now we’re talking dynamite
Dynamite blew up the school, now we’re talking really cool
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Whoever was clapped on one was I guess out. Actually I
remember that my first ever exposure to Michael Jackson was through these
rhymes, I remember quite a few featured him. We also had a lot of songs about
killing our teachers and burning down the school, you know, innocent schoolyard
games!...
-Elle, October 3, 2009,
https://kateharding.net/2009/10/02/miss-lucy-had-friday-fluff/
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DOWN BY THE RIVER FROMHANKY PANKY (Example #6)
from what I remember “Down by the river from bank to bank,
where bullfrogs jump from bank to bank saying e-i-o-u, your momma smells and so
do u, king kong, donkey kong your momma smells like king kong, went to school
with nothing on asked my teacher what to wear polka dotted underwear, not to
big, not to small, just the size of Broward mall, Reese's pieces buttercup, now
we’re talking 7-up, 7-up has not caffeine, now we’re talking Billie Jean,
Billie Jean is out of sight now we’re talking dynamite, dynamite blew up the
school now were talking really cool, mickey mouse is not our friend now were
talking to the end 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” - south Florida
-
https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/pme8mi/down_by_the_banks_of_the_hanky_panky/
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DOWN DOWN BABY
Down down baby Down by the rollercoaster Sweet sweet baby
No place to go Romeo and Juliet are going to get married Don't tell the parents
cause they don't know Eenie meenie decemeeie You are the one for me Education
liberation I like you Ti-ti-tanic sailing on the ocean It hit an iceberg and
then it SANK
-amberisallama, 2023,
https://www.reddit.com/r/reading/comments/12boaax/hand_clap_games_primary_school_request/"Hand clap games primary school request!"
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E, F
EEXIE, PEEKSIE, PEARLE, PLUM
Eexie, peeksie, pearie, plum, / Out steps Tom Thumb; /
Tom Thumb in a basin, / Out pops James Mason; / James Mason in a cellar, / Out
pops Cinderella; / Cinderella in a fix, / Out pops Tom Mix; / Tom Mix is a
star, / S-T-A-R."
-snip-
I'm sorry. I neglected to document where I found this rhyme.
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EACH PEACH PEAR PLUM
Each peach pear plum,
I spy Tom Thumb,
Tom Thumb in the wood,
I spy Robin Hood,
Robin Hood in the cellar,
I spy Cinderella,
Cinderella at the table,
I spy Betty Grable.
Betty Grable is a star
S - T – A - R!
-https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=5631
The note that is given with this example is that it is a ball bouncing rhyme.
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ET FROM OUTER SPACE (Example #1)
ET
ET from outer space.
He had an ugly face.
Sitting in a rocket.
Eating chocolate.
Watching soap operas
All day long.
A B C D E F G
Get your black hands off of me.
Now freeze!
-Naijah S.; (African American female, 9 years old; Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; January 14, 2011; Collected by Azizi Powell
ET FROM OUTER SPACE (Example #2)
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.
-iheartwriting, August 3, 2008, https://nothingliketheninetys.blogspot.com/2008/08/etet.html
-snip-
A photograph of a young Black woman is posted under this blogger's "About me" section. accompanies this note:
"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."
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FLINTSTONES
An article in the current "Children's Folklore
Review" has some good ones. ....
Australia, girls in playground flipping up their skirts and chanting;
Flintstones, Flintstones, yabba, yabba, doo!
Fred does the bow,
Wilma does the curtsy,
Pebbles shows her knickers,
And we all go "Wow!"
"Children's Oral Poetry: Identity and Obscenity,"
C. W. Sullivan III, p. 67-77; Children's Folklore Review, vol. 31,
2008-2009. Children's Folklore Section of the American Folklore
Society.
- Q (Frank Staplin), 29 Nov 09,
****
G, H
HOLLYWOOD GOES SWINGIN'
Both girls:
Hollywood, Hollywood
Hollywood goes swingin
Partner #1:
My name is Raya and I'm number 2
Kickin it with Scooby Doo
Hit me high
Hit me low
Hit me where you wanna go.
-ConRaya E. (11 years); Sha'Ona K. (11 years), African American girls; collected by Azizi Powell (Pittsburgh, PA; 6/12/2008)
-snip-
This rhyme has it source in a foot stomping cheer, but is (or "was") performed as a hand clap rhyme with the same beginning and ending but partner #2 chanting a different number rhyme.
I, J
I'M POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN (Example #1)
I went to a chinese restaurant, to buy a loaf of bread 👏 bread 👏 bread 👏
The girl asked what my name was, so this I said 👏 said 👏 said 👏
My name is L-I-L-I, pom-pom beauty, X-Y cutie, Indiana Jones
don't talk or move
-Wakafanykai123, 2020,
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnAmerican/comments/lwbzzh/what_was_your_version_of_the_hand_clap_game/
**
I WENT TO THE CHINESE RESTAURANT (Example #2)
I went to a Chinese restaurant
to by a loaf of bread bread bread
I rapped it up in a ten pound note and this what I sayed x3
my name is Andy pandi sugery candy
rolli polli chocolate chip
I can do the can can
I can do the splits and the hoolahoops
just like this
bow to the king
curtse to the qween
show your knickers to the football team
-erynfraser2001, 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9DkHKhODcY
JINGLE BELLS BATMAN SMELLS (Example #1)
Jingle bells, batman smells, robin laid an egg ...
batmobile, lost its wheels, and joker got away ..
-Distant_Traveller, 2020,
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kfguf2/what_were_your_lyrics_to_jingle_bells_batman/
****
JINGLE BELLS BATMAN SMELLS (Example #2)
Jingle bells, batman smells The robin flew away Uncle billy lost his willy on the motorway
-mattatron, 2020,
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kfguf2/what_were_your_lyrics_to_jingle_bells_batman/
****
JINGLE BELLS BATMAN SMELLS (Example #3)
Jingle bells,
Batman smells,
Robin laid an egg,
Barack Obama killed Osama in the USA
or it can end with: Barack Obama taught his grandma how to suck an egg
I’m sorry, I really loved Obama as president but I didn’t grow up in America, and we were insensitive seven year olds when we came up with this one.
--Miranda Carter, 2018, https://www.quora.com/What-s-the-last-line-of-the-song-Jingle-Bells-Batman-smells "What’s the last line of the song, “Jingle Bells, Batman smells”?"
-snip-
The sentences after the second version was written in bold font in that discussion thread.
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I WENT DOWNTOWN TO SEE CHARLIE BROWN
I went downtown to see Charlie Brown
He gave me a nickle to buy a pickle
The pickle was sour so he gave me a flower
The flower was dead so this is what he said
Down Down Baby
Down Down The Roller Coaster
Sweet sweet baby sweet sweet I love you so
Shimmy Shimmy coco pop
Shimmy shimmy rah
Shimmy shimmy coco pop
Shimmy shimmy rah
I had a boyfriend
a biscuit!
He's so cute...
a triscuit!
Apples on the table,
Peaches on the floor
Step out baby I dont love you anymore!
To the front
To the back
To the side side side
To the front
to the back
to the side side side
Abraham Lincoln sat on a bench
tried to make a dollor out of 50 cents
He missed
He missed
He missed like this !
- kaitlyn renee, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdl8NVSJ_Jo
"Blast From The Past :]" , Uploaded on May 3, 2009 [These words are from the video's summary statement]
****
K, L
This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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