More Children's Recreational Rhymes That Mention Fictional Characters (M-Z)

 Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - October 17, 2025

This is Part II 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 M-Z.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/09/childrens-recreational-rhymes-that.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases examples of these rhymes whose titles begin with A-L

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

This pancocojams series is created to document some examples of a sub-set of recreational rhymes that include the name/s of one or more fictional character/s.

In addition to  providing a list of some of the fictional characters in children's recreational rhymes and showcasing children's creativity, these examples serve as windows into the world of certain populations of children-particularly girls of certain ages-revealing some of their attitudes, opinions, perceptions, concerns, preferences, values, and other socialization/cultural indices.  

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of these rhymes. Thanks also to all those whose examples are quoted in this post.
-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 pancocojam 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"   

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Description of this pancocojams series

By "children's rhymes" I mean rhymes that may or may not have been composed by children, but are documented as being chanted by children while jumping rope, playing hand clap games, recited as taunting rhymes, or otherwise. The "children's recreational rhymes" category doesn't include "nursery rhymes". ("Nursery rhymes" are also known as "Mother Goose rhymes"). 

This series isn't meant to be a comprehensive collection of this sub-set of English language children's recreational rhymes. 

The rhymes in this compilation don't includes example of "Miss ___" rhymes that begin with or include names such as "Miss Susie", "Miss Lucy", and "Miss Mary Mack" unless those rhymes contain the name of another fictional character. If those rhymes do include the name of another fictional character, then the "miss __" will be italized. 

The examples in this compilation don't include profanity, excessive violence, and/or racially offensive references,  and/or other offensive content. However, some other versions of these rhymes may include that content. 

These examples are presented in alphabetical order based on the rhymes' titles. Often these titles are two or more words from the first line of a rhyme.

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.

These examples are given "as is" with little or no editorial corrections or explanations. 

The title of each rhyme is written in capital letters and the names of fictional characters are written in italics the first time that they appear in each example. 

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FEATURED EXAMPLES 

M, N

MAMA MAMA CAN'T YOU SEE (Example #1)
The one we sang growing up was

Mama mama can’t you see what this baby’s done to me
Toll away my MTV now I’m watching Barney
Barney got shot by GI Jo now he’s missing a pinky toe
-Caitlin Shaddock ( Memphis, Tennessee) 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"

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MAMA MAMA CAN'T YOU SEE (Example #2)
My version was

mama mama can’t you see
what the baby done to me
she took away my mtv
now i’m watching dumb barney
dumb barney is so wack
now i’m watching men in black
men in black is so cool
it makes me want to go to school
tic tac toe thee in a row
momma got shot by g.i joe
if you stop you get a pop
all the way to the candy shop
-Anonymous, December 16, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&ab_channel=Geneas [This video is no longer available.]

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MARIJUANA, MARIJUANA
Marijuana, Marijuana
PCP, PCP
Betty Crocker makes it,
Ronald Reagan takes it,
Why can't we? Why can't we?
-http://www.inthe80s.com/rhymes.shtml

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MICKY MOUSE HAD A HOUSE
Micky mouse had a house under the movies 
once the movie started Micky mouse farted what color  pink
-@lucycool8715, 2017, [comment], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0KMFSj-FrQ,
"Fun Hand Games, published by camille c,  Dec 24, 2011

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MICKEY MOUSE IN HIS HOUSE
Mickey mouse in his house
pulling down his trousers
quick comes mum to smack his bum
what colour will they be?

(than you chose a colour eg blue)

B-L-U-E spells blue

O-U-T spells out! :D

This one was popular in our playground especially when choosing someone to be it.
-[Deleted User], 01'07/10, https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/1287991/play-ground-rhymes-from-your-childhood

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #1)
Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Hey you,
scooby do
your Mama's got the measles
Your papa's got the flu
magic measles
magic flu
Take an a b c d e f g
Take an h i j k l.m.n.o.p.
Take a smooth shot
Take a smooth shot
and now freeze.
-Eleanor Fulton, Pat Smith: Let's Slice The Ice, (Magnamusic-Baton, 1978; St. Louis, Mo.; p. 16)
-snip-
This version of "Miss Sue From Alabama" is often called "Miss Sue Scooby Doo". "Scooby Doo" is the star of the Scooby-Doo animated television series created by the American animation company Hanna-Barbera and I think most children chanting that rhyme equated the words "Scooby Doo with that character. However, the name "Scooby Doo" probably came from a Jazz scatting phrase. 

An example of "Miss Sue From Alabama" from Northern Mississppi (1965) was posted on the following Mudcat folk music discussion thread: "http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 "Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes?" That example includes the Jazz scatting phrase "A doobie-do-waha". That phrase sounds a lot like "scooby doo". Although performance instructions weren't given for that rhyme, judging from its words, it was performed as a circle game

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #2)
Miss Sue, Scooby Doo
Miss Sue from Alabama
Sittin at the table
peeling mashed potatoes.
Waitin for the clock to go
boom tick tock.
boom ticky wally wally.
Boom tick tock
Boom ticky wally wally.
Stop!
Ah 2 more time.
Boom tick tock.
Boom ticky wally wally.
Boom tick tock.
boom ticky wally wally.
Ah 1 more time.
Boom tick tock
Boom ticky wally wally
Boom tick tock.
Boom ticky wally wally.
Ah no more times.
-Black children at Alafia Children's Ensemble groups in Pittsburgh, PA; 1999 & 2001; Collected by Azizi Powell, 1999 & 2001

**** MISS SUSIE HAD A STEAMBOAT
Miss Susie had a steamboat,
The steamboat had a bell.
Miss Susie went to heaven,
The steamboat went to $&#/$&

Hello operator,
Please give me number nine.
And if you disconnect me
I’ll chop of your /&$#%$

Behind the frigerator
There was a piece of glass.
Miss Mary sat upon it.
It went right up her "%"$(=

Ask me no more questions,
Please tell me no more lies.
The boys are in the bathroom,
Zipping down their "$%$&/&

Flies are in the city,
The bees are in the park.
Boys and girls are kissing
In the D-A-R-K

D-A-R-K D-A-R-K dark dark dark
Dark is like a movie,
A movie’s like a show.
A show is like a TV screen,
And that is all I know

I know I know my mother,
I know I know my pa.
I know I know my sister
With the forty acre bra.

Brother’s like a sister,
A sister’s like an aunt.
An aunt is like a relative
Who likes to rave and rant.

I wish I had a nickel
I wish I had a dime
I wish I had a boyfriend
Who kissed me all the time!

My Ma gave me a nickel
My Pa gave me a dime.
My Sister gave me a boyfriend,
Who'd kiss me all the time

My Ma took back the nickel,
My Pa took back the dime.
My Sister took back her boyfriend,
and gave me Frankenstein!

He made me wash the dishes,
He made me wash the floors,
He made me wash his underwear,
So I kicked him out the door

I kicked him over London,
I kicked him over France.
I kicked him to Hawaii,
where he learned to Hula dance!

My mothers like Godzilla,
My fathers like King Kong.
My sister is the stupid one
That taught me this dumb song.

Hello operator,
Please give me number ten.
And if you disconnect me,
I’ll sing this song again!
-https://www.nurseryrhymes.org/miss-susie-had-a-steamboat-hello-operator.html

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O, P 

POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN

popeye the sailor man full stop
lives in a caravan full stop
when he goes swimming
he kisses all the women
hes popeye the sailor man full stop
-Anonymous, 19/08/2014, https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/being-mum-794/parenting-advice-192/434766-playground-clapping-rhymes-your-childhood-4.html

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PUNCHINELLA
This thread is too funny. Ok, the words are shaky, but here goes.

(group of girls standing around in a circle singing)

What can you do, Punchanella, Punchanella

What can you do, Punchanella in the zoo

(girl in middle of circle does a dance and then the groups follows her lead)

We can do it too, Punchanella, Punchanella

We can do it too, Punchanella in the zoo

every girl in the circle get a chance to get in the middle and "do her thang!" 
-Honeykiss1974, 03-26-2003, http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=31403&page=3        

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Q, R

RONALD MCDONALD
Ronald McDonald, a-biskit,
Ronald McDonald, a-biskit,
Ah, shoo-shoo-shoo-wa-wa a-biskit,
I've got a boyfriend, a-biskit,
He's as sweet as a-biskit,
Ice-cream sugar with a cherry on the top,
Ice-cream sugar with a cherry on the bottom,
Down, down, baby, down down the rollercoaster,
Sweet, sweet, baby, I'll never let you go.
Sugar sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, pow!
Sugar sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, pow! (Poke each other in tummy)

[information about this rhyme]

Ronald McDonald

Functions: Clapping Game, Language Play and Physical Play

Ronald McDonald is a rhyme that accompanies a clapping game played by some girls....
-https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/research/projects/language-in-the-playground-project/publications/lip70.pdf, Clapping games – New Zealand PLAYGROUND LANGUAGE, Laurie and Winifred Bauer 2002

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S, T

SINBAD THE SAILOR
We had Sinbad the sailor:

Sinbad was a sailor His father was as well Sinbad went to heaven And his father went to
Helensburgh castle High upon a rock If you want to get there You will have to show your
Cocktail ginger 7p a glass If you don’t like it You can shove it up your
Ask no questions Tell no lies Sinbad was a sailor And he came from paradise.
It’s never been clear to me why that was the way to get into Helensburgh castle, but it was the 80s…
-Hexoff, 2024, https://www.reddit.com/r/Xennials/comments/1giz5v3/miss_susie/ "Miss Susie"
-snip-
In response to another person's comment, this commenter shared that this example was from Glasgow, Scotland.

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STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
We did doubledutch to "Strawberry shortcake, Huckleberry Finn, when I call your birthday, please jump in January  February..." then we did the same thing with "jump out!" We'd have 5 or 6 girls jumping at the same rime
-ianad, 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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TARZAN, THE MONKEY MAN (Example #1)
Tarzan jungle man swinging from a rubber band! Fell down, broke his crown, what color was his blood?
-tacocollector2, 2024, https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/1en98o0/anybody_else_remember_those_playground_songs_and/
-snip-
Another commenter responded to this example by writing "

With us (after “rubber band”) it was “he don’t care, he don’t swear, he don’t wear no underwear” lol…" -twicecolored, 2024

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TARZAN, THE MONKEY MAN (Example #2)
We said "Tarzan the monkey man, swinging on a rubber band. Along came Superman and knocked him in the garbage can!"
-Tiny-Tangerine423, 2025, 
https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/1en98o0/anybody_else_remember_those_playground_songs_and/

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TEMPTATION
Temptation, temptation, temptation/Dick Barton went down to the station/Marilyn Monroe was there/Marilyn Monroe was bare/Temptation, temptation, temptation...
-Brian Grayson, https://www.facebook.com/warren.fahey.10/posts/10151282928191495, October 19, 2012
-snip-
From  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Barton
"Dick Barton" is the name of a [fictional] character in the popular British radio series "Dick Barton – Special Agent" (October 1946 to March 1951."...
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/10/names-of-famous-people-in-childrens.html for this same rhyme in this pancocojams post "Names Of Famous People In Children's Recreational Rhymes (Part II: Rhymes Whose Titles With M-Z) Reprint"

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THE SIMPSONS (Example #1)
The Simpsons
Sin Sin Sin
We do twist (tricks?)
And I do twist (tricks?)
And Maggie Maggie Maggie twist (tricks?)
And Mart is double trouble
Mart is double trouble
Criss cross
The apple sauce
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Now freeze 1 time
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Now freeze
-Alecia and Arianna; 2009, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ9PPA7MaJk&feature=grec_index  

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THE SIMPSONS (Example #2)
The Simpsons:
Bart Simpson
Lisa Simpson
Homer and Marge
That’s not all-
Bart’s in double trouble

Bart Simpson
Lisa Simpson
Homer and Marge
That’s not all-
Bart’s in double trouble

Criss Cross
Apple sauce
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Freeze!
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
For the last time
Freeze!
- Tamia; 12 year old African American girl, Maryland) Oct 29. 2005; collected by Marimba Johnson 

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U, V

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W, X

WHEN PEBBLES WAS A BABY
When Pebbles was a baby, a baby, a baby
When Pebbles was a baby, she used to go like this:

"Wah! Wah!" (mime crying)

When Pebbles was a toddler, a toddler, a toddler
When Pebbles was a toddler she used to go like this:

"Wah! Wah!"
"Give me a Sucker" (mimes lollipop)

When Pebbles was a kid, a kid, a kid
When Pebbles was a kid she used to go like this:

"Wah! Wah!"
"give me a sucker"
"I know the answer!" (waves hand in air)

When Pebbles was a teenager, a teenager, a teenager
When Pebbles was a teenager she used to go like this:

"Wah! Wah!"
"Give me a sucker"
"I know the answer"
"Ohh! Ah! I lost my bra! I must have left it in my boyfriends car!!" (cover chest)

When Pebbles was a mother, a mother, a mother
When Pebbles was a mother she used to go like this:

"Wah! Wah!"
"Give me a sucker"
"I know the answer"
"Ohh! Ah! I lost my bra! I must have left it in my boyfriends car!!"
"Ding Dong Dinner's ready!" (mime pulling bell)

When Pebbles was a grandma, a grandma, a grandma
When Pebbles was a grandma she used to go like this:

"Wah! Wah!"
"Give me a sucker"
"I know the answer"
"Ohh! Ah! I lost my bra! I must have left it in my boyfriends car!!"
"Ding Dong Dinner's ready!"
"Oh! my aching back!" (bend over)

When Pebbles was in heaven, in heaven, in heaven
When Pebbles was in heaven, she used to like this:

"Wah! Wah!"
"Give me a sucker"
"I know the answer"
"Ohh! Ah! I lost my bra! I must have left it in my boyfriends car!!"
"Ding Dong Dinner's ready!"
"Oh! my aching back!"
"Alleuia!" (throw arms up)
- Marai, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080731094608AARt5vg "HELP does anyone know the lyrics to this childhood handgame" 2008

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Y, Z

YOUR MAMA DON'T WEAR NO DRAWERS (Example #1)
Oh I just remembered!

"Yo momma don't wear no draws, I saw her when she took them off, she threw them in the tree...them birds said 'twee-lee-lee!'

Yo momma don't wear no draws, I saw her when she took them off, she threw them in the air, Superman said 'I dee-clare'!" lol
-FlyGemini, Aug 9, 2013, https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/ghetto-childhood-rhymes.553524/ "Ghetto Childhood Rhymes"

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YOUR MAMA DON'T WEAR NO DRAWERS (Example #2)

(chant)

Yo mama don't wear no drawers

I saw her when she took em off

She threw them in the air

Superman said, "I declare"

 

(She threw them on the track

That train jumped 50 miles back)
-Symphony08, Illinois, 03-26-2003, http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=31403&page=3        

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YO MAMA DON'T WEAR NO SOCKS
Chorus:

Ah ding dong dong dong dong
Ah ding dong dong dong dong

Yo mama don't wear no draws (ah ding dong)
I saw her when she took them off (ah ding dong)
She threw them in the tree (ah ding dong)
And the dog refused to pee.

Chorus

Yo mama don't wear no socks (ah ding dong)
I saw her when she took them off (ah ding dong)
She threw them in the sky (ah ding dong)
And Superman refused to fly

Chorus

Yo mama don't wear no socks (ah ding dong)
I saw her when she took them off (ah ding dong)
She put them in ah nest (ah ding dong)
And the birds refused to rest.

Ah ding dong dong dong dong
Ah ding dong dong dong dong
Rest in pea-eece
Ah ding dong dong dong dong
Ah ding dong dong dong dong

Yo mama don't wear no socks (ah ding dong)
I saw her when she took them off (ah ding dong)
She threw them on the wall (ah ding dong)
And the roaches refused to crawl.

Chorus
-Britney Weaver,  December 9, 2007 "Yo Mama Don't Wear No Socks" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWyYon0LcPI
-snip-
This rhyme/chant is most often known as "Yo Mama Don't Wear No Draws".  

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

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