Part I -"Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" Rhymes That Include Lines About The Cola Wars And/Or Lines About Michael Jackson's Hair Catching On Fire

Edited by Azizi Powell

Lastest revision- October 24, 2025

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that presents some examples of "Down By The Banks of The Hanky Panky" rhymes that include lines about the 1980s Cola marketing wars between Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola or folk processed versions of those lines that mention other beverages, products, and more. Those rhymes and some other "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" Rhymes in this compilation may be combined with lines that obliquely refer to Michael Jackson's hair catching on fire during the taping of a Pepsi commercial while he sang his hit song "Billie Jean". (However, notice that a number of these rhymes refer to Coca Cola "burning him up" instead of Pepsi Cola).

The examples of "Down By The Banks of The Hanky Panky"  in this pancocojams post are from a Mudcat discussion thread entitled "Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky." I started in 2006 when I was a member of that online international folk music forum,.I voluntarily left that forum in November 2014, but that discussion thread is still open for comments as of the publication date of this pancocojams post.. 

Additional examples in this panocojams post are from the discussion threads of a few pancocojams posts, the discussion threads of a few YouTube videos, and from a few other online websites (excluding reddit.com.)

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/10/part-ii-down-by-banks-of-hanky-panky.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents some of examples of these versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" from a long 2021-2025 Reddit.com Nostalgia discussion thread.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on the English language children's rhyme "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky". Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/10/hyperlinks-to-pancocojams-posts-on-down.html for a post that presents a hyperlinked list of all of the pancocojams posts that have been published about that rhyme. 

Also, here's one of several posts in that series that presents examples of a particular sub-category of folk processed "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes"   https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/12/hey-mr-willy-and-other-folk-processed.html "Hey Mr. Willy" And Other Folk Processed Forms Of "Frog Missed The Lily Pad" In "Down ByThe Banks Of The Hanky Panky Rhymes (with geographical locations)

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STATEMENTS ABOUT FOLK PROCESSING CHILDREN'S RECREATIONAL RHYMES
https/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clapping_game
"Clapping games are a part of oral tradition. As such there are a variety of distinct clapping games or families of games. A game may be performed or played in various versions found in different areas and times and often according to ethnicity. [Examples of a particular rhyme] may contain, omit, or vary verses or specific lines. Clapping patterns and actions may also vary. There is no canonical version of any game though children often fight over whose version is "right" or "real"."...

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My statement from https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/forms-of-name-billie-jean-in-down-by.html "Forms Of The Name "Billie Jean" In "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" Rhymes"
"Folk etymology is "a change in the spelling or pronunciation of a word or phrase or the replacement of an unfamiliar word or phrase with a more familiar word phrase or sound. Folk etymology occurs because of mishearing, misremembering, or a mistaken assumption about that word or phrase."
-snip-
"Folk etymology" is an earlier term for "folk processing".
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In my study of children's recreational rhymes in general, and in my study of "Down ByThe Banks Of The Hanky Panky" in particular, I'm most interested in noting how versions of those rhymes have changed within the same population and/or within different populations in the same geographic location and/or in different geographical locations during the same time and/or over time. This is my purpose in sharing these examples of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky rhymes in this particular pancocojams post.

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"Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes can be divided into short forms and long forms of those rhymes. Here's what may be the "standard" version of a short form of these rhymes:

"Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky

Where the bullfrog jumped from bank to bank

Singing eep, op, eep op op

He missed the lily pad and went ker Plop!

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I consider all of the other short forms of this rhyme to be folk processed. I also consider ALL of the long forms of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" to be folk processed, in part, because they are expansions of those short form examples of those rhymes.

One way that long forms of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes are folk processed is by omitting or substituting the names of other sodas, or other beverages, products, or things.

Long forms of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" are also folk processed by combining lines/verses from one or more independent (stand alone) children's recreational rhymes i.e. rhymes that can be chanted by themselves and/or can be combined with certain other recreational rhymes.

** 

One particular change in "Down By The Banks of The Hanky Panky" rhymes that interests me is how some contemporary (?) examples of these rhymes include "Cola war" * lines have expanded or substituted their listing of soda names to other beverages, and/or products, and/or other things.

* The "Cola Wars" refers to the late 1970s and 1980s marketing wars between Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola carbonated soda pop brands. Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cola_wars for information about the cola wars.

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The references in "Down By The Banks of The Hanky Panky" rhymes to Michael Jackson's hair being burned while he was singing his hit song "Billie Jean" during a taping of a Pepsi Cola commercial are oblique. (I doubt that most children chanting those rhymes in the 1980s and especially now in the 2000s really "got" that reference.  

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Notice that many of the long form versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" begin with the words "I pledge allegiance to the flag". Those words are followed by a line thar rhymes or nearly rhymes with the word "flag".

I've never come across the line "I pledge allegiance to the flag in any other recreational rhyme except "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky". . 

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EXAMPLES OF "DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY" RHYMES THAT REFER TO THE COLA WARS AND/OR (OBLIQUELY) REFER TO MICHAEL JACKSON BEING BURNED 

These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes.

The Micheal Jackson (or another famous person) lines and the ola wars lines are given in italics only to highlight those lines. 

1. "Down by the river near the hankey pank where the bullfrogs jump from bank, to bank, and they say E I O U, your momma stinks and so do you so ping pong ding dong your daddy smells like king kong. Ask your teacher what she wears, polka dotted underwear. Not too big and not too small, just the size of city hall. Michael Jackson went to town, coca-cola brought him down. Coca-cola brought him up, now he's drinking 7up. 7up with no cafiene, now he's seein' belgain (pronounced beligene). Belgain is outta sight, now we're talking dynamite. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BAM!"

-Azizi quoting Veggie; 8/21/2006 http://www.cocojams.com/taunting_rhymes.htm [Cocojams.com is the name of my multi-page website that is no longer active]. I quoted this example in Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034 (hereafter given as "Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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2. "As a camp counselor Ive heard, i think:

Down by the banks of the hanky pank

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank

Singing eep, op, eep op op

Skiddle diddle kernel pop!

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Micheal Jackson makes me gag

Coca-cola brought him up

Now we're talking 7-up

7-up has no caffeine

Now we're talking Levi jeans

Levi jeans are out of style

Now we're talking for a while

Singing eep, op, eep op op

Skiddle diddle kernel pop!

with a circle of kids and the handslapping motions described earlier; on the final 'pop' the hand slapped is eliminated"
-GUEST, 30 Nov 06 Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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3. "Down by the river of hanky panky

where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky

singing eeps, ips, ops, oops

silly willy ding dong

yo daddy smell like king kong

i pledge allegiance to the flag

micheal jackson is a fag

coca cola brought 'em up

now we're drinking 7Up

7Up has no caffine

now we're drinking gas-o-line"
-GUEST,Cyndy,  08 Apr 07 

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4. "My friends play it like this:

Down by the bank by the hanky panky

where the bullfrogs jumps from bank to bank

We're sayin ep op ep op op

skiddle diddle kernal pop!

I pledge alligence to the flag

Micheal Jackson makes me gag

Coca Cola messed him up

now we're drinking 7up

7up has no caffine

now we're drinking gassoline

Gassoline not good for you

now we're drinking Mt. Dew

Mt. Dew fell off the Mt.

now we're drinking from a fountain

The fountain broke

and now we're back to drinking coke
-Guest, 17 Mar 08, Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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5. "Down by the bank by the hanky pank

where the bullfrog jumped from bank to bank

singing eeeps ops ohps ooops

listen to the rythym of the ding dang dong

michael jackson went to town

pepsi cola shot him down

dr. pepper fixed him up

now we're talking 7up

7up has no caffiene

now we're billie jean

billie jean went down the street singing

dooo waaah diddy didy dum diddy dooo
-GUEST,  06 Nov 09 Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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6. The words we sang in YMCA Afterschool during my years there as a kid(1997-2004)

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky

saying eep opp

eep opp opp

Skittle Dittle Kerr plop

 

Ding dong my breath smells like King Kong

I pledge allegience to the flag

Michael Jackson is a drag

Coca Cola blew up

Now I'm drinking Seven Up

Seven Up caught the flew

Now I'm drinking Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew went up the mountain

Now I'm drinking from the fountain

After that the fountain broke

Now I'm back to drin-king COKE"
-GUEST,theshortone, 28 Feb 10Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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7. "this is how i sing it:

down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky singing hip hop soda pop coca cola went to town, diet pepsi knocked him down. doctor pepper picked him up, now i'm drinking seven up. seven up, got the flue, now i'm drinking mountain dew mountain dew fell off the mountain, now i'm drinking from the fountain. fountain broke, now i'm drinking plain old coke. coke turned out the light, now i'm drinking sprite. sprite, went to bed, now i'm drinking red-bull! red bull's not feeling fine, now i'm drinking wine. we put one in the trunk, because it made me drunk. drunk made me feel dismal, now i'm drinking pepto-bismal. pepto bismal tastes like mush, now i'm drinking orange crush. orange crush, made me pale, now i'm drinking ginger ale. ginger ale, made me fade, now i'm drinking lemonade. all these drinks i've got to pee, i didn't make it oh.. poor...me."
-GUEST,Casey,  03 Jul 11Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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8. "i thought it was like:

 Down by the bank of the hanky panky

where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank

going eeps ieps ops oop

Listen to the ker-plop

i pledge allegience to the flag

Michael Jackson stinks so bad\

Coca Cola burned him up

now he's drinking 7 up

7 up has no caffiene

now he's drinking gasoline

Gasoline has no good taste now he's drinking toxic waste(then it went into something it was totally different)there's a place on mars,where the baby - and the boys wear bikinis and the girls were barganins the muster man put muster on his head,when the musturd dried........... (then it ends something like this)mirrior mirror on the wall whos the fairest of them all!"
-GUEST,jen, 29 May 11Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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9. "down by the bank of the hanky pank, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank. ya say e pa e pa pa. skittle dittle kernel pop. i pledge allegiance to the flag. michael jackson makes me mad. coca cola has caffeine. now i'm drinking gasoline. gasoline went out of fuel. so now i'm drinking mountain dew. mountain dew fell off the mountain so now i'm drinking from the fountain. one day the fountain broke, so now i'm drinking plain old diet coke... diet coke went ran out of diet so now i'm drinking sunny d. sunny d fell off the sun so now i'm counting 10 to 1. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

kids at my school usually ended at the diet coke part but one of my friends added a continuation
-GUEST a,  20 March 11Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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10.  Down by the banks of the hanky panky

were the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank

going epps ieps ops oops

Listen to the ker-plop

i pledge allegiance to the flag

Michael Jackson sings so bad (which he doesn't)

Pepsi Cola burned him up

now he's drinking 7 up

7 up has no caffeine

now he's drinking gasoline

Gasoline has no good taste now he's drinking toxic waste(then the melody changes)

there's a place on mars, where the babys smoke cigars and the boys wear bikinis and the ladies drink martinis

 

(then it ends something like this)mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all!

At the end who ever got landed on would be out and then it would start over with the remaining players"
-GUEST,Marissa, 19 Dec 18Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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11-to -#16
"I’ve been interested in the different versions of this rhyme since forever and can’t believe it took so long to find this site! All versions I know are from the mid 2000s.

Heard in a Christian camp in Mississippi:

Down by the valley of the Hanky Panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank

Sayin’ ooh, ah, skittle, skattle, big, fat, bull, frog

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Michael Jackson is so bad

Pepsi-Cola, burnin’ up

Now we’re drinkin’ 7-Up

7-Up has no caffeine

Now we’re wachin’ Billy Jean

Billy Jean went out of style

Now we’re wachin’ X-Files

X-Files, way too scary

Now we’re wachin’ Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry’s way too funny

Now we’re wachin’ Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny’s way too lame

Now we’re playin’ video games

Video games are way too boring

Then one morning I woke up snoring

 

Heard in an elementary school near Memphis, Tennessee:

Down by the valley of the Hanky Panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank

Sayin’ ooh, ah, skittle, skattle, big, fat, bull, frog

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Michael Jackson is so bad

Pepsi-Cola, burnin’ up

Now we’re drinkin’ 7-Up

7-Up has no caffeine

Now we’re wachin’ Billy Jean

Billy Jean went out of style

Now we’re wachin’ X-Files

X-Files, way too scary

Now we’re wachin’ Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry’s way too stupid

Now we’re wachin’ Cupid (This line shifts from a chant to a song)

Once on Sunday morning

I looked up at the wall

I saw a team of cockroaches

Playing basketball

The score was none to six

Roaches in the lead

I think I need some bug spray

1, 2, 3

Heard near Wichita, Kansas:

Down by the valley of the Hanky Panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank

Sayin’ eeps, ipes, opes, ops

And a little flicker-doodle and a big ker-plop

(This version uses the same tune I saw mentioned by someone else earlier)

Heard in Texas:

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank

E I O U east side, west side

Ping, pang, pong

Half remembered near Memphis, Tennessee:

Down by the valley of the Hanky Panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank

Sayin’ ooh, ah, skittle, skattle, big, fat, dirty, rat

I pledge allegiance to the flag (to the flag said faster than normal rhythm)

Michael Jackson was so bad (was so bad said faster than normal)

Pepsi-Cola, burp it up

Now we’re drinkin’ 7-Up

7-Up has no caffeine

Now we’re drinkin’ gasoline

Gasoline made me puke (or possibly throw up)

(Don’t remember a few lines)

Now we all drink Coke
--GUEST,Lavender, . 30 Jul 20, Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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17. "My friends and I put all this together in fourth grade:

Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky saying fee fi fo fum. i pledge allegiance to the flag that Micheal Jackson is my dad. Coca Cola burned him up. Now we're drinking seven up. Seven up has no caffeine. Now we're talking jelllybeans. Jellybeans are out of sight. Now we're talking dynamite. Dynamite blew up the school. Now we're talking really cool. Mickey mouse built a house. Donald duck messed it up. Who will pay for all the damage? Y O U spells you. Tarzan the monkey man swinging from a rubber band. Fell down broke his crown. What color was his blood?""
-GUEST,Guest, 27 Sep 20, Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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18. "Down by the riverside

Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
I said a a-e-i-o-u beetle juice I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson is so fat
Coca-Cola bust his butt
Now he's drinking 7 Up.
7 Up has no caffeine
Now he's drinking gasoline.
Gasoline was made for cars
Now he's eating candy bars.
Candy bars have too much fat
Now he's driving Cadillacs.
Cadillacs are out of style.
Now. He. Has. To. Walk. A. Mile."
-GUEST,The Louisiana Version, 26 May 21, Mudcat: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky" 
-snip-
This same guest contributor also wrote that same day "That's how black kids in Louisiana that were born in the 90's play it!"

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19. "all of you are wrong.the right version is

down by the banks of the hanky panky

where the bull frog jumps from bank to bank

with n eeps ops soda pop hey

smackadoodle and he went kerplop

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Justin Beiber makes me mad

pepsi cola burnt his butt

now he's drinking 7-up

7-up has no caffine

now he's drinking gasoline

gasoline is made for cars

now he's shooting up to mars

there's a place on mars where babies smoke cigars

mean wear bakinies and women drink martinis

every step you take is enough to kill a snake

when the snake is dead you put mustard on his head

)when the mustard dries you put diamonds in his eyes

when diamonds break it is 1968

mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all

mickey mouse build a house

donald duck broke it down

who will face the consequences?

Y-O-U
-GUEST, October 23, 2023;  Mudcat: Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

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20.  down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky singing a e i o u  micheal jordon went to town pepsi cola shut him down mountain dew shut him up now we are talking seven up sevenup with no calffeine now we are talking bille jean bille jean went down the street singing didee didde didde dum didee doo
-timothy & kimberly b,  https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20121211173034AAyQw1S , "lyrics to down by the banks in the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump", 2015

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21. "This is the version I learned at a Girl Scout camp in Virginia in about 2010!

Down by the banks of the hanky panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky

Said-a eas, ice, ohss, oos

Listen to the big bull frog (drawn out)

 

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Justin Bieber makes me gag

Pepsi-cola's burning up,

now we're drinking 7-up

7-up has no caffeine,

now we're drinking gasoline

gasoline is bad for you,

now we're drinking mountain dew

mountain dew fell off a mountain,

now we're drinking from a fountain

the fountain broke and now we're drinking

plain, old, coke
-Anonymous, Feb. 26, 2013, https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/03/part-ii-of-some-down-by-banks-of-hanky.html?sc=1677

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22. Down by the river of the hanky banks

where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
sayin' fee, fi, foe, fum,
Miso miso ding dang dong
I pledge allegiance to the flag ,
Micheal Jackson is my dad
cokacola burns his butt,
now were talkin 7 up
7 up has no caffeine
now were talkin billy jean
billy jean is out of sight,
now were talkin dynamite,
downright blew up the school,
now were talkin really cool
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Micky mouse built a house, donold duck messed it up,
Who will pay the consequences?
Y-O-U spells you"
-hpuppiesz636, October 29, 2018 http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/02/down-by-banks-of-hanky-panky-video.html [comment]

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23."Ok so I never found the version my friends and I did which was:

Down by the banks with the hanky panks

Where the bullfrog jumps from bank to banks

And eeps, eips, ohps, ops,

One falls in and goes ker-plops

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Micheal Jackson makes me mad

Pepsi Cola busted up

Now I’m drinking 7-Up

7-Up caught the flu

Now I’m drinking Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew fell off the Mountain

Now I’m drinking from the fountain

Fountain broke, now I’m drinking

Plain old Coke"

(When there are only two players left, the second part is replaced with “Mickey Mouse, build a house, Donald Duck, mess it up, who will pay for the consequence? I choose you!”)"
-@koalapaint, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyVHms0Ob10

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24."I’m from the Lacey/Toms River area of Central Jersey/Jersey Shore and this was the variety we sang at the Toms River YMCA summer camp between 2003-2007 (when I was 7-11). A lot of kids learned it there similar to this, but we had variations there too:

“Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
Saying eep, pop, eep, pop pop
Skiddle diddle kernel pop!
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson makes me gag
Coca Cola messed me up
Now I’m drinking 7-Up
7-Up has no caffeine
Now I’m drinking gasoline
Gasoline ran out of fuel (or: gave me the flu) (or: isn’t good for you)
Now I’m drinking Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew fell off the mountain
Now I’m drinking from a fountain
The fountain broken
So now I’m drinking plain old coke”

Sometimes we had a verse in there like:
“7-Up has no caffeine
Now we’re talking jelly beans
Jelly beans are out of style
Now we’ve been talking for a while” "...
-Anonymous, Nov. 8, 2023, https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/03/part-ii-of-some-down-by-banks-of-hanky.html

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25."This is the version that I remember playing in Denver, Colorado from the 2010s:

Down by the banks of the hanky banky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With a heaps hops, over the tops
And lands on a lilly pad with a kerplops

I pledge allegiance to the flag
that Justin Bieber makes me gag
Coca-Cola has caffeine
and now we're talking Billie Jeans
Billie Jeans went out of style
Now lets sit and talk a while

There's a party round the corner
wont you please, please come
Bring your own cappuccino
and your own chewing gum
What is your boyfriends name
(The person who it landed on would say someone's name)
__ loves __ yadda yadda yadda
__ loves __ yadda yadda yadda
O-U-T spells you are out!

Sometimes we would just do the first part, or just the last part, depending on who we were playing with.
-Anonymous, November. 28, 2023,https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/03/part-ii-of-some-down-by-banks-of-hanky.html

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

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