Part I Of A List By States Of Visitor Comments From The 2021 Pancocojams Post "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky With Commenters' Geographic Locations"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a 2026 two part pancocojams alphabetized list of examples of 
the recreational rhyme "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" Rhymes" that were published in the discussion threads for a two part 2021 pancocojams series.

The examples that are presented in that 2021 pancocojams series are reprints of examples of a ten page "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" discussion thread*. Each of the examples that were reprinted in that 2021 pancocojams series include their commenter's note about the state they lived in when they learned that rhyme. 

 * https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=94034&messages=454&page=1.

I started that Mudcat discussion thread in August 2006. 

This 2026 pancocojams post presents an alphabetized list of all of the visitor comments that are published in the discussion thread for the first part of that 2021 pancocojams series:  
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/03/part-i-of-some-examples-of-down-by_22.html . All of these discussion thread comments include a commenter's note about the state where the commenter first learned that particular "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhyme.

All of the visitor comments in the discussion thread for Part I of 2021 series include states in the United States no matter what the state name's beginning letter is, regardless of the focus of tht post being only on states whose names begin with the letters "A--J".  

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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/02/part-ii-of-list-by-states-of-visitor.html for Part II of this 2026 pancocojams series  That post presents an alphabetized list of all of the visitor comments that are published in the discussion thread for the second part of that 2021 pancocojams series. All of these discussion thread comments include a commenter's note about the state where the commenter first learned that "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhyme.

For some reason, that second post in that 2021 pancocojams series has many more visitor comments than the first 2021 post. As is the case with Part I of that 2021 series, that discussion thread includes example with a geographic reference regardless of the fact that the post's focus is only on states with names beginning with K-Z.  

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Although I thanked every person for their comment in those discussion threads, only a few of my comments from the discussion threads for both of these 2021 pancocojams posts are included in this 2026 pancocojams series. 

Any new visitor comments to either of these two 2021 pancocojams posts will be added to their 2026 alphabetized list.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in these posts.

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A, B

Alabama

Anonymous, February 11, 2023 at 2:08 PM
"I'm from deep south Alabama and I remember the lyrics, your mother smells like soda pop your daddy smells like king kong's donkey doo. Lmao"

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Reply
Anonymous, February 11, 2023 at 2:10 PM
"I also remember a kid teaching us the Florida version"

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C, D

California

Anonymous, October 24, 2023 at 6:12 PM
"In Long Beach, CA around 2008, I learned it as:

Down by the banks of the hanky panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky

Where the eeps ops soda pops

He missed a lily and he went kerplop

 

(Second verse, sung faster)

With a cherry on top, Pepsi Cola

Ring a bell, ring a bell if it makes you smile

Ring a bell, ring a bell if it makes you smile

7up, 7up, 7up, you’re out!"

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Reply
Anonymous, October 24, 2023 at 9:28 PM
"Now that I’ve read through some of the other versions, I’m wondering if the lyric was actually “ginger ale if it makes you smile,” and I just misheard it lol."

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Azizi PowellFebruary 8, 2024 at 8:39 PM

Here's a version of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" that I received via email:

January 14, 2024

"Hello!

I came across your page about the song “down by the banks” because someone told me people sing it differently based on where they grew up. I grew up in los angeles, california and we sang it exactly like you wrote under the Southern California heading. I also saw the variation you put (the beverly hills one) and I just wanted to add to it. We would sing it “down by the streets of the beverly hills where the girls go shopping and the boys pay the bills with the eeps opps coffee shops we all drink lattes and we wear flip flops.”

Warmly,

Talia Prins "

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Colorado 

Anonymous, December 13, 2023 at 9:37 PM
"I love this! I'm originally from Fort Collins CO and we used to sing:

 Down by the banks of the hanky panky

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky

With a hip hop over the top

Frog missed a lily pad and went kerplop"

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E, F

Florida

Anonymous, March 6, 2023 at 11:16 PM
"Just south of Tampa Florida:

Down by the bank of the hanky panky

Where the bull frog jumps from bank to bank

Say E-I-O-U

Your mama sticks and so do you

So ping pong, donkey Kong

Junior senior 1 2 3"

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G, H

Atlanta, Georgia

Anonymous, March 8, 2023 at 11:54 PM
"I love this so much!!! It's so awesome that you've documented this. I'm from ATL and the version given here is just what I learned but maybe 5 years later. So interesting!!!!!"

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Elias, August 16, 2023 at 9:15 PM
"in Georgia, metro Atlanta area, in the mid to late 2000s, I learned:

down by the river in the hanky panks

where the bullfrogs jump from banks to banks

sayin' eeps, ipes, opes, ops

chilly willy ding dong

 

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Michael Jackson makes me gag

 

coca-cola burns my butt

now we're talkin' 7-up

7-up has no caffeine

now we're talkin' willy jean

willy jean is outta sight

now we're talkin' dynamite

dynamite blew up the school

now we're talkin' really cool

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BOOM!"

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I, J

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K, L

Kentucky

Anonymous, March 30, 2023 at 9:18 PM [Pancocojams Editor: WARNING- This example includes profanity.]
 
"Central Kentucky in 2019 at least,

Down by the banks of the hanky panky

where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank

singing Es Is Os Us

Listen to the rythm of the ding dang dong

Coca cola went to town

Pepsi Cola Shot him down

Dr Pepper fixed him up

Now we're talking Seven Up

Seven Up has no caffiene

Now we're talking Billy Jean

Billy Jean went down the street singing

Do a ditty ditty dum ditty do

Mickey Mouse had a house

Donald Duck messed (or fucked) it up

who will pay the consequences

Y - O - U"

It was a LONG game I played with at least 15 people often in marching band. It started slow and always sped up at Seven Up, and we slapped each other's hands in a circle so hard it hurt."

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Reply
Azizi Powell, March 30, 2023 at 11:25 PM
"Anonymous, thanks for sharing the version of "Down by the banks of the hanky panky". Thanks also for sharing demographic information and documenting how you play it and that is was played as recently that way as in 2019.

Your comment also documents that profanity was used in this rhymes that used to be (but no longer are) for elementary or middle school children only.

Best wishes!"

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Reply
Anonymous March 31, 2023 at 12:06 AM
"That was in highschool, between the ages of 15 to 18 years old. During practice we'd use the PG version, but if we played it outside of school some would use that word instead."

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Azizi Powell, March 31, 2023 at 12:08 PM
"Anonymous, thanks for adding that information about your March 30, 2023 at 9:18 PM example.

 That adds needed context for your use of that word."

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M, N

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O, P

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Q, R

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S, T

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U, V

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W, X

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Y.Z

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.