Firecracker Motifs In United States (Traditional) Cheerleading Cheers

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny RA RA RA

meatwadgunit, Jun 19, 2010
-snip-
Notice that the two fans weren't energized until they began to repeat Bugs Bunny's cheer. 

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the Bugs Bunny cheerleader film clip and presents information about and examples of the firecracker motif (recurring idea, theme) in some United States (traditional)* cheerleading cheers.

*The word "traditional" refers to "mainstream" cheerleader cheers as opposed to "stomp & shake" cheerleader cheers.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers of these cheers, and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the producers and the publisher of this embedded cartoon clip.

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THE HISTORY AND PURPOSES OF THE FIRECRACKER MOTIF IN CHEERS


These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for references purposes only.

SOURCE #1
from AI Overview [These entries are the result of my May 27 & 28, 2026 online queries about early United States cheers.]
"In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, American cheerleading was an all-male activity focused entirely on organizing the crowd. These early "yell leaders" relied on rhythmic, locomotive-style chants to build stadium energy, eventually evolving into the structured sideline cheers used today.

The Birth of Organized Cheers -The first known organized cheer was documented at Princeton University in 1884. This style of chanting set the foundation for the "Locomotive" chant, which became incredibly popular across American universities

The Princeton Cheer (1884)
"Ray, Ray, Ray!
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger!
Sis, Sis, Sis!
Boom, Boom, Boom!
Aaaaah!
Princeton, Princeton, Princeton!"

The Locomotive Cheer (Late 1800s)
"Rah! Rah! Rah!
Tiger!
S-s-s-t!
Boom!
A-h-h-h!"

The Minnesota Varsity Cheer (1898)
"Rah, Rah, Rah!
Ski-u-mah!
Hoo-Rah!
Hoo-Rah!
Varsity! Varsity!Varsity,
Minn-e-So-Tah!"

Early Women's Cheers (1920s–1940s)
As women joined the ranks and cheerleading expanded into high schools and collegiate athletics, cheers incorporated rhyming couplets, spelling, and spelling-out letters to keep fans directly engaged with the game.

The Rowdy Cheer
"R-O-W-D-I-E
That's the way we spell rowdy!

Rowdy, rowdy, let's get rowdy!"

The Knock 'Em Down Chant
"Knock 'em down,
Roll 'em around,
Come on (Team Name),
Knock 'em to the ground!"…

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SOURCE #2
From https://www.facebook.com/CheerDaily/posts/throwing-it-back-to-1884where-it-all-beganthe-first-ever-documented-cheer-was-sh/886830590231939/
"Cheer Daily

December 1, 2024

Throwing it back to 1884—where it all began!

The first-ever documented cheer was shouted at Princeton University, igniting the energy of the crowd with these unforgettable words:

Ray, Ray, Ray!

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger!

Sis, Sis, Sis!

Boom, Boom, Boom!

Aaaaah! Princeton, Princeton, Princeton!

This chant laid the foundation for the cheerleading traditions we know and love today!”…

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SOURCE #3
From AI Overview [This write-up is the result of my query about the famous Bugs Bunny cheer.] 
"The famous cheer is:"Bricka-bracka, firecracker, sis-boom-bah! Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny, rah, rah, rah!"

This phrase was popularized by the United States Naval Academy's iconic nautical siren cheer. It became a major pop-culture staple when Bugs Bunny led a crowd in the cheer during the classic 1943 Merrie Melodies cartoon Super-Rabbit.

The History of the Cheer

The cheer itself is an evolution of the traditional American "skyrocket yell.”

"Sis-Boom-Bah”
Originally an onomatopoeia for a launching skyrocket (a hissing fuse, an explosion, and the crowd's "ah"), this chant dates back to at least 1869 when it was shouted at the first intercollegiate football game between Rutgers and Princeton.

The Cartoon: In the 1943 short Super-Rabbit, Bugs Bunny gains superpowers, dons a Marine uniform, and inspires this enthusiastic stadium chant from his fans."...

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SOURCE #4
AI Overview [This is a result of my May 28, 2026 query about "firecracker cheers".]
"Firecracker cheerleading cheers are high-energy, crowd-pleasing chants that use fun sound effects and rhythmic motions. They are perfect for pumping up the crowd, building spirit, or showing off your team's explosive energy.

The Classic "Firecracker" Cheer
This is one of the most popular and traditional cheerleading cheers.

Words:
Firecracker, firecracker,
boom, boom, boom!
Firecracker, firecracker,
boom, boom, boom!
The boys have the muscles
The coaches have the brains
And the girls have the spirit to win the game!

(Repeat first two lines)"USA" Firecracker Chant

"USA" Firecracker Chant
A great play on words that works perfectly for school and all-star squads.

Words:
Open up the barn door,
kick out the hay,
We are the (Team Name / or) girls from the USA!
Turn on the radio,
and what do ya hear?
Elvis Presley doin a cheer!
Firecracker, firecracker, boom, boom, boom!
Firecracker, firecracker, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
-snip-

-snip-
The last line is often given as "The girls have the sexy legs". The pee wee (very young) community cheerleaders in that video chanted "The girls have the pretty legs" instead of "The girls have the sexy legs". 

I've also come across online examples of this cheer with the words "The girls have the spirit and we won the game".  

Instead of the words "firecracker firecracker/ boom boom boom" some examples of this cheer use the words "firecracker, firecracker/siss boom bah."

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Combinations of the two featured cheers are widely found online. Here's one example:

"Open up the barn door, kick out the hay,

We are the girls form the USA!

Turn on the radio, and what do ya hear?

Elvis Presley doin a cheer,

Firecracker, Firecracker, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Firecracker, Firecracker, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Boys got the muscles, coaches got the brains,

Cheerleaders have the sexy legs and we win the game!"
-@nancygraham4379, 2024 [comment], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLV29xnLpD8 . published by Randy Ferrell, Oct 9, 2011

[Video summary] "Chenoa and the rest of the Indian Springs Optimist Cowboys Cheerleaders showing their spirit!"

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