Soul Food And Other Food, Desserts, And Beverages That Are Mentioned In "I Believe I Can Fly" Children's Parodies

Edited by Azizi Powell 

Latest revisions-July 23, 2025

This pancocojams post focuses on "complete" examples and fragments of examples of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that mention Black American soul food, and/or other food, desserts, and/or beverages. 

This post also includes my editorial notes about "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies, including my general textual analysis of examples and my recollections of my direct experiences with these parodies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

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

The soul foods (chicken wings, collard greens, cornbread, fried rice, beans and rice, and black eye peas etc.) provide information about the kinds of food the commenters are familiar with. The contributors' comments about the spread of these parodies among people in the pre-internet age also provide socio-cultural information that is worth archiving.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITORS NOTE REGARDING R. KELLY
Read my comment in https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/i-believe-i-can-fly-parodies about R. Kelly. Here's part of that comment:

"This post and other pancocojams posts on parodies of R. Kelly's inspirational Rhythm & Blues song "I Believe I Can Fly" should not be taken as disregarding or condoning R. Kelly's actions apart from his musical compositions and musical performances."

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INFORMATION ABOUT "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY" CHILDREN'S PARODIES
"I Believe I Can Fly" is the title for a large number of English language parodies of R Kelly's hit 1996 inspirational song with that title. 

Based on studying examples of these parodies and reading comments from their contributors, my conclusion is that "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies originated in African American communities any and spread widely within those communities, in part, because of the role of Black American radio deejays. 

Although there's no documentation, anecdotal evidence (such as some of the comments that are included in this pancocojams post) suggest that a  Black American deejay may have been the original composer of the "I Believe I Can Fly" parody and that Black American radio deejays included versions of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies as part of their on-air comedic, witty, and sometimes politically or socially incorrect chatter.

The involvement of Black radio deejays partly explains the spread of "I Believe I Can Fly"  parodies throughout Black communities across the United States, and the spread of those parodies eventually to non-Black Americans and to people outside of the United States.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/archived-links-for-pancocojams-posts.html for a hyperlinked archive of pancocojams posts on "I Believe I Can Fly" children's parodies.

* Several commenters in the Tik Tok discussion thread about "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that they remember used the word "remix" to refer to those examples. Read the quote below in this post's comment thread about why "remix" is actually an incorrect term for those "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies.

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SOUL FOOD AND OTHER FOOD, DESSERTS, AND  DRINKS THAT ARE MENTIONED IN SOME EXAMPLES OF "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY CHILDREN'S PARODIES
These examples were gleaned from my online search for "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies.

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

The food, dessert, and/or beverages that are mentioned in each example are given in italics for highlighting purposes only the first time that they are mentioned in that example. 

Online Source #1
https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualConversation/comments/fxdnq7/i_believe_i_can_fly_i_got_shot_by_th

1. "I believe I can fly, I got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some chicken wings, and a whopper from the Burger King"

As a kid, we all sang this version of the song but I've recently heard it as "all I wanted was a chicken wing and some collard greens". So reddit, what version did you grow up with? Are there any other renditions of other songs you grew up singing like this one?"
-Saymynamebastien, 2019, 
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2. "Love ya

Our version was "I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky, all I wanted was some chicken wings from burger king"

Also, I didn't realize so many kids knew this song haha I thought it was like a regional thing
-Lookinshreddedbro, 2019, 

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3. "I believe I can fly, I got shot by the FBI. And then I went to Burger King, but all they gave me was an onion ring. I believe I can fly (*higher pitch fly*)."
-FettyAWPCSGO, 2019 

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Online Source #2
https://www.facebook.com/rezzybop/posts/remember-in-elementary-when-kids-would-sing-i-believe-i-can-fly-i-just-got-shot-/10171582782720504/

1. "All I wanted was a chicken wing but all I got was fried beans!
-. Keela Vaughn, June 2025

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2. "Mashed potatoes and some collard greennnns 🎶😩"
-Maiya Glenn, June 2025 

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3. Some mashed potatoes and some pinto beans🎤🎶
-Amber, June 2025, 

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4. "Cornbread and collard greens"
-Sig Nogerelli  June 2025 

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5. All I gotted was some rice and beans
-Marett Hanes, June 2025

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6. Some red beans rice and some collard greens. I believe I can soar, seem running through that KFC DOOR!
-Lia Holliday Jones, June 2025

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7.. "All i wanted was some chicken wings Some baked beans and some collards greens my class used to kill this😂😂"
-Candice Gartman, June 2025

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8. "I made one up and it'll still pop into my head randomly " I believe I need fries. With some ketchup on the side. I think about it every night and day. Saturday through Friday. I believe I need more, see me running through that arched door. 🤣"
-Jen Martinez, June 2025

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9. “Cornbread and some collard greens. I believe I can soar, I got my whooping at the grocery store. I believe I can die. My mama punched me in my left eye”
-Peachez Williams, June 2025

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10. "And a little bit of collard greens 😂 I believe I can soar, see me running through the grocery storeeeeeee"
-Tamyra McElroy, June 2025

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11. "ALL I JUST WANTED WAS SOME CHICKEN WINGS, AND A BUCKET OF COLLARD GREENS"
-Jay Barnes, June 2025

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12. "With a soda and some onion rings 😁🤣"
-Wright Eb, June 2025

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13. "Ours was... all I wanted was a bag of chips 🍟 instead they shot me in my private bits "
-Victoria Elliot, June 2025

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14." All I wanted was collard greens, and some of them pinto beans"
-Ashley Lemmons Arnold, June 2025

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15. "Ours was “all I wanted was a popcicle” “but I ended up in the hospital” 🤣"
-Briannah DeVries, June 2025

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16. "All I wanted was some chicken wings some mashed potatoes and some collard greens I believe I can soar see me running through that open doooorrr"
-Katrina Kirean Mason-Johnson, July 2025

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17. "All I wanted was a chicken wing, but all i got was pork n beans"
-Tamara Graham,July 2025

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18. 🎵FRIED RICE&SOME COLLARD GREENS🎵🤣🤣🤣
-Neeri NevaGaf, June 2025

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19. "I know this. I believe i can fly I believe i can touch the sky i been shot by an fbi but the fbi never had a gun so he shot me with a easter bun but easter bun never had no cheese so he shot me with a gung peas gung peas never have no seed so he shot me with a mango seed mango seed never have no hair so he shot me with beer but beer never have cork so he shot me a bobocloth"
-Tyrone Sings13, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMTpyrncak 
-snip-
Here's some information about Jamaica's Easter buns from https://jamdownfoodie.com/jamaican-easter-bun/
"Jamaica is a primarily Christian nation and all Christian holidays are held sacred there. Easter is no exception and the observance of Easter starts as early as Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent and generally, people decide to give up one indulgence during this time. Many people choose to give up eating red meat and chicken and stick with eating fish and seafood. At the end of Lent, which is marked by Good Friday, people begin the feast of Easter with a spiced bread dubbed Easter Bun and fried fish. The bread is a sweet bread that is studded with dried fruit and heavily spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. It is traditionally eaten with Jamaican processed cheese but it is also very delicious with mild aged cheddar cheese."...

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20.  "i believe i can fly i got shot by an FBI the fbi never have nuh gun so him shot me with a easter bun the easter bun never i have nuh cheese so shot me with a gungo peas the gungo peas never have nuh seed so him shot me with a mango seed the mango seed never have nuh hair so him shot me with a red strip beer the red strip never have nuh cork so him shot with a bomboclat"
-Faith, 2013, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090624005743AAxbczS

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Online Source For Examples #3
from https://www.tiktok.com/@xennialdee/video/7521518343812025631 

published by XennialDee,June 2025 @richiegattztv "90s Kids’ Anthems: Parodying 'I Believe I Can Fly'"

summary comment: " we could turn any song into a chaotic anthem — including the inspirational “I Believe I Can Fly."

1. "all i wanted was some chicken wings, from KFC or Burger King". is what i grew up on lol"
-DOPELEFIRE, 6-29, 2025

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2.  "Chicken wings, French fries and onion rings"
-Devaney Jimenez, 6-29-2025

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3. "Ummm....."All I wanted was some Chicken Wing from McDonald's or Burger King"...is how we sung it"
-Frecklesisme, 6-30-2025

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4. "I learned it as "all I wanted was some chicken wings, mashed potatoes and onion rings" looking at the comments, there are so many versions. this is great 🤣"
-K Whatsherface, 6-30-2025

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5. "I swear it was all I wanted was some collard greens to go with my chicken wings. Both ways sound good though lol"
-Courtney Whigham, 6-30-2025

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6. "ours was all I wanted was some chicken wings and some fries from burger king"
-letticia church, v-30-2025

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7. "All I wanted was some chicken wings. They cost 1.99 at Burger King." was a variation me and one of my friends sang when we were in middle school. 😅"
-icedphoenix92, 6-30-2025

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8. "All I wanted was some chicken wings, mashed potatoes and turnip greens!"
-K.P, 6-30-2025

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9. "I believe I can fly. I got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some chicken wings, mashed potatoes and collard greens. I believe I can soar, I see me running through that kitchen door" is what I sang 🤣 Yes, we're old.
-💙🏳️‍🌈✊🏽✨Joei✨, 6-30-2025

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10. "no no no no all I wanted was some chicken wings from the downtown Burger King some extra fries and a shake as well"
-Raymond Church, 6-30-2025
-snip-
"Extra fries= a large order of French fries
"a shake" = a milk shake

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11. “all i wanted was some chicken wings and a little bit of collard greens, I believe I can SSSSOOOOOOAAARRRRRR, I see them RUNNING through that open DDDOOOORRRRRRRR! I believe i can FLY I believe fffllyyyy I believe i can FFFFFLLLLYYYYYYY!”
- Sunshine 🤍🌻6-30-2025

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12. "Me and my friend said I believe I can fly. I got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some chicken wings and I flew by Burger King. I believe I can soar my mom slapped me in the store. All I wanted was some ice cream and I told my mom she will die mean. but this was our made up version"
-💙🩵𝒮𝓉𝒾𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓁ℴ𝓋ℯ𝓇🩵💙6-30-2025

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13. "mine was "all I wanted was some chicken wings, mashed potatoes and collard greens" 😂"
-Takia Stamps425, 6-30-2025

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14. "We used to sing “all I wanted was chicken wings from McDonald’s or Burger King” 😂 even though they didn’t have chicken wings ☠️"
-lala loopsy, 6-30-2025

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15. "we definitely had different verions.......all I wanted was some chicken wings mash potatoes and some collard greens. I believe I can soar my mama beat me with a two by four."
-Shelby💜, 7-1-2025

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16. " I feel like what I grew up with strays from yalls. "... Got shot by the FBI. All I wanted was some collard greens. My mama slapped me with a chicken wing..."
-eooo,7-1-2025

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17. "Chicken wings, collard greens and black eyed peas."
-Niesha, 7-1-2025

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18. "Why is everybody’s version different but we ALL wanted a chicken wing 😂😂😂"
-Thegirlytrapchef, 7-1-2025

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19."…All I wanted was some collard greens got hit with a chicken wing"
-JASMINE JEAN, 7-2-2025

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Kokomo Arnold - "Red Beans And Rice" (with information about New Orleans, Louisiana Red Beans & Rice Traditions)

Traveler Into The Blue, Aug 25, 2021

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This pancocojams post showcases a sound file of the Blues song "Red Beans And Rice" by Kokomo Arnold. 

Information about Kokomo Arnold is included in this post along with the lyrics of that song.

The Addendum to this post provides information about "red beans & rice", and how it became part of New Orleans, Louisiana traditions. 

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Kokomo Arnold for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube. Thanks also to Gigi Erba from Italy for recommending that this song and certain other Blues song be showcased on pancocojams.   

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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT KOKOMO ARNOLD
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokomo_Arnold
"James "Kokomo" Arnold (February 15, 1896 or 1901 – November 8, 1968) was an American blues musician. A left-handed slide guitarist, his intense style of playing and rapid-fire vocal delivery set him apart from his contemporaries. He got his nickname in 1934 after releasing "Old Original Kokomo Blues" for Decca Records, a cover version of Scrapper Blackwell's blues song about the city of Kokomo, Indiana.[1][2]

[...]

Career

Arnold began playing in the early 1920s as a sideline, when he was working as a farmhand in Buffalo, New York, and as a steelworker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1929 he moved to Chicago and ran a bootlegging business, an activity he continued until the end of Prohibition. In 1930 he moved south briefly and made his first recordings, "Rainy Night Blues" and "Paddlin' Madeline Blues", under the name Gitfiddle Jim, for the Victor label in Memphis.[6] He soon moved back to Chicago, where he was forced to make a living as a musician after Prohibition ended in 1933. Kansas Joe McCoy heard him and introduced him to Mayo Williams, a producer for Decca Records.[5]

From his first recording for Decca, on September 10, 1934,[6] until his last, on May 12, 1938, Arnold made 88 sides, seven of which have been lost.

Arnold, Peetie Wheatstraw and Bumble Bee Slim were well-known musicians in Chicago blues circles at that time.[7] Wheatstraw and Arnold, in particular, were also major influences on their contemporary, the Delta blues artist Robert Johnson. Johnson turned "Old Original Kokomo Blues" into "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Milk Cow Blues" into "Milkcow's Calf Blues". Another Arnold song, "Sagefield Woman Blues", introduced the phrase "dust my broom", which Johnson used as a song title.[8]

[...]

In 1938 Arnold left the music industry and began to work in a Chicago factory.[6] Located by blues researchers in 1962, he showed no interest in returning to music to take advantage of the resurgence of interest in the blues among young white audiences.[6] His song "Milk Cow Blues" was recorded by Elvis Presley.[2]"...

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LYRICS - RED BEANS AND RICE 
(Kokomo Arnold)

When I was down in Georgia, I was doing mighty well
When I was down in Georgia, I was doing mighty well
Since I been here in Chicago, I been catching a plenty hell

Says I'm going down to the station, ain't going to take no one's advice
Says I'm going down to the station, ain't going to take no one's advice
Says I'm going back to Georgia, where I can get my red beans and rice

Now these Chicago women, have give me such a hard way to go
Now these Chicago women, have give me such a hard way to go
Says they done took all my black money, and they got me running from door to door

Now I been setting here looking, way down that lonesome road
Now I been setting here looking, way down that lonesome road
Says I'm raggedy and I'm hungry, and I ain't got no place to go

Now I been rolling, I been rolling from sun to sun
Said I been rolling, I been rolling from sun to sun
Says I got where I can't get no loving, not until my payday comes

 https://genius.com/Kokomo-arnold-red-beans-and-rice-lyrics

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ADDENDUM - RED BEANS & RICE (traditions in New Orleans, Louisiana)

From https://www.mccormick.com/zatarains/red-beans-and-rice#:~:text=There%20are%20two%20reasons%20red,in%20the%20next%20night's%20meal. Red Beans & Rice 101

"What is red beans & rice?

The short answer: It's pretty self-explanatory.

Red beans & rice is a dish composed primarily of red beans and rice. But of course, as is often the case, the resulting dish is greater than the sum of its parts. And New Orleans-style red beans & rice is indeed a great dish.

In the standard preparation, red kidney beans are simmered with seasoning vegetables, one or more pork products, herbs and spices for hours until the ingredients meld into a creamy, savory thing of beauty that's served atop fluffy rice to form one of the defining dishes of New Orleans cuisine.

Is it true you only eat red beans & rice on Mondays?

Not exactly. People will (and do) eat red beans & rice any and every day in New Orleans, but certainly more of it gets eaten on Mondays than any other day of the week. The explanation is tradition. There are two reasons red beans & rice became a Monday tradition.

First, families in 19th-century New Orleans would often have a ham as part of their more elaborate Sunday dinners. Red beans & rice was a great way to extend the value of the ham by using the hambone and leftover scraps of ham in the next night's meal.

Second, Monday was customarily laundry day in New Orleans households. Laundry in those days was laborious (not that it's a walk in the park today, but back then it could be an all-day chore that involved boiling clothes, using a hand crank to wring them out, and then some), and doing the wash didn't get you off the hook for having to put a meal on the table that night. So red beans & rice was an ideal washday dinner, because it's very hands-off. Essentially, you put everything in a pot, set it over a low flame and walk away for a couple of hours.

Doing laundry on Mondays is a bygone custom in New Orleans, but the red beans & rice tradition remains. Many restaurants serve it as a Monday lunch special, and many families have it at home every Monday night."...

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