CHILDREN'S RHYMES & CHEERS

CHILDREN'S GAME SONGS & MOVEMENT RHYMES

This page contains selected examples & comments about children's singing games and movement rhymes. In some of these games, the rhyme or chant may only be the first part of the game. In other examples, the rhyme is the entire game.

Other categories of children's playground rhymes & cheers are listed under this Cocojams section on the right hand side of this page. Click the title of the type of rhymes or cheers that you are interested in.

Cocojams is interested in a folkloric approach to children's game songs, rhymes, and cheers. By "folkloric approach", I mean documenting and analysing demographical, etymological, and sociological information about the lyrics and performance activities of these examples. For instance, Cocojams features multiple versions of various rhymes. . I'm interested in posting multiple versions of specific rhymes as a means of documenting the continuity & changes that may occur with a particular rhyme over time and/or among different populations at the same time.

Many examples posted on this websites were sent to Cocojams.com by this site's visitors. Other examples are from my personal recollections or my direct (face to face) collection. Some examples of children's game songs, rhymes, and cheers that are featured on Cocojams are from selected websites. Most of the examples from other websites are reposted with prior permission. A small number of examples are from published books.

I always acknowlege reposted material by including a hyperlink to its original site or by including offline publishing information. However, if any site manager, editor, or book publisher would like me to remove examples that I have reposted from their site or their published work, please contact me at cocojams17@yahoo.com, and I will remove those examples.

Examples of rhymes & cheers are almost always posted the way that readers send them to this website. Some of these examples have typos and other accidental spelling errors or have text messaging, slang, or otherwise purposely misspelled words & phrases. Many of these examples are written without any capitalization at the beginning of a line or punctuation mark at the end of line. This free flowing writing style appears to be the prevailing way that many youth and young adults informally write on the Internet. Posting examples written this way may result in difficulty understanding the examples. However, I believe that it is important to keep the examples' original form for authenticity's sake and as a means of showcasing the examples' "flavor".

Examples of game songs & rhymes are usually posted under the first letter of the first word of the rhyme. However, when I believe that the first word that appears in the rhyme is part of an introductory phrase such as "Blue bells, cockle shells, eevy, ivy, over", "Ready, set, go", or "Shame shame shame", I'll place the rhyme under the first letter of the first word of the actual rhyme.

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Please send examples of rhymes, game songs and cheers,to cocojams17@yahoo.com.

Although it's not required, please include information about how this rhyme is performed. Also, for the sake of folkloric research, please include the following demographical information: where you learned the rhyme {please include the city & state if within the USA, and the nation, if outside the USA}; when you learned this rhyme (year or decade such as 2008, the 1990s, or the mid 1970s); and who performed this rhyme (age, gender, race/ethnicity). Thanks!

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I reserve the right not to post examples of rhymes on this page that are exactly the same as a previously posted example. I also reserve the right not to post examples of rhymes that I feel don't meet the standards of this website.

Thanks to all those who have submitted examples for possible posting on this page! Special thanks to those who remember to include demographical information and/or performance instructions about tow the game is played.

Also special thanks to http://www.mudcat.org/threads.cfm; and http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php10/1/2003 for permission to repost selected examples from their websites.

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RHYME EXAMPLES (Children's Game Songs & Other Movement Rhymes)

A, B
AH BOOM BOOM CHICKA BOOM (Version #1)
Leader : I Saida Boom Chica Boom!
Group: I Saida Boom Chica Boom!
Leader : I Saida Boom Chica Boom-om!
Group: I saida Boom Chica Boom-om!
Leader: I Said A Boom Chica Rocka Chica Rocka Chica Boom!
Group: I Said A Boom Chica Rocka Chica Rocka Chica Boom!
Leader: Un-Hun
Group: Un-Hun
Leader: Oh-Yeah
Group: Oh-Yeah
Leader: One More Time
Group: One More Time
-various sources; including TPM memories of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; mid 1980s

Editor:
"Ah Boom Chicka Boom" is a call & response chant that has no accompanying movements. But, I wanted to include it on Cocojams, and so I posted it in this section.

Instruction: The group leader lead the group in saying this chant in different voices (for instance, slower or faster, or louder, or with a voice made to sound as though the words are spoken underwater, or "in a regular voice"). Usually, the leader will arbitrarily select a new style of saying these lines or will instruct the group to say them a different way each time he or she repeats the chant The leader repeats the chant as many times as he or she likes. To designate that it's the last rendition, the group leader may start that chant with the words "No More Times.”

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AH BOOM CHICK A BOOM (Version #2)
i said a boom chick a boom
she said a boom chick a boom
i said a boom boom chicka boom
she said a boomboom chicka boom
i said a boom yo momma boom yo daddy boom yo granny too
she said a boom yo momma boom yo daddy boom yo granny too
i said hey hey
she said a hey hey
and a one moe time
and a one moe time
and its brianna turn (just pick the next person)
and it's brianna turn
-arlisa c; 11/12/2009

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ALL HID (Version #1)
Honey, honey, bee ball,
I can't see y'all.
All hid?
"No-o-o!"
Is all hid?
"No-o-o!"

I went to the river,
I couldn't get across.
I paid five dollars for an old gray horse.
One leg broke,
the other leg cracked,
And great Godamighty how the horse did rack.
Is all hid?
"No-o-o!"
Is all hid?
"No-o-o!"

I went down the road,
The road was muddy.
Stubbed my toe
And made it bloody.
'S all hid?
"No-o-o!"
Is all hid?
"No-o-o!"

Me and my wife and a bobtail dog,
We crossed that river on a hickory log.
She fell in, and I fell off,
And left nobody but the bobtail dog.
Is all hid?
"No-o-o!"
Is all hid?
"No-o-o!"

One, two, I don't know what to do.
Three, four, I don't know where to go.
Five, six, I'm in a terrible fix.
Seven, eight, I made a mistake.
Nine, ten, My eyes open— I'm lookin
-Bessie Jones, vocal. (a Georgia Sea Isle version) recorded c. 1970 in Los Angeles by Bess Hawes on "Games and Dances from the Past Band 4, Item 1; Old Mother Hippletoe-Rural And Urban Children's Songs, New World BQ 291; http://www.newworldrecords.org/linernotes/80291.pdf [reposted on Mudcat by Azizi Powell 12/28/2008)

Editor: Here's an excerpt from the record notes written by Kate Rinzler: "The words of "All Hid" derive from three sources. The variations of the query "All hid?," the responses from hiding children, and the counting out by ones, twos, and so on are commonplaces in hide-and-seek as played in England and America; the countout formula ("One, two...") is a counting rhyme like the well-known "One, two, buckle my shoe"; and the verses about acquiring a lame horse to cross a river are borrowed from humorous songs of black tradition." (pp 29-30).

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ALL HID (Version #2)
...I didn't grow up in Georgia. I grew up near San Francisco, CA. Our version was slightly different.

Honey, honey, you'd be all, but I can't see y'all. Is all hid? "No-o-o!" Is all hid? "No-o-o!"
Went to the river but we couldn't get across
We'd paid five dollars for an ol' dead horse.
It's back was broke and it's knee was cracked,
And God all mighty how the horse did rack.
Is all hid?"No-o-o!" Is all hid?"No-o-o!"
I went down the road, The road was muddy. Stubbed my toe And made it bloody.
Is all hid?"No-o-o!" Is all hid?"No-o-o!"
Me and my wife and a bobtailed dog, Crossed that river on a hick'ry log. She fell in, and I fell off, that left nobody but the bobtailed dog.
Is all hid?"No-o-o!" Is all hid?"No-o-o!"

[Tune changes:]

Well, I ain't been to 'Frisco, I aint been to school, I aint been to college but I aint no fool. To the left to the right to the sa-sa-side.

Is all hid? Nooo. Is All hid... Nooo.

One, two, don't know what to do. Three, four I'm coming out the door, Five Six Hide or be in a fix Seven Eight It's getting really late Nine ten Too bad 'cause I'm a coming

-end of rhyme-

I was looking for that [The "All Hid" rhyme that's posted as version #1] because I wanted to teach it to some kids I look after who can't seem to count long enough for the others to hide. I'd asked other people for the lyrics and they just looked at me like, "Huh?" I was beginning to think I imagined playing the game like that.

When playing as a kid we usually only got a few verses in before everyone would stop responding. Occasionally someone who not from our neighborhood wouldn't realize that silence meant everyone was hidden so they'd keep singing until some impatient kid would shout "YES, ALREADY! SHUT UP!" Also, the San Francisco lyric and the school lyric were both kind of ironic additions considering at the time we were all going to school in what was then the 415 area code, and everyone had been to the city.
-Guest, Allyn; Folklore: Hide and Seek, in other languages; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=117330&messages=5; 4/11/2010

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A PIZZA HUT (Version #1)
I remember my lad singing the following words to the same tune [as “Ah Ram Sam Sam”]

a pizza hut a pizza hut
kentucky fried chicken and a a pizza hut

a pizza hut a pizza hut
kentucky fried chicken and a a pizza hut

McDonalds, McDonalds,
kentucky fried chicken and a a pizza hut

McDonalds, McDonalds,
kentucky fried chicken and a a pizza hut
-PennyBlack; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=67001; a ram sam sam; February 15, 2004

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A PIZZA HUT (Version #2)
[Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut,
Mc Donalds, Mc Donalds

Luck Skywalker and a Jabba the hut
Dath Vader, darth vader

A luck sky chiken and a Pizza the hut
Mc Vader Mc Vader
-mandi (a college freshman); http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php; April 26, 2006

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A PIZZA HUT (Version #3)
a pizza hut
a pizza hut
Kentucky fried chicken and
a pizza hut

mcdonalds
mcdonalds

kentucky fried chicken and
a pizza hut

it even comes with actions!!!
-miraclem; http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080426225540AA5Rj0d; 9/2008

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A PIZZA HUT (Version #4)
A Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut
Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut
A Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut
Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut
McDonald's, McDonald's
Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut

A Burger King, a Burger King
Long John Silvers and a Burger King
A Burger King, a Burger King
Long John Silvers and a Burger King
Red Lobster, Red Lobster
Long John Silvers and a Burger King

A Dairy Queen, a Dairy Queen
Chucky Cheese and a Dairy Queen
A Dairy Queen, a Dairy Queen
Chucky Cheese and a Dairy Queen
Roy Rogers, Roy Rogers
Chucky Cheese and a Dairy Queen

Actions:
Pizza Hut: Make shape of hut in air
Kentucky Fried Chicken: Flap elbows up and down
McDonalds: Put hands on top of head for arches
Burger King: Put hands on head with fingers up to make crown
Long John Silvers: Mimic sword play
Red Lobster: Hold up arms and bring fingers down on thumbs like lobster claws
Dairy Queen: Mimic milking a cow
Chucky Cheese: Mimic throwing a pizza in air
Roy Rogers: Mimic riding a horse.
- http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/song/song-1260.asp [retrieved 3/16/2010]

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BEWARE
Beware, ready set go.
Beware.
We're coming through.
No one can stop us.
Not even you.
We got the power
To over roll.
So BEWARE!
-Toya L. & Montel; (Pittsburgh, PA),1999; collected by Azizi Powell, 1999

Editor:
Toya shared with me that she and her girlfriends chanted "Beware" in the late 1980s while they walked down the sidewalk with linked hands. As the words of the chant indicated, the girls wouldn't let anyone break their link,making people step aside to get out of their way. While Toya chanted this song, her 7 year old son joined in and said the words right along with her. Toya was surprised that Montel knew the words. In response to her question, Montel said that he and his friends link hands and "sing" Beware the same way she and her friends did.

"Beware. Ready set go" is an introductory phrase that announces the beginning of the rhyme. The word "over roll" probably means "overrule".

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BOB A-NEEDLE
"Bob-a-needle" is a traditional African American game that children play while singing. See these two examples of this game song:

Note: parenthesis represent lines sung by group

Bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

Bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

Better run, bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

Better hustle, bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

I want bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

Want to find bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

Going to catch bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

Turn around, bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

Oh bob, bob-a-needle
(Bob-a-needle is a running)

from: Bessie Jones & Bess Lomax Hawes's book Step It Down: Games, Plays, Songs & Stories from the Afro-American Heritage (University of Georgia Press, 1972, pps. 163-164)

Editor:
Here is the commentary about this game from the book "Step It Down :
"Bob-A-Needle" (bobbin needle?) is for purposes of this game, a pen, a jackknife, or a small stick of wood that can be passed rapidly from hand to hand. All the players but one stand in a tight circle, shoulder to shoulder, holding their hands behind their backs. The extra player stands in the center of the ring [circle]; she closes her eyes and hold the bob-a-needle high over her head in one hand. One of the ring players silently creeps up and takes the bob-a-needle from her hand and puts it behind his own back. The center player then opens her eyes and begins to sing the lead line of the song; the players in the circle sing the refrain...

The lead singer's lines are extemporaneous and can be sung in any order...During the singing, the players in the ring [forming the circle] from hand to hand, trying to move as little as possible in order not to make its location obvious. Bob-a-needle may travel clockwise or counterclockwise, and the players may reverse directions at will. The center player meanwhile reaches around the waist and feels the hands of each ring player in turn; she too may go in either direction, but she may not skip players nor run back and forth across the ring. When the center player reverses the direction of her search, she must signal this with the lead line, "Turn, bob-a-needle!"

This game does not end when someone is caught holding the elusive bob-a-needle. Like most of Mrs. Bessie Jones' games from the Georgia Sea Isle Gullah tradition that involve 'losing', the person simply pays a forfeit and/or takes over the center role so that can begin again. When the players tire, the accumulated forfeits are redeemed by the owners in a new sequence of play."
-snip-

Also, Chubby Checker, who is best known for his Twist songs, recorded a R&B version of the African American children's game "bob-a-needle" in 1964. See http://www.lyricsvault.net/songs/10915.html for the lyrics to that record.

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BROWN GIRL IN THE RING
There's a brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la
There's a brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la la
Brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la
She looks like a sugar in a plum
Plum plum

Show me your motion
Tra la la la la
Come on show me your motion
Tra la la la la la
Show me your motion
Tra la la la la
She looks like a sugar in a plum
Plum plum

Skip across the ocean
Tra la la la la
Skip across the ocean
Tra la la la la la
Skip across the ocean
Tra la la la la
She looks like a sugar in a plum
Plum plum.
-Caribbean children's circle game (may have originated in Jamaica)

Editor:
Here's performance directions and a comment to this song from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Girl_in_the_Ring_(game)
"Players form a ring by holding hands, then one girl or boy goes into the middle of the ring and starts skipping or walking around to the song. The girl or boy is then asked, "Show me your motion." At this point the child in the center does his or her favorite dance. If asked "Show me your partner," he or she picks a friend to join him or her in the circle. It has been played for many centuries in all of Jamaica."

-snip-
"Brown" here may refer to the children's skin color. This may be used as a means of helping children develop and reinforce self-esteem. The color "brown" may be changed to another color of shirt or dress that a child in the middle is wearing to teach and reinforce color recognition.

Visit http://www.jambalayah.com/node/418 to find a YouTube video of "Brown Girl In The Ring" as performed by the group Boney M: That video shows brief clips of Caribbean children playing this game. That video has other scenes of Jamaican women dancing that may not be suitable for young children.

-snip-

Also, see "Green Color Up" below for a children's game that I made up which focuses on color recognition..

C,D
CHICKAMA CHICKAMA CRANEY CROW
Performance Instructions given in italics:
Children pretending to be chickens stand facing the witch. The witch stands in front of them. The chickens say this first verse in unison in a taunting manner.

Chickens
Chickama Chickama craney crow.
Went to the well to wash her toes.
When she got back, one of her chicks was gone.
What time is it Mrs. Witch? *
Witch 8 o'clock [the witch says an arbitrary number]
Chickens What time is it Mrs. Witch?
Witch 3 o'clock [the witch says an arbitrary number]
Chickens What time is it Mrs. Witch?
Witch 3 o'clock [the witch says an arbitrary number]
Chickens What time is it Mrs. Witch?
Witch 10 o'clock [the witch says an arbitrary number]

[This pattern continues for as long as the designated witch wants it to until this part ]
Chickens What time is it Mrs. Witch?
Witch 12 o'clock!!

[When the witch says 12 o'clock, the chickens scatter and try to run to a previously designated "home base" that is across the yard or large room. The witch tries to tag as many chickens as she can. When they are tagged, the chickens are supposed to stop running and go to the witch's side of the yard or room to watch the rest of the action. [alternatively, the chickens who are tagged can help the witch catch the rest of the chickens, but I don't like the message this gives of children turning on their "family members"]. The last person who is tagged is the new witch. *A boy would be "Mr. Witch".
-Azizi P; adapted in 1999; from "Hawk & Chicken's Play"; Talley's Negro Folk Rhymes

Editor:
This is a modified version of a very old children's game. A version of this game is found in Thomas W. Talley's 1922 collection Negro Folk Rhymes, Wise And Otherwise (Kennnikat Press Edition, 1968; p. 74).
Here's the game as it was included in that book:

Hawk And Chickens Play
(Chicken's Call) Chickamee chickamee, cranie-crow
I went to de well to wash my toe.
W'en I came back, my chicken wus gone.
W'at time, ole Witch?
(Hawk Sponse) "One"
Hawk Call) "I wants a chick"
Chicken's Sponse "Well, you cain't git mine".
(Hawk Call) "I shall have a chick!"
(Chicken's Sponse) "You shan't have a chick!"
-snip-

Talley included this example in the Children's Play section of his collection. It seems like Talley's rhyme is incomplete. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the witch chasing the chickens like I added to this game was "originally" part of that game's activity.

In order that urban children would be able to understand the "story" of the rhyme, I changed the "hawk" to a "chicken". When I shared taught this game to groups of children, I explained to them that I wasn't certain what "chickama chickama craney crow" meant. For some vague reason, I think "craney" means "smart" {perhaps from the Scottish word "ken". I told them this, and also told them that these lines might mean "grandma chicken" or it could mean "chickens, my chickens [said] granny crow". I told them that if I found out what that line really meant, I'd let them know. If any Cocojams readers have any idea what this line means, please share it with me and other readers.

Initially, I taught this rhyme with a mother hen who was to say the first verse alone and with her chickens standing in a vertical line behind her. Theoretically, the "mother hen" was supposed to help her chickens get safely to "home base". However, in practice, I found this didn't work out well, since the 1. you had to go through a step of picking a mother {or father} hen and 2. the mother hen just ran to home base and didn't "protect" her children from the witch and 3. All the children wanted to do was run to home base anyway so adding the steps of choosing a mother {or father hen} and reminding them to help the other "chickens" seemed wasted efforts.

With regard to choosing when the witch says "12 o'clock": I suggested to the child who is designated as the witch not to repeat this sequence more than 5 times since I found that the children would get too bored and restless beyond that number.

I wasn't surprising that the children liked the chasing part the best. The fact that they don't know when they will have to run {since they don't know when the "witch" will say "12'o clock" means that they have to stay ready & alert, which is a good survival skill to learn. I believe that this may have been the way this game was played

"Call & Sponse" in the Talley example means "call & response". See what I believe is another modified version of this rhyme on this website of Halloween songs: http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/misc/halloween/songs/songs/1/ That version is called "Old Witch, Old Witch" and starts with this verse:

Chicken my chicken my creamy crow,
I went to the well to wash my toe,
When I got there the water was low,
What time is it, Old Witch, Old Witch?
What time is it Old Witch?
-snip-

Unlike my version, there's no mention in that "Old Witch Old Witch" rhyme of any running/chasing activity.

E,F

G, H
GIRLS GO TO MARS
We used to go around the playground with our arms linked and singing, "Girls go to Mars to get more candybars, boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider"

And we also would say, "anybody in the way gets a five cent kick and a ten cent Boom!" and we would kick out our legs on "kick" and bring up our knee on "boom". It sounds so awful now!!!
-Guest, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221 l,
I'm Rubber. You're Glue: Children's Rhymes; 11/29/2006

Editor:
"Girls are from Mars/Boys are from Jupiter" is a floating verse that is found in a number of handclap rhymes. I'm interested to learn that it was used as a "get out of the way" chant. See "Beware" on this page for another example of a get out of the way chant.

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GOING ROUND THE MOUNTAIN, TWO BY TWO
Going round the mountain, two by two.
Going round the mountain, two by two.
Going round the mountain, two by two.

Tell me who loves sugar and candy.
Let me see your motion, two by two.
Let me see your motion, two by two.
Let me see your motion, two by two.

We can do you motion. two by two.
We can do you motion. two by two.
We can do you motion. two by two.
Tell me who loves sugar and candy.
-Traditional African American game song, various sources; posted by Azizi 2004

Editor: (updated comments-April 30, 2009)
"Going Round The Mountain, Two by Two" is a traditional African American "show me your motion" ring game (circle game). One of the books that included this game was Children's Games From Many Lands. The game was attributed to the American South.

According to that book, this game was played by girls and boys together. The performance directions in that book describe the children forming a circle without holding hands. One person stands in the middle of the circle while the rest of the group chants in unison, claps their hands, and moves to the song's rhythm. On the words "let me see your motion", the person in the middle performs a dance step or some other movement. The group then tries to exactly imitate that movement. The song usually continues with the group saying "Who do you choose?" Traditionally, the middle player would purposefully choose another player (usually if the middle player was a boy, he would choose a girl or vice versa).

I don't recall playing “Going Round The Mountain” during my childhood {Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1950s}. I also don't recall ever observing any children engaging in self-directed play that included this song in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I've lived since 1969. I wrote “self-directed play” because I’ve taught “Going Round The Mountain” to coed groups of girls (ages 5-12 years) and boys (ages 5-7 years) who participated in summer or after-school groups that I facilitated from 1997-2005. The different ages for girls and boys reflect the fact that boys over the age of 7 years rarely participated in these game song sessions. I found that these children knew very few singing circle games. One exception to that observation was "Going To Kentucky" (see below).

When I played "show me your motion" circle games as a child, the middle person was always chosen at random. This is how African American children in Pittsburgh, PA in the late 20th century to date {2009} are still choosing the next middle person.

Here's how the next middle person is selected: At a specific point in the song, the middle player closes ”her” (or his eyes) and covers her eyes with one hand. While still in the center of the circle, the middle person turns around, pointing at random to the other players who form the circle. When the song ends, the person the middle player is pointing to is the new middle person. The former middle person then quickly re-joins the other players and the song begins again.

Traditionally, these types of games didn't end until everyone has had a turn in the middle of the circle. However, nowadays, when the children get tired of playing that particular song, they move on to another song. That is, if children even playing these games at all. I'm curious why selecting the person in the middle changed from purposely picking that new middle person to a random selection process.

Initially, a considerable number of the hildren who attended the game song groups I facilitated were afraid of being selected as the middle person. I think this was because they were unused to being the center of attention, and they were afraid that they would be teased. This fear of being teased was well founded. However, my groups had a "no teasing" rule. One of the best outcomes of those groups was that over a period of time [two of these groups met once a week for three years], some of the shyest, most fearful of being teased children were eager to be selected to be in the middle. These children not only reinforced their self-esteem and self-confidence but learned that they could count on their peers to treat them respectfully.

Here are other reasons why choosing the middle person may have changed in some communities from a purposeful act to a random act.

1. the game was at one time a way of signaling to the community and your peers who you liked romantically [middle girl choosing boy and vice versa] Of course, this theory would hold true if these games were played by teens and young adults, the same population which played 'play party' songs.

and

2. the random selection may have helped to put a stop to favoritism that occurred when the person in the middle only selected those children who were the most popular. When you never know who is going to be picked and when, this puts all children on an equal footing.

Editorial Comment: The Benefits of Random Selection Of The Middle Person In Children's Circle Games
Maintaining an attitude of expectant readiness and being able to think quickly and creatively are cognitive skills and survival skills that are important skills for children to develop and reinforce today. I believe that random selection of the middle person can help children develop and reinforce these skills.

When the middle player is chosen at random, players never know when they will be picked to go into the middle of the ring. Therefore, every player has to be ready to quickly take his or her turn as the middle person. The middle person is also expected to perform a different 'motion' or perform the same motion slightly differently than anyone else has done before him or her. Therefore children learn that they need to think ahead and have a "Plan A" and a "Plan B" in case someone 'takes their move'.

This practice of selecting a different movement [often a dance step with older, or more confident children] lives on in various foot stomping cheers that I collected from the 1980s, but that's a whole 'nuther subject.

[Note: In the children's groups which I coordinated, with smaller children and some older ones, this 'rule' that the new middle person had to select a different movement' was largely suspended].

An Earlier Way Of Playing "Going Round The Mountain"?
Even though the Children's Games From Many Lands book described the performance directions for "Going round the mountain" as given in the first paragraph of this long editorial comment, I wonder if this game may have originally been played as a partner (two people) follow-the-leader promenade. Perhaps there were one or two people standing in the middle of the circle and the other couples walked or strutted around that middle person or person.

This method of playing this game makes better sense to me because of the words two by two. The idea for this playing activity seems to be reinforced by the fact that the Children's Games From Many Lands book included a drawing on that song's page of children (a boy and a girl, or two boys, or two girls) walking outdoors in a procession. I can't remember if "the couples" in that drawing were holding hands or not.

However, even if that was the original performance activity for "Going Round The Mountain", I wouldn’t dare attempt instructing contemporary groups of elementary school aged girls & boys to promenade holding hands. It’s not worth the drama when they can play the game another way.

****
GOING TO KENTUCKY (Version #1)
We’re going to Kentucky
We’re going to the fair
To see the sister Rita *
With the flowers in her hair *
[Oh] shake it sister Rita
Shake it all you can
Cause all the boys *
Are watchin you
So do the best you can

Rumble to the bottom
Rumble to the top
Turn around
And touch the ground
Until you holler
S-T-O-P **
Speeells
Stop.
-Various sources, including girls and boys ages 5-12 years old Alafia Children's Ensemble, Braddock, PA 1997 and Alafia Children's Ensemble, Pittsburgh, PA 1998

* Since this was a coed group, I suggested that the children say "brother Rico" when a male is picked to be the center person. I also suggested that they say "with the flowers in his hand" instead of "the flowers in her hair" -thus teaching boys that when they're grown, they should give gifts of flowers to their girlfriend, and then to their wife when they get married :o). “Brother Rico” was an arbitrary suggestion, but the name "Rico" came to my mind because it sounded similar to "Rita".

Also, when a boy is in the center, the group says "all the girls are watching you. That these children didn't know what to say when a boy became the center person points out the fact that this game was (and still is) almost always only played by girls.

** The center person does not sing. She (or he) makes the center of the circle. On the words "S-T-O-P", the person in the center 'closes' her eyes and also covers her eyes by putting her right hand over them. She then extends her left arm and begins to twirl around the center of the circle, pointing toward the other people forming the circle. The center person stops twirling around at the end of the song. The person who she is pointing to at the end of the song is the the new center person. The "old" center person quickly rejoins the circle, and the "new" center person quickly goes to stand in the center, and the game immediately begins again. Or this is ideally the way it's supposed to happen. Actually, some people who were randomly chosen to be the new center person, were shy and did not want to be the focus of attention. This meant that the game didn't flow as smoothly as it was supposed to. But there were always other people who loved taken these children's place, and eventually the rhythm of the game was reestablish itself.

**
Throughout the years since I've been collecting children's rhymes, I've seen this 'game' played by African American girls in various Pittsburgh African American neighborhoods. I've heard the girl referred to as "Sister Rita" and "Sister Reena". "Sister Rita" and "Sister Reena" are folk etymology versions of "senorita". Because there are so few Latino people in Pittsburgh, these African American children didn't know that "senorita" was a Spanish word that means "little woman".

Btw, it wasn't until I saw the examples of this game posted above that include the line "rumba to the bottom" did I realize that "rumble to the bottom" was also an example of folk etymology.

****
****
I'M GOING TO THE CIRCUS (Version #2 of "Going To Kentucky") *
I'm going to the circus I'm going to the fair
To see a senorita with flowers in her hair
Shake it senorita shake it if you can
Shake it like a bowl of soup and do the best you can
Rumba to the bottom
Rumba to the top
Then turn around and turn around
Until you make an S-T-O-P STOP!

This was a girl's game mostly we would get in a circle, clap in rhythm and the 'senorita ' would dance then close her eyes and turn around until we yelled stop!
-Pogo; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221;
I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes; 5/22/2005

* This does not mean that "Going To Kentucky" is the earliest title for this game. I'm not sure which title is the earliest one.

****
GREEN SALLY UP (Version #1)
Green Sally up. Green Sally down.
last one squat got to tear the ground.

Ole (Oh?} Miss Lucy dead and gone.
Left me here to weep and moan.
If you hate it fold your arms.
If you love it clap your hands.

Source: Disc 4 of Alan Lomax's "Sounds of the South, A Musical Journey from the Georgia Sea Isles to the Mississippi Delta" {Atlantic 787496-2; 1993}. Jesse Pratcher, Mattie Gardner, and Maey Gardner are listed as the singers.

Mattie Garder, Mary Gardner, Jesse Lee Pratcher - Green Sally, Up

Posted by IvchoBrasil
September 13, 2009

**
"Green Sally Up" was recorded in 2000 by Moby as the song "Flowers". The title for that Moby recording may have been influenced by this very old version of the children's game song "Ring Around The Rosie":

A ring, a ring, a raney
Buttermilk and tansy,
Flower here and flower there,
And all- squat!
-Source-W. W. Newell, Games and Songs of American Children, 1883, (1903), Dover reprint).

See another old version of "Ring Around The Rosie" posted below on this page. Also see http://www.cocojams.com/content/text-analysis-green-sally for a YouTube video of Mody's Flower and for more comments about the possible connection between "Green Sally Up" and "Ring Around The Rosie".

Click http://www.jambalayah.com/node/309 to find the same "Sound of the South" recording of "Green Sally Up" and to read selected viewer comments from that YouTube video and a video of Moby's "Flowers" song.

Also, click http://www.jambalayah.com/node/309 to hear a sound file of Moby "Flowers" song.

****
GREEN SALLY UP (Version #2)
Green Sally up, Green Sally down
Green Sally bake her possum brown.

Asked my mama for fifteen cents
to see the elephant jump the fence.
He jumped so high, he touched the sky
He never got back till the fourth of July.

You see that house upon that hill,
That's where me and my baby live.

Oh the rabbit in the hash come a-stepping in the dash,
With his long-tailed coat and his beaver on.
- Bessie Jones and Bess Lomax Hawes: "Step It Down Games, Plays, Songs And Stories From Afro-American Heritage" (University of Georgia Press ; 1987) . This book includes lyrics and comments about selected African American children's songs from the Georgia Sea Isle.

****
GREEN COLOR UP
(an adaptation of "Green Sally Up" by Azizi Powell, November 1997)

The tune for this song is very much like the Sounds of The South recording of "Green Sally Up". However the tempo is slightly faster.

Performance activities:
A group of people (children, teens, adults) form a circle. A designated caller is chosen.. Follow the instructions as given in brackets with the song lyrics. Note: the song starts with the color "green" unless no one participating is wearing that color. The order in which other colors are called is arbitrary,

After the verse ends for one color, the designated caller immediately choses another color to call. Colors are chosen in a random manner. If the person in the middle is also wearing that particular color shirt or wearing a dress that has that color in it, he or she can remain in the middle. If not, the people in the middle must quickly move back to the circle, and other people wearing that newly called color move to the middle of the circle. Participants follow the movement instructions as given in this song (See the instructions found in brackets].

Designated caller- Green!
All: Green color up
[People wearing green shirts/blouses or wearing the color green in their dresses QUICKLY move to the center of the circle. Everyone else stays in place. Note that moving in the center of the circle if you are wearing that color isn't mandatory. Individuals wearing that color may continue standing in their place and perform the instructions for that color there.*

Everyone, including the people in the center of the circle, stands on their toes and stretches their arms up while singing this line]

Green color down [Everyone bends down and triesto touch the ground with their have their fingers OR everyone squats down on the floor]

Green color all around the town. (Clap Clap) [Everyone turns around in place. Optional-Everyone claps their hands two times.

If you have on green just raise your hands. [Everyone wearing green in their shirt/,blouse or dress, regardless of where they are standing raises their hands.]

If you do not, just fold your arms. [Everyone NOT wearing green folds their arms , chest level. Participants often strike a dramatic, deviant, grittin' pose while they fold their arms.]

Designated caller: Yellow! [The caller RANDOMLY calls another out the name of another color. If the people in the center are wearing a shirt, blouse, or dress that contains that color, they can remain in the middle of the circle. Otherwise they must QUICKLY move out of the center of the circle. At the same time, people who are wearing the color that was called out QUICKLY move to the center of the circle.

Follow the instructions as given for the "green color". This continues until all the colors present have been called. There are no winners or losers.

*The purpose is to reinforce color recognition, build team spirit and self confidence, and have fun. Given the purpose of reinforcing self-esteem, the rule that people wearing a certain color don't have to move to the center of the circle was put in place because some children were shy and were therefore reluctant to go into the center.

These instructions may read as though the game is difficult to play. It isn't. Children (preferably along with adults and teens) have fun playing it. I'd count it as a compliment if this game was played by other groups.

I've crossposted this song to Cocojams's text analysis page about "Green Sally Up" and the Jambalayah.com page for "Green Sally Up". Both of those links are given above.

****
HEY ALAFIA * (change name to your group's name or your city's name)
Hey Alafia,
(reply: Hey Alafia
Let's sing Alafia,
(reply: Let's sing Alafia
Marching down the avenue
(reply: Marching down the avenue)
Five *more miles and we'll be through
(reply-Five more miles and we'll be through)
Go left, go le-ft
(Go left, go-le-eft)
Go left, right, le-eft
(Go left, right, le-eft)
Go left, go right go pick up sticks. Go left go right go left.
(Go left, go right go pick up sticks. Go left go right go left)
Hey Alafia [tc with the next number until you get to]
Hey Alafia,
(reply: Hey Alafia
Let's sing Alafia,
(reply: Let's sing Alafia
Marching down the avenue
(reply: Marching down the avenue)
No more miles so we are through
(reply- No more miles so we are through)
Go left, go le-ft
(Go left, go-le-eft)
Go left, right, le-eft
(Go left, right, le-eft)
Go left, go right go pick up sticks. Go left go right go left.
(Go left, go right go pick up sticks. Go left go right go left)
-adapted by Azizi Powell, 1999 (from the camp song "All you Knuckleheads")

* "Five" is an abitrary number. However, I found that this number works well, and that starting with ten makes the song tooo long.

Editor: This is a song that I adapted in 1999 for the children's game song group that I conceptualized & facilitated named Alafia (ah-LAH-fee-ah) Children's Ensemble. The song is an adaptation of a camp song "All You Knuckleheads" that my children learned from Lillian Taylor Camp, (a camp run by The Kingsley Association, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The song "All You Knuckleheads" is probably itself an adaptation of the military cadence "Hey You Knuckleheads". Visit http://www.cocojams.com/content/military-cadences-other-cadences to read that cadence.

The words "let's sing Alafia" fit our purpose of our group because it was a game song group. If you use this song for your group, the word "sing" could be changed to another action word such as "play" or "cheer" or "dance". This song was great for developing and reinforcing a strong, positive sense of group identity.

Performance Directions:
This song uses a call/response pattern throughput. The way that I taught it to the girls & boys (ages 5-12 years) was that the caller (leader) stands at the front of a vertical line, and moves in using a foot stomping. congo-like fashion throughout the room or area. The rest of the group line up behind the leader and follows her or his movements.

On the line "Let's sing Alaifa" the leader uses the American Sign Language motions for sing (your left arm is outstretched with your palm face up, and your right arm makes a back & forth waving motion a little bit over your left arm). On the line "marching down the avenue", the leader makes an exaggerated marching movement.

The leader' s arms and the rest of the groups' arms follow the direction of the movements (that is, if the leader moves to the left, her body turns slightly and her arms move together the left . If she moves to the right, her body turns slightly to the right, and her arms also move together to the right. The lines "Go left go right go pick up sticks. Go left go right go left" are tricky and therefore add to the challenge & the fun of learning the chant. On the words "pick up sticks", the leader bends her knees down and acts out the motion of picking up sticks. The group is supposed to do the same motions AFTER the leader finishes singing those entire two lines. The song then starts immediiately again with the next number until the end of the song "no more miles so we are through" . Enjoy! :.

****
HERE STANDS A BLUE BIRD
Here stands a blue bird,
Tra la la la.
Here's stands a blue bird,
Tra la la la.
Here's stands a blue bird
Tra la la la.
Oh, she* likes sugar & tea.

Let me see your motion,
Tra la la la.
Let me see your motion,
Tra la la la.
Let me see your motion,
Tra la la la.
Oh, she* likes sugar & tea.

Oh, we can do your motion,
Tra la la la.
We can do your motion,
Tra la la la.
We can do your motion,
Tra la la la.
Oh, she* likes sugar & tea.

Who do you choose?
Tra la la la.
Who do you choose?
Tra la la la.
Who do you choose?
Tra la la la.
Oh, she* likes sugar & tea.

(begin song again with new person in the middle; change color mentioned based on the color shirt or the color of the pants that the person is wearing).

*change gender pronoun to "he" for boys who are selected as the "blue bird"
-various sources, including Azizi P's memories of childhood (Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1950s); see explanation for the other asterisks in my editor comments

Editor:
"Here Stands A Blue Bird" is a circle game with one person in the middle. I have clear memories of singing this song and playing this game when I was growing up in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1950s. It surprised me to learn that, with the exception of my daughter who learned this song from me as a child, "Here Stands A Blue Bird" was also unfamiliar to the children and adult staff & volunteers who participated in Alafia Children's Ensemble's game song groups that I conducted in several Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania communities (1997-2007).

As was customary with those groups, after I taught the group this song, both the children & the adults joined together to perform it (hence the reference to "person" instead of "child" in the performance instructions). Read more information about Alafia Children's Ensemble in Cocojams' About Us page.

Performance Instructions: The group forms a wide circle around a person who is selected as the first middle person. The middle person doesn't sing. Each person in the group holds the hand of the person to either side of her or him. The group begins singing the song, and walking counter-clockwise around the middle person. During the first verse, the middle person stands and flaps her {or his} arms, pretending to be a bird. The middle person can move around the inside of the circle if she chooses to do so. On the words "oh, she likes sugar & tea", the group stops moving and stops holding hands. Each person in the group, including the middle person, pretends to put a cube of sugar in a cup and then holds the cup close to her or his mouth and drink it.**

The group then continues singing the song, and resumes holding hands and walking counter-clockwise around the circle to the beat of the song. In the second verse, the group drops hands, stands in place, and does a hand clapping foot stomping or hopping to the beat motion while singing the song.**

In response to the command "let me see your motion", the middle person remains in the center of the circle while she performs some movement (such as jumping, hopping, skipping, dancing). In the third verse, the middle person continues to do the same movement that she selected, and the rest of the group tries to exactly imitate that movement. In the fourth verse, the group continues singing, and resumes holding hands, and moving counter-clockwise around the circle.

The middle person closes her eyes and puts her right hand over both of her eyes. While she remains standing in the center of the circle, the middle person extends her left arm, and points her hand out group members while she turns around.*** The person who the middle person is pointing to when the song ends, becomes the new middle person. The former middle person quickly rejoins the circle, and the new middle person quickly takes her place. The game is supposed to immediately begin again.

** These are innovations that my daughter, TMP, added to the performance of this game. I don't recall doing these movements when I was a child.

*** One woman I met who was raised in Georgia in the 1980s, told me that when she and her friends played circle games with one person in the middle, they didn't close their eyes & turn around in order to pick a person "by accident". Instead, the middle person purposely selects the next middle person by walking, strutting or dancing up to that person.

Here's a video of a show me your motion circle game played by children & two adults in an African country (unfortunately neither the name of the African country nor the language spoken was given).

African kids singing

Posted by kotsjuba
March 24, 2007

"African kids are singing and dancing"

****
HERE WE GO RIDIN' THAT PONY (Version #1)
....I was a counselor at a camp about three years ago, and the campers (good-natured high school students) played a surprising amount of games during break time. Not surprisingly, they weren't all innocent little rhymes. For example...[a] favorite circle game:[was]

"Here we go, ridin' that pony, riding around on that big fat pony.
Here we go, ridin' that pony, this is how we do it:
Front to front to front, oh, baby
Back to back to back, oh, baby
Side to side to side, oh, baby
This is how we do it"
-LNL; "Children's Street Songs", http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300; 3/1/2004

****
HERE WE GO RIDE THAT PONY (Version #2)
In 2006 before volleyball games: - This is really similar to little sally walker

-Person in middle walks around the inside of circle formed by the rest of the team.

"Here we go ride that pony.
Ride around that big fat pony.
Here we go ride that pony.
This is how we do it."

Person chooses someone to dance with.

"front to front to front my baby" (dance front to front)
"back to back to back my baby" (turn around and dance back to back)
"side to side to side my baby" (dance side to side)
"this is how we do it..." (the people switch and now the person who was on the outside dances around the inside of the circle as the rhyme repeats...)
-Katie S., (White female, 17 years old), Dallas Texas; 10/6/2009

Editor:
I posted this example on this game song page instead of on Cocojams Cheerleader Cheers page because I gathered from Katie's comments that the team played this action game before playing the game of volleyball, perhaps as a means of releasing some pre-game tensions.

Katie S's reference to "Little Sally Walker" is probably the new version of that song that I've titled "Little Sally Walker (Went Walkin' Down The Street)" to differentiate it from the more familiar "Little Sally Walker" game song. Versions of that game song can be found on this page.

****
HERE WE GO ZOODIO (Version #1)
Here we go Zoodio, Zoodio, Zoodio
Here we go Zoodio all night long.
Here we go Zoodio Zoodio Zoodio
Here we go Zoodio all night long.

Step back Sally Sally, Sally
Step back Sally all night long.
Step back Sally Sally, Sally
Step back Sally all night long

Editor:
I remember learning this song in the 1950s from a vacation Bible school teacher who was from Georgia. I've phonetically spelled that word "Zoodio", but I've seen it written "Zudio", or "Zodiac". If I recall correctly, we played this game by choosing partners who stood facing each other in two parallel lines. During the first part of the song the partners stood facing each other, held both of their partners' hands and to the beat moved their arms in criss-crossed fashion in what I call a see-saw, back & forth motion. Our knees were slightly bent when we did this motion. On the words "step back sally" we jumped back to the beat. On the words "walkin through the alley" we continued singing but strutted across the large room and at the end of the song we were arbitrarily standing in front of a new partner. And then song would start again from the beginning. That's one way to play this rhyme. Actually, I bellieved instead of doing that last part, the partners would "walk down the alley" formed by the two parallel lines. An example of that way of playing this game can be found in the first Zoodio video posted below my comments.

In 1998-2005 I taught this game song to (mostly African American) girls and boys in some Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhoods and in other African American communities near Pittsburgh. These children participated in after-school and summer game song groups that I conceptualized and facilitated (See About Us for more about Alafia Children Ensemble). These children didn't know this song prior to my teaching it to them.

When I taught children the zoodio game, the "partners" (girl & boy; two girls, or two boys) stood scattered across a wide space such as the floor of a gym or outdoor playground.. On the lines "walking down the alley", the partners were supposed to strut to a new partner. Unfortunately, none of these children were familiar with the word "strut", so I had to show them :o)

Here's how I taught children in my game song groups how to play Zudio (or "Zoodio" as I used to spell it)
1. children chose one partner
2. the two partners stand facing each other
3. the two partners crossed their hands and held their partner's hand
4. while singing the first lines "here we go zudio zudio zudio here we go zudio all night long", the partners swing their crossed hands back and forth to the beat, and while standing still, also move their slightly bent knees up & down to the same beat
5. on the words, "Step back sally", the partners jump back and forth away from, and then toward their partner
6. on the words, "walking through the alley", the partners strut to another partner
7. the song begins again and continues in this pattern

This movement song is good exercise and fun to do for children, teens, and adults!
-Azizi, 10/4/2006; Children's Singing Games http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=31226&messages=23

Here's a Tube video of this game in which people stand in parallel lines and two people dance down the aisle created by those lines. This is the same kind of dance form that was popularized by the American television show "Soul Train":

Zoodio

JustTheFam
August 02, 2009

**
Here's a YouTube video of a little girl singing a portion of this game song:

Zoodio

Posted by mdathena
October 18, 2007

"Deanna learned a song from school"

****
HERE COMES ZODIAC (Version #2 of "Here We Go Zudio")
ok the zodiac thing I did at camp but it had more words.

Here comes zodiac zodiac zodiac here comes zodiac all night long
here comes sally walking down the alley here comes sally all night long
here comes another one just like the other one here comes another one all night long.
I looked out yonder and what do I see? A big fat man from tennesse. I bet ya five dollars that ya can't do this, I bet ya five dollars that ya can't do that.
to the front to the back to the side side side. to the front to the back to the side side side. You lean wayyyyyy back, you got a hump on your back, you lean way back you got a hump on your back. Do the camel walk. and I think it repeated. We did it as a square dance. I'm not sure if the first part is quite right but the rest should be. Has anyone heard of this?
-Guest; 2/28.2006; Children's Singing Games http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=31226&messages=23

****
HERE WE GO ZUDIO (Version #3)
Here we go Zudio Zudio, Zudio
Here we go Zudio all night long.
Here we go Zudio Zudio, Zudio
Here we go Zudio all night long.

Step back Sally Sally, Sally
Step back Sally all night long.

Walkin' thru the alley, what do I see?
I see a great big man from Tennessee.
I betcha five dollars that you can't do this:
To the front, to the back
To the side side side.
To the front, to the back
To the side side side.

My mama called the doctor and the doctor said
"Ooh aah, I got a pain in my side"
"Ooh aah, I got a pain in my toe"
"Ooh aah, I got a pain in my tummy"
"Ooh aah, I got a pain in my head."

Here we go Zudio Zudio, Zudio
Here we go Zudio all night long.
Here we go Zudio Zudio, Zudio
Here we go Zudio all night long.

Step back Sally Sally, Sally
Step back Sally all night long.

Walkin' thru the alley, what do I see?
I see a great big man from Tennessee.
I betcha five dollars that you can't do this:
To the front, to the back
To the side side side.
To the front, to the back
To the side side side.

My mama called the doctor and the doctor said
"Ooh aah, I got a pain in my chin"
"Ooh aah, I got a pain in my knee"
"Ooh aah, I got a pain in my neck"
"Ooh aah, I got a pain in my belly button."

Here we go Zudio Zudio, Zudio
Here we go Zudio all night long.
Here we go Zudio Zudio, Zudio
Here we go Zudio all night long.
All night long, all night long.
-http://www.peterandellen.com/lyrics/zudio.htm [Retrieved April 29, 2008]

Editor:
The words that I recall were the very much like those posted above, but we sang "Step back, Sally Sally Sally" and "Walkin' down the alley alley". I don't think we sang the next part, though that "Big man tryin' to hypnotize me" is awfully familiar to me for some reason or the other. When I read that line, what popped into my head was the line "A big Black man tryin to hynotize me". Or "a big Black man from Tennessee". By the way, I'm African American, if that matters :o} I'm not sure if I've heard those versions, but I'm betting that I didn't just make that up.

****
HERE WE GO STUDIO (Version #4 of "Here We Go Zoodio)
Here we go studio, studio, studio.
Here we go studio all night long.
Step back sally, sally, sally,
Step back Sally all night long.
Walking down the alley, what do i see?
I see a great big man from Tennessee.
Betcha five dollars i could catch that man
Betcha five dollars i could catch that man.
To the side to the side to the side side side
To the side to the side to the side side side
Side side side.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAcc1llWIWQ&feature=related

Editor:
Here's the summary comments to this video:

Posted by ur2good4me
December 30, 2006

"zudio, studio..? i dunno. it was a song we learned in like second grade, and my sister and i really liked it."

end of quote

Although the person writing the summary used the word "studio" in the lyrics, it sounds to me as if the little girl is singing "zoodio".

****
HEY BABY
Hey baby, how about a date?
I'll meet you round the corner
'Bout half-past eight.
We go front, back, side to side.
We go front, back, side to side.

I never been to college.
I never been to school.
But when it comes to boogie,*
I can boogie like a fool.
-Barbara R., (African American) from her memories of her childhood in the Buff area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, mid 1950s; collected by Azizi Powell, 1996

Editor:
*"Boogie" means "to dance". While singing the words "front, back, side to side" the girls execute a small jump in front of their starting position, then jump back to their starting postion, and then slide to the right and then siide to the left. On the word "boogie", the girls do a hip shaking dance movement.

****
HEY LADIES
This is game called "Hey Ladies" A circle game. All the girls get in a circle, and a solo person starts saying this: "Hey ladies all break down with the (whatever dance move the want to do and they do it, and while doing it she says "boom boom chick boom ba boom chick" (repeat 1 time)). Then the group says: "all break down with the boom boom chick boom ba boom chick" repeat 1 time. and then they do the same dance move the solo person just did. You keep going around the circle, so that everyone has a chance at a solo. I did this at my elementary school in Massachusetts, and mostly african american girls would participate
-kamyra; 3/29/2007

Editor:
See an example of Boom Chicka Boom in Cocojams' Foot Stomping Cheer's section. The circle game that you sent in seems to be a variant form of that cheer. And that's great!

****
HOLD UP THE GATEPOSTS
I remember a game called" Hold Up The Gateposts". Two people would make a bridge with their hands clasped to each other and held up high over their heads. Other children would then march around and under their arms. The song went: Hold up the gate post High as the sky; Let King George and his horses pass by. Here's the hatchett, Laying on the bed Next one come We're gonna chop off his head. And with that , the arms would come down and capture the person who was under the "bridge"
-Judy G.; 12/10/2007

Editor:
The "hatchet gonna chop off his head" and this game's play instructions reminds me of the "London Bridge is Falling Down" game that I played when I was a child in Atlantic City New Jersey (1950s). See that example below.

I,J
I'M A NUT
This was a fun rhyme we used to sing in Elementary School:

I'm a nut (click tongue twice and knock head) in a rut (click tongue twice and knock head) I'm craaazy (crazy motion around ear)
Coca cola went to town
Diet pepsi knocked him down
Dr. pepper fixed him up
Now we all drink 7-Up.
I'm a nut (click tongue twice and knock head) in a rut (click tongue twice and knock head) I’m craaazy (crazy motion around ear)
7-up got the flu
Now we all drink mountain dew
Mountain dew fell off the mountain
Now we all drink from the fountain
I'm a nut (click tongue twice and knock head) in a rut (click tongue twice and knock head) I'm craaazy (crazy motion around ear)
Fountain broke, people choke
Now we all drink cherry coke
Cherry coke lost it’s cherry
Now we all drink loganberry (I still have no idea what that is)

I'm a nut (click tongue twice and knock head) in a rut (click tongue twice and knock head) I'm craaazy (crazy motion around ear)
Loganberry was a joke
Now we're back to drinking coke.
-Katie S., (White female, 17 years old), Dallas Texas; 10/6/2009

Editor:
"Loganberry" is a brand name for soda (pop) and is also a type of wine.

****
I'M GOING DOWNTOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE
"I'm going' down town to smoke my pipe" is a family of games which are also known as "Witch In The Well", "What Time Is It. Mrs Witch", "Black Spider" . "Old Blue Witch" and other names. Regardless of the title used or the first line, (what I consider to be) examples of this game are posted in this section. Hopefully, this posting will elicit more information & examples of this game & other children's games.

I'M GOING DOWNTOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE (Example #1)
I'm going' down town to smoke my pipe. I won't be back till broad daylight. If you let one of my children go, I'll spank you with my rubber shoe".
-dulcimer42; 'I'm goin' down town to smoke my pipe" ; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=110753 ; 4/26/2008

Editor:
This is a fragment of a game that dulcimer42 posted on that Mudcat Discussion Forum thread. dulcimer42 indicated that kids chanted that rhyme at the beginning of an outdoor game that he {or she} recalled playing in Michigan around 1950. In that discussion thread I suggested that this game might be similar to "Chickama Chickama Craney Crow". See information about that game on this page. Also see other examples of "I'm Going Downtown To Smoke My Pipe" on this page.

For what it's worth, a number of posters to that Mudcat thread are (or were) from Michigan. From those posters it appears that that game was commonly played in that state.

Do you know this game? If so, please share your version of this game with other Cocojams readers by sending your example to cocojams17@yahoo.com.

****
I'M GOING DOWNTOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE (Example #2)
Editor: Visit http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=287186 for a discussion about this game. This brief discussion dating from 12/14/2003 to 4/23/2004 contains two examples of the use of this chant as part of a "hide & seek" type game. T

hese versions are similar to the "Chicama Chicama Craney Crow" game. The 1922 version of that game that I posted on this page probably came from a much older game. As a matter of fact, In that google answer thread, workplace-ga writes 23 Apr 2004 ".Wow this is interesting! I used to play this game as a child too up in Canada! Check out the children's story written by Audrey Wood entitled, "Heckedy Peg". Her story is very similar to our game. She credits this story going back to a 16th century game."

Here are all of the versions of that verse that are found on the google.com/answers page whose link is provided. The information about where the game was played is provided in italics. Click on the link for more information about how these game were played.

Played at a country school in Michigan in the '30s:
"I'm going downtown to smoke my pipe and I
won't be back till broad daylight and if you let my muffins burn I'll
spank you blue (various colors)
-cv5830-ga

**
I remember this game from my childhood in the quiet rural neighborhoods of New York:
"I'm going downtown to smoke my pipe and I won't be back until
Saturday night, I hope that old witch doesn't kidnap my kids tonight."
-NYmother911-ga

**
NYMother911-ga also found this version on a Google cache of Mycampinfo.com
www.mycampinfo.com/games/game.asp?lngGameID=1018
The mother says to the babysitter: "I'm going downtown to
smoke my pipe, and I won't be back until Saturday night. And don't let
that witch take any of my children!"

Note: These examples are posted on Cocojams with my thanks and with the express purpose of helping to preserve information about children's games. Hopefully, this posting will elicit more information & examples of this game & other children's games.

****
I'M GOING DOWNTOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE (Example #3)
Editor: Thom Holbrook gives a detailed description of this game on this webpage: http://www.poobala.com/yardgames/witchinthewell.html Holbrook describes this children's outdoor chasing game as a "play" that is a "variation of the game of tag but includes acting". The characters in the play are the parent (either father or mother or both), two or more children, and one "witch". The version of the rhyme that Holbrook remembers is:

"I’m going downtown to smoke my pipe and I won’t be back till Saturday night. And don’t get into the brown sugar and butter".

-snip-

Holbrook also remembers this exchange between the father and the witch:
Dad: What are you doing in my well?
Witch: Smoking my pipe.
Dad: Why are you smoking your pipe?
Witch: To make ashes?
Dad: Why are you making ashes?
Witch: To sharpen my knife.
Dad: Why are you sharpening your knife?
Witch: TO CUT OFF YOUR HEADS!!!

At that point the witch rushes at everyone and the game becomes a quick game of tag.
-Thom Holbrook, "Witch In The Well"; http://poobala.com/yardgames/witchinthewell.html; assessed 10/21/2008

Editor:
I have attempted to email Thom Holbrook to request permission to repost this example, but the email address was no longer active. If someone knows a contact address, please send it in to Cocojams.

****
I'M GOING DOWNTOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE (Example #4)

Editor: Note that the play activity is described as being Jump Rope and not a singing game.

I'm going downtown to smoke my pipe,
I won't be back til broad daylight,
if you let the witch get little sister Sue,
I'll spank you black, I'll spank you blue,
I'll spank you with the heel of my old rubber shoe

This is the version we used to jump rope to. Back in the 50's, Saginaw, MI
-Guest, blaine; 'I'm goin' down town to smoke my pipe" ; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=110753 ; 2/27/2009

****
I'M GOING DOWNTOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE (Example #5)
I remember playing this game in the 50s as a kid. It started out "I'm going downtown to smoke my pipe and I won't be back till broad day light - and I'll whip you black and I'll whip you blue especially you my daughter Sue." One of the kids had to be Sue who hid in a pretend upstairs. Then the witch came and the kids pretended to be a piano and held out their hands and said something like "good daddy" another "bad daddy" etc. at some point they were asked "Where's Sue?" They would all say "upstairs" The witch would ask how did she get there and some of the would say "by tables and chairs." They had been pretending to be table and chairs. I can't remember much more - Sue, I think had to run at this point.
-Guest, Nancy; 'I'm goin' down town to smoke my pipe" ; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=110753; 9/13/2009

****
I'M GOING DOWNTOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE (Example #6)
In Tennessee its called Old Blue Witch
I'm going to town to smoke my pipe I won't be back til Saturday Night, and if I find out that old blue witch has been here, I'll beat you black and blue with my old shoe

This was said to the "oldest child who was in charge of the other children. The witch would come steal each child til there were non left, and assign each child a color. When the parent went to the witch's house to retrieve her kids. The witch would send him on a goose chase down 3 roads, then allow her to guess the color of some children she had. If the parent guessed the color, the kid was released and the parent got to chase the kid back home.
-Guest, 'I'm goin' down town to smoke my pipe" ; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=110753; 5/10/2010

****
JOHNNY CUCKOO
[Players stand in a horizontal line with one player "Johnny Cuckoo" standing apart from the line. Single player approaches line and dances to the rhythm. Everyone sings except Johnny Cuckoo/s]

1st verse:
Here comes one Johnny Cuckoo
Cuckoo; Cuckoo
Here comes one Johnny Cuckoo
On a cold and stormy night

2nd verse:
What did you come for
Come for
Come (here) for
What did you come for
On a cold and stormy night

3rd verse:
I come for me (We come for us)
A soldier, soldier,
I come for me (We come for us)
A soldier
On a cold and stormy night

[There is a significant increase in the speed of the singing and players begin a double offbeat clap; All of the players in the line turn their backs on the "Johnny Cuckoo/s and switch their hips to the rhythm]

4th verse
You look too black and dirty
Dirty dirty
You look too black and dirty
On a cold and stormy night

5th verse sung by Johnny Cuckoo/s
I'm (We're) just as good* as you are
You are. You are.
I'm (We're) just as good as you are
On a cold and stormy night

* sometimes given as "just as clean as you are"

-snip-

The song immediately repeats from the beginning with the first Johnny Cuckoo picking another player to act the role of the second Johnny Cuckoo along with her. The group sings "Here comes two Johnny Cuckoos etc

This continues with multiple Johnny Cuckoos until the game ends. .
-from: Bessie Jones, Bess Hawes Lomaz "Step It Down: "Games, Plays, Songs & Stories from the Afro-American Heritage {University of Georgia Press,1972}; this song is also included as as #10 on the 3rd CD of "A Musical Journey From The Georgia Sea Islands To The Mississippi Delta" (4 CD set}' Alan Lomax; 1993 Atlantic Recording

Editor:
In my opinion, the African American children's game "Johnny Cuckoo" is a variant form of the much older British children's game "Dukes A' Riding" ("Three Dukes") Visit http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=34425 "Help: johnny cockaroo" to read my comments on that subject. Also see "We're Riding Here To Get Married" in this collection for the words to another African American game song that I believe is also related to "Dukes A Riding" (and therefore also is related to "Johnny Cuckoo"). One version of "Dukes A Riding" is found at http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiTHREDUK1.html

"Johnny Cuckoo" probably dates from the Civil War era. I believe that this African American game song "Johnny Cuckoo" used dramatic play to teach & reinforce self-esteem and self-confidence. Hopefully, the children internalized the affirmation that "I'm just a good as you are" for the times when they would experience put downs as children, teens, and adults.

I'm not certain if "Johnny Cuckoo" is still sung in Georgia or elsewhere. I have no knowledge of it from my childhood in New Jersey, and haven't come across anyone who knows it in my adopted city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

An example of "Johnny Cuckoo"'s performance is found beginning at 3:26 of this video:

ichagall | April 20, 2010
Little Sally Walker Bessie Jones

K,L
KYE KYE KULE (pronounced "Shay Shay Koo lay"; also given as "Che Che Kule")

Editor's Note: This traditional children's game song from Ghana, West Africa is included on this page because it has been taught to children in various elementary schools throughout the USA.

On February 22, 2006, I received a message from Johann Quarcoo via Cocojam's comment page. I responded to Quarcoo's message and specifically asked him about the children's game song "Kye Kye Kule". See these excerpts of that email:

"Johann Quarcoo, there is a song that is taught to children in some public schools here called 'Che Che Kule'. This is pronounced by us as 'Jay Jay Kulay'. {I'm sure this isn't the right spelling}. Here are the words to that song that a Ghanaian man who I met in Pittsburgh, Penn in the 1980s shared with me:

Kye kule
Kye kye kule.
Kye kye kofi sa x2
kofi salanga x2
Salatilanga x2
kum ayede , kumayede , kumayede

-snip-
Also, Johann, see this message that I received from a Cocojams' reader in 2005:

"Hello... I did a search on the song che che kule because I had remembered singing this song in music class when I was in the 4th or 5th grade. The search led me to your site.

We sang this song as we touched our heads and then shoulders and so on. It was a song which was in our text book.

I was amazed at how well I remembered the words considering the years that have passed. I don't know why I recalled it but I'm glad I was able to find information about this song. I just thought I would let you know. Thanks, Have a great day."

-snip-

Johann, do you know this song? I'd love to know what the words are in your language what they mean {if anything}. That song mentions the name Kofi and I understand that "Kofi" is a Ghanaian name that means "male born on Friday". Would you please share with me how this song is performed? Thank you.

-snip-

Johann asked me to call him Quarcoo. Here is Quarcoo's response:
"I made some enquiries about this song. It is a Ga game but because of our school system which promotes ethnic fusion it has become a national thing. My dad couldn't really tell me the meaning of the words, but said that the words: "Salanga" is a name used by northerners [members of ethnic groups who live in the Northern part of Ghana] (could be Dagomba, Frafra or Gonja) so Kofi Salanga is a northern boy. And when singing the song, with the pronouncement of every sentence you touch your body in ascending and descending order. When you start "kyekye kule" (you touch your shoulders with both hands and those responding kyekye kule will do likewise, continue to your waist, knees and the toes) and this continues till you reach your toes and then you start all over again.

Kyekye kule on national t.v (called Ghana T.V or GTV) was a children's programme, and it was so popular that I never for once missed an episode. It was hosted by an old teacher. It was filled with several other Ghanaian games...
-Johann Quarcoo, from Ghana, by electronic message to
Azizi Powell, 2/24/2006; posted by Azizi on Cocojams 2/26/06.

Editor:
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana, and other online resources, "Northern" is one of 10 regions of modern day Ghana. Also, the Ga are one of the major ethnic groups of Ghana. Also visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akan_name for information on the Ghanaian day name Kofi (meaning "male born on Friday") and other Ghanaian day names.

-snip-

Here is another email about "Kye Kye Kule" that I received on 5/15/2009 from a Ghanaian woman, Abena Gyebi:

"Sorry, cocoyam, You see I have always known the Ghanaian children's song Kye kye kule. The Kum adende or Kum aye dei was always part of it. I do not believe it is a later addition; I mean I'm into my fifties and I've always known it with the Kum. Maybe it's because the people you talked to were male. I guess when we as girls were playing kye kye kule they were busy playing football or so.(Or hunting rats?-:)

'Kum' apart from its Akan meaning - to kill- is also the sound made when something falls heavily on the ground,like a child falling or something dropping.

The other version of the game was instead of running behind the circle and tapping someone on the shoulder, one bent down and dropped a piece of cloth behind one of those sitting in the circle. It was supposed to be done so artfully that the one with the piece of cloth did not notice it.The singing and clapping then got more exciting as the runner got closer and closer to where she had dropped the piece of cloth. If the sitting person still did not notice the cloth, she got a 'boo' or a smack on the shoulder for being inattentive. On the other hand, if she got alerted, she would then run as fast as possible chasing the first runner until the first runner took her place in the circle. Then she would take over the kye kye kule and look for another person behind whom she would drop the piece of cloth. This version of kye kye kule was an adaptation of another children's game we called 'anto akyire'"

-snip-

Abena Gyebi is correct that the only Ghanaians who have given me information about this song are males. I'm very grateful that she has shared information about the meaning of the word "kum" in the Akan language word "Kum".And I am grateful tha Abena Gyebi shared information about how she and other girls played this game.
The performance information that she shared sounds very much like the American children's game "Duck, Duck, Goose", doesn't it?

-snip-
Unfortunately, I have not yet found any videos of Ghanaian children singing or performing "Kye Kye Kule".

Here's a video of the way "Kye Kye Kule" is usually performed by American children:

Che che koolay

Posted by rclcdj
June 04, 2009

"2009 P2 African Feast"

**
Here's a video of Kye Kye Kule performed by South African school children:

Shay Shay Koolay

Posted by ElanaMichele
November 03, 2008

"Thina, Noroza, and Hope lead Shay Shay Koolay in the field behind Sivuyiseni. Check out www.artworkforyouth.com."

**
Visit http://www.cocojams.com/content/foot-stomping-cheers-0 to find the foot stomping cheers "Jay Jay Kukalay" and "J J Coolaid" that I believe are based on the Ghanaian children's song "Kye Kye Kule". Alsp visit http://www.jambalayah.com/node/169 to find a video of "Che Che Kule" as performed by the Puerto Rican artists Hector Levoe and Willie Colen. That video is just one example of the numerous Latin and African musicians/singers who have recoreded dance songs that have as their source this Ghanaian children's game song.

****
LITTLE JOHNNY BROWN (Version #1)
Little Johnny Brown, spread your comfort down (2x),
Fold one corner, Johnny Brown,
Fold another corner, Johnny Brown (3x),
Take it to your lover, Johnny Brown (2x),
Show her your motion, Johnny Brown (2x),
Lope like a buzzard, Johnny Brown (2x),
Give it to your lover, Johnny Brown (2x).
-from Bessie Jones (African American Georgia Sea Isle singer/folklorist); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgUmisFfTiw

Here's that video:
Bessie Jones - Johnny Brown

peglegsam | March 07, 2007

Editor:
"Johnny Brown" is a circle game with one person in the center. The words and accompanying movements of this song reveals its origin as a coed "courting" game. In the context of this game song, a "comfort" is a small blanket. The term "comforter" is still used in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania to refer to a blanket. Giving a folded blanket to a person may have originally been a sign of romantic interest. However, in the context of this game, bending down and folding the blanket and then moving to the person you select is a way of showing off your dancing/movement skills.

As shown in this video, the center person folds the corners of the blanket and then moves in front of a person forming the circle. The center person then does a dance in front of the selected person. That person then does the same dance. The center person then gives the selected person the "comfort" (blanket) and then takes her or his place in the center of the circle. The selected person then becomes the new center person, and the song begins from the beginning. The people forming the circle clap hands and stomp their feet while singing this song. At a specific part of the song, the singing, handclapping, and foot stomping speeds up.

The name "Johnny Brown" appears to be used for a male or a female, though it's possible that the name "Jenny Brown" is used for females. Notice the rhythmical handclapping, foot stomping movements that Bessie Jones and one of the Black girls forming the circle make. Also notice the dance movements, including the "Buzzard Lope", that that same Black girl makes. The "Buzzard Lope" is a very old African American plantation dance which may have originated as a West African religious dance. In my opinion, other African American imitative bird dances such as "The Eagle Rock" and "The Funky Chicken" are modifications & continuations of the Buzzard Lope. For more information on the Buzzard Lope, visit http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3buzzardlope1.htm. According to http://www.junkanoobeat.com/?cmd=view&artid=60 the original Jonkanoo dance movement of one step forward and two steps backwards is said to be based on (a possibly different form of) the Buzzard Lope.

Also visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzzard_lope for more information on the Buzzard Lope,

In the context of this game song, a "comfort" is a small blanket. The term "comforter" is still used in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania to refer to a blanket. It's possible that giving a folded blanket to a person of another gender was an indication of your romantic interest in a person. However, in the context of this game, bending down and folding the blanket and then moving to the person you select is a way of showing of your dancing/movement skills.

****
LITTLE JOHNNY BROWN (Version #2)

[Actions: Children form circle and perform the directions given in the song]

Little Johnny Brown
Lay your blanket down
Little Johnny Brown
(get it girl)
Lay your blanket down
Now you fold one corner,
Johnny Brown
Now you fold another corner
Johnny Brown
Fold another corner,
Johnny Brown
Fold another corner,
Johnny Brown
You go pick your partner
You go pick your partner
Go pick your partner
Go pick your partner
Allright, float like a buzzard, y'all
I want you to float like a buzzard, y'all
Float like a pretty, pretty buzzard, y'all
Float around like a buzzard y'all
SHOW OFF YA MOTION! *
Johnny Brown.
Let me see your motion.
Johnny Brown.
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK8E2z4xivE

Editor:
This version of "Little Johnny Brown" is more uptempo and modernized than version #1. Unlike version #1, this is a circle game with no one in the center. Each child forming the circle has her or his own blanket.

* The video ends at this point. I added the rest of the words to this game song, based on version #1.

On the words "Now go pick a partner", the guitar plays the notes to the words "Johnny Brown" and the children leave their blankets on the ground and arbitrarily walk toward another person forming the circle. It doesn't appear that any action is done with a partner and no action is done with the folded blanket. My sense is that this is a modification of the original game song's performance action in which there was one person in the center who then picked the next center person by standing & dancing in front of him or her, and then handed that person the blanket.

On the words, "float like a buzzard", the children flap their arms like a bird while walking single file counter clockwise around the circle. On the words "show off your motion", each child does his or her own dance or another movement.

Here's that video. Although the production of this video isn't high quality, I'm reposting it here because of its folkloric value.

Little Johnny Brown (float like a buzzard)

****
LITTLE JOHNNY BROWN (Version #3)
Little Johnny Brown
Lay your comfort down
Little Johnny Brown
Lay your comfort down
Fold it in a corner,
Johnny Brown
Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!
Fold it in a corner,
Johnny Brown
Show us your motion
Johnny Brown
We can do your motion
Johnny Brown
Now choose a friend
Johnny Brown
[game starts again with the new "Johnny Brown"]
-elementary school age children; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jfLIALSuk4

Editor:
This is a modified version of the traditional "Little Johnny Brown" game song (see version #1). The children form a circle and walk counterclockwise around one person standing in the center. The counterclockwise walking is the same as that done in the game "Musical Chairs". On the words "fold it in a corner" , the center person soots down and folds the small blanket and remains on her knees next to the blanket. The phrase "Hoot! Hoot! Hoot! with its accompanying hip/butt switching and rhythmic jumping action was probably added just for fun. It doesn't appear that the person in the center does this. On the words "show us your motion", the center person stands up and does a rhythmical dance step or another movement. On the words "we can do your motion" the other children attempt to exactly imitate the movements that the center person continues to do. One the words "now choose a friend", the center person arbitrarily walks toward a person forming the circle and gives her or him the blanket. That person becomes the new "Little Johnny Brown". The former Johnny Brown takes that person's place in the circle. The new Johnny Brown moves to the center and the game immediately begins again.

Here's that video:

Johnny Brown

carolannf1 | April 05, 2010
Kids playing a game Called Little Johnny Brown

****
LiTTLE SALLY ANN (Version #1)
Little Sally Ann
sittin in the sand
a weepin and a cryin
for a nice young man.

Rise, Sally, rise.
Wipe your weepin eyes.
Now turn to the East
and turn to the West.
And turn to the very one
that you love best.
-Multiple sources, including Azizi Powell's childhood memories of Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1950s

****
LITTLE SALLY ANNE (Version #2)
The game I played as a child in the mountains of Virginia as a young "colored girl" at the colored school was: Little sally Anne sittin in the sand weeping and a crying for a handsome man rise sally rise wipe ya dirty eyes put ya hands on ya hips let ya backbone slip shake it to the east shake it to the west shake it to the one you love the best shake it up shake it down shake it all way round
-Ney L.; 9/22/2007

Editor:
"Colored people" used to be a referent for those people who are now formally called "African Americans" and who are also informally called "Black Americans" (though the referent "Black American" may also refer to other people of African descent beside African Americans).Outside of the United States, in Europe and Australia, for instance, the word "Black" also refers to people of non-African descent. And in South Africa, at least during apartheid times, some people who are called Black in the United States would be considered "Coloured" and not Black. Confused? Well, racial categories really don't make a lot of sense. If you're interested in reading about the terms that have been used as referents for African Americans, this article is a good starting place: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American

For an example of the play performance for "Little Sally Ann", see the first game in the video posted under "Johnny Cuckoo".

****
LITTLE SALLY WALKER (Version #1)
Little Sally Walker
Sittin’ in a saucer
Weepin' and cryin’
For all she has done.
Rise Sally rise
Wipe your weepin’eyes
Put your hands on your hip
And let your backbone slip.
Oh, shake it to the East;
Oh, shake it to the West.
Shake it to the very one
That you love the best
-Bessie Jones (Georgia Sea Isles) ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJVnuQEhfCU&feature=related

See the video above for Johnny Cuckoo. Also compare this example with the lyrics and performance instruction for Little Sally Walker version #3).

****
LITTLE SALLY WALKER (Version #2)
Little Sally Walker
Sittin in a saucer
A weepin and a cryin for
a nice young man.
Rise, Sally rise.
Wipe your weepin eyes
Turn to the east and turn to the west
[And] turn to the one that you
love the best.
-Multiple sources, including Pittsburgh, PA in the 1970s

****
LITTLE SALLY WALKER (Version #3)
Little Sally Walker, an African-American version of a children’s game song (as played by Anna Robinson in the mid 1950's; who is now in her 60's). Little Sally Walker,sittin’ in a saucer,weepin' and cryin’cause nobody loves her. Rise Sally rise wipe your weepin’eyes put your hands on your hip, and let your backbone slip. Oh, shake it to the East; Oh, shake it to the West. Shake it to the very one that you love the best. The game of Little Sally Walker is for ages 7 – 12 Here's a description of the action that accompanied this rhyme: Prior to song starting- Girls form a circle; one girl is chosen to be “Sally” 1st line- "Sally" sits down on the inside of the circle (as if sitting in a saucer) and pretends to weep and cry; the rest of the circle walks counter-clockwise holding hands and walking to the song’s beat 2nd line & line 3 -“Sally” remains inside the circle but now rises to stand in the center part of the circle and does what the rhyme is saying(wipes her eyes); the rest of the group is now standing still and claps their hands and stomps their feet to the beat. 3rd line & 4th line -Sally now stops and puts her hands on her hip and moves her hip into a dip and the girls in the circle who performed this rhyme stand still while "Sally" in the middle performs a movement.

As the rhyme progresses the children forming the ring try to exactly imitate Sally's movements (they shake their hips to movements the same time Sally does) on the words to the East the hips move to the right, and on the words to the West the hips move to the left. -Still standing in front of whoever Sally may stop in front of "Sally" continues doing the same dance or movement of her hips that she did previously. 5th- On the words you love the best Sally is standing still and facing the girl she stopped in front of, now the game is over; the former “Sally” rejoins the ring, and the new Sally immediately enters the center of the ring and the game begins again. When both boys and girls play this game together the game takes on a little more interest.
-Anna R.; 5/8/2008

Editor:
Anna R., thanks for sharing the words and the performance instructions of Little Sally Walker as you remember them. My recollections in the 1950s in New Jersey of the related circle game "Little Sally Ann" are similar to yours that children older than 6 years old played this game. However, I think the usual ages for girls and boys playing this game was somewhere around 6-9 years old. That said, nowadays, my experience has been that "Little Sally Walker"/"Little Sally Ann" and other circle games with songs are rarely played by children who are older than pre-school ages. Also, it's been my experience in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that children don't decide to play these games on their own. Instead they are usually initiated by pre-school teachers, and, on rare occasions, by parents at special events such as birthday parties for children under six years old.

Ann R, what I found most interesting about your play instructions was that "Sally" didn't cover her eyes and turn around while pointing so that she would accidentally select the next person in the middle of the circle. I can imagine that when girls and boys played this game together it would be more interesting since a girl standing in front of a boy and picking him could imply that she liked him {as more than a friend}. The same would be true if a boy who was the center person stopped in front of a girl. By the way, what name was given to a boy who stood in the center of the ring {circle}?

In my opinion, the accidental selection process is more democratic, since in the purposeful selection process, a child's popularity is a big factor as to when she or he is selected or even if she or he is ever selected to be the center person. In contrast, with the accidental selection process, a person never knows when she or he will be picked to be the center person since it's just by happenchance that she or he is the person the center person is pointing to at the end of the song. Furthermore, as a result of my experiences facilitating after-school groups for children ages 5-12 years old, I found that some children really don't like to be selected as the center person in these kind of circle games because they are afraid of being the center of attention as so often-in school and in other play activities-that results in being teased.

The real world of children is competitive in so many ways that we adults may not realize. The center person's movements end up being another testing ground when we adults might of thought of it as just a play opportunity. During the after-school activities I facilitated, another child would quickly take the place in the center of the ring if the child who was picked was reluctant to be that center person. One of the joys of my experiences working with those groups of children over time was seeing how certain children who had been reluctant to face their peers in the center of the ring, eventually became eager to be the center person. I believe this was so because no only did they gain confidence in themselves, but, based on their experiences in the group, they knew that other group members wouldn't tease them. This may have partly been because adult staff made it known that their was zero tolerance for teasing, and partly because the group had developed loyalty toward its group members.

Cocojams readers, what are your recollections about this game and other circle games? Are these kinds of games still being played by children in your community? Please send in examples and comments to Cocojams!

****
LITTLE SALLY WALKER WAS WALKIN DOWN THE STREET, (Version #1)
Little Sally Walker was walkin down the street.
She didn’t know what to do so she stood in front of me.
I said ooh girl do your thing.
Do your thing, Stop!
I said ooh girl do your thing.
Do your thing, Stop!
-African American girls, about 7-9 years old, (Pittsburgh, PA), 1999; collected by Azizi Powell, 1999

Editor:
Here's a description of the action that accompanied this rhyme:
Prior to song starting- Girls form a circle; one girl is chosen to be “Sally”

1st line- "Sally" walks around the inside of the circle; the rest of the circle stands still and claps their own hands and stomp their feet to the song’s beat {in re-creations of this rhyme I've directed children to move around the circle counter-clockwise holding hands for this part of the rhyme}

2nd line & line 3 -“Sally” remains inside the circle but stands facing a girl who is part of the circle and does a dance or movement like jumping jack; the rest of the group continues to stand still and clap their hands and stomp their feet {for re-created versions of this rhyme, for this line I've directed children to stop circling and stand still while clapping hands and stomping their feet to the beat}

3rd line-on the word “Stop!” Sally dramatically freezes her movement
{the girls who performed this rhyme in 1999 stood still while "Sally" in the middle performed a movement. When I've taught this rhyme to other children, I direct the children forming the ring to try to exactly imitate Sally's movements and then freeze their movements the same time Sally does.

4th line-Still standing in front of the same girl, "Sally" continues doing the same dance or movement she did previously; see notation about my directions for re-creation of this rhyme

6th- On the word "Stop!", the game is over; the former “Sally” rejoins the ring, and the new Sally immediately enters the center of the ring and the game begins again

Note: my "re-creation directions" are largely based on the way that I saw this rhyme performed in 2005. The rhyme was exactly the same and the rhyme was performed by basically the same age African American girls in the Garfield section of Pittsburgh (which is quite a distance from the Northview Heights section of that city)

****
LITTLE SALLY WALKER WAS WALKIN DOWN THE STREET, (Version #2)
I was a counselor at a camp about three years ago, and the campers (good-natured high school students) played a surprising amount of games during break time. Not surprisingly, they weren't all innocent little rhymes. For example, Little Sally Walker has been reincarnated! She's now a circle game, with the chant:

"Little Sally Walker,/walking down the street.
She didn't know what to do, so/she jumped in front of me and said:
'Hey, girl, shake that thing,/shake that thing like it ain't no thing.
Come on, girl, shake that thing,/shake that thing like it ain't no thing."
-LNL ; 01 Mar 04; Children's Street Songs; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300#1114943

****
LITTLE SALLY WALKER WAS WALKIN DOWN THE STREET, (Version #3)
Little sally walker little sally walker walkin down the street she didn't know what to do so she stop in front of me and said hey girl do your thang switch hey girl do your thang switch {you don't switch the second time oh and by do your thang means to do a dance move}
-Ashley; 3/16/2008

Editor: Here are two videos that demonstrate one way this game is played:

Little Sally Walker

itsthemama3 | November 06, 2008

**

Little Sally Walker game.

12meggiebear | March 18, 2008

**

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LITTLE SALLY WATERS
I found this site while searching for the origin of "Shi Boo Ya Role Call" and, although I'm not African-American, recognized many of these rhymes. Here's the version of "Little Sally Walker" that I remember. Little Sally Waters Sitting in a saucer Cry Sally Cry Wipe off your eyes. Turn to the East, Sally Turn to the West, Sally Turn to the very one that you -like -best! ...I'm 60 years old and learned [this] on the playground in Waterbury Connecticut in the early 50s.
-Ellen R.; 1/9/2007

Editor:
I want to clarify that my initial purpose for starting this website was to post contemporary (1950s to date) examples of African American children's rhymes & cheers. However, shortly after I started collecting rhymes (and to a large degree because of my involvement with the online international discussion forum Mudcat Cafe), I expanded Cocojam's scope to include contemporary examples of English language rhymes regardless of the racial/ethnic background of their performers.

That said, I am still very interested in whether there are racial differences in the words, words, structure, and performance of children's rhymes & cheers. I also am very interested in how rhymes and cheers change or remain the same in different countries and over time. And I believe that other folks may also be interested in this type of information now and in the future. Those are the reasons why I encourage Cocojams readers to include demographical information.

**
I believe that the title "Little Sally Waters" is the earliest version of "Little Sally Walker" and "Little Sally Ann". From my reading, i gather that this song originated as a British marriage and/or fertility ritual.

**
Examples of "Shi Boo Ya Role Call" (given as Shabooya Roll Call" or some other similar spelling) on Cocojams Cheerleading Cheers page: http://www.cocojams.com/content/childrens-cheerleader-cheers

****
LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN
First verse:
London bridge is falling down
falling down
falling down
London bridge is falling down
My fair lady.

Second verse: [this was sometimes omitted]
Take a key and lock her* up
lock her* up
lock her* up
Take a key and lock her* up
My fair lady.

Third verse
Here comes the hammer to chop off her* head
chop off her* head
chop off her* head
Here comes the hammer to chop off her* head
My fair lady.

* "Her" was changed to "him" if a boy was the one caught, However, even if the "prisoner" was a boy, the ending was always "My fair lady".
-traditional; Azizi P.; memories of childhood, Atlantic City New Jersey, 1950s

Play instructions:
Two children stand apart, facing each other and holding their hands high over their heads. The other children form a vertical line and move underneath this "bridge" while the two children sing the song. When they sing the words "chop off their head" for the first time, the two children's arms come down and they "capture" the person who is going under the bridge at that time. While they sing the rest of the second verse, the two people move their arms in a swaying motion keeping the captured child in the middle. At the end of the verse, the game starts again, with the captured child taking the place of one of the people forming the bridge. Children don't want to be captured, so they move faster when the song gets close to the first "chop off her {or his} head line.

See more information about this song on this Mudcat thread: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=111431&messages=43#2347958
RE: Mention of Death in Children's Rhymes

M,N
MISTER RABBIT
Call: Mister Rabbit, Mister Rabbit, your ears are
mighty long!
Response: Yes, my Lord, they put on wrong.
Group: Every little soul must shine, shine, shine
Every little soul must shine!
Call: Mister Rabbit, Mister Rabbit, you’re in my cabbage
patch!
Response: Yes, my Lord, I won’t come back.
Group: Every little soul must shine, shine, shine
Every little soul must shine!

Call: Mister Rabbit, Mister Rabbit, your tail’s mighty white.
Response: Yes, my Lord, I’m goin’ out of sight.
Group: Every little soul must shine, shine, shine
Every little soul must shine!

Editor:
Although “Mister Rabbit” is included in several older books on American folk songs, its African American origin is rarely noted. The song is also rarely written in a call & response style. Yet, I think that this style fits it best. This song is actually a story about a rabbit who is caught by in a farmer’s vegetable garden. How does he explain what he's doing there? How quickly can he think up responses to the farmer’s comments? How does he get away from the farmer to the safety of the bushes?

I'm absolutely no expert on these old, old games. But I vaguely remember reading an article that I unfortunately can't find that talked about these rabbit songs being sung as a prelude [before] children played running and chasing games. If that was so, then one child would be chosen as the farmer and another child would be chosen as the rabbit. The "farmer" and the "rabbit" would chant their respective lines and at the end of that song the farmer would chase the rabbit. If the rabbit arrived at a previously designated place, he or she was safe, and another rabbit was selected [and perhaps another farmer].

This may or may not be true. But it sounds right to me.

:o)

I like to think about the hidden, deeper meanings of children's rhymes and game songs. This song is one of several rabbit songs that used to be very well known among African American children {and probably other American children}. However, few African American children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (or I would imagine any other urban area) know this song now. Most urban children may have never seen a rabbit in real life besides in the petting zoo. Few urban children know what a cabbage patch is. We might be more familiar with the term “small vegetable garden”, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve ever seen one. When a song’s references become outdated or foreign to a population, people are less likely to sing the song, and may eventually forget it all together.

It seems to me that “Mister Rabbit” may have been more than entertainment. Or, to put it another way, the type of entertainment that enslaved Africans taught their children also helped them develop the survival skill of being mentally alert and knowing how to talk their way out of trouble. Given the oppressive nature of slavery and post slavery societies, being able to talk your way out of trouble was sometimes a matter of life and death. “Thinking fast on your feet” was certainly a survival skill that enslaved people needed and it is still needed today.
-Azizi Powell, [written mostly in 2003]; posted 5/22/2006 in response to Babbette's 5/22/2006 request. Thanks, Babbette!

Also see another rabbit song "Rabbit In The Pea Patch" that is presented "down thread" (below on this page)

O,P
ONE EYE OPEN

Editor-This is my transciption of a portion of a gospel song that I happened upon on YouTube. That video is found below. I'd never heard this hide & go seek chant before. Nor had I heard that gospel song before. I don't know of any other hide & go seek chant that is included in a gospel song.

The words that I'm not sure of are followed by a question mark in brackets. The words in parenthesis are what the soloist or some other designated person said. The words in italics are neither spoken nor sung.

.If anyone knows this chant or one like it, please contact me at cocojams17@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Soloist speaking - (I remember we used to sing an old song for hide & seek in the South.)

Soloist & choir singing the words that the person who is "It" in hide & seek would say
One eye open
Open Open Open
Tika Tika Toben [?]
Toben Toben Toben
All God's children
Come to heaven.
Won't be back
Ttill ten or eleven.
Are you ready?

One person shouts No!
Soloist speaks (Somebody said no. When somebody said no you look around and you see somebody hiding in the bushes, and then we said)
Soloist and choir singing the words that the person who is "It" in hide & seek would say

Big mama Little mama
Hanging up clothes.
Big mama stepped on Little mama's toes.
Did it hurt?
Yeah!
I said Did it hurt?
Yeah! Yeah!
-end of the hide & go seek portion of this gospel song-
-from "Shake The House" sung by Bishop Dr. Henry Porter and Westcoast Gospel Chorus of Florida in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHiC62rDBGY&feature=related
(video posted by mirg231 on April 21, 2008; transcription of "One Eye Open" by Azizi Powell, 5/24/2010

Editor: This chant is similar to the "All Hid" chant that is found on this page. The line "Big mama little mama/hanging up clothes" reminds me of the choosing "it" rhymes "My mother and your mother (were hanging up clothes) that are posted on Cocojams' Choosing It page http://www.cocojams.com/content/choosing-it-rhymes. Furthermore, the "Won't be back/till ten or eleven" line in "One Eye Open" reminds me of the "What time is it/Mr Wolf?" line that is found in the "I'm going downtown to smoke my pipe" examples that are also found on this page.

Here's that video:

Bishop Dr. Henry Porter and Westcoast Gospel Chorus of Florida -"Shake The House"

****
PEEKABOO
Peekaboo [said in a sing song voice to a young baby while covering your eyes with both of your hands]
I see you! [removing your hands and smiling at the baby]

Repeat multiple times
-traditional game played with babies in the USA; posted by Azizi Powell, 4/11/2010

Editor: Here are excerpts from two emails about "Peekaboo" that I received from the same French speaker:

"About the hide and seek game, here, usually, the one seeking must count up to a previoulsy agreed number, the others say "Ça y est!" (~"it's done") when they've hidden. When the seeker is far, they call "coucou!" which is ~ "peekaboo" for you.
Actual event: one of my friends' friend was once invited by his American boss who had a baby grandchild and my friend's friend's wife started to play peekaboo with the baby, the lady saying "coucou" (which sounds more or less as "cuckoo") to the baby as she would to a French baby except that she didn't know what cuckoo meant and she didn't understand why her husband's boss family had their faces growing colder and colder"...

"About Peekaboo, I wonder if we're all fully aware that some words we feel natural in our mother tongues aren't universal. I suppose you feel (not think, thinking is something different) "peekaboo" to be the "natural" thing to say to a baby as I feel "coucou" to be the "natural" thing for it and this is probably the reason why we just utter it naturally without thinking for a second that it could be said otherwise in another language"..
-Monique (France) 4/10/2010 and 4/12/2010

Editor:
Thanks Monique! I appreciate your comments and am glad to share them with Cocojams readers. One small point I'd make regarding your first comment is that it seems from your comment that "Peekaboo" (or Coucou" is played two ways in France. In the United States anyway "Peekaboo" is the same game as Editor: Here are excerpts from two emails about "Peekaboo" that I received from the same French speaker:

"About the hide and seek game, here, usually, the one seeking must count up to a previoulsy agreed number, the others say "Ça y est!" (~"it's done") when they've hidden. When the seeker is far, they call "coucou!" which is ~ "peekaboo" for you.
Actual event: one of my friends' friend was once invited by his American boss who had a baby grandchild and my friend's friend's wife started to play peekaboo with the baby, the lady saying "coucou" (which sounds more or less as "cuckoo") to the baby as she would to a French baby except that she didn't know what cuckoo meant and she didn't understand why her husband's boss family had their faces growing colder and colder...

About Peekaboo, I wonder if we're all fully aware that some words we feel natural in our mother tongues aren't universal. I suppose you feel (not think, thinking is something different) "peekaboo" to be the "natural" thing to say to a baby as I feel "coucou" to be the "natural" thing for it and this is probably the reason why we just utter it naturally without thinking for a second that it could be said otherwise in another language..
-Monique (France) 4/10/2010 and 4/12/2010

Editor:
Thanks for your comments, Monique. If I understand you correctly, it seems as though Peekaboo (Coucou) in France is used for two different games. However, in the United States, anyway, I don't think that phrase is used for the running game called "Hide & Go Seek". In the United States "Peekaboo" is a stationary game that an adult or an older child)d plays with a baby. The adult (child) covers their eyes with their two hands (or covers their face with a shirt) and says "Peekaboo". Then they quickly remove their hands or remove the shirt or whatever they are hiding their face. At the same time, they say in a playful (and definitely not scar voice) "I see you!". This is repeated a number of times. The adult (or whoever is playing with the baby) also helps the baby mimic this rhyme and the accompanying movements for this rhyme by putting the baby's hands over her/his eyes while saying the words to this rhyme. "Peekaboo" is a fun "game" that reinforces bonding with a baby while it helps plant the seeds that music can be fun.

I gathered from your story about the friend playing with the American boss' baby was that this "American way" was the same way the French adult played that game.

****
PIZZA PIZZA MIGHTY MOE (Version #1)
Evalina?|
Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
Well, have you seen her?
Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
She’s got a wooden leg
Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
But can she use it?
Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
Oh yes, she use it.
Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
Well, do she ‘buse it? Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
I know she use it. Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
Well, can she ball it?
Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
I say ball it!
Pizza, Pizza, Mighty Moe
-Bessie Jones, Step It Down, pp 63, 64, published in 1972

Editor:
Bessie Jones indicated that she learned this rhyme from elementary school children in Brunswick, Georgia "a few years ago", which might make that around the late 1960s, even the publication date of the book. Bessie Jones describes this singing game as play between two characters, "Evalina" and "Pizza". However, it seems as if "Pizza Pizza Mighty Moe" is used as a refrain by a group or another person responding to comments made by one member of the group (in this case a girl named Evalina). This rhyme is built around a discussion about whether a person can really dance ("ball") or not. One way of saying that a person can't dance well is that they have a "wooden leg". Although I've never heard this expression, my interpretation of the question "Can she 'buse it (abuse it) is that this is another way of asking "Can she really dance?". When a person stretches the limits of a dance by adding new steps or dancing the old steps really well, she or he may be said to be "abusing" the dance.

****
PIZZA PIZZA DADDY O (Version #2)
Directions: “Children form a circle with one child in the center. On each repeat of the words, “Pizza, Pizza Daddy-O, all the children in the center do the foot pattern as described below:

Piz jump and land with feet apart

za jump and cross feet, with left foot in front of right

piz jump and land with feet apart

za daddy jump and cross feet, with right foot in front of left

O jump and land with feet apart

Let's end it.

This pattern always begins and ends with “jump and land with feet apart. Beginning with the words “let’s jerk it, the center child becomes the caller, and the group responds by singing and imitating the caller. The “center” can decide the motions to be imitated and determine the length of the game. The game ends with the words “let’s end it” as the enter child puts his hand over his eyes, spins around, and points to a new player to be “it”. Note, if the center child is a boy, the name “Georgie” is used at the beginning. And his girlfriend ‘s name is “Jenny James”.”

Georgia has a boyfriend
Pizza, Pizza Daddy-O
Cause she told me
Pizza, Pizza Daddy-O
What’s his name?
Pizza, Pizza Daddy-O
Jesse James
Pizza, Pizza Daddy-O
Where does he live?
Pizza, Pizza Daddy-O
Up a hill
Pizza, Pizza Daddy-O
Let’s jerk it
Jerk it, jerk it Daddy-O
Let’s swim it
Swim it, swim it, Daddy-O
Let’s twist it
Twist it, twist it Daddy-O
Let’s end it
End it, end it, Daddy-O
-Eleanor Fulton & Pat Smith, Let’s Slice the Ice, (MMB Music, Inc., St. Louis , Missouri , p 50, 1978)

Editor:
The authors credit Black American children from multiple states as the source for the rhymes in the book. However, no specific state mentioned for individual rhymes. he “jerk”, “swim” and “twist” were all popular dances from the mid 1960s}. It also should be noted that smart aleck rhyming two part phrases such as "What's your name?" "Jessie James" were popular among African Americans and other Americans in the 1970s and earlier. The term "Daddy O" comes from hip jazz talk and was also popular in the 1970s.

In the question "What's his name" , the word "his" refers to the baby.

****
PIZZA PIZZA DADDY O (Version #3)
Mary had a baby (Tanya, Sherry, etc.)
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
How you know it?
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Cause she told me
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
What's his name
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Jessie James
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
What's special?
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Toilet tissue
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Let's jerk it
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Let's swim it
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Let's skate it,
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Let's freak it,
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Let's twine it
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Let's bat it
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Let's fan it
Pizza Pizza daddy-o
Let's spin it
Pizza Pizza daddy-o.
-from a 1967 film by Bob Eberein and Bess Lomax Hawes that looks at continuity and change in girls' playground games at a Los Angeles school".

Editor
Visit http://www.folkstreams.net/context,201 for notes & transcriptions about this rhymes and other rhymes in this video.

See this YouTube video clip from that film:
Pizza Pizza Daddy-O

**
"The jerk", "The swim" and "the twine" etc are all names of 1960s R&B dances.

It's possible that the line "Mary Had A Baby" came from the African American Christmas spiritual with that name.

****
PIZZA PIZZA DADDY O (Version #4)
Deshawn had a baby
Pizza Pizza Daddy O
What’s his name?
Pizza Pizza Daddy O
Jesse James
Pizza Pizza Daddy O
What it look like?
Pizza Pizza Daddy O
Like a monkey
Pizza Pizza Daddy O
Do the monkey
Pizza Pizza Daddy O
Do the jerk
Pizza Pizza Daddy O
Who do you choose?
Pizza Pizza Daddy O
-Barbara Michels, Bettye White, Apple On A Stick, (New York,1983, Coward-McCann , p 27).

Editor:
The source of the book’s rhymes is given as African American children from St. James Episcopal Church and St. James School , Houston , Texas. No directions were given for this singing game. However, the drawing that accompanies this examples depicts pre-teen girls standing & forming a circle, singing and clapping their hands. This game is probably performed like the directions given in version # 3. The "monkey" and jerk" are names of R&B dances.

****
PIZZA PIZZA DADDY O (Version #5)
(Jimmy) is having a birthday party.
Pizza, pizza, Daddy-o!
How do you know?
Pizza, pizza, Daddy-o!
Cause I saw it!
Pizza, Pizza, Daddy-o!
Let’s jump it!
Jump it, Jump it Daddy-o!
Let’s shake it!
Shake it, shake it, Daddy-o!
Let’s hop it!
Hop it, hop it, Daddy-o!
Let’s twist it!
Twist it, twist it Daddy-o!
Let’s monkey it!
Monkey it, monkey it, Daddy-o!
Let’s boogie it!
Boogie it, boogie it, Daddy-o!
-Linda Gross and Marian E. Barnes, Talk That Talk, (New York, 1989; Simon & Schuster, p. 444-445, from the Philadelphia (PA) School at 25th and Lombard in South Philadelphia).

Editor:
This example is listed in the section of the book titled "Jump Rope Rhymes". However, I believe that the editors are uising "Jump Rope Rhymes" as a generic phrase for all types of children's rhymes. This singing game appears to provide an excuse for the girls to show off their dancing ability. While the commands "let's jump it!", "let's shake it", and "let's boogie it" refer to dancing movements, "the twist" and "the monkey" are actual names of R&B dances.

In 1990, I saw "Pizza, Pizza, Daddy-O" performed as a hand clap rhyme by two African American elementary school age cousins of mine from Philadelphia (PA) during my family reunion in Atlantic City New Jersey. The sisters did scissors jumps (jumped with their feet crossing each other in the front one the words "Pizza Pizza Daddy-O". The changed the words to then current dance steps, but unfortunately, I didn't record or transcribe their words and I've forgotten which dances they said.

****
PIZZA PIZZA DADDY O (Version #6)
Annie has a boyfriend. [Participants stand in circle without holding hands]
Pizza Pizza Daddy-o [On the words "Pizza Pizza Daddy-O:, participants do a "scissors jump"-jump crossing their feet in front.]
How you know it?
Pizza Pizza Daddy-o
Cause she told me.
Pizza Pizza Daddy-o
Let's swim it [make swimming motions)
Pizza Pizza Daddy-o
Let's rope it [Imitate twirling a rope above their head]
Pizza Pizza Daddy-o
Let's duck it. [hold their nose and duck down like they are jumping underwater]
Pizza Pizza Daddy-o
Let's end it. [turn around in a circle with their arms raised over their head]
Pizza Pizza Daddy-o
-2nd grade students (African American girls & boys, ages 8 & 9 years), Fort Pitt Accelerated Learning Academy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 6/16/2010

Editor:
"Pizza Pizza Daddy-O is a cicle game with no one in the center of the circle. This particular version of this singing game was spontaneously performed for me & the music teacher during a pizza party in my daughter's second grade classroom on the last day of school. (My daughter is the teacher is my daughter, and I've been a substitute teacher at that school). The school's first grade students were also in that classroom at that time, as their music teacher brought them into the second grade room so that they could perform a song for me that they had recently learned. This wasn't a singing game. The first graders didn't appear to know the "Pizza Pizza Daddy-O" song. I wondered about this and my daughter informed me that the (African American) music teacher had taught the second graders that singing game.The music teacher was present while the students performed "Pizza Pizza Daddy-O". She nodded her head during the performance to indicate that the students were performing the song "right". I don't think that the students knew that they could change the words of that song (for instance, by adding additional movements).

Note how the scissors jump movement is the same as the movement described in the late 1970s version featured as Version #2 on this page. Also note how the words "__ has a baby" has been changed to the more 'politically correct' "Annie has a boyfriend". It should also be mentioned that the featured name "Annie" doesn't alternate in this song (and the featured name doesn't appear to alternate in any other version of this song).

It's also worth noting that "Annie" usually isn't a common name any longer in contemporary (post 1980s) African American schools. Imagine if the song featured a common African American female name such as "Kayla". If the words to the song were "Kayla has a boyfriend" this might be considered a taunting rhyme or maybe not, since having a boyfriend might be considered a status thing even for girls as young as these students were.

I was interested to see that the second grade boys enthusiatically joined in that performance of "Pizza Pizza Daddy-O". If they follow prevailing practices, in two years or less, I predict that these boys will be much less likely to voluntarily perform such non-competitive games as it's likely that they will consider to be just for girls.

Visit http://www.cocojams.com/content/handclap-jump-rope-and-elastics-rhymes to read about & see videos of the mildly competitive circle handclap games "Stella Ella Ella", "Quack Diddly Oso", and "Down By The Banks Of The Hankey Panky" which-unlike other handclap games-many boys 9 years of age and older seem to have no problem continuing to play.

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PLAYMATE
See examples on Cocojams Handclap Rhyme Page

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PUNCHANELLA (Version #1)
Hi, I was checking out this site and got so excited reading all of these cheers. It is so cool to see the cheers I did as a child in Birmingham, AL and see how differently they are done in different parts of the county. I am 26 and I try to pass down as many cheers as I can remember to my nieces and my daughter (8,6,and 2). Here's one: Look who's here punch-a-nella, punch-a-nella Look who's here punch-a-nella in the shoe Oh what can you do, punch-a-nell, punch-a-nella What can you do, punch-a-nella in the shoe We can do it too, punch-a-nella, punch-a-nella We can do it too, punch-a-nella in the shoe Now choose your partner, punch-a-nella, punch-a-nella Choose your partner, punch-a-nella in the shoe We would all stand in a circle and one person would be in the middle and we would clap and stomp. The person in the middle would perform a dance during the line "oh what can you do...", then the group would imitate that dance on the next line. Then the person in the middle would cover their eyes and spin around during the line " now choose your partner...." and whomever they landed on at the end of the rhyme went into the circle next.
-Joi; 3/23/2008

Editor:
It's great that so many people are recognizing that children's game songs, rhymes, and cheers are part of folk culture, and deserve to be collected, preserved, read, studied, and performed.

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PUNCHANELLA (Version #2)
There's one that my niece does with her friends all the time. It's called punchanella. It goes: (the girls form a circle, and then one girl goes in the middle of the circle, so all attention is on her) Look who's here punchanella punchanella, look who's here, punchanella in the shoe. Oh what can you do punchanella punchanella, what can you do punchanella in the shoe (this is when the girl in the middle of the circle does whatever she wants, like a dance etc.) Oh we can do it to punchanella punchanella, we can do it to punchanella in the shoe, (this is the part when the girls that formed the circle imitate what the girl in the middle was doing) Oh choose your partner punchanella punchanella, choose your partner punchanella in the shoe (this is when the girl puts one hand over her eyes, and spins around in the circle) S (S)- T(T) - O(O)- P(P) spells STOP (this is when the girl that was in the middle stops spinning, and whomever she is in front of is the next to go in the middle of the circle, and it starts over again)
-Kia; 6/4/2008

Q,R,S
RABBIT IN THE PEA PATCH
Rabbit in the pea-patch, shoo-lye-love (sing sentence 5x)
Shoo-lye love, my darling

You love Miss Sally (substitute another name;5x)
Shoo-lye-love, my darling

You stole my partner, shoo-lye love (5x)
Shoo-lye-love, my darling

But I’ll get another one, shoo-lye-love (5x)
Shoo-lye-love, my darling

Pretty as the other one, shoo-lye-love (5x)
Shoo-lye-love, my darling
-traditional African American children's game song ; recorded in Old Mother Hippletoe record; posted by Azizi, 2004

Editor:
“Rabbit in the Pea-Patch” is one of a number of rabbit songs that used to be well known among African Americans, particularly those from the Southern part of the Untied States. Few urban African Americans, from the South or the North know these rabbit songs anymore.

A “pea patch” is a small garden where peas are grown. This song doesn’t tell any story. It is actually just an excuse for dancing. Another name for couple dance songs such as these is “play party” songs. Some African American and Anglo-American religious groups that were opposed to couples dancing permitted couples to hop and skip around to songs such as this one, because they could consider it a game instead of a dance. According to Kate Rinzer, author of the Old Mother Hippletoe record’s notes, this song was sung in unison by people who were watching the game being played. Boy and girl couples performed this “play party game” by skipping hand in hand around a lone boy. The boy would eventually “steal” a girl of his choice from one of the couples. The person who is now alone becomes the new “rabbit in the pea-patch”.

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RING AROUND THE ROSEY [a Louisiana version]
Ring around a rosey, pocket full o' posies,
Light bread, Sweet bread, Squat!
Guess who she told me, tralalalala,
Mister Red was her lover, tralalalala,
If you love him, hug him!
If you hate him, stomp!
-Source: Lomax and Lomax, 1939 Southern States Collecting Trip, from Wiergate, Texas: (Sec. 13, Merryville, LA and vicinity)

This rhyme was posted on this Mudcat thread: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=49672#750915 "Ring Around The Rosey's History?" on 7/18/2002 by Dicho.

Editor:
I refer to this version of Ring Around The Rosey as "Louisiana Ring Around The Rosie".
See http://www.cocojams.com/content/text-analysis-green-sally for my comments about the possible connections between this version and the African American children's game "Green Sally Up" whose words are found on this page.

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SEA LION
Chorus
Hey hey hey! Sea Lion
Won't you be mine?
You won't do nothin,
Sea Lion,
But starch and iron! Sea Lion!

Verse 1
Way down yonder, Sea Lion!
about the sun, Sea Lion!
my mother called me, Sea Lion,
a sugar plum, Sea Lion!

Chorus

Verse 2
Old rabbit hip. Sea Lion!
Old rabbit hop. Sea Lion!
Old rabbit bit, Sea Lion!
my turnip top!, Sea Lion!

Chorus

Verse 3
If I live, Sea Lion!
to get 21, Sea Lion!
I'm gonna marry, Sea Lion!
somebody's son. Sea Lion!

Chorus

Verse 4
See that man, Sea Lion!
with the blue shirt on. Sea Lion!
You'd better leave, Sea Lion!
that man alone! Sea Lion!

Chorus
-from Nina Millen, editor "Children's Games From Many Lands"(Friendship Press, New York,1965; Revised Edition pps.161,162)

This song is listed as a children's "game from the Untied States with words set down by Thelma Moorer, Christine Steward; and Music by Gertrude Smith Jackson; Southern Christian Institute, Edwards, Mississippi".

Editor:
I'm curious if there's any connection between the repeated phrase "Sea Lion" in this children's game song and that same phrase (or one that sounds it) in the "Sea Lion" song or the "See Line" song that Nina Simone has popularized. A video of that song and an edited YouTube comment thread can be found on Cocojams' sister website Jambalayah at http://www.jambalayah.com/node/432.

Also, click http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=33719 for a discussion that I participated in about the meaning of the phrase "Sea Lion" in the "Nina Simone song".
Although I initially though that "sea lion" was folk etymology for the Biblical phrase "Selah", I came to agree with several people who asserted that 1. that song originated among the Gullah people of Georgia or South Carolina 2. it either started out as or became a children's song and 3. the phrase "sea lion" or "see line" was originally "she lyin" (as in one person who is a tattle tale saying one thing and another person saying "she lyin"). For instance one person says "She drink coffee" (something that children weren't supposed to do) and the person accused of this action response with "she lyin".

All of the verses in this game song are similar to other floating verses found in numerous African American folk songs. True to African American traditions regarding folk songs of that time, I would expect that this song is open ended (meaning more verses can be added until people tire of the song).

Unfortunately, this book does not include any play directions. However, also true to African American traditions, I would expect that children {and other age groups?} clapped, and stomped their feet, and imitated the movement of the rabbit.

For what it's worth, apart from this song's inclusion in that book, to date, I've not found any other mention of this song in any other books of children's game songs, and I've never seen this game performed.

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SEVEN ELEVEN
7-11 and ah 42.
How many pop-ups
can you do?
Wiiith ah 1- 2- 3- 4 (The word “with” is
spoken with emphasis
and drawn out)
5-6-7-8.
7-11 and ah 42.

7-11 and ah 42.
How many bongos
can you do?
Wiiith ah 1, 2, 3, 4.
5, 6,7, 8.
7-11 and ah 42.

7-11 and ah 42.
How many jumping jacks
can you do?
Wiith ah 1, 2, 3, 4.
5, 6,7, 8.
7-11 and ah 42.

Repeat the rhyme as many times as you wish, each time substituting a new movement and doing the movements starting from “1” to the count of “8” {or any number you wish to end with.
-African American girls & boys, about 8-12 years {Ammon Recreational Center; Pittsburgh, PA} Collected by Azizi Powell, 1999, posted by Azizi, 2004

Editor:
This rhyme, like a number of other Cocojams rhymes and cheers, was collected as a result of cultural presentations my associates and I conducted in 1999 for groups of children who reside in Allegheny County {Pittsburgh area} public housing developments. As part of our presentation on African American children’s recreational music, we asked the children to sing and perform any game songs, handclap rhymes and cheers that they knew. The children liked the fact that we audio taped their performances and played it back to them.

This text version of “Seven Eleven” can’t possible capture its catchy tune and the energy that the girls and boys put into its performance. You need a videotape to do it justice.

“Pop-ups” was the children’s term for the exercise commonly called “sit-ups”.

“Bongos” was the children’s term for a rhythmical side-to-side hip shaking motion.

“Jumping Jacks” is commonly used term for an exercise that combines clapping your hands above your head while you jump with your feet apart and then together.

What does "7 11 and ah 42 mean? I failed to ask the children this question. “7-11” is the name of an all-night convenience store in Pittsburgh. I guess the store’s name means that it is open from 7 o’ clock in the morning to 11 o’clock at night. But I'm not sure that this anything at all to do with this rhyme. It's possible that the number "42" was used because the #2 rhymes with the word "do". In that case, any number ending in two could have been used. Maybe the words don’t mean anything but just sound good together.

Adults always want to know the reasons for things. Maybe we should just accept this as it is and just chant it for enjoyment and exercise!

****
SHIMMY SHIMMY KO KO PA
See "Down Down Baby" in Cocojams' Handclap Rhymes page

****
THIS-A-WAY VALERIE
This-a-way, Valerie
Valerie, Valerie,
This-a-way, Valerie
All day long.

Oh, strut, Miss Lizzie
Lizzie, Lizzie
Strut Miss Lizzie
All day long.

Oh, here come another one
Just like the other one,
Here come another one
All day long.
Source for lyrics: http://www.folkstreams.net/context,201; assessed 3/8/2008

Here's the video clip of this film which includes several other excerpts of singing games:

Pizza Pizza Daddy O

Posted by folkstreamer
August 03, 2006

"A 1967 film by Bob Eberein and Bess Lomax Hawes that looks at continuity and change in girls' playground games at a Los Angeles school"

Editor:
Visit http://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/thiswayvalerie.html for another example of this singing game.

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STRUT MISS LUCY (Version #2 of "This Way Valerie")
(to the tune of "Shortnin Bread)

Editor: This example is a repost from this website: http://dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/songbook/songs3/S3_96.htm. I’m reposting this game here to help preserve & share knowledge of it for today’s children and for future generations.

"Thanks very much to Jean, Barb, and Gail, who all helped me to piece together this song.

The girls line up in two lines facing each other. Each girl grabs hands with their partner and move arms alternately forward and back while singing the verse:

This way Valerie, that way Valerie,

This way Valerie, all the way home.

Take a couple of steps back and the head couple do the next two verses while everyone else sings and claps their hands. The girl on the right side struts down the line doing any action she wants. When she gets to the ends she joins the line on the left:

Strut Miss Lucy, strut Miss Lucy,

Strut Miss Lucy, all the way home.

The girl on the left copies the actions of the first girl during the next verse and when she gets to the end she joins the line on the right.

Here comes another one, just like the other one,

Here comes another one, all the way home.
-snip-

Editor: Examples of the singing game "Here We Go Zoodio" use the same tune as "Here We Go Valarie" ("Strut Miss Lucy")

The hit American dance show "Soul Train" copied the format of this singing game to create the popular Soul Train line. However, on that show often both persons at the beginning of the two lines moved down the middle of the aisle at the same time. And instead of doing any action she or he wanted, the two people danced.

Click this link for a video of the Soul Train line: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9D7sXxlW8c

T, U, V
THIS IS THE WAY TO WASH DADDY'S CLOTHES
This is the way to wash daddy's clothes, swish-swash, swish-swash, (bring imaginary clothes to your nose and sniff loudly, say "Ahhh!", smile, and lay the imaginary clothes down). Repeat with mommy's clothes, brother's clothes, sister's clothes (add grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, and cousins if you like). It's always the same until the last verse: "This is the way to baby's diapers, swish-swash, swish-swash" {the punch line is to make a terrible face when you sniff and start rubbing them again with a hurried "swish-swash, swish-swash"}.
-Ann N.; 4/29/2007

W,X,Y,Z
WATERFLOWER (Version #1)
Water-flower, water-flower,
Growing up so tall,
All the young ladies must surely, surely die;
All except Miss 'Lindy Watkins,
She is everywhere,-
The white folks say, the white folks say,
Turn your back and tell your beau's name.

Doctor, Doctor can you tell
What will make poor 'Lindy well?
She is sick and 'bout to die,
That will make poor Johnnie cry!

Marry, marry, marry, quick!
'Lindy, you are just love sick!

Johnnie is a ver' nice man,
Comes to the door with hat in hand,
Pulls off his gloves and show his rings,
'Morrow is the wedding-day.
-Altona Trent Johns, Playsongs of the Deep South (Washington, D.C, The Associated Press Publishers. Inc., 1944, pps 14-15)

**
Editor: This is a coed (girl & boy) ring game (circle game) that is played with one person in the center.

****
WALLFLOWER (Version #2)
The version my mother sang was -
Wallflowers wallflowers growing up so high
All you young ladies will surely have to die
[Except ----, she's the fairest of them all;
She can dance, she can sing,
And she can wear a wedding ring ]*
Turn, turn, turn again, turn your back to the wall again.

* I made the middle lines up, must have been something like that
A wallflower is an English flower (related to cabbage and radish) that can grow with very little soil, or even out of the cracks of old walls
A wallflower is also a girl without a partner at a dance.

Do you think that the link came before or after this game with its suggestion of dieing an Old Maid?
-Mo The Caller; 6/11/2006; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=100061 ; Water Wallflower & Brickwall Waterfall

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WE'RE RIDING HERE TO GET MARRIED
[Tune: very similar to "Here we go round the Mulberry Bush"]

Directions: The girls form a horizontal line and stand facing boys who have also formed a horizontal line. In the 1st part of this singing game, the girls sing and skip four steps for each phrase toward the boys and the boys sing while skipping four steps for each phrase toward the girls. The singing game turns into a chasing game at the end of the song.

Girls:
We're riding here to get married
Married, Married
Riding here to get married.
Ah Rhythm Ah Diddee
Ah Diddee High Oh

Boys:
Who you gonna marry?
Marry, Marry
Who you gonna marry?
Ah Rhythm Ah Diddee
Ah Diddee High Oh

Girls:
We're gonna marry Johnny *
Johnny, Johnny
We're gonna marry Johnny
Johnny, Johnny
Ah Rhythm Ah Diddee
Ah Diddee High Oh

Boys:
How ya gonna get him?
Get Him, Get Him
How ya gonna get him
Ah Rhythm Ah Diddee
Ah Diddee High Oh

Girls:
We'll break the doors and windows
Windows, Windows
We'll break the doors and windows
Ah Rhythm Ah Diddee
A Diddee High Oh

Boys:
You'll get all dirty and greasy
Greasy, Greasy
You'll get all dirty and greasy
Ah Rhythm Ah Diddee
Ah Diddee High Oh

Girls:
We're not as greasy and you are
You are, You are
We're not as greasy as you are
Ah Rhythm A Diddee
A Diddee High Oh

Girls:
Are you coming? [Spoken loudly]

Boys:
NO! [Yelled]

* another boy's name can be substituted for "Johnny"

Part II:
When the boys yell "No!", the girls began to chase the boys. They are suppose to particularly focus on the boy whose name had been given in the chant. The boys run away. They are suppose to try to protect the boy whose name had been called from being caught by the girls. But, actually, when this game was played, the girls tried to catch any boy playing the game, and particularly focused on the boy who they liked.
-Barbara (African American female) remembrance of childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1950s; collected by Azizi Powell, 1992

Editor:
My "informant" for this rhyme was a girlfriend/work colleague of mine, an African American woman, Barbara Ray, who responded to a written survey of children's rhymes that I had asked people to complete in 1992. Barbara remembers this from the 1950s Pittsburgh. She wrote that "When I was growing up girls and boys would sometimes play together. This was before boys started playing sports like little league softball and football. We were different ages but mostly elementary school age. Of course, the girls would pick the boys they liked the best to chase after. We played this on the sidewalk and in the streets when no cars were coming. Kids now days don't sing songs like this. They still play hide & go but it's just someone counting to ten and then the rest of the kids hiding. I think our way was more fun".

-snip-

I believe that "We're Riding Here To Get Married" is a variant form of the British children's game "Dukes A Riding' (Three Dukes). I also believe "We're Riding Here To Get Married" is related to the Georgia Sea Isle children's song "Johnny Cuckoo".

Do you know any of these game songs? If so, please share the versions that you know with Cocojams! Send your versions with comments about the decades you played the game and performance instructions to cocojams17@yahoo.com. Thanks!

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WILLOWBEE
This way you willowbee,
O willowbee, O willowbee,
This way you willowbee,
All night long.

O dancin' down the alley, alley, alley,
Dancin' down the alley,
All night long.

O singin' down the alley, alley, alley,
Singin'' down the alley,
All night long.

O skippin' down the alley, alley, alley,
Skippin' down the alley,
All night long.

O singin' down the alley, alley, alley,
Singin'' down the alley,
All night long.

Directions:
Before dance begins, the children choose partners and attange themselves in parallel lines facing their partners. They join hands, ie.each partner with his mate, in "criss cross" fashion.

1. Throughout the singing of section A, they move their hands back and forth in see-saw fashion, but they do not move their feet

2. Unclap hands

3. Both parallel lines take a right turn and move simultaneously with a skip, hop step.

4. Both lines reverse and face opposite directions and dance back to original positions.

5. Repeat (3) only skip

6. Same as (4)
-Altona Trent Johns, Playsongs of the Deep South (Washington, D.C, The Associated Press Publishers. Inc., 1944, pps 16-17; given as version #2 of Willowbee)

Editor: The words of this game song and the movements are very similar to "Here we go Zoodio" (Zudio). See that game song below.

Also, see the link to the YouTube video in my comments about "Pizza Pizza Daddy-O" (Version #3) for an example of girls performing singing games in two parallel line formation and see the YouTube videos of "Zoodio" in that entry.

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WIND A WIND-A THREAD
I am a 25 year old male, when I was in pre-school there was this game we used to play...... we all formed a circle and walked around saying something (I don't remember the words, so I will just write what I remember the words to be) "Wind-a, wind-a thread oh, wind-a, wind-a thread oh... (repeat once more) heel, toe, tap, tap, tap heel, toe, tap, tap, tap (while you are doing this, you walk around in the circle, circling your hands together. The whole thing is repeated, but the second time, instead of 'heel, toe.." you say "pull, pull, clap, clap, clap") if ANYONE knows of this game, PLEASE let me know. THANK YOU in advance
-Tavon; 11/17/2008

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WHO STOLE THE COOKIE FROM THE COOKIE JAR? (Example #1)
What about rhythm games? We played "Rhythm Ready" (and I can't quite remember how it goes, and (clap, snap, clap, snap)
All: Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
A:Number -- stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
B:Who me?
All:Yes you.
B:Couldn't be.
All:Then who?
B: Number -- stole the cookies from the cookie jar.

Missing would of course eliminate you from the circle.
-Barbara; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221 ; "I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes"; 5/27/2005

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WHO STOLE THE COOKIE FROM THE COOKIE JAR? (Example #2)
who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?
number 1 stole the cookie from the cookie jar.
who sir me sir?
yes sir you sir.
no sir not i sir.
then sir who sir?

****
WHO STOLE THE COOKIE FROM THE COOKIE JAR? (Example #3)
I remember playing "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar" a long long ago when I was growing up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1950s.

It was the only handclapping game that I remember playing with kids sitting down and clapping their own hands to the rhythm while they chanted the words.

The way we played it was that everybody was given a number before the game began and then numbers were called out consecutively starting with #1 and going through however many numbers of children were in the group.

Boring.

Another way to play this game is to for every player to be given a number before the game is started and then for the person who is “it” to randomly call out a number. Here's how I've seen this played in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the rare occassion when I've seen it played (for what it's worth, this doesn't seem to me to be a game that African American children play without some adult in a school or summer camp initiating it). Btw, the response that I remember using during my childhood is the same response that I've heard in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

All: Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar
A designed person takes the first lead and says:

#5 stole the cookie from the cookie jar

#5 says: "Who me? Couldn't be”.

Everyone else says: Then who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

#5: (calls out a randomly selected number) #9 stole the cookie from the
cookie jar.

This would continue until people got tired of playing this games.
-Azizi P; 2/19/2009

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XYZ
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Do you know any other English language children's singing games? Share them with other Cocojams readers!

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Please submit examples of & comments about children's game songs and movement rhymes to cocojams17@yahoo.com

Your email address is never posted or shared.

Thanks!