Here's another example of "I like coffee" that has references to race and violence:

Down Down Baby, Version 2
I remember
Down Down Baby Down Down the rollercoaster
Sweet Sweet Baby I'll never let you go
Shimmy shimmy cocoa puff shimmy shimmy I
Shimmy shimmy cocoa puff shimmy shimmy I
I like coffee I like tea
I like a colored boy and he likes me
so step back white boy
you don't cause a cool colored boy gonna bet your behind
He'll beat it once he'll beat it twice
He'll beat it beat it beat it
So let's get the rhythm of the head
Ding dong
Sho' got the rhythm of the head head
Ding dong
Let's get the rhythm of the hands
(Clap,Clap)
Sho' got the rhythm of the hands
(Clap,Clap)
Let's get the rhythm of the feet
(Stomp, Stomp)
Sho' got the rhythm of the feet
(Stomp, Stomp)
Let's get the rhythm of the Hot Dog (While doing the snake)
Sho' got the rhythm of the Hot Dog
Ding dong, clap,clap,stomp,stomp,Hot Dog
Source: http://www.mudcat.org/threads.cfm.
"I'm Rubber. You're Glue: Children's Rhymes"; posted by
GUEST,Pazzion; 26 May 05

-snip-

I've found very few children's rhymes that include references to
race. Contemporary versions of "I love coffee" consistently mention race. And I've collected about 10 different versions from the Internet, and from Pittsburgh area, New York City, Georgia, and Virginia that all have the same formula: the {Black?? or Puerto Rican, in the case of the New York City version} girl tells the White boy to step back or she will get a Black boy {or colored boy} to beat his behind. I've also collected one example in which the girl tells the White girl to step back or she will get a Black girl to beat her behind.

Again, I'm uncertain why this rhyme plays out this way...

One thing's for sure: these rhymes don't speak well about interracial interactions where these kids live.

We've got some serious work to do.


Azizi