Thread Creep:

SINSULL, I'm not sure if you counted me as one of the ten or more 'Catters who is working on a book.

Let me take this opportunity to give an update of this project:

My book is targeted to the adult general public readers, and will present a sampling of English language children's rhymes drawn from my "field work" in Pittsburgh, Penn. and other places, as well as from examples posted on Internet discussion forums such as Mudcat.

All of the featured rhymes have a theme of confrontation or violence, or have performance activity that includes hitting, pinching, poking or other acts of "violence". These examples include teacher taunts such as the "Glory Glory Hallelujah" and "Heigh
Ho Heigh Ho. I Bit My Teacher's Toe". Other examples of rhymes that will be featured in this compilation are handclaps that are performed to the Hambone tune such as

Mama, Mama
can't you see
clap clap clapclap         
what that army done to me
clap clap clapclap
It took away my MTV.
Now I have to watch Barney
clap clap clapclap
Tick tac tow
Three in a row
Barney's got shot by GI Joe
-snip-

Is this folk music? I certainly think so.

I am particularly interested in including commentary in this book on the general subject of children's rhymes, on the topic of violence in rhymes, as well as on the sources and pycho-social meaning of these types of children's rhymes.

Mudcatters, please PM me if you have any examples or comments on this subject.

'Catters and Guests can post examples of these rhymes in any thread on this topic including this one:

Naughty Children's Greatest Hits II

Thanks to all who have shared information and examples thus far. I'll let you know when this book will be available.


Azizi,
who obviously thinks that thread creep isn't always creepy or bad.