Poor Michael Jackson. The still famous but no longer admired as much as he used to be in the 1970s & 1980s pop star will go do in history as a featured character in numerous versions of the widely known handclapping children's rhyme "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky".

But what interests me the most about these rhymes is that they preserve accounts, in somewhat convoluted forms, of an actual happening. In addition, these examples also include commentary about Michael Jackson. Some of these versions are homophopic, which is sad to see.

Here's what happened:

1984: Michael Jackson burned in Pepsi ad
Michael Jackson has received hospital treatment for serious burns to his head after his hair caught light during a freak filming accident.

The 25-year-old entertainer was singing his hit "Billie Jean" for a Pepsi Cola commercial in Los Angeles when the special effects went wrong.

Three thousand fans saw a firework display erupt behind the superstar, showering him in sparks and setting light to his hair"...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/27/newsid_4046000/4046605.stm
-snip-

Here's two examples of these Michael Jackson/"Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky" rhymes, originally posted on this Mudcat thread:

thread.cfm?threadid=94034&messages=210

From: GUEST
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 09:39 PM

My friends play it like this:

Down by the bank by the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jumps from bank to bank
We're sayin ep op ep op op
skiddle diddle kernal pop!
I pledge alligence to the flag
Micheal Jackson makes me gag
Coca Cola messed him up
now we're drinking 7up
7up has no caffine
now we're drinking gassoline
Gassoline not good for you
now we're drinking Mt. Dew
Mt. Dew fell off the Mt.
now we're drinking from a fountain
The fountain broke
and now we're back to drinking coke

**

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,ME! - PM
Date: 25 Jun 08 - 12:53 PM

Down by the river
To the hanky pank
Where the bullfrog jumps
from bank to bank
saying E I O U
Your mama stinks and so do you
So ding dong ping pong
Your daddy smells like king kong.
Michael Jackson went to town
Dr. Pepper brought him down
Coca Cola brought him up
Now he's drinking 7-Up
7-Up with no caffine
Now we're talking Billy Jean
Inky Binky Bonky, Daddy had a Donkey
Donkey died
Daddy cried
Inky Binky Bonkey

-snip-
There are many more examples of this rhyme-including the homophobic versions-on that Mudcat thread whose link I provided.

I should note that I don't think that children reciting this rhyme nowadays or even way back when know or knew that it was recounting a historical occurrence.

It's also interesting to note that in spite of the fact that Michael Jackson was filming a television commercial for Pepsi-Cola, the name of the soft drink that is almost first associated with Jackson is Coca-Cola. I think that may be because the name "Coca-Cola" is more rhythmical and easier to say.