There may be no way of ever confirming this, but I wonder if a verse of "Old Joe Clark" was the source for a contemporary British playground rhyme?

Here's the verse from "Old Joe Clark":

Old Joe Clark, the preacher's son,
Preached all over the plain,
The only text he ever knew
Was "high low jack and the game".

-snip-

Here's a post from another Mudcat thread about a version of the British children's handclap rhyme:

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Jeanie - PM
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 05:44 PM

Very interesting how these rhymes etc. are spread across continents.

Version of the above, called "Jackalo", as a handclapping song, played by middle-class white British girls in private school, Essex, just outside Greater London, end 20th/beginning 21st century:

My name is [each partner holds hands together, palm to palm, as if "praying", then each pair of hands brushes the other]

Hands now parted. Partners face each other.
[Whilst the rest of the song is sung, left hand is held straight out, as if waiting to shake hands. Right hands meet, high and low, to match the rhythm of the song]:

Hi, low, Jackalo, Jackalo, Jackalo,
Hi, low, Jackalo, Jackalo and HIGH !

- jeanie
thread.cfm?threadid=100807&messages=28

**

My theory is that the American children's handclap rhyme or children's foot stomping cheer "Gigalo" {"Jigalo"} might have come from that British {and other countries'?} children's handclap rhyme.

A verse from that "Gigalo" {"Jigalo"} rhyme/cheer is

My hands up high
My feet down low
And this is the way
I gig a lo

{see the link above for the complete rhyme/cheer}

**

So, according to my theory, both of these children's playground rhymes would have their source in a line which refers to a card game.

I know very little about cards. Can anyone tell me which game or games of cards "high low jack" or "high low jack and the game" refer to? .

I'd love to have feedback on this theory that a line from "Old Joe Clark" might have been a source of these children's rhymes.

Thanks.