A couple of clueless rubes posted these messages in a "Sally Ann" thread, but they really belong here.

Thread #13719   Message #747795
Posted By: Mark Cohen
28-Jan-03 - 02:58 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Sally Ann
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Ann


I thought you meant this one, a circle game from my kindergarten days:

Little Sally Ann
Sitting in the sand
A-weeping and a-crying
For a nice young man
Rise, Sally, rise
Wipe your little eyes
Turn to the east
And turn to the west
And turn to the one
That you love best

Anybody else remember this? It went with Punchinello and Farmer in the Dell and London Bridge and In and Out the Window...

Aloha,
Mark

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Thread #13719   Message #747820
Posted By: Joe Offer
28-Jan-03 - 04:10 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Sally Ann
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Ann


You're making me feel old, Mark - but in Detroit, it was:


Little Sally Water,
Sitting in a saucer,
...
turn to the east, Sally
turn to the west
turn to the very one that you love best!


..Which has nothing to do with this song, dammit!
-Joe Offer-

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Here's what's at KIDiddles, with MIDI:

Little Sallie Waters
Sitting on a stone,
Crying and weeping
Because she's all alone.
Rise, Sallie, rise,
Wipe off your eyes,
Fly to the East,
Fly to the West,
Fly to the very one
You love the best!

That's not the tune I remember - I one I know is more like the familiar "neener, neener, neener" tune (also known as "nyagh nyagh nyagh nyagh nyagh").

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And here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Little Sally Walker

DESCRIPTION: "Little Sally Walker, sitting in (a saucer), Cryin' (for the old man to come for the dollar), (Ride, Sally, Ride). (Fly) to the east, (fly) to the west, (Fly) to the one that you love best."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1898 (Gomme)
KEYWORDS: playparty courting
FOUND IN: US(So) Ireland Britain(England(All),Scotland(Aber),Wales)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
SHenry H48g, p. 11, "Old Sally Walker" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hudson 143, pp. 209-291, "Little Sally Walker" (1 text)
Courlander-NFM, p. 157, "(Little Sally Walker)" (1 text); p. 278, "Little Sally Walker" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 392, "Little Sally Walker" (1 text)
DT, LTLSALLY; also SALWALKER (a collection of several songs with this title, some of which belong here)
Roud #4509
RECORDINGS:
Mattie Gardner, Ida Mae Towns & Jessie Lee Pratcher, "Little Sally Walker" (on LomaxCD1703)
Vera Hall, "Little Sally Walker" (AFS 1323 B1, 1937)
Pete Seeger, "Little Sally Walker" (on PeteSeeger21)
Notes: In England, if the collections in Gomme are to be believed, this is about equally known as "Poor Mary Sits A-Weeping" and "Little Sally Walker/Waters." The latter name seems to dominate in the U. S., and so has been used on the basis of plurality. - RBW
File: CNFM157

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The Ballad Index Copyright 2005 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

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And here's a note from my younger sister - I learned this song from her, and she learned it in Detroit in the mid-1950's.

I just read through the whole mess of listings for this song. Here's what I remember:

Little Sally Walker,
Sitting in a saucer.

Rise, Sally, rise.
Wipe out your eyes.

Turn to the East, Sally.
Turn to the West, Sally.
Turn to the one that you love best!

It had something to do with someone sitting down in the middle of the circle, then standing when told to rise, and pivoting one way and then the other, finally pointing to someone, who got to be Sally next.

I don't remember it being a very stimulating game, and the song was pretty sing-song-y. It was definitely a little kids sort of activity, dropped before I ever graduated to jumping rope. Ours must have been the white kids' dumbed-down version.

I think a couple of songs are getting mixed up in the discussion (more than "Mary Mack Mack Mack, all dressed in black", which is definitely a different clapping game), but it's pretty interesting anyway.