The children's rhyme "Bazooka Zooka Bubble Gum" serves as an interesting case study of a children's camp song or rhyme that has its source in a pop song that may or may come from an earlier folk song.
What makes this rhyme so interesting to me is that it appears that an earlier kid's version of this song was appropriated by a corporate entity {Bazooka Bubble Gum} and used as a marketing tool for its brand name bubble gum. However, the kids' version {learned at summer camps, school yards, and elsewhere} appears to have prevailed or at least be fondly rememmbered by adults of certain ages.
Enter the same corporate entity in 2006 with a new marketing campaign to revive the brand name "Bazooka Bubble Gum". Will kids use the official version of this rhyme with its sappy, bland ending? Or will they choose to sing the song their own way with its quirky somewhat counter-culture ending of choking on Bazooka Zooka Bubble Gum? Inquiring minds want to know.
Inquiring minds {or my mind anyway} would also love to know who remembers this rhyme and when they remember it. I'd also like to know when [what year or decade] the rhyme changed from "I'm crazy about chewing gum" {or "bubble gum" or "choo'n gum"} to focus on the brand name "Bazooka Bubble Gum". Furthermore, I'm wondering why the corporate powers that be lashed on to a children's rhyme that uses AAVE {African American Vernacular English, otherwise known as "Black English" and "Ebonics" to market their product. I'm specifically referring to the line "I don't want no ____. I want Bazooka Zooka Bubblegum". For instance, one of the company's tv commercials had these lines "We don't want no Kumbaya. We want Bazooka Zooka Bubble Gum".
And finally {yeah, right} I'm interested in identifying other children's songs or children's rhymes {or adult songs?} in addition to "Bazooka Zooka Bubble Gum" that include the line "my mother gave me a nickel/to buy a pickle".
Why? Well, why not? Being song & rhyme detectives can be an enjoyable pastime. And information gleaned from this type of research can shed light on the lifestyles, values, hopes, and concerns of populations of children, youth, and adults.
I started this thread instead of adding to that one because I felt that persons looking for this rhyme would find it easier under this thread name. Besides, the posts on that thread were mostly about the tune used for the "Bazooka Zooka Bubble Gum" song rather than the highways & byways I'm interested in exploring in this thread.
Hopefully, those posting to this thread will click on the "Penny to buy chewing gum/Gershwin?" thread. I found it to be a great read. It certainly is one of the types of Mudcat threads that I like best.
** Off Topic: Thank you Mudcat members & guests. I very much appreciated and still appreciate your support and kind words. While I didn't ask for words of encouragement, they really meant and still mean a lot to me.
But now that I'm back, you can stop being so nice. Just kidding :0}}
**
Okay, folks! Please share your memories of Bazooka Zooka Bubble Gum and other possibly related songs and rhymes {remember-nickle to buy a pickle}. Also, in the interest of folkloric research and documentation, it would be great if you would remember to include in your post such demographical information as where and when you learned or heard this rhyme {for instance, is this rhyme known outside the USA?}
Inquiring minds want to-oh- I said that two times already.
Okay. Umm..well, then, how about "On with the show"!