The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #6971 Message #2175897
Posted By: GUEST,The version I learned
21-Oct-07 - 10:06 AM
Thread Name: Origins: 'Once in China there lived a great man...
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Once in China there lived a great man...
My mother learned this song in summer camp(50-60's) I'm sure it was modified from what she learnt..I just have never been able to get it out of my head. I was hoping today to find more verses...or even the original song
The chorus started slow and each time you sang it sped up.
Once in China lived a man
his name was Chickarack a chee chi cho
his arms were long, his legs were short
chinaman could walk nor snort.
Chorus
Chickarack chee chi cho chicka loro
hungo bungo, piggy wiggy wago
hoco poko, hit em on the coco
chitta by, chitta by, chee chi cho
China man had a wife
she led him an aweful life
she cut his pigtails off so long (fingers an inch apart)
and sold them for this chinese song.
Chorus (faster than the first time you sang it)
China man he did die
in a coffin he did lay
they sent him back to Old Japan
and that was the end of the China man
Chorus (as fast as you can - almost tripping over your own tongue)
I laughed so had as a kid, my kids laugh too....I think it has to do with the faces you make as you sing the chorus faster and faster.