Lyr. Add: BALL GAWN ROUN'
Game song

De (D)play begin an' de (A7)ball gawn (D)roun',
(D)Mawga Nanny (A7)show me how de (D)ball (A7)gawn (D)roun'.
(D)Play bwoy, Play bwoy, (A7)Play bwoy, (D)Play.
(D)Mawga Nanny (A7)show me how de (D)ball (A7)gawn (D)roun'.

(D)Kingston (A)brown gal a (G)play we deh (A)play,
(D)Jigga Nanny (A7)show me how de (D)ball (A7)gawn (D)roun,
De (D)play begin an' de (A7)ball gawn (D) roun',
(D)Mawga Nanny (A7)show me how de (D)ball (A7)gawn (D)roun'.

(D)Short an' stout gal a (G)play we deh (A)play,
(D)Jigga etc.

We pass de ball, an' de ball gawn roun'-
Jigga Nanny show me how de ball gawn roun'!
We pass de ball, an' de ball gawn roun'-
Jigga Nanny show me how de ball gawn roun' !

Musical score and chords, pp. 108-109.
"To play the game, a circle is formed by boys and girls, their hands behind their backs. Whoever is chosen to be "Jigga Nanny" (principal character) stands in the center of the ring. A ball is passed from one child to the other and "Jigga Nanny" has to discover who is holding it.
While the players are singing, they move round in a circle, side-stepping to the rhythm. When "Jigga Nanny" finds the ball, he changes places with the child who in turn becomes "Jigga Nanny."

Jim Morse, Coll., 1958, Folk Songs of the Caribbean, Bantam Books.
Used by permission. From Tom Murray, edit., 1952, Folk Songs of Jamaica, Oxford University Press.

Recorded by Edric Connor, Westminster WP-6038; Edric Connor and the Caribbeans, cd, Songs from Jamaica, SP221.