Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers

Subject: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 04:59 PM

This thread serves as a companion thread to thread.cfm?threadid=81350 I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes.

Like I'm Rubber You're Glue, I hope this thread will be a repository for examples and comments of children's rhymes and cheers. However, the intent in this thread is to focus on movement rhymes and not taunts and comebacks {as was the focus at least in the beginning for I'm Rubber You're Glue}

In the interest of folkloric collection & documentation, if you post an example, it would be helpful if you would include the following demographical information-the geographical area where the rhyme* was/is performed {such as city, state, nation}, when the rhyme was/is performed {the decade such as 1970s; mid 1990s}; and who performs/ed it {girls, boys, girls & boys, ages etc}.

Also, it would be helpful if you include information about the rhyme's category of the rhyme {such as jump rope rhyme, handclap rhyme, foot stomping cheer, or cheerleader cheer}. Including information about how the rhyme is performed would also be interesting and helpful.

*I'm using "rhyme" as a catch-all term for rhymes, cheers, chants, gamesongs.

I'll start off in the next posts with some examples and commentary about the foot stomping cheer "Gigalo".

Thanks in advance for your participation in this thread!

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 05:14 PM

Here are two examples of "Gigalo". I've numbered these examples for the purpose of discussion.

GIGALO {Version #1}
[All]:
Gig ah lo-o
Gig gig a lo-o
Gig ah lo-o
Gig gig a lo-o
[Group]:
Hey, Kayla                 
[Kayla]:
What?
[Group]:
Are you ready to gig?
[Kayla]:
Gig what?
[Group]:
Gigalo
[Kayla]:
My hands up high
My feet down low
And this is the way
I gig a lo *
[Group]:
Her hands up high
Her feet down low
And this is the way she gigalos

{repeat from the beginning with the next soloist, and continue until everyone in the group has a turn as soloist}

-TMP, foot stomping cheer; remembrance of mid to late 1980s, Pittsburgh, PA; also collected by Azizi Powell in Pittsburgh, PA in 2004 among African Americans girls 6-10 years old.

* The soloist does a contemporary dance. In the final group portion, the soloist continues dancing while the other members of the group join in doing their own version of same dance.

**

GIGALO {Version #2}
This is a handclap/foot stomping cheer called Gigolo.
Gig-olo-o
Gig-Gig-olo-o
Gig-olo-o
Gig-gig-olo-o
Group: Hey [girls name]
Girl: Yeah!
Group: Hey [girls name]
Girl: Yeah
Group: Are you ready to Gigolo?
Girl: Well, my hands up high, my feet down low and thats the way I gigolo (does dance/motion of her own)
Group: Well, her hands up high, her feet down low and thats the way she gigolos (group repeats the unique dance/motion)
(Repeat with a new girl and new dance/motion.)
-FloJaune G; Pittsburgh, PA; 2000s; email to Azizi Powell; FloJaune described this as "a handclap/foot stomping cheer".

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 05:27 PM

Here are three more examples of "Gigalo"


GIGALO {Version #3}
Gigolo, gig, Gigolo
My head is high, my feet is low and this the way I gigolo

-Tanya T, email to www.cocojams.com, 2002; Tanya wrote "I was raised in Crawfordville, GA; I'm 28. I played this games/songs around 1979 -1987 from about age 5 to 13

**

GIG-OLO-O {Version #4}
I have one, my cousin told me and she is only 7...

down down baby i can do karate
down down baby i can call my boyfriend
down down baby oops i did it again

my hands up high
my feet down low
thats the way i gigilo
-posted by K http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php ;June 25, 2005

**

JIGALOW {Version #5 of Gigalo}
my friend taught me this. my hands up high my knees down low but this the way i jigalow the sky is blue the grass is green and this the way I do my thing your daddy cook your momma bake but this the way my booty shake
-No name; http://cocojams.com/street_cheers_example%200104.htm ; 2/15/2007

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Jeanie
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

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: mg
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 05:49 PM

Especially following other discussions about words that are not nice etc...that is not an especially nice word for young girls to be using, is it? I was thinking that today when I heard some song about a man calling himself that...it was an older song played on public radio...mg

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 05:55 PM

"Foot stomping cheers" is the term that I coined in 1987 to describe a specific type of children's cheer. Here's an excerpt of the overview I wrote on Foot Stomping Cheers that can be found by clicking on the link to my website www.cocojams.com that I provided in the previous post:

Foot stomping cheers are call & response rhymes that are chanted-usually by girls ages about 6-12 years of age. This children's performance art was first recorded among African American girls of that age in the early to mid 1970s, Washington, DC. [see 1978 online notes to "Old Mother Hippletoe: Rural and Urban Children's Songs New World"]...

Girls performing foot stomping cheers chant formulaic rhymes while doing individual handclaps, and body pats, and while making synchronized, bass sounding foot stomping movements to the chant's beat. There doesn't appear to be a standardized name for "foot stomping cheers. I use that term to distinguish these examples from sport team associated cheerleader cheers.

In my opinion, there is a very close connection between cheerleader cheers and foot stomping cheers. The two types of cheers borrow from each other, perhaps with foot stomping cheers borrowing more from urban {meaning Black and Latina} dance style cheerleaders during half time cheerleader cheers than the other way around. But perhaps not. The main difference between the two cheers is not the words and the beat, but the fact that because of time restraints, usually every squad member doesn't get a soloist turn with cheerleader cheers. However, with foot stomping cheers, the performance of the cheer isn't over until every member of the group gets one turn as soloist.

...However there are distinctive differences between the structural pattern and the performance activity of handclap rhymes and foot stomping cheers...

The words to foot stomping cheers have a signature pattern that I call "group/consecutive soloists". This is an interesting modification of the traditional call & response pattern of singing & music. "Group/consecutive soloists" means that the foot stomping cheer always begins with the group voice, and the lines alternate between the group voice and a soloist...

...Unlike handclap routines, girls performing foot stomps don't touch another person. They clap their own hands and do not have partners They usually stand in a horizontal line. Sometimes the soloist moving out in front, but that appears to be a recent development... This flat footed heavy, but rhythmic stomping movement while chanting is very similar-if not the same-as African American based choreographed movement called 'steppin'...

Foot stomping cheers are also a dramatic art form and performers are expected to speak the lines with in-your-face body stance and attitude"...

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 06:07 PM

Thanks Jeanie for that example. And also thanks for the demographic information. I'm also very interested in how these rhymes are so eager to be performed by children that they jump over mountains, run across deserts, and swim the deepest oceans. The ways the words change in the process is also fascinating to me.

Do I understand you correctly that Jackalo is performed as a partner handclap rhyme? I'm curious, do the girls stay still {except for the hand movements} while doing this rhyme?

**

mg, thank you also for your comment. I have been thinking of the meaning of the word "Gigalo" in the context of this rhyme. I've asked girls I have observed performing this rhyme what "Gigalo" means. They say that they don't know. They say "It's just a word" or "It's how I learned it {from other girls}". I've noticed that for some reason, children aren't interested in etymology. The rhythm and the beat of rhymes are far more important than the words.

I'll post information on the meaning of the word "gigalo" in my next post.fromSee my next post for my theories on some information

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Jeanie
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 06:19 PM

Yes, Azizi - they stand still while singing the rhyme. I agree with you, the meanings of the words in a rhyme are of little importance to children.

There's another one that my daughter used to do that is more complicated and is in what may or may not be a real foreign language that I don't recognize. (On don daya, see see alaya - that is part of it). I'll be able to post that one here in a week or so, when I have the chance to ask her.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 06:38 PM

When I first heard the rhyme "Gigalo" in the 1980s from my daughter and her friends, I arbitrarily chose the spelling "Gigalo". To date, I've found at least 9 written examples online of this cheer. The spelling that is most often used is "Gigalo" and not "Jigalo". I think that it's important to note that the girls I've heard recite this cheer definitely say "gig-GAH-low" and not "gig-OH-low". And most of the online examples of this rhyme that I have found are written as 'gigalo".

Why is that important? Well, the most familiar definition of a "gigolo" is "A man who has a continuing sexual relationship with and receives financial support from a woman". http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gigolo

I can see why folks might frown upon children chanting about a gigolo.

But feedictionary.com gives a second definition for gigolo-
"A man who is hired as an escort or a dancing partner for a woman."

That online dictionary also provides this information about the etymology of the word gigalo:
"[French, perhaps from gigolette, dancing girl, prostitute, from giguer, to dance, from gigue, fiddle, from Old French; see gigot.]"

**

But suppose the name of that cheer is supposed to be "Jigalo"?
Since the word 'jig" is found in the beginning of Jigalo, maybe the one of the definitions of 'jig' might us 'suss' out the meaning of that cheer's title.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jig has this information "The jig (Irish: port) is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type, popular in Ireland. It is sometimes seen in its French or Italian forms, gigue or giga, but these are more usually used for the baroque dance forms".

-snip-

Hmmm...Notice the 'gigue" or "giga" words. Very interesting.

But suppose Jigalo or Gigalo is actually supposed to be written "Jigalow" or "Gigalow"? Could this word mean "Dance low"?
Meaning "shimmy" or dance some other step moving from an upright position to a position close to the floor?

We may never known where the cheer Gigalo came from. We also may never know the true meaning [if any] of the word Gigalo, Jigalo,
Gig-olo-oh,Jackalow, and/or other similarly spelled words.

But at least we have another theory for that word's meaning besides
"a man who has sex with and is supported by a woman".

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 06:56 PM

Thanks for that info Jeannie. I'd love you to post that rhyme you mentioned your daughter doing. I think I know but I'm gonna hold off from guessing which song the rhyme came from.

Speaking of songs, there is another possible meaning of the word Gigalo/Jigalo. And this meaning could point to a source material for the rhyme. I'm wondering, could it possibly be that "Gingalo"/"Jigalo" is a variant form of the word "Jingalo"? I've read somewhere [??] that "jingalo" means "gypsy". I'd love to know if this is true, and if so which language does this word come from?

I'm wondering if it's too much of a stretch of credulity to think that a child in the USA or the UK or somewhere heard a cleaned up version {I hope} of @displaysong.cfm?SongID=2203 "Gently Johnny, My Jingalo".

And isn't it possible that some child liked the sound of the word "Jingalo" and made up a movement rhyme based upon that word?
And then isn't it possible that the word "Jingalo" would have been changed to "Jigalo" or "Gigalo"?

And is too much to speculate that over time, that this handclap rhyme became a handclap rhyme and then it became a footstomping cheer {since foot stomping cheers are a much newer form of children's performing art?}.

Again, we'll probably never know. But, it's possible, right?

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 07:14 PM

I suppose I don't need to say that-despite the similarities in spelling and sound-I absolutely don't think that the children's cheer "Gigalo"/"Jigalo" has anything to do with the disparaging refernts for Black people "Jig" and "Jigaboo".

If I were a betting woman-which I'm not-I'd bet the farm {which I don't have} that Gigalo/Jigalo has nothing to do with those words.

One reason why I'm so certain of this is that I don't think that those those disparaging referents are not that widely known.
I mean I'm almost as old as the hills and I've never heard these words spoken by anyone Black, White or Green except in the 1988 Spike Lee movie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Daze and except for that now infamous segment on the Don Imus radio/tv show in which Imus and his producer joked about the physical appearance of Black female basketball players and called them hos, jigaboos, and grizzlies.

When Imus' advertisers took a walk, he was fired from that radio/tv show. 'Nuff said.

Yeah. I'm 99.9% certain that Gigalo didn't come from Jigaboo.

Why am I so sure? Because I wanna be, that's why.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: mg
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 08:20 PM

Oh, I don't think it comes from the other word...I think it has a meaning that means a man of fairly low reputation who essentially sells his services to older women...a concept that young girls innocently do not need to be singing about. I think that in a case like this adults can step in and say you have to not say that word..here is one you can substitute..as has happened in the case of many counting games, sea shanties etc....I personally if I had daughters would not let them sing that in my presence...even if there are couple of ways to pronounce it...I know my Irish roots are showing...but a whole lot of effort went into making me repressed and some of it is paying off...mg

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 08:22 AM

mg, I appreciate your concerns about children's recreational songs/rhymes containing words that have negative meanings. I also acknowledge your suggestion that sometimes adults should step in and substitute a culturally correct word or phrase in place of one that is offensive.

However, in my opinion, "Gigalo" doesn't rise to that occassion.
Of course, you may disagree. And you have a right to do so.

That said, as people interested in collecting & preserving examples of folk cultures, it seems to me that we have the obligation to record as thoroughly and accurately as possible what our informants say. And that includes any words that we might think are objectionable. When I'm in "collection mode" with children and teens, I don't think it's appropriate to suggest other words for the material these informants are sharing. I think that would act to stifle their sharing. And I absolutely don't want to do that.

Again, your mileage may vary.

or as I've said since I was a young adult-
"Different strokes for different folks,"

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: English Jon
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 08:39 AM

An interesting point would be, what is the earliest known usage of a version of this rhyme?

If we know when (as in "I'm just a...") Gigalo was in contemporary usage that might shed some light on things. Presumably the idea of a "hired male dancing partner/escort" led to the sexual conotation, but the etymology still points ultimately to gigue, which I think is where the smart money is.

Gigalo (man) I'd always assumed was an american word - Do we know anything more about the origins of the british Jackalo?

cheers,
Jon

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 06:22 PM

I'd like to introduce examples of another children's cheer into this discussion-"Cheerleader Roll Call".

I collected these three examples of Cheerleader Roll Call from African American girls {ages about 6-12 years} in Pittsburgh, PA area. Each of these cheers were recited while the girls stood in a horizontal line and performed syncopated, choreographed foot stomping & individual handclapping routines.

Cheerleader {Version #1}
[All]:
Cheerleader
Roll Call
[Soloist #1]
Yolanda *
They call me Lannie
[Group]
Hey Hey
{Soloist #2]
Erica *
They call me Ree Ree
[Group]
Hey Hey
[Soloist #3]
Ebony *
They call me Ebony
[Group]
Hey Hey
[Soloist #4]
Melissa
They call me Missy
[Group]
Hey Hey

{The cheer continues in this pattern until everyone says their name and nickname. If the girl [or boy] doesn't have a nickname, the first name is repeated}. 
-T.M.P., memories of Pittsburgh, PA; early to mid 1980s

**

Cheerleader {Version #2}
[All]:
Cheerleader,
Roll call!
[Soloist #1]
My name is Keisha.
They call me Key Key.
And when they call me,
they go
[All]
Boom, Boom,
Ah Boom, Boom!
[All]
Cheerleader,
Roll Call!
[Soloist #2]
My name's Jozita.
They call me Cocoa.
And when they call me,
they go
[All]:
Boom, Boom
Ah Boom, Boom!
{The cheer continues in this pattern until everyone says their name and nickname. If the girl [or boy] doesn't have a nickname, the first name is repeated}.
T.M.P., memories of Pittsburgh, PA; early to mid 1980s

**

Cheerleader {Version #3}
[All]:
Cheer.
Leader.
Roll.
Call.
Are you ready?
[Soloist #1]:
Shayla.
They call me Rosa.
[Soloist #2]:
Shana.
They call me Poo.
[Soloist #3]:
Shana.
They call me Shay.
[Soloist #4]:
Jamie.
They call me Jay Jay.
[Soloist #5]:
Jackie.
They call me HaJack (HighJack?).
[All]:
Cheer.
Leader.
Zodiac signs.
[Soloist #1]:
Aquarius.
That's a dog.
[Soloist #2]:
Cancer.
That's a crab.
[Soloist #3]:
Leo.
That's a lion.
[Soloist #4]:
Scorpio.
That's a spider.
[Soloist #5]:
Scorpio.
That's a spider.
[All]:
Cheer.
Leader.
Phone.
Numbers.
Are you ready?
[Soloist #1]:
348-5110.
[Group]:
Always busy.
[Soloist #2]:
348-4554.
[Group]:
Always busy.
[Soloist #3]
348-3322
[Group]:
Always busy.
[Soloist #4]:
348-5779
[Group]:
Always busy.
[Soloist #5]
348-4285
[Group]:
Always busy.
-Shayla, Shana, Shana, Jamie, and Jackie {African American females about 10 years-12 years old}, Braddock, PA; 1985; collected by Azizi Powell, 1985 {transcription of audio tape recording}

-snip-

From my admittedly limited research, it appears that these cheers are no longer recited. Click cocojams-foot stomping cheers if you're interested in my comments about these cheers.

In my next post, I'll share some examples of a current, relatively widely known cheer that may have been based-at least in part-on the 1980s Cheerleader Roll Call cheers.

Of course, your comments about these cheers, or about Gigalo, or about any other children's rhyme or cheer is still welcome.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 06:50 PM

Shabooya Roll Call {Example #1}
This cheer is the best!! Shabooya Sha Sha Shabooya Roll Call My name is ____ {person's name} I like to party so when the boys see me shake it they say Ay Mammi!!
-Rihana ; 11/22/2006; www.cocojams.com

**

Shabooya Roll Call {Example #2}
I don't have a comment but here is my Cheer
Sha Booya! Sha booya sha sha sha booya roll call Sha booya sha sha sha booya roll call my name is ________ (persons name) i like to party so when the boys see me shake it they say ayi mammi You use 3 wishes to see me shake it so when the _____{Crew's name} shake it its like an earrrrrthquaake!!
-Rihana & Alyssa; 11/26/2006; www.cocojams.com

**

Shapuya Roll Call {Example #3}
i actually got these from a movie but i reckon they're good
shapuya-sha sha shapuya- roll call shapuya-sha sha shapuya roll call my name {ur name, {yeh} i like to party {yeh} but when i shake it{yeh} the boys say ai mami! shapuya-sha sha shapuya- roll call my name{ ur name }{yeh} grant you 3 wishes {yeh} yo see me shake it {yeh} coz im delicious! shapuya-sha sha shapuya- roll call my name {ur name } Yeh} get outta my face {yeh} coz when i shake it {yeh} it's like an earthquake!
-loyola {northern territory aus}; 10/21/2006; www.cocojams.com

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 07:26 PM

"Shabooya Roll Call" is a cheer that is performed in the second Bring It On cheerleader movie, [August 2006] Bring It On All Or Nothing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_It_On:_All_or_Nothing . In that movie, this cheer was performed by female cheerleaders who one at a time kinda strutted to center stage to say their lines and then moved off the stage.

I'm interested in finding out if anyone knew a children's rhyme or cheer that included the Shabooya word prior to this movie's release.

See my comments about these cheers as well as examples of another cheer from the first "Bring It On" movie "Like Totally For Sure" on
Cocojams- cheerleading cheers

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,Raven
Date: 12 May 08 - 01:41 PM

This gigalo cheer is longer

Gigalo Gig-Gigalo (say what)x2
Hey___ (group)
Yeah (reply)
Are you ready (group)
For what (reply)
to jig (group)
Jig what (reply)
Alo!!! (group)
Girl-
Well my bach ache my bra too tight, my hips shake from left to right
to the left (what!)-group & girl- right (what!)-group & girl- left right left right
I turn around I touch the ground, I get back up and I breack it down
My hands up high my feet down low and this the way I gigalo (and thats the way she gigalo!)-group-

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,bre
Date: 01 Jun 08 - 09:09 AM

Gigalo

my back aches and my shirt to tight my booty shakes from left to right the grass is green thats the way i do my thing your daddy cooks your mamabakes and thats the way my booty shakes hands up high feet down low now thats the way i gigolo GIG-A-LO GIG GIG A LO GIG A LO GIG GIG A LO

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 01 Jun 08 - 10:46 AM

Guest Raven and Guest Bre, thanks for posting your versions of this cheer!

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 01 Jun 08 - 10:53 AM

I just re-read this thread and noticed that I didn't acknowledge or respond to English Jon's interesting comment that was posted on 16 Apr 07 - 08:39 AM.

Jon asked two questions that I'd love responses to:

"An interesting point would be, what is the earliest known usage of a version of this rhyme?"

and

"Gigalo (man) I'd always assumed was an american word - Do we know anything more about the origins of the british Jackalo?"

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 01 Jun 08 - 11:09 AM

I've wonder if there's any connection between Gigalo and this English folk song:


GENTLY JOHNNY MY JINGALO

I put my hand all in her own
Fair maid is a lily oh
She said, "If you love me alone
Come to me quietly
Do me no injury
Gently, Johnny, my Jingalo"

I said, "You know I love you, dear"
Fair...
She whispered softly in my ear
Come...

I placed my arm around her waist
She laughed and turned away her face

I kissed her lips like roses red
She blushed, then tenderly she said
I slipped a ring all in her hand
She said, "The parson's near at hand"

I took her to the church next day
The birds did sing and she did say

See also AROVIN
@courtship
rewritten by Cecil Sharp, who objected to the original anatomical
progression. Printed in Cole
http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=2203

**

I remember reading-on Mudcat?-that the word "Jingalo" was a referent for "Gypsy". Do I remember correctly?

Could "Jingalo" be the source of the word "Jackalo"? Could it also be possible that some American child heard the English children's handclap rhyme that originally came from the "Gentle Johnnie, My Jingalo" song, and, through a further use of folk etymology, changed "Jackolo" to the more familiar word "jigalo"/"gigalo"?

I suppose anything is possible. But this seems to me to be a reasonable explanation of how this rhyme/cheer could have been created.

Of course, that doesn't mean that this is how it happened. I'm open to any other opinions about the meaning of Jackalo, Jingalo, Jigalo {Gigalo}, and how this rhyme/cheer was created.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 02 Jun 08 - 12:07 AM

AZULA Warrior-

Blacks taunting Italians in this thread here...

For your next thread how about...

Blacks taughting Hispanics?

Pork chops,
Pork chops,
Dinna ya eat your
Pork chops???

(New York, public school yard, circa 1950's, in the short-story, "SNOW")

No matter what brush you use...someone will cry PC and racist!

Continue the collection -

It is TRULY one of the MOST valuable recent collections to the Mudcat.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 02:32 PM

My ankles hurt my boobs are small i have six pack but thats not all my hands up my feet down low and sometimes i can be a hoe jigalow jig jig a low

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,izzinb
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 07:36 AM

actually the 'shabooy roll call' can be seen first in the movie "Get On The Bus" (1996) about men traveling to the million man march in Washington DC

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 08:33 AM

GUEST,izzinb,

Thank you for your post to this thread. For the record, I'd like to mention that another person informed me that she remembers doing a roll call cheer that used the refrain "shabooya" when she was a pre-teen. {2007 conversation between Azizi Powell and an African American female in her mid 20s; recollections of Washington D.C. area; early mid 1990s}. This same informant mentioned to me that "Shabooya roll call" was chanted in the Spike Lee movie Get On The Bus

**

"Shabooya" is pronounced "shah-BOO-yah"

"Roll call" cheers are those in which members of a cheerleading group {squad} individually give their name and/or nickname.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 08:57 AM

I feel the need to say that I have no idea what GUEST,.gargoyle was trying to say on 02 Jun 08 - 12:07 AM. Perhaps gargoyle didn't know what he was trying to say in that post either.

For what ever reason, that post was not deleted, so I suppose it remains a matter of record, a testimony to gargoyle's state of mind and state of being at the time that post was written.

Hopefully, gargoyle has taken his meds since that posting.

**

I want to take this opportunity to say "Thank you!" to all those persons {Mudcat members and Mudcat guests} who have posted examples of children's rhymes and information about children's rhymes on this thread and also on various other Mudcat threads about children's rhymes that I have started including I'm Rubber, Your Glue; Kids Chant Stella Ola Ola / Stella Ella Ola ; Bazooka Bubble Gum ; Water Wallflower & Brickwall Waterfall .

Since I started posting to Mudcat in August 2004, I have learned a lot from other member and guests posters about possible sources of children's rhymes and other songs, and possible meanings of words & phrases in children's rhymes {and other songs}. As a result of being active on Mudcat, I became acquainted with different versions of children's rhymes and other songs from folks living throughout the USA and also folks living in Great Britain, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. In my opinion, such information shared is Mudcat at its finest.

For that I sincerely thank you all.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 17 Oct 08 - 07:08 PM

In my 01 Jun 08 - 11:09 AM post to this thread I wondered "out loud" whether there might be any connection between Gigalo and this English folk song "Gently Johnny My Jingalo".

However, I think the likelihood of that connection is poor to none.

I've another theory to present:

There may be no way of ever finding out, but I wonder if the American children's rhyme/cheer "Gigalo" {"Jigalo"} might have come from the British {and other countries'?} children's handclap rhyme "High Low Jackalo" {"High Low Piccalo"}. And then I'm wondering if "High Low Jackalo" might have come from a commonly sung verse of the old American folk song "Old Joe Clark".

Here's the pertinent verse to "Old Joe Clark" that I'm referring to:

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".

@displaysong.cfm?SongID=4411

**

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 about that line from "Old Joe Clark" being a source for these children's rhymes.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,emily
Date: 05 Nov 08 - 11:13 PM

this is how my team does it:



every body: jig ah looww
every body: jig jig ah looww
every body: hey (name)
cheerleader: hey what
every body: are you ready
cheerleader: for what
every body: to jig
cheerleader: jig what
every body: jig-a-low
cheerleader: well my hands up high(put your hands up high) my feet down low(put your hands down low) and this is how i jigalow(do a jump) i turn around(turn around) and touch the ground(touch the ground) and get back up and brake it down(move your arms in a circular motion)



reapete till the whole team goes and then do it with the whole team

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 01 Dec 08 - 02:40 AM

Emily, I just read your entry to this thread.

Thanks for posting the version of jigalow that you and your team know. Thanks also for indicating who says which words and describing how the rhyme is performed.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 03 Dec 08 - 09:57 AM

Here's a link to a YouTube video of Jigalo* :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOms7cE1jdU

-snip-

This video shows young adults having fun playing a show me your motion game. This activity uses the "show me your motion"/ring game format. The women and men in this video sing this song in unison, and someone calls out the name of a group member who then goes in the middle. The song becomes call & response when the group asks the person in the middle to do some kind of movement. The person in the middle eventually does a movement and the rest of the group then does the same movement. The person in the middle returns to the group and the game begins again.

I remember seeing this cheer done by African American girls ages 6-12 years old in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s [Pittsburgh, PA city & area]. The entire recitation that I recall in the late 1980s and 1990s was call & response and the girls did foot stomping movements along with the handclaps. The words are the same but only girls performed this cheer. In addition, the performance format was different. The girls didn't stand in a circle, but in a line or a semi-circle. I think this was because the girls did this cheer as a performance. Even if there wasn't really any audience, there was a "pretend audience, and if you stand in a circle, some girls would have their backs to the audience, which wouldn't be fair to them. I don't recall the soloist stepping in front of the other girls when it was her turn to be the soloist, but I've seen that done in the 2000s to other cheers. {Fwiw, "Jigalo" doesn't appear to be that well known nowadays in Pittsburgh among the African American girls ages 6-12 years in the same area where I collected the cheer in the 1980s and 1990s. However, this was by no means a large or scientifically done survey of girls in those communities].

There were a number of other YouTube entries for "Jigalo" and all of them that I saw to date featured high school students or young adults. Btw, Jigalo {jig-ah-LOW} should not be confused with the all purpose glass, wood, metal, rubber etc lubricant can of spray whose name is "Jig-a-loo" [jig-ah-LOO].

* From now on, I'm going to spell this word with a "J" since that's the way it is pronounced.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,Nanaquette
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 12:16 PM

Gigaloo
gig gig aloo
gigaloo
gig gig aloo
hey ____nanaquette_______ hey what ( team )
hey what (Person)
are u ready (team)
for what (person)
to gig (team)
gig what ( person)
gigaloo (team)
well well my back is ackin my bra to tight my booty shakin from left to right my hands up high my feet down low and dis da way i gigaloo ( person says this and does a dance)
well well her back is ackin her br to tight her booty shakin from left to right her hands up high her feet down low and dis da way she gigaloo ( team does what she did )

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 10:30 AM

GUEST,Nanaquette, thanks for posting to this thread.

It's apparent that many versions of Jigalo {Gigalo} contain lines from the "Bang Bang Choo Choo Train" cheer:

My back is achin
My bra's too tight
My hips {or "my booty"} keeps shakin
from the left to the right

-snip-

Actually, there's probably no way of knowing which rhyme came first-"Jigalo" or "Bang Bang Choo Choo Train".

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,jules
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 12:57 PM

this is the way i learned it!!!

group: gig-alo, gig-gig-alo, say what?, gig-alo, gig-gig-alo, we say yo _____(persons name)
person: hey what
group: are you ready?
person: for what?
group: to gig!
person: gig what?
group: gigalo!
person: OH!!! my hands up high(puts arms up in the air), my feet down low(puts arms down towards the ground), and this is how i gigalo(does his/her own dance move)
group: his/her hands up high(puts arms up in the air), his/her feet down low(puts arms down towards the ground), and this is how he/she gigalo(repeats persons dance move)
repeat the whole thing with another person in the group. the person who just went calls the next name... and so on

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,K
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 02:02 PM

This is how I learned it.

leader: hey ____ (name of group)?
group: hey what?
leader: are you ready?
group: for what?
leader: to jig.
group: jig what?
leader: Jigalow!
group: oh, yeah!
leader: lets see it then!
group: well my hands up high my feet down low and thats the way I jigalow.
jig-ah-low, jig, jig-ah-low (2x)

leader: hey _____ (name of group)?
group: hey what?
leader: are you ready?
group: for what?
leader: to jig!
group: jig what?
leader: jigalow!
all: REMIX!!!
group: well my hands up high my feet down low and thats the way I get to know my Jesus, yeah, yeah, my Jesus. What?
My Jesus, yeah, yeah, my Jesus!!!


The way I mentioned above is how we did it in our youth group.

when our leader wasnt there and we had freetime the boys and girls took turns and sometimes we mixed up a little...

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 02:10 PM

Hello, GUEST,K.

Thanks for sharing your version of this cheer. It's interesting to note that boys as well as girls did this and that a religious line is added to it. I'm curious if your group is affifiated with a church mime or church step group. For folkloric research documentation it would be great to also know where and when you did this chant and what race/ethnicity the people are in that group.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,D-ray =)
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 08:49 PM

At girl scout summer camp this was our version:

group: hey ____ (name of person)?
xxxxx: yeah?
leader: are you ready?
xxxxx: for what?
leader: to jigalow!!
xxxxx: my head hurt, my bra too tight, i shake my booty from the left to the right. i got my hands up high my feet down low and thats the way I jigalow.
jig-ah-low, jig, jig-ah-low (2x)

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,School Rhyme Master
Date: 16 May 10 - 10:07 PM

Well, If you know the ryhme "Rock the Boat", from Girl Scouts,
it's easy to remember Jig-a-low, at the school I attend.

                     Rock the Boat:
Girl 1-My Name is (Your Name)
Group- ROCK THE BOAT!
Girl 2-I'm feelin' fine!
Group-ROCK THE BOAT
Girl 1-I'll blow your mind!
Group-ROCK THE BOAT!
Girl 1-Hit it.

All- Bang, Bang, Choo-Choo Train,
blow me up and I'll do me thang,
Reece's Pieces; 7-Up,
You mess with me I mess you up!
I know Karate I know Kung-Fu!
Be my friend, I'll teach you to,
ROCK THE BOAT!!
ROCK-ROCK THE BOAT!

Yes, kind of awkward when you see a group of Junior Girl Scouts singing, "You mess with me I mess you up!"
I think it increases sales, though!!

                         Jig-A-Low
Leader-Are you Ready?
Girl 1-For what???
Leader-To JIG!
Girl 1-Jig? ...Jig WHAT?
All- A- LOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!

Leader-
WELL...
My head hurt, my bra too tight, I shake my hips from left too right.
I got my hands up high my feet down low and that's the way I Jig-A-Low.
Jig-A-Loww!
Jig-Jig A-LOWWWWWW

My head up high my feet down low and that's da way me Jig-A-Low!
Jig-Jig-JIG-JIG A LOWWWWWW!

I call my friends
I call mah ma
I talk and talk and TALK...
Cuz' dats the way I.....
JIG-A-LOW!!

Jig-A-Low
Jig-Jig-Jig-Jig-Jig..
A-LOW!

:) Really hope this helps :P

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,School Rhyme Master
Date: 16 May 10 - 10:25 PM

Hey again!
I just got updated on a few other Jig-A-Low Rhymes you could add to my past Jig-A-Low!! :D OMG! GREAT! >:))

                         Jig-A-Low

                        Jig-A-Low
Leader-Are you Ready?
Girl 1-For what???
Leader-To JIG!
Girl 1-Jig? ...Jig WHAT?
All- A- LOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!

Leader-
WELL...
My head hurt, my bra too tight, I shake my hips from left too right.
I got my hands up high my feet down low and that's the way I Jig-A-Low.
Jig-A-Loww!
Jig-Jig A-LOWWWWWW

My head up high my feet down low and that's da way me Jig-A-Low!
Jig-Jig-JIG-JIG A LOWWWWWW!

I call my friends
I call mah ma
I talk and talk and TALK...
Cuz' dats the way I.....
JIG-A-LOW!!

Jig-A-Low
Jig-Jig-Jig-Jig-Jig..
A-LOW!

                               Addings:

(Adding 1)Yo backs bent
Yo boobs too saggy...
Yo pants too baggy..
But I guess that how yo
JIG-A-LOW!!
(x2)
Jig-A-Low,
Jig-Jig A LOWWW!

I have to admit, My friend Rochelle made Adding 1 up ..
But I thought it was good enough to put on here :)
This one is pretty nasty, but it is a Jig-A-Low add-on!

(Adding 2)
My legs are apart,
My boobs so huge,
That's the way I roll-roll
That's the way I
sway my hips
That's the way I live my life.
That's the way I make the cash
So
Dats the way I Jig-A-LOW!

:) Kind of..
Unique xD

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,meesha
Date: 17 May 10 - 04:25 PM

here is the real version ppl.

HEY(Girls name)
Girl:what?
ME: are you ready to jigalo?
girl:yeah!
Both: my hands up high!
My feet down low!
This is the way I jigalo!
jig-a-low
jig-jig-a-looow
jig-a-low
jig-jig-a-looow
(you keep repeating until you get bored. You also do a little dance :) hoped this helped~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 06:34 PM

My friend taught this to me.
[All stand in circle]
[All] Gig-olo, Gig gig-olo
[Someone goes into the middle] My hands up high my feet down low and this is how I gigolo.
[All] My hands up high my feet down low and this is how I gigolo [All people outside circle copies the dance that that someone did in the middle]
[Repeat, and each time you repeat, someone else goes in the middle]

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: LadyJean
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 12:39 AM

From the seventies:

Fire cracker fire cracker boom! boom! boom! (Shake hips with each boom)
Move over fellas and give us some room (Step to the side.)
The boys have got the muscle. (Make muscle with right arm.)
The teachers got the brains. (Touch head.)
The girls have got the sexy legs (Raise skirt slightly)
And we got the game! (Kick and clap hands under leg.)

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 10:27 PM

Should children be singing this sort of song? (answer is no) Some are downright nasty and I certainly thing adults teaching these to children is a form of certainly impropriety if not something worse. mg

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 06:50 PM

gig o lo gig gig o lo hey sania what sania shut up just show me how you gigolo just show me how you gigolo my hands up high my feet down low and this the way i gigolo

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 10 - 07:07 PM

reeses peices buttercup this is the way i move my stuff bang bang chu chu train come on cudas do your thang i cant why not i just cant why not my back acks the sun top bright i move my hips from the left to right from the left to the right

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,asianae
Date: 15 Jul 11 - 01:00 AM

we got that victory yeah we got that victory yeah yeah we got the what what whatwhat the whatwhat what what what what what we got victory.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 02 Dec 11 - 02:09 PM

Here's a link to the post about this rhyme/cheer that I just published on my blog

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/12/childrens-rhyme-gigalo-examples.html The Children's Rhyme "Gigalo" - Examples & Probable Sources

That post includes text examples, commentary, and videos of the American rhyme/cheer "Gigalo" (Jigalow) and the British rhyme "(My Name is) High Low Jackalow.

I believe that the line/rhyme title "My name is high low jackalo" and similar names such as "high low peccalo" that are found in the British children's rhyme and the word/title "gigalo" ("jigalo") are all folk etymology forms of the title of the card game "high low Jack". That card game was very popular in the 19th century and is apparently still popular now. Other names for the "High Low Jack" card game are "Pitch", "All Fours", and "Old Sledge".

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 01:42 PM

do it show year any hand shake for kids

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 09:15 AM

Greetings!

For those who may be interested, I posted these three pages about foot stomping cheers to my Cocojams website:

http://cocojams.com/content/classification-foot-stomping-cheers-introduction "Classification of Foot Stomping Cheers - Introduction"

Foot stomping cheers are percussive, choreographed, rehearsed movement routines that are usually informally performed by two or more girls (ages 7-12 years) while they chant a composition that has a distinctive call & response structure. In that page, I introduce some methodology to classify foot stomping cheer examples.

**

http://cocojams.com/content/classification-foot-stomping-cheers-examples "Classification of Foot Stomping Cheers - Examples"

This page serves as a demonstration of a classification methodology for the category of children's playground compositions that I call "foot stomping cheers"

**

http://cocojams.com/content/possible-sources-word-shabooya "Possible Sources For The Word Shabooya"

This page presents information about the history of the rap/foot stomping cheer "Shabooya Roll Call" and also provides information and definitions for words which may have influenced the creation of the vocable "shabooya sha sha shabooya".

Your comments are welcome on those pages.

Thank you,

Azizi Powell

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,Lazarus
Date: 03 Feb 12 - 09:56 PM

jiggalo: hey [name] yeah can you do it do what the jig the jig o what the jiggolow well my hands up high my feet down low i turn around i touch the ground i get back up and shake it off and thats the way a jiggolow

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: Azizi
Date: 02 Mar 12 - 10:29 PM

Here's a clarification about the performance activity that I observed in the mid 1980s (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) for "Gigalo":

I wrote that I recalled my daughter and her friends performing "Gigalo" as a foot stomping cheer. After further consultation with her, I retract that description and amend it by indicating that what she recalls performing is the same circle or semi-circle game movement activity that is found in the camp videos published here.

My apologies for that mistatement.

That said, it should be noted that even if the performance activity for Gigalo wasn't the alternating steppin' and individual handclap or body pat that is done for foot stomping cheers, the textual structure of the rhyme (the way the words are structured) fits my definition for "foot stomping cheers".

Gigalo has a group/consecutive soloists structure. By "group/consecutive soloists" which is the signature structure for foot stomping cheers. By "group/consecutive soloist" I mean that the group's voice is heard first, and then a soloist's voice. This continues until the end of the cheer which is usually a slightly longer "soloist" portion. At the "end" of that rendition of the cheer, it immediately starts again from the beginning with a new soloist. (The order of soloist having been selected before the cheer activity begins.) That pattern of consecutive soloists continues until everyone in the group has had one turn as the soloist.

Perhaps Gigalo is a movement rhyme that marks the earliest form of foot stomping cheers - a playground movement rhyme that is performed without the consistent stepping routine of later foot stomping cheers.

Foot stomping cheers and the movement rhymes shown in the videos of Gigalo on this page can be considered as updated versions of "show me your motion" circle games (ring games). In "show me your motion" circle games, one person standing in the center (the middle) of the circle does an arbitrary motion when commanded to do so by the rest of the game participants. After the middle person demonstrates her or his chosen motion, the remainder of the players perform the exact same movement along with the middle person. After this, traditionally the middle person purposely or arbitrarily (by spinning around in the middle with her or his eyes closed, and pointing)choses a new middle person, and then rejoins the rest of the group.

This is how my daughter recalls playing Gigalo and how that "game" is still played in several online videos that I have found.

Click http://cocojams.com/content/childrens-rhyme-gigalo-examples-probable-sources for a selected sample of those videos as well as other comments about this rhyme.

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: GUEST,Davelinee
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 07:54 PM

Group: jigalo ji jigalo say what
Group:hey (persons name)
Peron: yeah?
Group: show me how to break it down
Person:no way!
Group: show me how to break it down
Person: okay... My back ache my bra to tight my booty shake from left to right my hands up high my feet down low and this the way i jigalo (she dances)
Group: her hands up high her feet down low and this the she jigalo
Repeats with other person

Subject: RE: Gigalo & other children's rhymes &cheers
From: LadyJean
Date: 05 Mar 16 - 07:46 PM

I found a book called "Diddie, Dumps and Tot", a fictionalized memoir written by a seriously clueless southern woman about her childhood on her father's plantation.
She describes the families enslaved people "playing" one night. A man in the center of the circle makes different "motions", mimicking a monkey then white gentlemen, ladies and children. Of course he was mocking the people who thought of him as property.

---

Thread closed. It's drawing too much Spam.
-Joe Offer-