Songs for the spelling of words

Subject: Songs for the spelling of words
From: CapriUni
Date: 26 Apr 09 - 11:41 PM

I can think of two such songs:

"That's the way you spell chicken" (A Mudcat Thread Here)

And:

"There was a farmer, had a dog (And Bingo was his name-o!)"

What are some others?

Come to think of it, what are some words who are just crying out to be spelled out to music? Any ideas?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 01:38 AM

old school rap??

crappy pop songs by Fergie?

"I Am a Disco Dancer" from the Hindi film DISCO DANCER?

cheerleader songs?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: CapriUni
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 01:57 AM

Well, I was thinking of folk songs and humorous childrens' songs, mostly. But now that you've jogged my memory, I do remember

R-E-S-P-E-C-T by Aretha Franklin (How could I forget?).

I've never knowingly listened to Fergie.

And I suppose sports cheers would count, but they're rather specialized to very small subcultures.

Is Disco Dancer a good film?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Anne Lister
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 02:51 AM

I can spell dog D-O-G
I can spell log L-O-G
I can spell hog H-O-G
But I can't spell hippopotamus.

Can't remember where I learnt this one but it's good fun!

Anne

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Melissa
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:04 AM

It isn't any trouble just to S-M-I-L-E
(tune: Battle Hymn)

You'll be M-I-N-E mine
I'll be T-H-I-N-E thine
and I'll L-O-V-E love you
all the T-I-M-E time..
(another camp song--I can't remember which song it was tacked to)

Subject: Lyr Add: D. I. V. O. R. C. E.
From: s&r
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:35 AM

D. I. V. O. R. C. E.
        
        Our little boy is four years old
And he's quite a little man
So we spell out the words
We don't want him to understand
Like t-o-y, or maybe s-u-r-p-r-i-s-e
But the words we're hiding from him now
Tears the heart right out of me
Chorus:

Our d-i-v-o-r-c-e becomes final today
Me and little j-o-e will be going away
I love you both and this will be
Pure h-e-double-l for me
Oh, I wish that we could stop this d-i-v-o-r-c-e

Watch him smile
He thinks it's christmas
Or his fifth birthday
And he thinks c-u-s-t-o-d-y
Spells fun, or play
I spell out all the hurtin' words
And I turn my head when I speak
Cause I can't spell away this hurt
That's dripping down my cheek


Stu

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:38 AM

Jiminy Cricket (q.v.) used to sing E-N-C-Y-C-L-O-P-E-D-I-A.

S-A-V-E-D has been discussed on this forum, a search should find it.

There's a recording of a little girl singing the song Tabster gives, on the Australian double CD, The People Have Songs.

Subject: Lyr Add: M-O-T-H-E-R
From: s&r
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:49 AM

M Is for the Many things she gave me,
O Means only that she's growing Old.
T Is for the Tears she shed to save me,
H Is for her Heart of purest gold.
E Is for her Eyes with love light shining,
R Means Right and Right she'll always be.

Put them all together, They spell MOTHER.
A word that means the world to me.

Stu

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:59 AM

Also many of the songs written by Tom Lehre (see other threads) for Sesame Street, such as "Silent 'E'"

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 07:15 AM

Village People - "Y.M.C.A."

close but no cigar?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 08:26 AM

Here's another current Mudcat thread:
Lyr Req: R A G G M O P P / Rag Mop

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 08:53 AM

And I suppose sports cheers would count, but they're rather specialized to very small subcultures.
-CapriUni

Well, I suppose when measured by the rest of the world's folk culture products, United States children's cheerleading cheers are a "very small subculture". But, in my opinion, many of them are delightfully creative.

Check out these different versions of the same rhyme that were sent to my website:
http://www.cocojams.com/cheerleader_cheers_V.htm :
   
Victory (Version #1)
Me and my volleyball friends made this up....:
V (Clap Clap) V.I (clap clap) V.I.C.T.O.R.Y! HOLD THE V (put arms above head in V formation) DOT THE I (Put right arm out in a right angle) ROCK THAT CTORY! (Shake hips back and forth) repeat as many times as you want!
-Kerry {Colorado}; 7/8/2006

**
Victory (Version #2)
I learned this one because my friend wouldnt stop saying it, Give me a V dot the I curl the C TORY! Victory! (clap, clap, clap) Victory!
-Mika; 3/27/2007

**

Victory (Version #3)
okay the cheerleaders from my school know this cheer, and i didnt see it on the list so i decided to add it. its really cool! its simple and fun.=) cheerleaders or group of people SAY; " V I C T O R Y, (spelling out victory) WHAT'S THAT ______ (SCHOOL NAME OR MASCOT) BATTLE CRY!" then the crowd or fans or whatever spell out; " V I C T O R Y.(spelling it out again)......THATS THE (SCHOOL NAME OR MASCOT) BATTLE CRY." here's an example of my school's mascot and team name. cheerleaders- V I C T O RY(spelling it out) WHAT THATS WARRIOR BATTLE CRY? FANS/CROWD- V I C T O R Y
(spelling it out again)....THATS THE WARRIOR BATTLE CRY. at pep rallies, u yell it at every grade level and whoever has the loudest answer wins little candies or sumthin. u dont have to give them anything. another way to make this more exciting is to allow the kids to stomp their feet on the bleachers when shouting back to you. have fun and it use it
-katherine s. {corpus christi, texas} 8/24/2008

**

Victory (Version #6)
With this you start really soft while clapping and stamping then you get louder and louder until your screaming and jumping. V-I-C, V-I-C, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y VICTORY VICTORY IS OUR CRY V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. V-I-C, V-I-C, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y VICTORY VICTORY IS OUR CRY V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. and repeat
-Naomi; 2/18/2009

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Mr Happy
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 09:07 AM

Old McDonald had a farm

E, I, E, I, O ???

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 09:08 AM

Found this on the web, attributed to Gilda Radner, from the early days of Saturday Night Live.

"M is for the many things she gave me.
O is for the other things she gave me.
T is for a thousand things she gave me.
H is for the hundreds of things she gave me.
E is for everything she gave me.
R is for the rest of the things she gave me.
P is for the presents that she gave me.
Put them all together and they spell Motherp. She means everyTHING to me!"

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 09:14 AM

Here are two versions of a children's foot stomping cheer that spells out a word:


****

L-O-V-E {Version #1}
All            L-O-V-E.
                L-O-V-E.
                L-O-V
                L-O-V
                L-O-V-E
Soloist
#1            Well, Kayla's my name.
                And love is my game
                I got this boy on my mind
                And Lord knows he's fine.
                He calls me his girl,
                his Number 1 girl
                I don't know his sign,
                But Taurus is mine.
All            L-O-V-E.
                L-O-V-E.
                L-O-V
                L-O-V
                L-O-V-E
Soloist
#2            Well Tamika's my name
                And love is my game
                I got this boy on my mind
                And Lord knows he's fine.
                I got his name on my shirt
                And don't call it dirt
{return to beginning and repeat with a new soloist. That soloist
repeats the same verses or similar verses. This pattern continues
until everyone in the group has had one turn as soloist with this cheer}
-TMP; remembrance of Pittsburgh, Pa in mid 1980s ; http://www.cocojams.com foot stomping cheers


**

L-O-V-E {Version #2}
I am a 25 year old African American woman from Eastern North Carolina. The section on the chant L-O-V-E caught my attention we used to do this when I was younger. We would stand in a circle and we would clap our hands and stomp our feet sort of tapping out the words L-O-V-E. Group: L-O-V-E, L-O-V-E, L-O-V, L-O-V, L-O-V-E First Person: Erica's my name love is my game I got this boy on my mind he's looking real fine he calls me his girl his number one pearl Then you move on to the next person and they repeat the same thing only with their name in place.
-Erica; 1/3/2008; http://www.cocojams.com foot stomping cheers

****
"Foot stomping cheers" is my term for a relatively new textual and performance style of children's playground rhymes. Foot stomping cheers are formulaic chants that are composed in a modified call & response pattern and are performed as an informal, leisure time activity. This activity is most closely associated with African American girls who are ages 7-12 years old. These chants usually consists of commands, questions, and rhyming couplets {two line verses}. Two or more girls chant memorized lines while performing rehearsed synchronized, percussive routines. Foot stomping cheer routines emphasize the production of bass sounding foot stomps that alternate with {individual} handclaps or body pats. The foot stomps act like a metronome throughout the entire cheer...

The text of most foot stomping cheers are very similar to certain types of children's dance style cheerleader cheers. Their performance is very much like Black fraternity & sorority steppin'.

The earliest reference that I have found for children's foot stomping cheers is in the notes to the 1978 record Old Mother Hippletoe: Rural and Urban Children's Songs New World. {Band 3; NW291 Mono,1978, Anthology of American Music, Inc.; Record notes: Kate Rinzler}.

For more about foot stomping cheers and steppin', click on the cocojams' link that is provided in this post.

I'll share two more "spelling" examples of foot stomping cheers in my next post to this thread.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 09:20 AM

Get Down {Version #1}
All                   I saida D-O-W-N
                        That's the way we get down
                        D-O-W-N
                        That's the way we get down
Group             Hey, Danielle. {insert 1st girl's name}
Danielle          What?
Group             Show us how you get down.
Danielle          No way.
Group             Show us how you get down
Soloist             Okay.
                        I said D-O-W-N
                        And that's the way
                        That's the way.
                        That's the way
                        I get down.
Group             She saida
                        D-O-W-N
                        And that's the way
                        That's the way.
                        That's the way
                        she gets down.

{Repeat the entire cheer with next soloist who says her name. This continues from the beginning until everyone has had a turn as soloist}
-T. M. P.; memories of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, late 1980s- early to mid 1990s; Collected by Azizi Powell; http://www.cocojams.com foot stomping cheers

When the soloist says "that's the way I get down", she does some fancy step or dance movement. When the group says "That's the way she gets down", they are doing the same step or movement as the soloist. Each soloist tries to do something different from the dance or steps that other people ahead of her have done.

**

Really {Version #1}
Group       All Really
                  Ah Hah!
                  Really
                  Ah Hah!
Soloist
#1             Really my name is Lisa.
                  Really my sign is Aries.

Group       Say what?

Soloist
#1               Ah Aries.

Group         Say what?

Soloist
#1             Cause I'm F-I-N-E fine
                  Like a D-I-M-E. dime.
                  Don't waste my T-I-M-E. time
                  I'll blow your M-I-N-D mind.
                  Cause I'm a pro.

Group       Say what?

Soloist
#1            A P-R-O.

Group       Say what?

Soloist
#1             Cause I'm a triple P.
                Triple R
                Triple O
                Sexy pro
[Repeat entire cheer from the beginning with the next soloist; that soloist says her name or nickname, and gives her astrological sign; continue in this pattern until every member of the informal group has had one turn as the soloist]
-girls ages 7-12 years attending Lillian Taylor Camp {Pittsburgh, PA
1991-1992, from T.M.P., camp counselor, 1992; Collected by Azizi
Powell, 1992 ; http://www.cocojams.com foot stomping cheers

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 10:00 AM

I meant to add that another spelled out word for the foot stomping rhyme "Really" is the word "Star". The girls would say "'cause I'm a star S-T-A-R".

Many foot stomping cheers from the late 1970s and the 1980s are no longer performed, but new ones have been created. Most women I've talked to who say that they remember doing these cheers as children and pre-teens don't remember the words to those cheers now. If anyone remembers any cheers like this, I hope they're writing them down. Better still, I hope they're making videos of their performances.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Greenm
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 10:18 AM

What about the Billy Connolly version of D.I.V.O.R.C.E - its on You Tube.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dig3UEbgXk

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:09 AM

Take a C, an O and a Z, then you add M O and freaky D. Add a funky beat, then what do ya see? It's COZMO D, yeah baby, that's me. I got the beat that's oh so sweet; without me rockin' is incomplete. So rock-a this yo, rock that yo. Rock on and don't ya dare stop.

("Jam on It" - Newcleus, 1984~)

Is Disco Dancer a good film?
It's a gimmick film! Promoting disco, a few years too late, in India.

I vaguely remember:

"D" se hota hai "dancer"
"I" ... [instrument?]
"S" se hota hai "singer"
"C" .."chorus"
"O" se "orchestra"

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:14 AM

A few years ago just about every primary age kid had no difficulty in spelling difficulty. This came from a rhyme in Roald dahl's matilda.

Mrs. D, Mrs I, Mrs. FFI
Mrs C, Mrs U, Mrs LTY.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:36 AM

Tug the Cox,
thanks for sharing where that rhyme "Mrs. D" rhyme comes from. I confess that I'm not familiar with Roald Dahl's books and had to look up the information about "Matilda" online. Here's a link to the Wikipedia page for that 1988 book which was adapted to a film in 1996.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_(novel)

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: BTMP
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 12:21 PM

What about the Alphabet Song - 'A' You're Adorable, 'B' You're so Beautiful ...

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: CapriUni
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 01:53 PM

Azizi: thanks for those. And yes, I hope they're being recorded, in some way, too.

Greenm: Of course! I have Connolly's D-I-V-O-R-C-E on a CD a friend gave me, another one of those "How could I forget?" songs.

Gibb Sahib: a gimmick film can still be fun to watch...

BTMP: Actually, I'm thinking that "spelling" songs are a slightly different catagory than alphabet songs (just as being able to sing the alphabet is a different skill from being able to spell, say: sesquipedalian -- which I'd forgotten how to do, myself, until I finally found the correct answer).

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 02:52 PM

Here's a religious song that I remember learning at Vacation Bible school in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1950s:

B-I-B-L-E
That's the book for me
The Bible teaches right from wrong
So B-I-B-L-E

-snip-

I remember that after we sang this song one time, the Vacation Bible school teacher said "Once again now." and we'd sing the same verse again. If I don't add that phrase and sing that verse two times, that song doesn't seem right to me.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:11 PM

Here's another children's cheerleader cheer that has words that are spelled out:

U-G-L-Y (Version #1)
U-G-L-Y
You ain't got no alibi
You're ugly
What? What?
You're ugly.

M-O-M-M-A
That is how you got that way
Your Momma yeah yeah
Your Momma
-Janell H (African American woman); from her memories of high school cheerleader cheers in Pittsburgh,PA in the mid to late 1980s; collected by Azizi Powell in 2003;http://www.cocojams.com/taunting_rhymes_2.htm

**
Here's another version of that same cheer (or handclap rhyme?) :

U-G-L-Y (Version #2)
U-G-L-Y
You aint got no alibi U ugly Yeah Yeah U ugly
M-A-M-A how did U get that way UR mama Yeah Yeah UR mama
D-A-D-D-Y U dont even kno the guy UR daddy Yeah Yeah UR daddy
-Cherry, 2/15/2006 ; http://www.cocojams.com/taunting_rhymes_2.htm

**

"U-G-L-Y" was included in the 1986 movie Wildcats which starred Goldie Hawn. In that movie an urban school's African American cheerleading squad chanted this cheer during a football game. The verses that they recited were the same as the first two verses that Cherry sent in. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092214/ for more information about this movie.

On 9/27/2007, a Cocojams reader who uses the tag name "nobody cares about me lol" sent in the lyrics to U-G-L-Y that were performed by Daphne And Celeste on the soundtrack of one of the Bring It On cheerleader movie. These lyrics are found on a number of websites, including http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/bringiton/ugly.htm. Another version of U-G-L-Y was recorded in 1985 by Fishbone. The lyrics to that version are also found on a number of websites, including http://www.asklyrics.com/display/Fishbone/Ugly_Lyrics/121714.htm

I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that the "U-G-L-Y" chant probably came from "the streets" and/or "the playground" before being picked up by the Fishbone music group and the Wildcats movie.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:27 PM

Just for the record, here are two comments about the "U-G-L-Y" comment from a Mudcat guest:

Subject: RE: I'm Rubber. You're Glue: Children's Rhymes
From: GUEST,Spain - PM
Date: 30 May 06 - 05:51 AM

Teaching English is Spain and my students love these types of rhymes the best. Originally from Boston surprised not to see:

U - G - L - Y
You ain't got no alibi
you're ugly
that's right
you're ugly

There is a second phrase about "your momma", but I don't remember it.

Subject: RE: I'm Rubber. You're Glue: Children's Rhymes
From: GUEST,Spain - PM
Date: 30 May 06 - 10:30 AM

I heard the "ugly" chant in Boston in various summer camps in the late 70s. I've always assumed its even older than that...

-snip-

There are lots more children's playground rhymes that include spelling. Does anybody else want to share some?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:33 PM

Can anybody fill in the mussing lyrics, I can't remember the artist?

M Is for the Many times you made me,
O is for the Other times you tried
T Is for the (...?)
H Is for the (...?)
E Is for (...?)
R Is for (...?)
Put them all together they spell Mother, and that is what I think I'm going to be.

F Is for your Funny correspondence
A is for this Answer to your note
T Is for the Trouble (...?)
H Is for your Hope I'll be the goat
E Is for the Ease with which I made you
R Is for the Rube you think I'll be
Put them all together they spell Father, but you'll never pin that title, dear, on me.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:35 PM

OK, it's Oscar Brand, and it's in the Trad. Hee hee!

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST,Wordrow
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:54 PM

From the Rutles (the original, and best, take off of the Beatles):

I have always thought, at the back of my mind,
Cheese and onions-
C H E E S E A N D O N I O N S
O no...

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:58 PM

Having had a chance to search both the web and the cobwebs of my memory I'm now pretty sure that the "Mother" parody I attributed to Gilda Radner was in fact performed by Madeline Kahn.

And then there's

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I got a gal in Kalamazoo....
K-A-L-A-M-A-Z-O-O what a gal, I'm telling you true....

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Melissa
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 07:03 PM

MISSISSIPPI..rolling down to New Orleans

did somebody already say BINGO?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Padre
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 10:08 PM

M is for the many times you made me
O is for the other times you tried
T is for those tawdry frat-house weekends
H is for hell that's in your eyes
E is for your everlasting passion
R is for the ruin you've made of me
Put them all together, they spell MOTHER
And that is what I think I'm going to be

THE ANSWER
F is for your funny correspondence
A is for this answer to your note
T is for your tearful remonstrations
H is for your hope I'll be the gost
E is for the ease with wehich I made you
R is for the rube you think I'll be
Put them all together, they spell FATHER
And that's a rap you'll never pin on me

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Sir Roger de Beverley
Date: 28 Apr 09 - 03:44 AM

Yvonne by the Saw Doctors

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Neil D
Date: 28 Apr 09 - 04:49 AM

M-I-C
See you real soon
K-E-Y
Why? Because we love you
M-O-U-S-E

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 28 Apr 09 - 06:52 AM

Children's clapping Rhyme


One day as I was walking
I heard my boyfriend talking
to a cute little girl with a cute little curl
and this is what they said

   I 'K-I-double S' kiss you
   I 'M-I- double S' miss you.
   I 'K-I-double S' kiss you
    I kiss you, miss you, kiss you.

Subject: Add:LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLANTILI
From: Snuffy
Date: 28 Apr 09 - 07:45 PM

Our little boy loves Blackpool
So when we go away
We have to go to Blackpool
For our holiday
We're not going there this year
Despite our son's demands
So we spell where we are going to
So he won't understand

We're going to
L-L-A-N-F-A-I-R-P-W-L-L-G-W-Y-N-G-Y-L-L-G-O-G-E-R-Y-C-H-W-Y-R-N-D-R-O-B-W-L-L-L-L-A-N-T-I-S-I-L-I-O-G-O-G-O-G-O-C-H
I'd rather have gone to R-H-Y-L
It's not so hard to say

Just across the M-N-I straits
On the way to O-L-E-head
We'll spend a we-ek in L-L-A-N...
What I just said
We're staying in a K-R-A-V-N
On a K-R-A-V-N site
In A-N-G-L-E-S-E-Y
Join in the chorus, right?

We're going to
L-L-A-N-F-A-I-R-P-W-L-L-G-W-Y-N-G-Y-L-L-G-O-G-E-R-Y-C-H-W-Y-R-N-D-R-O-B-W-L-L-L-L-A-N-T-I-S-I-L-I-O-G-O-G-O-G-O-C-H
Pause to catch your breath
Or else when you sing
L-L-A-N-F-A-I-R-P-W-L-L-G-W-Y-N-G-Y-L-L-G-O-G-E-R-Y-C-H-W-Y-R-N-D-R-O-B-W-L-L-L-L-A-N-T-I-S-I-L-I-O-G-O-G-O-G-O-C-H
It sometimes leads to death

Our little boy loves Blackpool
And the T-O-W-E-R
He likes to see the L-I-G-H-Ts
From a T-R-A-M-car
But the B-N-B was N-BG
The curfew half past ten
And the L-A-N-D-L-A-D-Y
Was a D-R-A-G-O-N
And so it's

L-L-A-N-F-A-I-R-P-W-L-L-G-W-Y-N-G-Y-L-L-G-O-G-E-R-Y-C-H-W-Y-R-N-D-R-O-B-W-L-L-L-L-A-N-T-I-S-I-L-I-O-G-O-G-O-G-O-C-H
Now here comes the blow
It took so long to spell it that
There's no time left to go.

(Les Barker)

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Leadfingers
Date: 28 Apr 09 - 07:59 PM

One I remember from when I was a sprog .
   Constantinople , C O N S T I N O P L E .

And one we did in Backwater Juke Band in 1965 Louisiana .

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 06:13 AM

A kids taunting rhyme, common in England in the 90's. Take two names that you wish to tease about being girl and boy friend, say billy and mary.

   Billy and Mary up a tree
   K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
   First comes love
   Then comes marriage.
   Then comes Mary with a baby carriage.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST,Georgina Boyes
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 08:23 AM

Although Dahl may have used DIFFICULTY in 'Matilda', I don't think he originated it. We used it as a rhythmic chant when I was at primary school in the 1950's.

Does anyone else have information on it's used before the mid-1980's?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: weerover
Date: 06 May 09 - 02:17 PM

Not a song as such but from Country Joe MacDonald: "Gimme an F..."

wr

Subject: Lyr Add: C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E (Carlton)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 May 11 - 02:13 AM

I found these recordings on the Internet:
Leslie Sarony (at YouTube.)
The University Six (at the Internet Archive)
Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (at RedHotJazz.com)
John Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders (at RedHotJazz.com)
The University Six (at RedHotJazz.com).
Leslie Sarony was the only one who sang verse 2. This is my transcription.

C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E
Words and music by Harry Carlton, 1928
As sung by Leslie Sarony

1. Mister Noel Knowall was a teacher in a school,
Giving a lesson one afternoon.
Little Tommy Tompkins was the dunce and what a fool!
Didn't know which was the sun or moon.
Teacher said to Tommy Tompkins, "Well,
See if you can sing this while you spell:"

CHORUS: Constantinople,
C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E,
Constantinople.
It's as easy to sing it as saying your A-B-C.
C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E.
Show your pluck; now try your luck
And sing it loud with me.
Constantinople,
C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E.

2. Shouting out, "Oh, where, oh, where do I live?" Mister B,
Toddling homeward began to grin(?)
When a bobby grabbed him and said, "Sir, it seems to me,
You'll come along now(?) and ran him in.
When the sergeant saw him he said, "Oh!
If you can sing this chorus you can go:" CHORUS

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 09 May 11 - 02:43 AM

In answer to Georgina Boyes, we also chanted Mr D, Mr I, Mr FFI etc, for Difficulty in a Scottish playground in the early 1950s.
I would imagine that Roald Dahl took it from his children and used it in "Matilda".

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: CapriUni
Date: 11 May 11 - 11:45 PM

At the top of this thread, two years and a bit ago, I asked if other words were crying out to be spelled into songs -- or sung into spellings?

Anyway, the idea just occurred to me that "Qwerty" and "Typewriter" is ripe song fodder, since the reason the keyboard is laid out the way it is is a marketing gimmick -- so door-to-door salesmen could demonstrate typewriters' power by typing the name of the product and not leave the top row of keys.

Sounds like a potential satire to me... but I can't seem to get the spelled out words (either qwerty or typewriter) to scan, rhythmically... any suggestions?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Cool Beans
Date: 12 May 11 - 11:22 AM

Take a K and an E and an N and a T and a U and a C-K-Y.
That spells Kentucky
And that means paradise...


ALSO

Well it's G-L-O-R-Y
Because I'm S-A-V-E-D.
I'm H-A-P-P-Y
Because I'm F-R Double-E
I once was B-O-U-N-D
By the chains of S-I-N
But it's V-I-C-T-O-R-Y
Because I'm practicin'
(I believe the song is called S-A-V-E-D, There are more verses, one about people going to church to show their H-A-T.)

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Cool Beans
Date: 12 May 11 - 11:25 AM

Almost forgot..

C, That's how it begins
H, That's the next letter in
I, That is the third
C, Season up the bird
K, Fittin' in
E, Gettin' near the end.
C-H-I-C-K-E-N, That's the way to spell chicken.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: cetmst
Date: 13 May 11 - 07:41 AM

B-O-R-S-C-H-T by Peter Ostroushko on Rounder Records 0227, "Down the Streets of My Old Neighborhood"

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: BobKnight
Date: 13 May 11 - 08:51 AM

M-I double SS I double SS I double PP I from I think Bobby Gentry.

Also MOTHER from "Redneck Mother" by Bobby Bear.

M is for the mudflaps my mother done bought me for my pick-up
O, is for the orl I put on my hair
T is for Thundebird,
H for Haggard, Merle,
E is for eggs, and
R, that for REDNECK

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 May 11 - 09:44 AM

R
RA
RAG
RAGM
RAGMOP!!!

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST,brian
Date: 28 Jul 13 - 07:31 PM

I'm trying to locate a song that included the spelling for Mississippi. M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. I was born in 1957. Family legend is that I loved this song and "Mississippi" was my first word.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 29 Jul 13 - 05:34 AM

Could it be this?

Bobbie Gentry Mississippi Delta 1967

One-ree-o-ree-eerie-ann
fidles-farce-nickory-john-queery-quan

M I double S I double S I double P I
M I double S I double S I double P I

Right in the middle of the cotton belt
Down in the Mississippi Delta
Wearin last year's possum pelt
Smack dab in the Mississippi Delta

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jan 16 - 08:19 AM

Was Carlton's C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E song any bit the inspiration for the Encyclopedia song from the Mickey Mouse Club, sung by Jiminy Cricket?

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: clueless don
Date: 12 Jan 16 - 08:50 AM

L ... is for the way you Look ... at me
O ... is for the Only one ... I see
V ... is Very, Very ...

and so on.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 12 Jan 16 - 11:19 AM

L.O.L.A. Lola

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Anglo
Date: 12 Jan 16 - 07:57 PM

Big D little A double L A S.

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: clueless don
Date: 13 Jan 16 - 08:11 AM

I'd give the world ... to ... be
among the folks ... in ...
D-I-X-I-E

Subject: RE: Songs for the spelling of words
From: Susan of DT
Date: 13 Jan 16 - 08:42 AM

In 2009, Melissa asked:

You'll be M-I-N-E mine
I'll be T-H-I-N-E thine
and I'll L-O-V-E love you
all the T-I-M-E time..
(another camp song--I can't remember which song it was tacked to)

Sorry not to respond sooner...

I think we sang it with "I am a Pretty Little Dutch Girl" (in the DT) and there was more to it:

You are the B-E-S-T best
Of all the R-E-S-T rest
and I'll L-O-V-E love you
all the T-I-M-E time.

Also, we spelled Mississippi in a tune: M-I-S...S-I-S...S-I-P-P-I