Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie

Subject: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Seth
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 09:42 PM

Ella(Etta?) Jenkins made some great kid's records for Folkways. I'm trying to find a very simple song she put on a record for teaching kids about music that went from simple repetitive songs to jazz.

"Oh my, I want a piece of pie.
The pie's too sweet; I want a piece of meat.
The meat's too brown; I'll have to go to town.
The town's too far; I'll have to use my car."

...and so on. This song might be a little dry for TV saturated American kids, but my Chinese first and second graders learning English would love it.

Thanks Seth from China

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Hotspur
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 10:55 PM

Gosh, I can hear the tune in my head, but I can't remember any more words! I'm pretty sure I heard it by Sharon, Lois and Bram, though. I couldn't find it on their website, but there are lots of other children's favorites you might find useful (Five little monkeys jumpin' on the bed, etc. etc.)The address is www.skinnamarink.com wish i could do blue clickies, but they don't like to work for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Chocolate Pi
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 12:51 AM

I learned it at summer camp as a clapping game:
Winston tastes good just like a cigarette should
Just like an - ooh, ah, I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet, I want a piece of meat
Meat too brown, I want to go to town
Town too far, I'll have to take a car
Car too black, I want my money back
Money too green, I want a limosine
..... I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour, by now we have the power
To close our eyes and count to ten
Whoever messes up has to do it again.

And at this point, the clapping pattern got more complicated and the players closed their eyes and counted to ten.


Chocolate Pi

Subject: Lyr Add: OH, MY! NO MORE PIE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Aug 02 - 09:44 PM

Copied from a Korean site: http://www.cje.ac.kr/~aspira/game1.htm

OH, MY! NO MORE PIE

Oh, my! No more pie.
Pie's too sweet. I want a piece of meat.
Meat's too red. I want a piece of bread.
Bread's too brown. I think I'll go to town.
Town's too far. I think I'll take a car.*
Car won't go.* I fell and stubbed my toe.
Toe gives me pain. I think I'll take a train.
Train had a wreck. I fell and broke my neck.
Oh, my! No more pie.

*There is a similar version at http://www.gp4k.com/stories/Article.asp?ID=395, with the following variants: 1. "I need a trolley car." 2. "Car's too slow."

The following variation is quoted in a short story, "Big Boy Leaves Home," from "Uncle Tom's Children" by Richard Wright (1938). The story concerns a group of black boys who entertain themselves by singing and chanting rhymes.
(from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~drbr/w_right.html)

Bye 'n' bye, Ah wanna piece of pie.
Pie's too sweet. Ah wanna piece of meat.
Meat's too red. Ah wanna piece of bread.
Bread's too brown. Ah wanna go t' town.
Town's too far. Ah wanna ketch a car.
Car's too fas'. Ah fall 'n' break mah ass.
Ah'll understan' it better bye 'n' bye.

The following version was found at http://www.ket.org/education/guides/oldmusic.pdf

NO MORE PIE
(Traditional; new words and variations by John McCutcheon)

Oh my, no more pie.
Pie's too sweet. I want a piece of meat.
Meat's too red. I want a piece of bread.
The bread's too brown, so I gotta go to town.
The town's too far, and I don't drive a car.
But I won't make a fuss. I'll just hop on the bus.
I finally got to town, where I met baker Brown.
He said, "Oh my, there's no more pie.
No chocolate pie, no strawberry pie,
No banana creme pie, no mincemeat pie,
No apple pie, no pecan pie,
No butterscotch pie, no kitty litter pie!"
Oh my, no more pie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Georgia A. H
Date: 21 Jul 08 - 10:09 PM

123, My mama takes care of me.
My daddy watches ABC.
Ohh ahh! I wanna piece of pie.
Pie too sweet. I wanna piece of meat.
Meat too rough. I wanna ride a bus.
Bus too full. I wanna ride a bull.
Bull too black. I want my money back.
Money too green. I want a jelly bean.
Jelly bean not cooked. I wanna read a book.
Book not read. I wanna go to bed.
Bed not made. I want some lemonade.
Lemonade too sour. I wanna take a shower.
Shower too cold. I want a piece of gold.
Gold too shiny. I wanna pet a kitty.
Kitty too fat. Now that's the end of that.
Now close your eyes and count to ten.
Whoever messes up has to start all over again!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 21 Jul 08 - 11:02 PM

Wow! This is one of the families of rhymes that I'm focusing on in the book I'm compiling about the structure, text, and possible sources of "contemporary" {1950s on} English language children's rhymes.

Thank you, Seth for starting this thread almost 8 years ago. And thank you, Georgia A for posting an example that served to bring this thread to my attention and to the attention of others. I didn't even think to check to see whether Mudcat had an archived thread of this rhyme.

**

I've found a number of different versions of this rhyme-some in books of American children's rhymes, some posted to other Mudcat threads, and some examples posted on the handclap rhymes page of my website. These rhymes are usually performed as partner handclaps. And their text is usually made up of two {and usually more} verses that are found in other children's rhymes or which could be recited alone. What makes this family of related rhymes difficult to pin down is that there's no one name for the rhymes. I usually call them "Take A Peach. Take A Plum" or "Oosh Ashe". However, children {usually girls between the ages of 6-12 years} who "sing" these rhymes now, and those adults {usually women} who remember them from their childhood, rarely call them by those names. The names given to these rhymes are literally all over the place. I usually use the first line of the rhyme for its title, even though the first line may be part of an introduction to the rhyme, and not the "actual" rhyme.


I'll add two examples in this post and then I'll add to examples in my next post to this thread. The "titles" are given in capitol letters and aren't recitd.


SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE
Shake, shake, shake
Eeny meeny
That's a queeny
Ooh ba Yhumbalina
Ah cha ca che Liberace
Oh baby I love you
Yes I do.
Take a peach
Take a plum
Take a piece of bubble gum
No peach
No plum
Just a piece of bubble gum
Oooshe ahshe
Oooshe ahshe
I want a piece of pie
The pie too sweet
I want a piece of meat
The meat too tough
I want to ride the bus
The bus too full
I want to ride the bull
The bull too black
I want my money back
The money too green
I want a diamond ring.

-Barbara Michels, Bettye White, Apples On A Stick, The Folklore of Black Children {Houston, Texas 1983, p. 17}

**

TAKE A PIECE, TAKE A PLUM
take a piece, take a plum take a piece of bubble gum. no piece, no plum no piece of bubble gum. i like coffee, i like tea, i like the preety boy and he likes me so step back dumb boy, you dont shine, i'll meet you round the corner and beat your behind. last night, the night before, i met my boyfriend at the candy store. he bought me ice cream, he bought me cake, he bought me home with a stomach ache. i said "mama, mama, i feel sick. call the doctor QUICK,QUICK,QUICK! doctor, doctor before i die. i close my eyes and i count to five. 1..2..3,4,5 i'm alive." see that house on top of that hill? that's where me and my boyfriend live. cook that chicken, burn that rice. com on baby, lets shoot some dice!
-lesa; http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php ,"Schoolyard games", April 10, 2005

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 21 Jul 08 - 11:12 PM

A-B-C
abc, easy as 123, my momma takes care of me, my daddy watches mtv, ooh ahh i want a piece of pie, pie to sweet i wanna piece of meat, meat to rough i wanna ride a bus, bus too full i wanna ride a bull, bull not black i want my money back, money back too green i wanna jelly bean, jelly bean not cooked i wanna read a book, book not read i wanna go to bed, bed not made i want some lemonade, lemonade too sour i wanna take a shower, shower too cool i wanna go to school, school too dumb i wanna suck my thumb, thumb to dirty i wanna ride a birdie, birdie too slow and thats all i know, so close your eyes and count to ten, whoever messes up starts all over again, 12345678910...noone messed up so thats the end!
-elle ; 4/3/2007; http://cocojams.com/handclap_rhymes.htm

**

TAKE A PEACH TAKE A PLUMB
…here's one we used to play at school. ( some words are not really words but are pronounced that way, this is not really the beginning to the song but the middle because I didn't know how to pronounce those words)

Take a peach take a plumb take a piece of bubble gum
No peach no plumb just a piece of bubble gum

Oche Iche, I want a piece of pie
The Pie to sweet
i want a piece of meat
the meat to rough
i wanna ride the bus
the bus to full
i wanna ride the bull
the bull to black
i want my money back
my money to green
i want a jelly bean
the jelly bean to white
goodnight sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite
if they do get a shoe an beat the black and blue
down by the river with the hangy pangy
where the bulldog jumped from bang to bang
there set a
A
E
I
O
U
That's all there set a
A
E
I
O
U
Listen to the beat
-R.S.; http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php ; November 7, 2003

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 01:50 AM

How appropriate that I can post to a pie thread on 22/7 (in my time zone, if not in yours).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 07:25 AM

How appropriate that I can post to a pie thread on 22/7 (in my time zone, if not in yours).

Gerry, would you please explain this statement. [I got the 22/7 is the same as Americans' 7/22-today's date. But I don't understand what the significance of today's date is in your time zone or elsewhere.

I ask this question hoping to learning something new and interesting. But even it is old news, and you think it's rather boring, please clarify.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 08:32 AM

Azizi, does the number 22/7 hold no significance to you? Did you never study geometry?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Snuffy
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 02:48 PM

π = 22/7 (approx)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 05:58 PM

Okay, Gerry, I'll bite...

Here's my answer to your questions:
1. No [unless you're referring to a 1980s American sitcom that was named 227. But, for some reason, I don't think you are referring to that] Maybe you mean two hours less than 24/7? {which came from African American slang and means "24 hours a day seven days a week". No? Well, I didn't think so.

2. Yes, but it was so long ago that I don't remember any of it.

Oh, alright. I'll confess that the word "pie" popped in my head when you said "geometry". But I don't really know what "pie" means in the context of geometry, and frankly, it doesn't bother me at all that I don't know that. I suppose that I'll get around to looking it up on an Internet search engine. But I figure I'll live if I don't ever find out what that word means in geometry.

Geometry was definitely not my favorite subject in high school. I recall that I barely passed it with a C average. And, as you can see I don't remember much of it.

Besides proving that math is not my strong suit, what this exercise suggests to me is that something that automatically means one thing to one person or to many people within the same nation or in different nations may mean a completely different thing or things to another person or many other people within that same nation or nations.

We are not all the same. And thank God for that!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 07:36 PM

OK, Azizi, here's the story:

pi is the ratio between the circumference and diameter of a circle, and pi is (numerically) approximately 22/7, and pi is (orthographically) approximately pie.

So I was just making a pun on pie, the subject of the thread, and pi, which is roughly 22/7.

A bun is the lowest form of wheat.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,marygrace¢¾
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 02:07 PM

oooohh iccc, i wanna peice of pie, pie to sweet i wana peice of meat, meat to red i wanna go to bed, bed not made i want some lemonade, lemonade is sour to give us the power to try to count to ten! who ever messes up, starts over again! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,MG
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 02:09 PM

owww iiiiii,
i wanna peice of pie,
pie to sweet i wanna peice of meat,
meat to red i wanna go to bed,
bed not made i want some lemonade,
lemonade is sour to give us the power to try to count to ten,
who ever messes up must start over again!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 02:21 PM

Thanks for posting that example, marygrace!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,SuzyQ
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 12:42 PM

Eni mini disapenny
Oh ah thumballini
Achi kachi liberachi
I love you
O baby yes I do
Take a peach take a plum
Take a piece of buubble gum
No peach no plum
Just a piece of bubble gum
O ah I wanna piece of pie
The pie's too sweet
I wanna piece of meat
The meat's too rough
I wanna take the bus
The bus' too full
I wanna ride a bull
The bull's too black
I wanat my money back
The money's too green
I wanna jelly bean
The bean's too red
I wanna go to bed
The bed's too long
I wanna wear a thong. (whisper)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Sarahlu
Date: 27 Jan 09 - 09:15 AM

I found this thread trying to remember the rhyme myself.
If I'm not mistaken the version I learned went like this:

ABC!
As easy as 123!
My mama takes care of me.
Ooh. Ah. I wanna piece of pie.
Pie's too sweet; I wanna piece of meat.
Meat's too tough; I wanna ride the bus.
Bus too full; I wanna ride a bull.
Bull too black; I want my money back.
Money too green; I wanna jelly bean.
Jelly bean ain't cooked; I wanna read a book.
Book ain't read; I wanna go to bed.
Bed ain't made; I want some lemonade.
Lemons too sour; I wanna take a shower.
Shower too cold; I wanna piece of gold.
Gold too shiny, so kiss my behiny!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Jan 09 - 09:42 AM

I didn't start this thread, but on behalf of members of Mudcat Discussion Forum, thanks to all guests who have posted and will post examples of this rhyme.

Mudcat has many discussion threads on children's playground rhymes and game songs.

Click Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes? to find one such thread. Near the top of that page is a listing of "related threads" on specific children's rhymes or children's rhymes in general.

I hope that guests will continue posting on these threads. It would be great when you add your example if you would include where you
learned those examples {city, state, country} and when {year or decade}. But that's not a requirement for adding the version of the rhyme that you know to these threads.

Best wishes!

Ms. Azizi

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Jan 09 - 12:39 PM

Thanks for adding that related threads list, Joe!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 11:21 PM

In the 80's we would say --- lemonade too sour -- we got puppy power!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 09:11 AM

I just saw that additional line from Guest 16 Feb 09 - 11:21 PM. Thanks, Guest!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Joe_F
Date: 17 Mar 09 - 12:05 AM

I read once, somewhere, that crowds at public hangings in Britain used to chant

Oh, my! I think I'm going to die.

Perhaps these were once takeoffs on that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 04:26 PM

It was this thread that reminded me of "eephing."

(Eephing is hard to define, and it's a subject that deserves its own thread, so I started one here.)

I seem to remember an eephing chant that went—

"Eeph-th-k, eiph-th-k, eat a piece o' pie-th-k."

That line was repeated several times. If there were other lines, I don't remember them.

The "th-k" is my phonetic way of representing the vocal percussive technique of eephing. See the eephing thread for a fuller explanation.

"Piece" might have been pronounced with a lisp: "Peeth." If so, I don't know whether this was deliberate on the performer's part.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I learned about eephing on TV, and I never met anyone in person who did it.

By the way, although nobody has explicitly said so, I assume the "pie" rhymes mentioned in this thread are chants, not songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 08:21 PM

Jim, I'm reading your "eephing" thread (no pun intended) and it is quite interesting in a comparative cultural way (like which came first the chicken or the egg).

With regard to your comment about these rhymes being "chants" and not "songs"-that's true. But when I was actively collecting hand clap rhymes from African American children and pre-teens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I found that I only got blank expressions when I asked them what "rhymes" did they know. I figured using the word "chants" would result in even more blank stares. So I ended up asking children what songs did they sing when they did hand claps. And sometimes I would say "hand claps like "Miss Mary Mack" as it seemed that most Black children ages 8-12 years old knew the "standard" verses of "Miss Mary Mack"(the one with the elephant jumping over the fence fence fence and not coming back till the fourth of Ju ly ly ly).

Fwiw, it seems to me that although boys may know these hand clap rhymes, after about 6 years old, it's rare for them to do them unless we're talking about them joining in on (but not initiating)mildly competitive circle hand clap games like Kids chant Stella Ola Ola / Stella Ella Ola(which is known as Strolla Ola Ola among the children I worked with), Quack Diddley Oso, and Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky (though the children I worked with don't appear to know this last game).

Note that I said "did hand claps". Early on in my contact with predominately Black groups of children in the Greater Pittsburgh area, I learned that they don't "play handclap rhymes", they "do hand claps".

Also for what it's worth, I had never heard the term "handjives" as a referent for "hand clap rhymes" or "hand clap routines" before I saw "handjives" being used that way on various Mudcat threads. Sure, I knew the Rock n'Roll song "Willie And The Handjive". But I didn't equate that word "handjive" in that song with "hand clap rhymes". "Handjive" isn't a term that is used by children and adults who I know in my adopted hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Maybe "handjive" is a regional term and maybe its a racial term or maybe its an international term (meaning it's used in places like the UK where people say "skipping rope" like folks in the United States say "jumping rope"). I'm curious to know more about this.

**

Btw, on my MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/cocojams I feature up to five videos every month of children & teens being creative. During March 2009, I'm showcasing videos of children in various nations of the world doing hand claps. Check it out, if you've a mind to.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 12:02 AM

Azizi: As I remember it, the hand jive was a craze that, although widespread, only lasted a short time, sort of like the Macarena in more recent times.

And, as far as I know, "hand jive" was never a generic term for all sorts of hand movements, or games involving hand movements; it was a name for one particular sequence of hand movements.

Instead of dancing, people would stand or sit in one place and do a set of rhythmic hand movements to the music. Unlike dancing, it didn't involve any foot or leg movements, it didn't involve a partner, and it didn't involve any improvisation. You were supposed to memorize a certain sequence of movements and do them in unison with a group. I suppose it was challenging at first to learn the movements and stay in sync with the group, but it became boring after you'd mastered it. That's probably why the fad didn't last very long.

These were teenagers, not little kids (although it may have spread to little kids a bit later).

I suppose it appealed more to girls than boys. (I never really learned it myself, but I remember seeing others do it. And I remember one girl in particular trying to get me to do it.)

Another problem was that, like the Macarena, the movements were associated with one particular pop song. I suppose it was possible to do the hand jive to other songs (just as it is possible to do the Macarena dance to other songs), but I think people seldom did so. As the song disappeared from the pop charts, the movements disappeared, too.

Here's a video at YouTube of Johnny Otis performing WILLIE AND THE HAND JIVE. (Otis sings and plays piano; there are 3 women who do the hand jive along with him.)

Here is another video that looks like a scene from a movie. It involves professional dancers and complicated choreography and does NOT resemble what ordinary people did. But you can hear the words of the song more clearly, if that interests you.

There is a song in the film "Grease" called BORN TO HAND JIVE. That too is over-choreographed, but it does incorporate some of the hand-jive movements.

Here is a set of instructions at WikiHow.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 04:50 PM

I have done the math, and I now realize I was 11 years old when WILLIE AND THE HAND JIVE came out in 1958. So I suppose it was inaccurate to say "These were teenagers, not kids." But, since I didn't go to dances at that age, I and my classmates probably knew of the hand jive by hearing the song on the radio and seeing older kids doing it on "American Bandstand" or something similar.

I didn't start going to dances until a couple of years later, but before that, I remember having a teacher who would occasionally allow us to bring records to school and dance on school time; that's how we learned to act like teenagers and imitate the dances we saw on TV. I include the "hand jive" in that, although, strictly speaking, it wasn't a dance.

Anybody remember THE STROLL? It came out the same year, 1958, and was another of those fads that didn't last very long. I remember learning it the same way, in class, not at a real dance.

*

I found the song that I was thinking of—at least one version of it—that I described in my message of 19 Mar 09 - 04:26 PM. It's EEP, IPE, WANNA PIECE OF PIE, sung by Fats Waller. I'm pretty sure it wasn't Fats Waller though, that sang the version I first heard. (I'll discuss this more in the "eephing" thread.)

The first two lines of that song are:

Eep, ipe, wanna piece of pie.
Eep, ipe, wanna bowl of soup.

--which is odd because it doesn't rhyme. The rest of the song rhymes. It makes me wonder: are there any versions of the "pie" rhyme that mention soup?

*

Interestingly, the song LITTLE EEEFIN' ANNIE contains the line "Gimme piece o' pie!"

That's another bit of evidence that there is some connection between eephing and the "pie" rhymes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,sophie
Date: 04 Apr 09 - 12:38 PM

123 my mama takes care of me
my daddy sings do re me
oh ah i wanna piece of pie
pie too sweet i wanna piece of meat
meat too tough i wanna ride a bus
bus too full i wanna ride a bull
bull too mean i wanna jelly bean
jelly bean too red i wanna go to bed
bed not made i want some lemonade
lemonade too sour i wanna take a shower
shower to cold i wanna piece of gold
gold too pretty i wanna kiss a kitty
kittty too fat and thats the end of that
hey tomboy hey tomboy meet me on the corner on a saturday night
we can wiggle we can jiggle we can dance all night
close your eyes and count to 10 and if u mess up start over again
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 04 Apr 09 - 01:16 PM

GUEST,sophie thanks for sharing your version of this rhyme with us.
I hadn't heard or read that version before.

I think that the "123" beginning may be a clip of this line from the Jackson 5 song "ABC" -"ABC It's as easy as 123". That line shows up in a number of contemporary American children's hand clap rhymes.

**

Jim Dixon, I remember the Stroll :o)

Thanks again, Jim, for your reseach on that beat/box like vocal art of "eephing". I'm fascinated by the possible connectiosn between "eephing" and these rhymes.

**

My theory is that the "Oosh ah I wanna piece of pie" beginning for some of these rhymes is folk etymology for "Oh my I want a piece of pie". And I think that "Oh my" may have come from the line "By and By I want a piece of pie."

Of course, it's not a matter of which lines are right or wrong, but which lines came first (just because it's interesting to speculate about these kinds of things).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Robert
Date: 15 Apr 09 - 09:47 PM

OK, I gotta join in because I came looking for just this discussion, and am surprised to not see the version I learned. I grew up in the Anacostia district of SE Washington, D.C. I was born in 1961 and vaguely recall that I learned this one from my older brother maybe between 1967 and 1970. I always assumed he got it from school, but we were pretty much the only whites on our street and the black girls next door spent a lot of time doing some skilled rope jumping with songs and chants, so maybe it came from them. The rhythm seems much too slow for skipping rope, though, unless they jumped at twice the meter or something. But it had a truly "boy sound" to it, always with a deep, growling voice like an alcoholic bum or something...can't imagine girls doing this one!

OOOH! AHH!
Wanna piece o' pie!
Pie too sweet,
Wanna piece o' meat!
Meat too tough,
Wanna ride a bus!
Bus too full,
Wanna ride a bull!
Bull too black,
Want ma' money back!
Money too green,
Go get Mr. Clean!
(with emphasis...)
Mr. CLEEAAN SEZ...(pause)
(start over at top and repeat, endlessly)

I had to do it for my 7-year-old son tonight, as I always do, when I got out the Mr. Clean to clean up a mess of his. Who knows, maybe I picked up some kind of marketing version of it!

And, BTW, we sometimes did this as we played penny-ante tunk, but that is another thread somewhere, I am sure!

Robert

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Donna
Date: 06 May 09 - 10:51 PM

Eep, ipe, gimme a piece of pie.
Oh, um, gotta gimme some.
PIE!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 06 May 09 - 11:03 PM

GUEST,Robert, thanks for sharing your version of this rhyme. Thanks also for including demographical information. I'm guessing that kids just added that reference to the household cleanser "Mr. Clean", but I may be wrong about that.

**

Guest Donna, thanks for sharing your version of this rhyme. I like the "gimme, gotta gimme" alliteration.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,seth in Olympia
Date: 07 May 09 - 08:12 PM

I used to be Seth from China. Since I wrote this nine years ago, I've had three grandchildren, and all of them have been been raised with lots of Etta Jenkins. SHe is so cool and never acts silly or condescending with kids, but always has the goods. A few years ago, the local Goodwills were full of her early stuff, and I was happy to get these great records for cheap. It's amazing to me what people decide to keep and to toss. I found her first ten inch record in a thrift store. It was made in the nineteen fifties and seems like it was designed for kids in segregated schools to learn about African rhyhtm. I've never seen anything quite like it before.
long live Etta Jenkins!
seth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: Azizi
Date: 07 May 09 - 08:50 PM

Hi Seth!

I love Ella Jenkins' music, too. My local library introduced me to her songs more than 30 years ago, but somehow I missed hearing her sing "Oh My I Want A Piece of Pie".

Thanks for starting this thread, Seth.

Best wishes to you and your grandchildren.

Azizi

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 09 - 05:31 PM

abc! as easy as do re me my mama take care of me oo ahh i wanna piece of pie pie too sweet i wanna piece of meat meat too tough i wanna ride the bus bus too full i wanna ride a bull bull too fast i want my money back money too green i want jellybean jelly bean to red i wanna go to bed bed not made i want some lemonade lemonade too sour but i got the power to close my eyes and count to ten whoever messes up starts all over again 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,preatorius
Date: 19 Dec 09 - 01:37 PM

West Coast Version

Winston tastes good just like a cigarette should
Winston tastes good like an - ooh, ah, I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet, I want a piece of meat
Meat too tough, I want to ride a ride a bus
bus too full, I want to ride a bull
bull too black, I want my money back !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,cknick
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 09:56 PM

This is how I remember it from 1969 in Western NYS- and after seeing the other posts I have to laugh because we always said Pa instead of pie and it never made any sense to me-but most of these didn't anyway.....And I also can see a reference to the times-related to the bus being too black....

Ooh Ahh, Wanna piece of Pa
Pa too sweet
Wanna piece of meat
Meat too tough
Wanna ride a bus
Bus too black
Want my money back
Money too green
Make me wanna scream
"Your father's got a head like a submarine!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Dezzy Short chicka
Date: 25 Sep 10 - 05:17 PM

ooh, ah, I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet, I want a piece of meat
Meat too brown, I want to go to town
Town too far, I'll have to take a car
Car too black, I want my money back
Money too green, I want a limosine
..... I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour, by now we have the power
To close our eyes and count to ten
Whoever messes up has to do it again. Oh, my! No more pie.
Pie's too sweet. I want a piece of meat.
Meat's too red. I want a piece of bread.
Bread's too brown. I think I'll go to town.
Town's too far. I think I'll take a car.*
Car won't go.* I fell and stubbed my toe.
Toe gives me pain. I think I'll take a train.
Train had a wreck. I fell and broke my neck.
Oh, my! No more pie.Bye 'n' bye, Ah wanna piece of pie.
Pie's too sweet. Ah wanna piece of meat.
Meat's too red. Ah wanna piece of bread.
Bread's too brown. Ah wanna go t' town.
Town's too far. Ah wanna ketch a car.
Car's too fas'. Ah fall 'n' break mah @#$%
Ah'll understan' it better bye 'n' bye.Oh my, no more pie.
Pie's too sweet. I want a piece of meat.
Meat's too red. I want a piece of bread.
The bread's too brown, so I gotta go to town.
The town's too far, and I don't drive a car.
But I won't make a fuss. I'll just hop on the bus.
I finally got to town, where I met baker Brown.
He said, "Oh my, there's no more pie.
No chocolate pie, no strawberry pie,
No banana creme pie, no mincemeat pie,
No apple pie, no pecan pie,
No butterscotch pie, no kitty litter pie!"
Oh my, no more pie.
123, My mama takes care of me.
My daddy watches ABC.
Ohh ahh! I wanna piece of pie.
Pie too sweet. I wanna piece of meat.
Meat too rough. I wanna ride a bus.
Bus too full. I wanna ride a bull.
Bull too black. I want my money back.
Money too green. I want a jelly bean.
Jelly bean not cooked. I wanna read a book.
Book not read. I wanna go to bed.
Bed not made. I want some lemonade.
Lemonade too sour. I wanna take a shower.
Shower too cold. I want a piece of gold.
Gold too shiny. I wanna pet a kitty.
Kitty too fat. Now that's the end of that.
Now close your eyes and count to ten.
Whoever messes up has to start all over again!





or.....

ew ah i want a piece of pie,
the pie to sweet i want a piece or meat,
the meat to tough,
so ill just ride the bus,
the buss to fulll.ill just ride a bull,
if the bulls to black i want my money back,
if the bull is to white i want it out of sight,
if the bull is to yellow,
then its not mellow,
the bull to green,
then its not clean,
the bull to purple,
it looks like erkle,
the bull to red,
its now done and said!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Anonomyums
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 04:18 PM

Winston tastes good just like a cigarette should
ou ah I want a piece of pie
pie too sweet
I want a piece of meat
meat too rough
I wanna ride a bus
bus too full
I wanna. Ride a bull
bull to black
I want my money back
money back too green
I want a jelly bean
jelly bean too red
I wanna go to bed
bed not made
I want some lemonade
lemonade too sour
I wanna take a shower
shower too cool
I wanna go to school
schools too dumb
I wanna sck my thumb
thumb too dirty I wanna ride a biddy
birdy too slow
and that's all I know
so close you're eyes
count to ten
if you mess up start all over again
(count to ten)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 09:31 PM

PIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


:-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,girl who plays this everyday at lunch!
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 10:48 AM

i learned from my friend...
Winston taste good just like a ciggatrette should
oh, i, i wanna piece of pie
pie to sweet i wanna piece of meat
meat to rough i wanna ride a bus
but got a flat i want my money back
money back to green i want a jellybean
jellybean to red i want to go to bed
bed not made i want some lemonade
lemonade to sour i want to take a shower
shower to cool i want to go to school
school to dumb i want to suck my thumb
thumb to dirty i wanna ride a birdie
birdie to slow and thats all i know
so close your eyes and count to ten and whoever messes up starts all over again
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Marcy
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 10:15 AM

Wow! This brings back memories.I was just singing another rhyme to my 8 month old daughter and for some reason this rhyme popped into my head. So I found this after doing a search on the rest of the words. I had no idea of its origin or the other versions! It's great how nursery rhymes travel the world. I'm from Bermuda, btw.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Lalala
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 04:26 PM

Snickers they taste just like a, candy bar just like a.
Ohh Ahh I wan't some pie,
pie to sweet I want a piece of meat,
meat to tough I want to ride the bus,
bus too full I want to ride a bull,
bull to flat I want my money back,
Money back 2 3 I want a jelly bean,
Jelly bean to red I want to go to bed,
bed no made I want a cream egg,
This is how I count to ten,
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Start again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 11 - 05:34 PM

ABC just as easy as 123
My momma takes care of me, baby you and me
Oo ah I want a piece of pie
Pie too sweet I want a piece of meat
Meat too rough I wanna ride the bus
Bus too full I wanna ride a bull
Bull too black I want my money back
Money back too green, I want a jelly bean
Jelly bean not cooked I wanna read a book
Book not read I wanna go to bed
Bed not made I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour I wanna take a shower
Shower too cool I wanna go to school
School too dumb I wanna suck my Thumb
Thumb too dirty I wanna fly a birdie
Birdie too slow, no that's all I know
So count to ten if you make a mistake, start all over again! :)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 11:44 PM

Winston stays good just like a, candy should, just like a
Oooh Ahh
Want a piece of pie
pie too sweet
want a piece of meat
meat too tough
want to ride the bus
bus too full
want to ride a bull
bull too fat
want my money back
money back
money too green
want a jelly bean
jelly bean too red
want to go to bed
bed not made
want some lemonade
lemonade too sour
want to take a shower
shower too cool
want to go to school
school to dumb
want to suck my thumb
suck my thumb
suck my thumb

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST,Fine Wine
Date: 16 Jan 12 - 01:01 AM

Fascinating. Then there's this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVMIC2FaiXc

Relevant part starts around 1:57.

Subject: I want a piece of pie.
From: GUEST,Emily M.
Date: 17 May 12 - 06:28 PM

Oh, My, I want a piece of pie, pie too sweet, I want a piece of meat, meat too rough, I want to ride a bus, bus to full, I wanna ride a bull, bull too black, I want my money back, Money back too green, I wanna jelly bean, jelly bean not cooked, I wanna read a book, book not read, I wanna go to bed, bed not made, I want some lemonade, Lemonade too sour; girl you got that superpower, brick wall; waterfall, girl you think you know it all; you don't I do; so poof* with the attitude poof*; peace, punch, captain crunch; thats right you better run, wait; come back, you need a tic- tack; not one; not two; but the whole six pack. Elbow, Elbow, Wrist, Wrist, Blow me a kiss.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 02:04 AM

ABC, easy as 1 2 3
My momma takes care of me
my poppa says
Ooh, Ahh I wanna piece of pie
Pie too sweet I wanna piece of meat
Meat too tough I wanna ride a bus
Bus too full I wanna ride a bull
Bull too fat I want my money back
Money back too green I wanna jelly bean
Jelly bean too red I wanna go to bed
Bed not made I want some lemonade
Lemonade too sour which gives us the power
to close our eyes and count to ten
And If you can't do it gotta do it again.
(COUNT)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jun 12 - 11:31 PM

Sugar sweet just like a cinnamon treat
Just like a I I I wanna piece of pie
Pie to sweet wanna piece of meat
Meat to rough wanna ride a bus
Bus to full wanna ride a bull
Bull to black Want my money back
Money to green wanna jellybean
Jellybean not red wanna go to bed
Bed not made want some lemonade
Lemonade to sour now I have the power
To close my eyes and count to 10 then we can do it all over agian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh my, I want a piece of pie
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 13 - 04:22 PM