a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)

Subject: a song called alla balla
From: GUEST,Jo
Date: 12 Nov 00 - 11:41 PM

There's an old folk song/chant that used to be sung in the The Bahamas and most likely in Latin America too, called "alla balla" or "alla palla". I'm trying to find information on its origin and meaning. Please help. It went something like this...spelling is most likely totally off: "Alla balla chicin calala, alla balla bu". Please respond to: [e-mail] Thanks so much!

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla
From: Songster Bob
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 01:21 PM

I used to know a counting-out rhyme with some similarity, which used "Ocka-bocka, stona-crocka, ocka-bocka-boo" in place of the "Alla balla ... balla bu" in your request. don't know more than that, though, and don't know where you'd find more about such rhymes.

My full counting-out rhyme:
Ocka-bocka, stona-crocka, ocka-bocka-boo
Ocka-bocka, stona-crocka, out goes YOU.

Bob Clayton

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 05:22 PM

I've heard:

Acka-backa soda-cracka, acka-backa boo,
Acka-backa soda-cracka, out goes you.

Grandpa Paton

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 06:49 PM

Jo has started a couple of other threads on this subject; most of the discussion is here:   Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla
From: Lanfranc
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 01:22 PM

Any chance this could be related to the Scottish childrens song "Coulters Candy", which has a chorus "Ally, Bally, Allybally bee, seated on yer mither's knee, greeting for a wee bawbee to buy some Coulters Candy" ??

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 06:18 PM

That was suggested in the parallel thread I've linked to above, but apparantly it isn't connected.

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: GUEST,RIH
Date: 28 May 10 - 06:59 PM

This is the version I know

Alla balla tingo
THe way jon kalla balla
Alla balla walla balla oo ja ja
Jeway Jewo the opoticle popalla
San Fair push cart, duck's feet.

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: Reiver 2
Date: 28 May 10 - 07:43 PM

It immediately made me think of Coulter's Candy, but Lanfranc and Malcolm beat me to it. I used to sing that to my kids when they were little and it was a favorite of The Reivers, too. Coultre's Candy, I mean!

Reiver 2

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 28 May 10 - 07:48 PM

Old Threads like this are a bit of a Confusion !
But Bill Caddick has a 'song' - Oller Boller , when I call you will foller , or something like that - Kids thing from West Midlands UK

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 07:21 PM

Version my Grandma sang to me was:
Alla balla tingle
Great John callaba
Alla ba, alla ba, you ya ya
Jewey jewey jewop-a-tic-you-opoll-a
Alla balla, alla balla, you ya ya

No idea what it was all about!

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: Snuffy
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 04:28 AM

The versions in the first two postings appear to be counting-out rhymes:
    "Alla balla chicin calala, alla balla bu"
    "Ocka-bocka, stona-crocka, ocka-bocka-boo"

When I was a kid in the early 50s we had a similar one:
    "Ickle ockle, choc'let bottle, ickle ockle OUT"

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 04:39 AM

^^^^^ GUEST
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 07:21

Where?
When?
What year was your Gm' born?
Where?

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: GUEST,Hannah
Date: 06 Jul 23 - 02:13 AM

Picking up on this old thread. My grandmother (English but born 1917 in Hong Kong) taught me this version:

Alla balla tingle, old John Calabar
Alla balla, walla balla, ooh yah yah!

Cha-weeee, cha-weeee
Cha woppa dicca woppa laaa!

Alla balla, walla balla, ooh yah yah!

So wish I had thought to ask her the origin before she got dementia and passed away. If anyone has any info I would love to know.

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Jul 23 - 04:25 PM

The most likely usage is as a counting out rhyme (eliminator in a game) and most of these are just nonsense syllables, but some may have been corruptions of something with meaning originally. However, such concoctions can also be found randomly in pop songs like 'The Witchdoctor' where they are supposed to represent a foreign language, nowadays quite rightly seen as racist.

There was also a two-ball/skipping rhyme which starts
Alla-balla-boushka King of the Jews
Bought his wife a pair of shoes
When the shoes began to wear
Alla-balla-boushka bought another pair. (Hull, 1950s)

The name in other versions varies 'Nebuchadnezzar' for example.

Subject: RE: a song called alla balla (children's rhyme?)
From: Robert B. Waltz
Date: 06 Jul 23 - 07:00 PM

Steve Gardham wrote:

There was also a two-ball/skipping rhyme which starts
Alla-balla-boushka King of the Jews

In the Ballad Index as "Nebuchadnezzar's Wife"; I've seen versions with Nebuchadnezzar, Holy Moses, Thomas a Didymus, Pontius Pilate, and others.

But one should also check the big mess that I filed under "Ickie Bickie Soda Cracker," which floats in all sorts of direction and relates to "My Mother and Your Mother."

That's apart from the link to "Coulter's Candy," of course.