Children's Street Songs

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: LadyJean
Date: 01 Jul 04 - 12:23 AM

Overheard from two little girls on a bus:
Oh my don't cry mama's having a baby (move arms as though rocking)
Daddy's going crazy(twirl fingers beside head.)
If it's a boy I'll give it a toy.( As though handing a toy.)
If it's a girl I'll give it a curl. (Draw a curl on forehead.)
Wrap it up in toilet paper, send it down the escalator.

From my grade school days:
Whistle while you work.
Cyril is a jerk.
Mussolini bit his weenie
Now it doesn't squirt.
(Mussolini had been dead a good 20 years when I heard this.)

From My mother, whose family came from Cincinnatti, which has a large German population.

Oh the Dutch company is the best company, that ever come over from Old Germany
There's the Amsterdam Dutch, and the Potsdam Dutch, and the Rotterdam Dutch, and the goddam Dutch.
Oh! God save the Irish! God save the Irish! God save the Irish, they're a damn fine race.

Mother also sang the song I learned as Three Jolly Fishermen as Three Wandering Jews. In my version they went to Amsterdam. In mother's version they went to Damascus. The punchline to the song is the same. The song has you singing "Amster- Amster- dam dam dam" or "Dam dam as as cus cus cus", you aren't really saying a four letter word, except you really are.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,Vanessa
Date: 30 Jun 04 - 09:44 PM

I cant belive kids are still singing this:
like
........................
I hate u u hate me (barney)

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Little Robyn
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 06:07 PM

The local Girl Guides sang a version of the Pirate song but they sang
'We're going north, south, east, west.....'
with foot pointing actions for each direction - north=to the front, south=toe to the ground behind you, east=toe out to the right, west=toe behind your left foot, and then when you get to 'UP the Irish sea' you do a lovely high kick!
Great fun.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Snuffy
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 08:26 AM

That's a counting song, Mick

When I was one, I had some fun
the day I went to sea .
I jumped aboard a pirate's ship
and the captain said to me,
We're going this way that way forwards and backwards
Over the Irish sea
With a bottle of rum to warm me tum
And that's the life for me.

When I was two, I lost my shoe
the day I went to sea etc

Make up your own rhymes - clean for adults, lavatorial for kids!

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: jack halyard
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 04:57 PM

My kids at the childcare centres I work at are singing;

one two three,
Mummy caught a flea,
Put it in the teapot to make a cup of tea,
Flea jumped out,
Mummy gave a shout,
In came daddy with his shirt hanging out.

We're off, we're off,
We're off in a motor car,
Fifty coppers are after us,
And they don't know where we are.

Twinkle twinkle Vegemite,
On a sandwich brown or white,
If you drop it on the ground,
It will turn your carpet brown,
Twinkle twinkle Vegemite,
I'm OK and you're alright.
( for Americans, Vegemite is a thick, brown, yeast-based goop children seem to enjoy on bread.)

And finally a set of words composed by Adie, a four year old, that's become a local classic.

Tyrannosaurus Rex is built like a tree,
When I saw him coming, I had to have a wee,
I was so scared I had to flee,
What would he do to me.

Use a downhill bass line like "16 tons" or "Hit the road,Jack" and sing the melody uphill and you have the tune. Key usually Em.

                              Your good health, folks,

                               Jack Halyard

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 03:04 PM

The Lomax series on Rounder, 1951 recordings of Scottish Children' Songs, is just being released. I can't say if it's much good, I made it!!

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,guest mick
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 12:12 PM

anyone remember this one?
When I was young my life begun
the day I went to sea .
I jumped aboard a pirate's ship
and the captain said to me,
I wanna go this way that way forward and backway
Over the Irish sea
With a bottle of rum to warm me tum
And that's the life for me.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,Anne Croucher
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 11:05 PM

From south Yorkshire, late 50's Junior school - 7 to 11 year olds.

Wallflowers Wallflowers, growing up so high
We are all pretty maids and we don't want to die
Except for xxx xxx she's the chosen one
Turn your back,xxx (first name only)


This was a circling game - almost a ritual and I can't remember the end of the rhyme ( its beat was ti tum ti tum ti tum) or the finish of the game - as the girls circled clockwise (boys were not allowed)as each name was called the girl turned clockwise so she was facing outwards with her arms crossed - the girl on her left lifted her arm up to facilitate the turn.

The end was dangerous - there were sprained wrists and ankles from playing wallflowers. It might have been spinning around faster and faster until someone fell down - possibly.

There was also 'the big ship sails' - where a line of girls threaded under the arms of those at the end of the line - the last girl put her right hand on a wall or held a post to make the first arch. The leader went through each arch, drawing the rest after her, and the row gradually was twisted from facing left with linked hands to facing right with crossed hands. The line broke up when they were all turned - one of our teachers said that it was a chasing game - that when the line broke the girl with her hand on the wall or post had to chase the others, and when caught they formed a line - the last one caught was the one to put her hand on the wall and be the chaser next time, and the one to lead the line.

Skipping - 'lady in a tight skirt can't do this' - jump up and kick forwards and backwards, 'lady in a tight skirt can't do that' - kick out sideways, 'and this and that' - repeat with jumping until failure.

'All in together girls, never mind the weather girls when I count to thirty you've got to be out five ten fifteen twenty twenty five thirty'everyone had to run out of the rope.
Then you have to be in - everyone had to run back and start to jump again - then 'when I say your birthday you have to be out January etc'

If you stopped the rope - some of which were long and heavy, you had to take over from the longest serving turner and they joined in the skipping.

Anne

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 01:51 PM

A good selection of children's rhymes i the book, "Doctor Knickerbocker and Other Rhymes, a Canadian Collection," by David Booth, illus. Maryann Kovalski, 1993, Kids Can Press Ltd.
Three of them-

I'm a little acorn brown.
Lying on the cold, cold ground.
Everybody steps on me,
That's why I'm a nut, you see.

I'm a nut, tuh, tuh,
I'm a nut, tuh, tuh,
I'm a nut in a rut, you see.

I call myself on the phone
Just to see if I'm at home.
I ask myself on a date,
Yje latest time is half-past eight.

I'm a nut, tuh, tuh,
I'm a nut, tuh, tuh,
I'm a nut in a rut, you see.
---
When I eat my Smarties, I eat the blue ones last.
I suck them slowly, I crunch them very fast.
I never eat the chocolate, I always eat the shell.
When I eat my Smarties, I eat them very well.
---
Sweetly sings the donkey
As he goes to the grass,
He who sings so sweetly
Is sure to be an ass.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Neighmond
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 04:41 AM

I never seem to hear them anymore, but I seldome see younger children outside.

Here's one from my misspent youth:

Sadie sunflower, growing up high
as all little girls and boys must die
Except (say a name) Who is the best girl!
Hang down your head in shame!
Tell us girls your lover's name!

(The named girl then tells a name.)

(Boy's name) is a fine young man!
Came to the church with his ring on his hand!
The bride puts on her wedding dress
and (calls the boy?) she loves the best.

Stop the wedding! I am sick!
Call the doctors quick, quick, quick!
Ask the doctor if I'll die
We all die after awhile.
You'll be sorry when I die
for all the times you made me cry.



There are more parts to it but I am lucky I remembered that much.

Chaz

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 03:38 AM

As a Primary School ( 4 to 11 years ) teacher, I was fascinated by the clapping songs done by the older girls ( 9 to 11 ) in the school yard, and about 7 years ago I videod a number of them performing a collection of pieces. At the moment, it seems out of fashion to perform these songs - at least in my school.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Mar 04 - 02:50 PM

Beanz49, the song is "Playmate," it is in the DT under that title. Enter playmate into the Search blank.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,Shamiere
Date: 24 Mar 04 - 02:25 PM

My husband actually taught my daughter's a song that he remembered as a child in the late 60s/early 70s.

Hey you, over there, with the nappy nappy hair.
My back is achin' my pants too tight, my bootie shakin' from the left to right
M' Gowa, Black Power, yo' mama needs a shower.
Destroy, little boys, soul sister number nine, sock it to me one more time.
Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From:
Date: 18 Mar 04 - 08:24 AM

I am searching for a song, the lyrics are something like this., "oh, pretty or little playmate come out and play, bring your dollies three, slide down my rainbow," some of the lyrics that I recall. If you can be of any help to find this song, it would be greatly appreciated...thank you...Gloria

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From:
Date: 18 Mar 04 - 08:24 AM

I am searching for a song, the lyrics are something like this., "oh, pretty or little playmate come out and play, bring your dollies three, slide down my rainbow," some of the lyrics that I recall. If you can be of any help to find this song, it would be greatly appreciated...thank you...Gloria

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Mar 04 - 01:47 PM

Mentioned before, I think, but an interesting little book is "Songs and Sayings of an Ulster Childhood," 1983, Alice Kane, ed. Edith Fowke. The copy I have was printed in Canada by McC and S, but I believe that there is a UK edition. Many street rhymes.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,Celeste
Date: 17 Mar 04 - 11:55 AM

Murray,

I grew up in South Philadelphia in the 50s and early 60s. I was one of those girls singing rhymes while jumping rope. So it was going on up until '64 at least.

And Alan, You asked if anyone remembers the song starting "Standing on the corner, not doing any harm along came a copper and grabbed me by the arm ...."

I know that as the Wiffer Woffer song. I went into my daughter's school when she was in third grade and taught it to the class.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Lighter
Date: 16 Mar 04 - 05:39 PM

My grandmother grew up in the 1890s, though not in Brooklyn. Her version of the "Board of Health" rhyme was

Punky feet, punky feet,
The Board of Health is across the street.

The tune was essentially Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" (the Alfred Hitchcock theme).

Believe it or not.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,ginger
Date: 16 Mar 04 - 05:30 PM

When I was growing up the jump rope song to Teddybear lullabye went like this:
Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around,
teddy bear, teddy bear touch the ground,
teddy bear , teddy bear go upstairs ,
teddy bear , teddy bear say your prayers,
teddy bear teddy bear turn out the light,
teddy bear , say good night.

We also did actions while jumping, ie: turned around in a circle,
touched the ground, picked up high knees to go up stairs,
folded hands to say prayers, flicked a finger to turn out the light,then jumped out of the rope to the side to say goodnight, this ended your turn. That sure was alot of fun! I came to this site to learn others to teach my daughter.Thanks alot everyone!

ginger

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Flash Company
Date: 10 Mar 04 - 10:26 AM

There was a record from Topic in the days of vinyl called 'The Singing Streets' featuring street songs of Manchester & dublin sung by Ewan McColl & Dominic Behan. It may be about on CD somewhere, I have never looked for it.
My Old Man , who was raised in the Ancoats area of Manchester vouched for much of the Manchester content when he heard it, things like:-
In Miller Street, in Miller Street,
Thy never wash their dirty feet,
They're growing spuds & sugar beet
Inside their mucky earholes!

FC

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: LNL
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 02:59 PM

Forgot to add - the rest of the song goes through M-I-L-K, with a sometimes-added verse "Give me a long milk!" "Chocolate!" "Give me a short milk!" "Skim!"

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: LNL
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 02:57 PM

Sure thing. It's a call-and-response song. Here's the version we did. First, ya find a partner.

Leader: Give me a long M!
Everyone: Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
Leader: Give me a short M!
Everyone: M! (clap on beats for next two lines)
Don't gimme no pop, no pop
Don't gimme no tea, no tea;
Just gimme that milk - moo moo moo moo (Your partner extends his/her thumbs to resemble udders, 'milk' them while you sing the moo's)
Wisconsin milk - moo moo moo moo (Partner 'milks' your thumbs on moo's)

I did a search for other versions; one version is on this site:

http://www.irho.org/hcc.php


If you go to GLACURH cheers, there's a collection of songs that look like they're used during college freshmen orientation. We used most of these songs at the camp, as well.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Little Robyn
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 04:42 PM

Guest truelinor, the song you're looking for is in the DT. Just put Playmate in the box at the top and you'll find it. It used to be played on the radio a lot in the 50s, especially children's request sessions.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 04:39 PM

LNL, please tell us about "Wisconsin Milk." I grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, and these things are very important to me.
-Joe Offer, now in California-

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 04:08 PM

The Salvation army free from sin
Went to heaven in a cornbeef tin
The cornbeef tin began to smell
And the Salvation Army went to...
Helensburgh Castle stands upon a rock
If you want to pass it, you've got to show your....
Cocktail Ginger Ale, half a pint of water, stick it up your....
Ask no questions tell no lies
Shut your mouth and you'll catch no flies.
                  --------------
Mary Queen of Scots got her head chopped of
Head chopped off.
Head chopped off.
                  --------------

Queen Mary, Queen Mary
Ma age is sixteen
Ma faither's a fairmer on yonder green
He's plenty o' money tae dress me up braw
But there's nae bonny laddie will tak me awa.
                  ---------------

My Maw's a millionaire
Blue eyes and curly hair
Down amomng the Eskimos
Teaching them how to blow their nose
My maw's a millionaire
                  ---------------
These are all songs and fragments from kids rhymes, skipping and otherwise from my childhood.

John

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,truelinor
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 02:35 PM

I have sung this song as long as I can remember and I ask about it on another board (IMDb) and some one gave me this site. The rest of the second verse, as I remembeer it goes:

I'm sorry playmate,
I cannot play with you,
My dolly's got the flu,
Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo,
Ain't got no rain barrel,
Ain't got no cellar door,
But we'll be jolly friends,
Forevermore.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: LNL
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 01:25 AM

When I was growing up, we all jump-roped to "Down by the river, where the green grass grows." My grandma taught me "1-2-3 O'Leary," so I always bounced a ball with that.

I was a counselor at a camp about three years ago, and the campers (good-natured high school students) played a surprising amount of games during break time. Not surprisingly, they weren't all innocent little rhymes. For example, Little Sally Walker has been reincarnated! She's now a circle game, with the chant:

"Little Sally Walker,/walking down the street.
She didn't know what to do, so/she jumped in front of me and said:
'Hey, girl, shake that thing,/shake that thing like it ain't no thing.
Come on, girl, shake that thing,/shake that thing like it ain't no thing."

And another favorite circle game:

"Here we go, ridin' that pony, riding around on that big fat pony.
Here we go, ridin' that pony, this is how we do it:
Front to front to front, oh, baby
Back to back to back, oh, baby
Side to side to side, oh, baby
This is how we do it"

Of course, both games were stopped more than once when campers became too...involved!

We also did the fairly innocuous "Wisconsin Milk" song, and a ton of other call-and-responses that don't quite qualify as street games.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 01:22 AM

Three of my favorites:

I should worry, I should care
I should marry a millionaire.
He should die, I should cry
I should marry another guy

(jumping rope)

and
I should worry
I should fret
I should marry
A suffragette.


or

Marguerite, go wash your feet
The boards of Health
Is across the street.


The joys of a Brooklyn upbringing!

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,Debbie
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 12:25 AM

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Megan L
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 04:06 PM

this set the old grey matter ticking again. we sang things like
Down in the jungle
one two three oleary
I'm shirley temple
Sally in the kitchen
the big ship sails down the ealy ally o
ma maws a millionaire
ring a rosey

and a ball song i wish i could remember about soldiers lying dieing, although this was the early 60s it runs in my mind the song refered not the ww 1 or 2 but perhaps Boer or krimea war.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: s & r
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 03:36 PM

What we need is more school songs and playground games - all they appeared to do nowadays is want to fight!

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 01:54 PM

Thank you Becky. It is Bill Grogan's goat and the tune is there too! For those interested, the missing words are:

The whistle blew,
The train drew nigh
This poor old goat
Was doomed to die,

He gave 3 groans
Of awful pain
Coughed up the shirts
And flagged the train.

I see the DT version doesn't have the 'went to heaven without a head' bit. Was that added by the street kids, I wonder - one of those songs that give you a chance to say a forbidden word like HELL-o.
Now, I think I need to go teach that song to some of the kids over here!
Robyn

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Billy Weeks
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 12:43 PM

This thread is drifting all over the place. I love it! So no apologies for a bit more drift. An experiment my wife, Val, and I conducted a few weeks ago:

Ask any adult you like (but not a Mudcatter) how many nursery rhymes they know. Most will answer 'Oh, maybe a dozen' or will offer an even smaller number. Suggest that they know more than 20 and hardly any will agree.

Val and I decided to do a count and found we were word perfect (if the term is permissible in this context) in more than 70 - and we don't think that this is in any way an exceptional score. Try it. Write a list and keep adding to it as your memory comes up with them!

Furthermore, our grand daughter, not yet four, was familiar with most of our 70-plus. Without prompting she had difficulty reciting more than half a dozen, but she could join in on the majority. Interestingly, her preference is very much for rhymes where she can make up bits ('Aikin Drum' for example, puts no strain on the memory. Once you've got the general hang of it you can improvise).

Returning to the thread proper, I collected a pretty street rhyme many years ago, from a teacher who remembered it from her own childhood. It goes to a snappy, skippy little tune:

Off to the butchers I must go, I cannot wait any longer;
My mother said that I must not play with the boys down yonder;
White stockings, blue garters, hair tied up with silver,
A red rosette upon my chest and a gold ring on my finger.

Have never heard it since.

One reason you don't hear much like this today (apart from the fact that you won't hear if you don't listen) is that the urban streets of totally car-orientated populations are pretty hostile places. With both sides of the street lined with parked cars and the centre serving as a race track for saloon tanks, a child would be crazy to play any game that requires space, like 'Please Mr Fisherman' or 'What's the Time Mr Wolf?'

The saddest thing is that the drivers bombing through the middle are all too often parents who have been trained by their paranoid newspapers to see a paedophile around every corner - so they drive their kids to schools less than a mile away from home.

I don't know the answer, but offer the thought that irrational fear and automobile culture are major causes of obesity and the destruction of traditional lore.

Ah - I feel better now!

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 12:21 PM

Little Robyn - do a search on "Bill Grogan's Goat" and you'll find plenty.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: ReeBop
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 12:08 PM

Ok, for me it wa only a couple years ago that I was on the playground. We did a lot of hand clapping and jump rope songs. "Oh the preacher went down" "Miss Mary Mack" "ci ci my playmate" were some of our favorites...but we also did "Yellow Submarine" "Waltzing Matilda" and anyting with a beat that we could play with.

Also, we had a bunch of versions of Yankee Doodle and "Krack Diddly O Ka" that had different "hand games" to them.

As for now...yes the kids still play in the street. I live in a very neighborhood type of NYC neighborhood on the first floor. I spend quite a bit of time at my window watching the local kids and -- boy can they play. Double Dutch and Jumping Rope mixed with break dancing. And one of my favorites from this past fall was a group of really little kids in a circle around one kid at a time singing "go _____ it's your birthday" which is a tag line in a popular rap song from this summer--it's actually a difficult rhythm that these 3 to 6 year olds had down perfectly.

And sometimes I hear old tunes that I know with new Spanglish lyrics...

Oh yeah, there is an ever-changing "Miss Mary Mack/oh you can't get to heaven" mix that I used to sing and I've heard some new "veses" to.


and there's this one that I've heard so many versions of:

A B C
it's easy as 1 2 3
yer mama's got funky feet
oosh ahsh I want a piece of squash
sqhash too sweet I want a piece of meat
meat too tough I wanna ride a bus
Buss too full I wana buy a bull
bull too black I want my money back
money too green I want a limosine
Limosine too long
I wanna write a song
song too old I want a pot of gold
gold to yella' I wanna kiss a fella
fella too fat
and that's the end of that

or
gold too yellow I'll Tickle you with a feather (and you reach out and try to tickle the person who you're playing with)

that's all I can remember right now...

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 10:19 AM

Here's one I heard from my niece 30 years ago

Boys have the muscles,
teachers have the brains.
Girls have the sexy legs
and we win the games.
Yay!

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: GUEST,Hugh Jampton
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 07:16 AM

Am I right in assuming the following song, made popular by an American girl group, is based upon a childrens street song over in the US?

Two, four, nine,
The goose drank wine,
The monkey chewed tobacco on the street car line.
THe line broke,
The monkey got choked,
They all went to heavan in a little row boat.

Subject: Lyr Add: BILL BONES' GOAT / ...GROGAN'S...
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 04:33 AM

I'm looking for some extra words to one that was on a Folkways record I once had, called 'One, two, three and a zing, zing, zing'. I no longer have the record - I sent it to Iona and Peter Opie many years ago, before photocopy machines were easy to find, tho' I did make a cassette copy. I don't even remember the correct title of the song. It was a call and response type of song with the group repeating each line (except the very last one).

There was a man          (There was a man)
By the name Bill Bones    (By the name Bill Bones)
He had a goat             (He had a goat)
That he called his own.   (That he called his own)

Now this 'ere goat       (etc)
Was feeling fine
Ate six red shirts
Right off the line.

First Billy cursed
And then he swore
'This dogone goat
Will chew no more.'
   
He took him by
His wooly back
And tied him to
A railroad track.

There's another verse in here that I learnt elsewhere but can't remember it all -
.......
.......
Coughed up the shirts
And he flagged the train.

The engineer stopped
Got out to see
What this strange sight
On the track could be.

When he saw what it was
A woolly goat
Took out his knife
And he cut his throat.

Now this old goat
Was surely dead
He went to Heaven
Without a head.

And when he got there
Saint Peter said
'My dear old goat
Where is your Head?'

The goat replied
I cannot tell
It must have gone
Right down to (spoken)HELLO FOLKS!

The record also included 'Sipping Cider' in a similar style.
Can anyone fill in the blanks please. We've found a Robert Service poem with a very similar story but ending where the goat flags down the train.
Robyn

Subject: Lyr Add: WHITE MAN, HE SMELL LIKE CASTILLE SOAP
From: gargoyle
Date: 03 Nov 98 - 11:46 PM

From my mother's days...on the Colorado prairies....at the "Buckeye School"

White man, he smell like Cas-teel Soap
Nigga, he smell like a ol' billy goat
An I don....like a nigga.
An I don....like a nigga.
No How!

It is sung in the tune of a 4/4 "one", "four" chord.
(ie key of C) GGGE,EEG-G,FFFD,DDF-F,FFEC,CCC-,ECCC-,D-C-.

Not PC....sorry...this one I believe dates back to the civil war....(and from the "Union Side" ta boot.)

Subject: Lyr Add: MISS SUSIE HAD A STEAMBOAT
From: Animaterra
Date: 03 Nov 98 - 04:54 PM

Riding on the bus with my daughter on the way to a field trip last week I heard an old standard from my childhood:

Miss Susie had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell,
The steamboat went to heaven, Miss Susie went to
Hello, operator, please give me number nine,
And if you disconnect me, I'll kick you right
Behind the 'fridgerator, there was a piece of glass,
Miss Susie sat upon it, and broke her little
Ask me no more questions, I'll tell you no more lies,
The boys are in the girl's room, pulling down their
Flies are in the breadbox, Bees are in the park,
Miss Susie and her boyfriend were kissing in the
D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K
Dark is for the movies, movies for the show,
The show is for the tv,and that is all
I know I know my ma, I know I know my pa,
I know I know my sister with the forty-acre bra bra bra!!!

Wonderful 4th grade humor!

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Ewan McV
Date: 03 Nov 98 - 04:41 PM

I just came in from collecting some 24 old and new kids playground songs from eight year olds in a school in Craigmillar, Edinburgh, Scotland, and found this thread.

Every school where I have enquired in in Scotland (some thirty so far)is hotching with such songs. I'll go back to today's school next week and expect to find another 20 songs.

Versions and cousins of many of the songs have been found in Australia within the last ten years. Earlier this year at a conference I saw a video of such games being played in Australia two years ago. Find a book of them called Toodaloo Kangaroo, compiled by Heather Russell, published in Austrralia by Hodder & Stoughton in 1990.

They are all over, but kids on direct enquiry will usually deny that they 'sing songs'. These are not considered 'songs' but activities of some kind. Sing kids a few, like A Sailor Went To See, and ask if they know other similar ones. Don't call them jumprope songs, rope jumping can disappear for years, and the songs get used for clapping, Chinese Ropes, etc.

The words keep changing, and the songs adapt or die, to be replaced. The Folk Process in vigorous action. I'm working on a doctorate on the subject.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Barbara
Date: 03 Nov 98 - 04:27 PM

She's 12 now, Alison, and learned the song when she was 9 from a friend on the playground. I asked her when I drove her to school, and she had this much more:

When Susie was a teacher
A teacher Susie was
She hit us with a ruler
And gave us great big welts
Call the operator
Give me number nine
Tell Susie not to hit us
And now our hands are fine

And she had Suzie losing her bra as a granny (wonder who misheard that one and what the transition was) "at a party in her boyfriend's car".
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From:
Date: 03 Nov 98 - 05:44 AM

Alan S. That verse about the bedbugs and roaches is in a Furry Lewis song c. 1929.

Murray

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: alison
Date: 03 Nov 98 - 02:08 AM

Hi Barbara,

I remember Susie. She was all sorts of things including a doctor and a teacher. But the verse you're looking for is...

When Susie was a stripper, a stripper Susie was
and she went... ooh aah I lost my bra, left my knickers in my boyfriend's car.

Now how old did you say she was?

slainte

alison

Subject: Lyr Add: JOY TO THE WORLD THAT SANTA'S DEAD
From: Barbara
Date: 03 Nov 98 - 01:44 AM

My daughter came home from third grade school playground singing that Barney song, the Robin/Batman parody and

Joy to the world that Santa's dead
We barbequed his head
And what about his body?
We flushed it down the potty
And round and round it goes,
and round and round it goes
and Rou - ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ound it goes

She also had a singing and 2 person clapping game "When Susie was as baby... ( different things)" that ended with "Oo, Ah, lost my bra" and the gesture of crossing your hands over your chest. I'll ask her in the morning how it went.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Big Mick
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 11:55 PM

Alison et al,

The Clancy's did that version years ago. It is the one that we do when we perform the song. There are several verses beyond the most common ones that people sing now. I am practicing on Wednesday (States Eastern time). I will post the complete lyrics then.

All the best,

Mick who is still crawling

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Allan S.
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 11:32 AM

Does anyone remember one that started as follows Standing on the corner, not doing any harm along came a copper and grabbed me by the arm he took me round the corner and rang a little bell along came the ding dong going like hell

seven o'clockin the morning i looked upon the wall the roaches and the bed bugs were having a game of ball the score was 7 to nothing and th roaches were ahead when the roaches hit a home run that knocked me out of bed. etc etc.

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: alison
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 10:12 AM

Hi Mick,

Crawling will get you everywhere.**grin**

Yes we sang "I'll tell me ma." Another one I remembered the other day was.

My Aunt Jane she called me in, she gave me tea out of her wee tin
Half a bap with sugar on the top, three ?black lumps out of her wee shop.

We used to sing this going round to the shop to buy handfuls of jelly snakes.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Big Mick
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 08:32 AM

I will check with my six year old and see what they sing.

I just read through this top to bottom and noticed that nobody posted "I'll Tell Me Ma" which is a very old Belfast kids street song. Hey Alison, were they still singing that when you were a kid. Which, by the way, was not all that long ago. (a little shameless sucking up there folks) :-))

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 02:50 AM

The Pentatonic Music collection has some interesting street songs.
-Joe Offer-