Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 21 Apr 09 - 07:15 AM

Asking my friend Ivan (1963)- "At what age do they stop calling little negro children pickaninnies?" His responce - "As soon as they are old enough to fight."

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: ADD Version: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST
Date: 11 May 10 - 09:23 PM

I learned this song at girl scout camp in the late 70s.

C-H-I-C-K-E-N

C that's the way it begins
H I'm the second letter in
I I am the third letter
C I 'm the fourth letter in that word, oh
K I'm moving in
E I'm near the N
Oh C-H-I-C-K-E-N, that is the way you spell Chicken.

Oh Rufus Rastus Jonathan Brown,
what you gonna do when the rent comes round?
What you gonna say? What you gonna play?
What you gonna do on Judgment Day?
Oh, you know, I know, we know so.
Landlord through you out in the snow.
Oh Rufus Rastus Jonathan Brown,
what you gonna do when the rent comes round? Oh,

C......(repeat)

Subject: Lindy, sweet as the sugar cane - ukulele chords
From: GUEST,GUEST, Albert
Date: 14 Dec 10 - 05:55 AM

Hi people,
I have the words for Lindy, ... a song sung by a couple of now-deceased elderly aunts. I wonder if anybody can help with chords for the uke?
Thanks,
Albert

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Feb 11 - 09:48 AM

the way I learned it was in choir as a practice it went like this:

Rufus Rastus Johnson-Brown
oh, whatcha gonna do when the rain comes down
whatcha gonna do and whatcha gonna say
if you can't pay the rent til' the rain goes away?
oh, you know and I know and everybody knows
that you can't pay the rent if you ain't got the dough
so, Rufus Rastus Johnson-Brown
watcha gonna do when the rain comes down?

Subject: Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: Mudslide Mike
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 12:40 PM

Mississipi John Hurt sang a song called Chicken, in which he spells it out. Does anyone have the lyrics for this?

Subject: RE: Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 01:18 PM

I'm pretty sure there are previous threads discussing the song. Try putting your thread title in the Filter box on the main page and select Age: All in the dropdown box and click Refresh. See what comes up.
Alternatively wait until someone who knows arrives on this thread.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C-H-I-C-K-E-N (from J Warner & J Davis)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 01:23 PM

Hi, Mike-
I moved you over here, so we can build on the existing discussion and not re-invent the chicken...

-Joe Offer, Forum Moderator-

Subject: RE: Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST,Max
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 04:08 PM

Hi, I learned this in music class so here it goes


C- That's the way it begins and
H- that's the next letter in
I- were in the middle of the word now
C- you've already heard
K- Now where nearin' the end
E- now where roundin' the bend
C-H-I-C-K-E-N oh that's the way we spell (clap clap) chicken

and this is how we learned Rufus Rustas Johnson Brown

Rufus rustas johnson brown
oh whatcha gonna do when the rain comes down?
whatcha' gonna do and whatcha' gonna say
If you can't pay the rent till the rain goes away
'cause you know and I know and everybody knows
that you can't pay the rent if you ain't got the dough
Rufus rustas johnson brown
oh whatcha' gonna do when the rain comes down?

yeah, I have to learn that tune on my flute AND I have to sing it :( oh well

Subject: RE: Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST,Gresh
Date: 04 Dec 11 - 09:12 PM

My father used to sing this song all the time. I remember it like this:

There was a country schoolhouse, where all the darkies go
There was a pica-ninny by the name of Rag Time Joe
Now, the teacher called on Joe, to spell a kinda bird
Joe didn't know how to spell the word, but this is what he said,

C-That's the way to begin, and the
H- is the next letter in, and
I - that am the third, and the
C – salt and pepper is the seasoning for the bird, well
K- That's the fillin' in, and the
E– well that's next to the
N
Well C-H-I-C-K-E-N, that am the way you spell Chicken.

I still love it!!

Subject: RE: Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST,Lila2004
Date: 02 Feb 12 - 04:02 AM

My version, learned in Girl Scouts in the mid-1970s, goes like this:

C -- is the way we begin, and
H -- is the second letter in, and
I -- is the middle of the word, and
C -- you've already heard, and
K -- is a kind of a hen, and
E -- you are nearing the
N.

C-H-I-C-K-E-N, that's the way you spell it, chicken!

Oh, Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown,
whatcha gonna do when the rent comes around?
Whatcha gonna do and whatcha gonna say
when you can't pay the rent at the break of day?
Oh, you know, I know, everybody knows
that you can't pay the rent if you ain't got the dough.
Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown,
whatcha gonna do when the rent comes around?


I've looked at all the other version and mine seems to be the only one that uses the lines 'K -- is a kind of a hen' (which may just be a mishearing on my part, I admit) and 'when you can't pay the rent at the break of day'.

Subject: RE: Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST
Date: 24 May 13 - 05:38 PM

A-B7-D7-A

Subject: RE: Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 13 - 08:34 PM

this will be considered racist but this is how I learned it:

In a little country schoolhouse where all the darkies go,
there was a little pickaninny by the name of ragtime joe,
and when it came to spelling everyone did po you know
til one little darkie yelled out loud let's hear from ragtime joe.

C that's the way to begin,
H and the next letter am an
I I know I love you,
c am to season the bird
k, now I'm just fillin' in
E and the last letter N
C H I C K E N, that am the way to spell chicken

Subject: RE: Origins: C-H-I-C-K-E-N
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 04 Sep 15 - 06:11 AM

As noted previously in this thread the cover illistration is a real "hoot."Previous Discusion


The cover is included in University of Indiana's scan.

Cover Illustration

Sincerely,
Gargoyle