Lyr Add: Here We March All Around in a Ring

Subject: Lyr Add: HERE WE MARCH ALL AROUND IN A RING
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 04:42 AM

HERE WE MARCH ALL AROUND IN A RING

Here we march all around in a ring,
One will choose while others sing,
Choose the one that you love best,
And I'm sure you will please the rest.

Geeminny jinkins, what a choice you've made!
Better in your grave be laid!
Kiss her slow and let her know
How you come to love her so.

Emrich, Duncan, American Folk Poetry - An Anthology, "Play-Party, Courting, and Kissing Games and Songs," Little Brown & Co., 1974, p 31. "Here We March All Around in a Ring" was collected by the Federal Music Project, Works Progress Administration (WPA), Boyd County, Kentucky, ca, 1937, Jean Thomas, Supervisor for Boyd County, Ms., with music, in the Archive of Folk Song, Library of Congress.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HERE WE MARCH ALL AROUND IN A RING
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 01:14 PM

Your examples have sold me. I have ordered the book.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HERE WE MARCH ALL AROUND IN A RING
From: Azizi
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 04:20 PM

I just wanted to comment that songs like this have historical value but are probably not 'performable' [to make up a word] nowadays.

First off, [setting aside the fact that play party songs were originally meant for pre-teens and teeens]it's rare that girls and boys over 6 years of age even play circle {ring} games, or that boys would play them with girls. Even under 6 years old, these games are usually never self-initiated. Pre-school teachers are the ones who usually lead these types of games, and it seems that few of them know more than "Hokey-Pokey" and "Ring around the Rosie."

And kissing? Ha! Even if pre-school and elementary school aged children wanted to do that while they are playing games which they don't, you wouldn't be able to get that passed the Politically Correct folks.

Not to mention that children's circle games have been modified so that the center person accidently picks her replacement. It used to be, for instance, that the girl in the center would sashay over to "the one she loved the best". But now, when these games are played, the center person closes his or her eyes, puts the left hand over the eyes, turns around with the right arm outstretched and finger pointed. The new center person is then the one who is pointed to at the end of the song.

But I found out last week that some elementary school children don't even know once very familiar games like "Little Sally Walker" sittin in the saucer or it's cousing "Little Sally Ann sittin in the sand" ...

Soon the only games that these children may know are computer games and competitive games like baseball, basketball, and football.

Sad.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HERE WE MARCH ALL AROUND IN A RING
From: Azizi
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 04:21 PM

"it's cousing" = "its cousin"

Sorry- I got to get used to using that Preview feature..