Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: Azizi
Date: 21 May 12 - 11:53 AM

Here's a link to my latest post about "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky":

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/song-sources-for-down-by-banks-of-hanky.html

Song Sources For Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

-snip-

That post features videos of the following songs & one rhyme:

King Kong Kitchie - "Chubby" Parker

Foolish Frog by Blind Blake

Eep, Ipe, Wanna Piece of Pie - Fats Waller

Joe Perkins - Little Eeefin' Annie (1963)

Alvin and the Chipmunks-Witch Doctor

The Jetsons - Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

Coca cola went to town

Manfred Mann - Do Wah Diddy


-snip-

By no means do I believe this is a complete list of all the songs/rhymes which has influenced the development of versions of "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky".

Thanks to all here who have contributed information about song sources for this huge family of playground rhymes and who have contributed examples of this rhyme.

Best wishes!

Azizi Powell

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Dec 11 - 09:10 PM

Down by the river front, hanky pank
Bullfrog, bullfrog jumped the bank
Say, fee fi fo fum,
pass it to the next one.

Mickey Mouse built a house,
Donald Duck messed it up,
who will pay the consequences
Y - O - U!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,jessica from Ohio
Date: 20 Nov 11 - 10:23 AM

We sung this one when I was a kid in NE Ohio (I'm 27 now). But it went:

Down by the banks with the hanky-panky
where the bullfrogs jumped from bank to banky
with an eeps, ops, ohps ops,
eeps ops ohps and it goes ker-splash!

The one about the dirty magazine went like this:

bubblegum, bubblegum in a dish
how many pieces do you wish?
(someone says a number) ex: three
T-H-R-E-E spells "three"
and out you go, you dirty old dishrag, you!
not because you're dirty
not because you're clean
just because you kissed a boy behind the Playboy magazine!

Also, I have been looking for the Italian version of the hand-clapping ("down by the banks") song. Does anyone know it?

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Ohio Kids
Date: 15 Nov 11 - 05:24 AM

down by the river with the hanky panky
fe fi fo the devil stanky
fe fi fo fum
chilly willy ding dong
yo momma look like king kong
lets play a game of ping pong
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

compliments of a daycare in Ohio

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: Azizi
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 08:24 AM

Guest Sarah, I took the liberty of adding your comment to this page on my Cocojams website: http://www.cocojams.com/content/text-analysis-down-banks-hanky-panky Text Analysis: "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky

That particular Text Analysis page focuses on the sources and folkloric development of the children's rhyme "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky.

I appreciate your comment/example and the comments/examples of others who have posted on this page, and those who may post on this page in the future.

To borrow your words whose spirit I love,

Have an awesome day!

Azizi Powell

over and out.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Sarah
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 09:56 PM

Having grown up in central Indiana and also having a scouting background and working with kids myself, this is the version that I've always seen played, which has three verses, though the second verse tends to get omitted fairly often, and sometimes we only use the first verse...

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps! Ipes! Opes! Oops!
And an oop flop a dilly and an oop flop flop

Pepsi cola came to town
Coco cola shot him down
Dr pepper fixed him up
And now we all drink 7up

Pepsi cola ginger ale
Ginger ale ginger ale ginger ale ginger ale
Pepsi cola ginger ale
7up 7up 7up you're out

The game is played in a circle with everyone sitting with their palms up, left hand under and right hand over the person's next to them. A leader is chosen to start the hand slap, which is passed around the circle. When the song ends, the person it stops on is out, and the person to their left becomes the new leader. When it gets down to two people, they join hands and move their arms in a saw-like motion until the song ends. Whoever has their arm extended wins!

The other ways I've seen online are neat, too, and though I still have a soft spot for the version I learned as a kid, I'm guessing the original third line of the rhyme dealt with a frog hopping and then the original fourth line (which I'm guessing was probably the last line) dealt with a lillypad and a kerplop!

Since children's songs like this are passed down by word of mouth, and children mishear and misspeak lyrics all the time, I don't think the original version is out there anymore, though that one post about the Pasquotanky might be pretty close, since hanky panky is easier to say and remember. However, even that could have been changed to fit the location of the children singing it at the time, so it's probable that the only original words to the song were "the bull frogs jumped from bank to banky". Whether the original was "down by the banks of the" or "down by the river of" is still up for debate. Other words could fit there and make sense, too, such as shore or bed instead of banks or river, so even those two could be changed versions of the original, though I think it's more likely that it was river instead of banks first, since banks appear twice more in the second line, and it would be easier to remember for a child if all the things pertaining to water were the same word. Chances are that if it was indeed originally "down by the river of", there was probably no "the" after the word "of" because rhythmically, the word "the" wouldn't fit as well before the name of the river.

Despite all this, do I intend to sing it any differently from what I always have? Nope! While most of the other ways are really neat, I've got a bit of sentimentality for the one I grew up with, so that's the one I'm sticking to.

I hope everyone has an awesome day!
Over and out,
Sarah

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,lacie
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 09:04 PM

down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank
singing epps eyps ops chili Willie ding dong
i pledge elegance to the flag Micheal Jackson makes me gag
coco cola burns my butt now were talking 7 up 7 up has
no caffeine now were talking billy jean billy jean
is out of site now were talking dynamite dynamite blows up the school now were talking really cool 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ! BOOM -Ur out-

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest: Australia
Date: 24 Sep 11 - 10:34 PM

At primary school in the 80s in Australia, our version went like this:

down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs leap from bank to banky
with an eep, ipe, okey dokey
with an eep, ipe, okey dokey, yeah!

Subject: WHAT
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Sep 11 - 01:33 AM

No ones heard it like this ?? Dowm by the banks of the hanky pankey where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bankey said it eeps opps soda pops johnny broke the bottle and it went kerplops

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Young girl in Philly
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 09:24 AM

This is really funny, because I got the song soooo wrong, I probably mis-heard it once and repeated it again and again, but the version i remember is:

Down by the river, by the hanky panks,
A boy got shot by the hanky panks,
Say ee, i, eat my pie,
Skittle round to dittle in the world, oh my :P:P:P:P:P

Haha now that I write it, it makes absolutley no sense at all!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,K_Hunter
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 07:00 PM

Down by the riverside hanky panky
Where the bulfrogs jump from bank to banky
Sayin eas ise oas wes
Chilly willy ding ding dong
Michael Jackson went downtown
Coca cola brought him down
Diet pepsi picked him up
Now we're talkin 7 up
7 up has no caffeine
Now we're talkin bily jean
Billy jean went down the street sayin:
Doo a ditty ditty dum ditty doo

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jul 11 - 06:16 PM

down by the river were the hanky banky when the bulldog jumped from bank to banky and sayed eiou mommy said so you.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Peeple
Date: 03 Jul 11 - 09:25 PM

Down by the bank to the hanky pank where the bullfrog jumps from bank 2 bank saying E I O U your mama smells and so do you say ping pong donkey kong your dady smells like king kong tell your teacher what to wear poke-a-dotted underwear not to big not to small just the size of city hall coke-a-cola no caffine now were talkin billy jean...

forgot the rest

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Casey
Date: 03 Jul 11 - 04:12 PM

this is how i sing it:

down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky singing hip hop soda pop coca cola went to town, diet pepsi knocked him down. doctor pepper picked him up, now i'm drinking seven up. seven up, got the flue, now i'm drinking mountain dew mountain dew fell off the mountain, now i'm drinking from the fountain. fountain broke, now i'm drinking plain old coke. coke turned out the light, now i'm drinking sprite. sprite, went to bed, now i'm drinking red-bull! red bull's not feeling fine, now i'm drinking wine. we put one in the trunk, because it made me drunk. drunk made me feel dismal, now i'm drinking pepto-bismal. pepto bismal tastes like mush, now i'm drinking orange crush. orange crush, made me pale, now i'm drinking ginger ale. ginger ale, made me fade, now i'm drinking lemonade. all these drinks i've got to pee, i didn't make it oh.. poor...me.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Cathy Brown Heiby daughter of Virgie Forbes
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 06:33 PM

i was born in Pasquotank Cty, NC in the early 1950s. i was told by my great-grandmother, who was born in Tyrrell Cty, NC in the mid 1880s---and she was told by her mother---this song was originally about the Pasquotank River. originally this song, so it has been told to me, goes like this---
"Down on the banks of the Pasquotanky
(note: originally the inhabitants of the Pasquotank River basin were a tribe of Native-Americans known in the late 1660s as the Pas-ka-tanki Indians of the Tus-ca-ro-roe Nation)
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
(further note: the Albemarle Sound area, which the Pasquotank River drains into, once was a wetland and was teeming with wildlife, including bullfrogs though not so much anymore and there was loads of vegetation that no longer exists for them to jump around all over on the river and sound)
and on and on as many have written----so goes the rest of the song.

i believe what i am telling you is more than likely true.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Loving this game
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 10:31 PM

I'm a former 8th grader. For our last day of school we were free to just talk and do whatever in our History class. So we played "Down by the river." I thank Sierra (an earlier poster) for reminding me of most of the words. This is the full (or at least I hope) version and helpful tips on playing:


Down, Down, Down, Down, (during these 4 down's, the person starting must not start until all 4 downs have been said. So basically your just bouncing your hand up in down in the person's palm that sits next to you until you start.) Down by the river of the hanky-panky, there's a bullfrog jumping from bank to bank singing east side, west coast, east side daily dang dong!

Why you hit my hand so hard, tell me what I did so wrong! Es As Ais Ows (pronounced likely as E's Ah's A's O's), east side daily dang dong.

I pledge allegiance to the flag. Michael Jackson is a fag (later we switched it to "I shop with a bag" for the purposes of not having the teacher over hear us. Lol).

(Sorry but I'm not entirely sure what goes before this next part, but I think this is correct. :/) Now we drinking Coca Cola, Coca Cola's burning up. Now we drinking 7up. 7up is out of style, now we going Buck Wild. Buck Wild's out of style now we going Es As Ais Ows, east side daily dang DONG!


On that last dong, if you manage to hit the hand of the person you're supposed to, they're out, if they pull away before you can, you're out. Have fun! :)

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 12:27 PM

Down by the bank of the hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank
going eeps ieps ops oop
Listen to the ker-plop
i pledge allegience to the flag
Michael Jackson stinks so bad\
Coca Cola burned him up
now he's drinking 7 up
7 up has no caffiene
now he's drinking gasoline
Gasoline has no good taste now he's drinking toxic waste.(then it went to a different melody)theres a place on mars were the babys smoke cigars and the boys wear bikinis and the girls drink martinis,and the mustard man puts mustrud on his...... then i forgot the rest.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 03 Jun 11 - 03:55 PM

" down by the bank of the hankey pank where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank singing fee fi fo fum me say me say ding dang dong i pladge alligence to the flag michael jackson makes me gag coca cola fizzes up now were talking 7-up, 7-up has no caffine now were talking jelly bean jelly bean jelly bean you stink at this GAME!" thats the real way!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 11:43 AM

Hi,
the way I learned it maybe 8 years ago in Ooltewah, Tennessee was - "Down by the banks, of the hanky panks, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank, eeps, eipes, ops, oops, chilly, willy, ding, dong, I pledge alleigance to the flag, michael jackson makes me gag, coca cola brought it up, now were talkin 7up, 7up has no caffiene, now were talkin billie jean, billie jean is outta sight, now were talking dynomite, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." and whoever messed up during it was out until there was two people left and the person that got smacked right after 1 was out.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 31 May 11 - 12:18 AM

ours always went :

down by the river by the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
singing fee fi foe fum
chilly willy ding dong
yo mama smell like king kong
coca cola burns you up
now your drinking 7up
7up has no caffine
now your drinking gas-o-line!

on line you slap or whatever.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,jen
Date: 29 May 11 - 01:03 PM

i thought it was like:

Down by the bank of the hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank
going eeps ieps ops oop
Listen to the ker-plop
i pledge allegience to the flag
Michael Jackson stinks so bad\
Coca Cola burned him up
now he's drinking 7 up
7 up has no caffiene
now he's drinking gasoline
Gasoline has no good taste now he's drinking toxic waste(then it went into something it was totally different)there's a place on mars,where the baby - and the boys wear bikinis and the girls were barganins the muster man put muster on his head,when the musturd dried........... (then it ends something like this)mirrior mirror on the wall whos the fairest of them all!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: Azizi
Date: 18 May 11 - 03:03 PM

I'm popping in to let those persons who may be interested know that I have posted a new page to my Cocojams.com website about the sources of the rhyme "Down By the Banks Of The Hanky Panky".

That page is http://www.cocojams.com/content/text-analysis-down-banks-hanky-panky

My thanks to all those who have contributed examples and comments to this thread and my thanks to all those who may do so in the future.

Best wishes,

Azizi Powell

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Sierra
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:27 PM

Im in 6th going on 7th grade and we say .. ( idont know the exact words for the begining)

DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN , DOWN BY THE RIVER PLAYING HANKY PANKY .. EAST SIDE COAST WITH HANKY PANKY .. ES AS OS OWS . EAST SIDE DAILY DING DONG

WHY YOU HIT MY HAND SO WRONG TELL ME WHAT I DID SO WRONG ES AS OS OWS EAST SIDE DAILY DING DONG

I PLEDGE ALLIGENCE TO THE FLAG MICHAEL JACKSON IS THE BEST (FAG BUT WE DONT SAY THAT CAUSE HES NOT)
COCA COLA BURNING UP NOW WE DRINKING SEVEN UP
SEVEN UP HAD NO CAFFINE NOW WE DOING BILLY JEAN
BILLIE JEAN WAS OUT OF STYLE NOW WE GOING BUCK WILD
BUCK WILD WAS OUTA STYLE NOW WE GOING ES AS OS OWS EAST SIDE DAILY DING DONG!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 06 May 11 - 12:40 PM

in Rochester, NY it goes like this

down by the bank of the hanky pank;
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank;
saying E-I-O-U;
yo momma stank and so do you;
so ping pong donkey kong;
martin luther king jr;
mickey mouse bought a house;
donald duck messed it up;
he couldn't pay the rent;
so he got kicked out;
O-U-T;
out

we would do process of elimination by eliminating whoever got to the letter -T they we would start over the song until we got to the last person

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,mama
Date: 19 Apr 11 - 10:52 PM

dow by they bay with a hanky pancake sing 1-2-3-4=5

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Cary, North Carolina
Date: 16 Apr 11 - 01:27 PM

WAY DOWN YONDER IN THE HANKY-BANKY WHERE THE BULLFROGS JUMP FROM BANK TO BANKY SINGIN'
"EASTSIDE"
"WESTSIDE"
"EASTSIDE"
"WESTSIDE"
DILLYDANGDONG.
Whoever's hand was slapped on "DONG" was out.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,sea lion 6a
Date: 11 Apr 11 - 08:16 AM

down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bull frog jumps from bank to bank
and then hip-hop belly flop
this is where we s-t-o-p stop

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 11 - 06:13 PM

down by the banks of the hanky banks where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank eeps opps moose macidillion mickey mouse built a house donald duck mess it up who shall pay the consequences mouse or duck?





how to play: you say all the words together and at the end whoevers hand is at the others picks mouse or duck. then you spell the work at the last letter of the word you try to slap the others hand and the others hand moves their hand away

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 11:14 AM

down by the river with the hanky panky were the bull frogs jump from bank to bank sinning ee bop ee bopbop skiddle diddle lolli pop i plege alegents to the flag ___________makes f gag now were talkin jelly beans jelly beans are pu of syl now were talking ee bop ee bop bop 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Mar 11 - 11:46 AM

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
Singing Eeep Op Eeep Op
Skiddle diddle eep op op
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Miley Cyrus makes me gag
Miley Cyrus came to town, Coca Cola shot her down
Dr. Pepper drink it up, now we're drinking 7-Up
7-Up has no caffeine, now we're drinking gasoline
Gasoline ran out of fuel, now we're drinking Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew fell off the Mountain, now we're drinking from the fountain
Fountain broke, now we're drinking PLAIN-OLD-DIET-COKE

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Anon
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 08:30 PM

In New Orleans, Louisiana, ours normally goes

Down by the riverside Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank
I said a A-E-I-O-U, bamboo!
Johnny struck a match and blamed it on Sue
Sue told Ma
Ma told Pa
Johnny caught a whooping so ha-ha-ha!
He jumped so high
He touched the sky
And he never came back 'till the
Fourth of July!

Everybody sits in a circle and sends a clap through the circle while singing the song and move the clap around the circle at a random rhythm that goes or doesn't go with the song's timing depending on how many people are playing. The rhythm doesn't change until the very last line, where people are trying to break it into as many syllables as possible to keep the clap away from them. The person who gets the 'Ju' syllable in July has to hit the hand of the person that would have gotten 'ly'. If they hit it, then the 'ly' person is out. If they miss, then the 'Ju' person is out. The 'ly' person can move their hand to avoid getting hit.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Kate
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 02:19 PM

Hi~

When I was in Elementary school in Florida we had a version of this. It went like ;

Down by the river with a hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank
saying EIOU
Your mama stinks and so do you
ping pong donley kong
went to school with nothing on
Asked the teache what to wear
Polka dotted under wear
not too big, not too small
just the size of Broward mall
reece peices butter cup
now were talking 7up
7up has no caffeine
now were talking Billy Jean
Billy Jean blew up the school
now were talking really cool
really cool is in the house
now were talking Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse and all his friends
Now we'll count to ten / name all his friends

We would stand in a circle and hands out palms up and slap each others and at the end when we count/say the names the person that gets hit is out.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 11 - 12:13 PM

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Ashleyy!
Date: 05 Feb 11 - 04:26 PM

Me and my friends learned it like this...

Down by the banks where the hanks to the panks where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank saying eets ites oots your mamas cool and so are you, so ping pong sing a song all the way to donkey kong tell your teacher what to wear pretty flower in your hair, and you are out(:

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Madison
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 10:54 PM

(Who ever lands on KER-PLOP! loses)

Down by the bank of the hanky pank
Where the bull frogs bank to bank
Saying E-I-O-U
Fell of the lilly-pad KER-PLOP!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 08:40 AM

This is the one I learned, early to mid 90s.

Down by the river of the hanky panky
Where the leapfrogs jump from bank to bank
Singing hip, hop, hippity, hop
Listen to the water pop
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

5 was the number you'd be out on.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Ohiooo
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 07:38 PM

Mine was alot differnt, but it was:

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Fe Fii Fo Your momma stanky
FEE FI FOO FUM
chilly willy ding dong
Your momma smells like King kong
Lets play a game of ping pong
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
then whose hand is hit on 10 is out!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,jessica keziah
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 06:51 PM

hey guys and girls none of these are correct its

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
saying e i skiddle diddle
mama drinking cocola cocola burnt her butt
now shes drinking 7-up
7-up as no caffeine now shes drinking gasoline.

DUH PPL

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 06:56 PM

Here's what I learned:

Down by the bank of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank saying :
Hee pa hee pa pa skittle diddle kernel pop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson is a fag/ makes me gag (whatever floats your boat)
Pepsi Cola messed me up
Now I'm drinking seven-up
Seven-up caught the flu,
Now I'm drinking Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew fell off the mountain
Now I'm drinking from the fountain
After that the fountain broke
Now I'm drinking back to coke

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest- Missouri
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 05:33 AM

From northern Missouri about 1993 or so:

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
saying e a-poppa, i a-poppa, o a-poppa, POW

It was the circle elimination game with slaps coming on each beat until the last, and that person was out. When you got to two players you grabbed hands and pushed back and forth with every beat until the POW and whoever's arm was extended with the pow won.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Tampa Bay, Florida
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 04:34 PM

I remember a version from the 90s in the Tampa Bay area, FL. It went like this:

A group of girls would sit (or stand) in a circle, their left hand under the right hand of the person to their left. The leader would start off by clapping her right hand to the right hand of the person to the her, they would do the same to the person on their left, etc. Clapping would start slow and then build speed to match the words. The person caught at the end of the rhyme would have to clap the next person's hand. If they were fast enough, the person to their left was out. If the person to their left was faster and removed their right hand in time, the last person would end up slapping their own left hand and would be out.

Down by the banks of the hanky-pank
A bullfrog leaps from bank to bank
Singin' E-I-O-U
Your momma stinks and so do you
Ping pong, ding dong
Daddy smells like King Kong
On his feet and on his toes
Your daddy wears
Pink
Pan-
ty
HOSE!

(Where "hose" was the word that would get you out.)

The person out would drop behind, the circle would close up and the whole thing would start again until there was only one person left - who was usually acknowledged as the fastest.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,guest-Mandi, age 14
Date: 24 Dec 10 - 12:08 AM

We used to do this all the time at school and at camp, sometimes we freshmen still do it before gym class starts when we're all sitting around. You sit in a circle with your left hand on top of someone else's right and your right hand under someone else's left, and you go in a circle smacking each other's hands as you sing the song:

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
Singing eep, op, eep-op-op
bubblegum and soda pop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson is a fag
Coca-cola brought him up
Now we're drinking 7-up
7-up has no caffeine
Now we're wearing Levi jeans
Levi jeans are out of style
Now we're talking for a while
skiddle diddle piddle bop
bubblegum and soda POP!

and whoever's hand is hit on the last 'pop' is out. Then you repeat the song getting faster and faster until somebody finally wins.

Sadly we really did and still do sing the line about Michael Jackson being a fag. In elementary and middle school we also had a similar rhyme ("I pledge allegiance to the flag and Michael Jackson is a fag. He used to play with little toys but now he plays with little boys.") and I can remember saying it at a very young age, before I had any idea what a 'fag' was. It was meant to be innocent and not offensive to anybody. Also, since Michael Jackson's death (may he R.I.P.) many people have substituted Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus for Michael Jackson or changed that line to "Michael Jackson makes me gag". My particular group of friends has done both ("Lady Gaga makes me gag") and I think it's kind of a nice modern version of the song.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 10 - 08:11 PM

Down by the banks of the hanky panky,
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank-to-bank.
Said north, south, east, west.
OMG, a Milla ding-dong.
Yo momma smells like King Kong,
All the way from wing-wong.
Now count
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.
(who's ever hand was slapped was out. If they moved and you slapped your own hand, then you lost.)

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 07:52 PM

Plop .

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 01:08 AM

down by the river called hanky panky where the bullfrogs jumped from bank to bank I said ah A E I O U bam boo!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 10:19 PM

Here's mine from either Indiana or Virginia in the mid 90's, mainly sung by girls, but boys also. we sat in a circle, with our hands interlocking, whoever it landed on was out, and so forth like many others above.

Down by the banks of the hnaky panky
where the bullfrog jump from bank to banky
with an eips aeips, opps oops,
oomph flop a dilly and an om flop flop.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,kt
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 06:42 PM

I learnt it like this

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs leap from bank to banky
With an eep ipe ope op
Eesop-a-diddly and an
Oinkflop

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Jaime
Date: 07 Nov 10 - 06:25 AM

down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky
with a hip hop hippetie hop you better watch your step or
u will be o u t spells OUT!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,me
Date: 06 Nov 10 - 02:34 PM

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrogs jump
From bank to bank
singin fee fii fo fum
bopshuwady wa you're out

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Ell
Date: 04 Nov 10 - 10:17 PM

I grew up in Turlock, CA in the early 90's and we said

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrogs jump
From bank to banky
Saying Hip Hop Hippitie Hop
East side, west side
KER-PLOP!


Sorry guys this is the RIGHT WAY :)