|
13 Jan 12 - 09:05 AM (#3289916) Subject: Playground Rhymes And Recorded Songs From: Azizi What recorded Folk, Blues, Jazz, R&B and other genres of songs do you know that mention English language playground rhymes or are based on English language playground rhymes? Also, which recorded non-children's songs are based on children's playground rhymes or nursery rhymes? I've been interested in these subjects for years, and have recently published this related post on my pancocojams cultural blog: href="http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/childrens-cheers-or-rhymes-inspired-by.html I also published a three part series of text analysis of examples of the "rap" that Tom Hank's character recites in the movie Big. Here's a link to the first post in that series http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/12/sources-of-big-movie-rap-shimmy-shimmy.html Your lists and/or comments are welcome. |
|
13 Jan 12 - 09:18 AM (#3289925) Subject: RE: Playground Rhymes And Recorded Songs From: Azizi Chubby Checker's "Hooka Tooka" is an example of a recorded song that was based on or inspired by a children's rhyme. Taj Mahal's, Dave Van Ronk's and others recording of "Green Green Rocky Road" are based on a closely related children's song. Here's a link to a text analysis post that I published about that rhyme: http://cocojams.com/content/text-analysis-hooka-tooka-soda-cracker Here are lyrics to that song: GREEN GREEN ROCKY ROAD (Len Chandler and Robert Kaufman) The following version was copyrighted in 1961 by Len Chandler and Robert Kaufman and appears in the Sing Out! reprints. The notes say the song was collected from the children of Lilly Chapel School in York, Alabama and is found in "Negro Songs From Alabama" by Harold Courlander. When I go by Baltimore, Ain't no carpet on the floor. Come along and follow me. Must go down to Galilee singin' Green, green rocky road Promenade in' green Tell me who ya love, Tell me who ya love. Hooka, tooka , soda cracker, Does your mamna chew tobacker? If your mama chew tobacker, Hooka, tooka soda cracker. singin' Green, green rocky road Promenade in' green Tell me who ya love, Tell me who ya love. If you seem me comin' fast, Sweep the yard and cut the grass; Girls who kiss are bound to fall, Boys who kiss will soon tell all. Singin' Green, green rocky road Promenade in green Tell me who ya love, Tell me who ya love. Ya better tell me honey Tell me who ya love Ya better tell be baby Tell me who ya love Oh can't ya tell me who ya love, Ya better tell me who ya love. From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=27047 ; green green rocky road by rich r; October 28, 2000 |
|
13 Jan 12 - 09:30 AM (#3289935) Subject: RE: Playground Rhymes And Recorded Songs From: Azizi In a related subject, here's a text analysis that I write of a children's foot stomping that was inspired by a 1991 recorded bubble gum rap song "Playground" by ABC (Another Bad Creation) PLAYGROUND (foot stomping cheer) All: I've fallin. I can't get up. I've fallin. I can't get up. Smack, Jack! Homie don't play that. Kick off your shoes (or "Put up your dukes") And let's get loose! All except the soloist whose is indicated by the first letter of her name or nickname: Kick it "T", Kick it T! Kick it T! Bust it "T", Bust it "T", Bust it! Swing it "T", Swing it "T", Swing it! Soloist: I swing my beat at the playground! (Repeat the entire rhyme with next soloist, andcontinue repeating in this manner until every one in the group has had one turn as the soloist). The beat used for this cheer is stompstomp clap stompstomp clap. -African American girls ages 7-12 years old; Lillian Taylor Camp (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, early 1990s; collected by TMP); "http://cocojams.com/content/foot-stomping-cheers-0">http://cocojams.com/content/foot-stomping-cheers-0 Text Analysis: "Playground" is a dance style foot stomping cheer that demonstrates the creative way that children's folk rhymes and cheers are created from a number of different mass media sources. That cheer has the same tune as the 1991 hit rap song "Playground" by ABC (Another Bad Creation), a group of young African American teenage boys. ABC's "Playground". In addition, that foot stomping cheer uses the title of that recorded song and includes lyrics from that song, beginning with "Kick off your shoes and let's get loose". However, that foot stomping cheer also includes lines from other sources. The lines "I've fallin' and I can't get up" are from a low budget television commercial for security telephone equipment for the elderly. That commercial featured an elderly woman falling down and then saying those exact words. In a weird way, that commercial struck some people's funny bone. "Smack, Jack. Homey don't play that" was the signature lines of "Homie D. Clown", a character created by comedian Damon Wayans on the innovative comedy television show "In Living Color". Unable to find any other job after being released from prison, Homie worked as a clown at little children's birthday parties. But Homie had no aptitude for leading children's party activities and no patience with the little children's constant questions. At regular intervals in the party, when children asked Homie questions, he would smack them with a plastic baseball bat. Also, Homie would refuse to perform expected "clown" activities at those children's paries. For instance, if a child asked him to make shapes out of balloons, Homie would smack him or her with his baseball bat and say "Homie don't play that". "Homie don't play that" became an African American vernacular. That line means that it's unthinkable for you to do what you've been asked to do (it's against your essential nature). In the context of this foot stomping cheer, "Bust it!", "Swing it!", and "Kick it!" all mean "Show us how well you dance." "She kicked her beat" means that the girl danced really well. |
|
13 Jan 12 - 09:46 AM (#3289944) Subject: RE: Playground Rhymes And Recorded Songs From: Azizi "Spirit In The Dark" is another recorded song that includes lines from a children's rhyme. That song has been recorded by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and others. SPIRIT IN THE DARK I'm gettin' the spirit in the dark I'm gettin' the spirit in the dark People movin', oh people groovin' They're gettin' the spirit in the dark Tell me sister, how do you feel? Tell me my brother brother brother, how do you feel? You feel like dancin', get up and let's start dancin' Start gettin' the spirit, the spirit in the dark It's like Sally Walker, sittin' in a saucer That's how you do it, ain't nothin' to it Ride Sally ride Put your hands on your hips, cover your eyes And move, move with the spirit Oh yeah move, move with the spirit Oh move, move with the spirit now now now Move, with the spirit [From MetroLyrics.com http://www.metrolyrics.com/spirit-in-the-dark-reprise-lyrics-ray-charles.html#ixzz1jLj4AyGl |