# Playground chants and camp songs



## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

We had all kinds of ball bouncing and rope jumping chants. Here's one:

_Mother, Mother, I am sick
Call for the doctor quick, quick, quick!
Mother, Mother, Will I die?
Yes, my dear, but don't you cry!
How many coffins will I need?
One, two, three . . ._ (etc. as you kept bouncing or jumping)

On double dutch, just before the rope turners would speed up, they'd shout:

_Salt, vinegar, mustard, pepper_
Not many could keep up the fast pace more than a minute or two.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

"I see London,
        I see France,
                I see someone's underpants !!!"

Back then, that was cause for embarrassment.
        Today, it is a fashion statement.  Ha!

Times change.............


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Miss Suzie had a tugboat
the tugboat had a bell
Miss Suzie went to heaven
the tugboat went to
Hello operator 
please give me number 9
and if you disconnect me, 
I'll kick your fat
Behind the fridgerator 
there was a piece of glass
Miss Suzie sat upon it 
and cut her little
ask me no more questions
I'll tell you no more lies
.................

and I cannot remember the rest. (sigh)


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## Tripp (May 28, 2009)

Minnie Minnie Ha Ha
Went to see her papa.
Papa died, Minnie cried.

Minnie had a baby,
Named him Tiny Tim.
She put him in the bathtub
To see if he could swim.

He drank up all the water
And he ate a bar of soap.
Minnie called the doctor before he could choke.

In came the doctor, in came the nurse, 
In came the lady with the alligator purse.

Measles said the doctor, measles said the nurse,
Nothing said the lady with the alligator purse.

Out went the doctor, out went the nurse,
Out went the lady with the alligator purse.


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## Tripp (May 28, 2009)

Here is another one:

Strawberry shortcake,
Huckleberry Finn,
When I call your name 
Will, you please jump in....


Those playground chants sometimes make no sense.  This one did a little.  I would love to know where some of them came from.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> Miss Suzie had a tugboat
> the tugboat had a bell
> Miss Suzie went to heaven
> the tugboat went to
> ...


 ... cows are in the pasture making chocolate pies! AND we added this "and LEMON-AAAAADE!"


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

There was a bee-i-e-i-e
Sat on a wall i-all-i-all
And he could buzz i-uzz-i-uzz
And that was all i-all-i-all

There was a boy i-oy-i-oy
Who had a stick i-ick-i-ick
He gave the bee i-e-i-e
An awful lick i-ick-i-ick

The bee i-e-i-e
Stuck out his tongue i-ongue i-ongue
And stung the boy i-oy i-oy
Right on his thumb i-umb i-umb

The boy i-oy i-oy
Let out a yell i-ell i-ell
And told the bee i-e i-e
To go
way down yonder in the cornfield


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Thanks for remembering the end there Meredith.. I went totally blank last night.


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## dpinmd (Dec 30, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> Miss Suzie had a tugboat
> the tugboat had a bell
> Miss Suzie went to heaven
> the tugboat went to
> ...


We had a different ending than what Meredith remembered. (Miss "Lucy" also had a "steamboat" vs. a "tugboat" in my neighborhood.) Our ending went:

Boys are in the bathroom
pulling down their
Flies are in the city,
Bees are in the park,
Miss Lucy and her boyfriend
are kissing in the
D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, dark!


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

One of our favorite songs was "Once there was three wandering Jews" because of the way we could sing the last line of each verse, e.g,:

The first one's name was Abraham
Abra, Abra, ham, ham, ham

The second one's name was I-I-zac
I uh I - uh zac, zac, zac

The third one's name was Jay, ay, cup
Jay, ay, ay, ay, cup, cup, cup

They all went down to Amsterdam
Amster, Amster, dam, dam, dam (which was shouted louder than the rest of the song)


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I read somewhere that _'Ring around a rosy"_ was a reference to the Plague that killed thousands or millions of people.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

We used to sing a song about the Titanic that was kind of silly...and then there was one about a desperado..and another about coming to the end of a lollypop... When you come to the end of a lollypop---PLOP goes your heart! LOL.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

When I was in college in the 1960s, men had to take two years of ROTC (that federal policy ended in 1965). I was in the Air Force ROTC, and on drill days, we did close-order drills in the parking lot of the basketball arena. Next to the arena was a high school known for its discipline problems. By mid-morning, the embankment next to our drill area was full of the high school guys who had been thrown out of class for the rest of the class hour. While we marched, these guys would razz us unmercifully. We developed our own chant for them.

I would post it here, but it would be deleted and I would get yelled at.


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

Now Princess Pat
(Now Princess Pat)
Lived in a tree
(Lived in a tree)
She sailed across
(She sailed across)
The seven seas
(The seven seas)
She sailed across
(She sailed across)
The channel two
(The channel two)
And she brought with her
(And she brought with her)
A riggabamboo
(A riggabamboo)

*Chorus*
A riggabamboo
(A riggabamboo)
Now what is that
(Now what is that)
It's a-somethin' made
(It's a-somethin' made)
By the Princess Pat
(By the Princess Pat)
It's red and gold
(It's red and gold)
And a-purple too
(And a-purple too)
That's why it's called
(That's why it's called)
A riggabamboo.
(A riggabamboo)

Now Captain Jack
(Now captain Jack)
Had a mighty fine crew
(Had a mighty fine crew)
He sailed across
(He sailed across)
The channel too
(The channel too)
But his ship sank
(But his ship sank)
And and yours will too
(And yours will too)
If you don't take
(If you don't take)
A riggabamboo
(A riggabamboo)

(REPEAT CHORUS)

Now the Princess Pat
(Now the Princess Pat)
Had a son named Drew
(Had a son named Drew)
He liked to ride
(He liked to ride)
His kangaroo
(His kangaroo)
But he got lost
(But he got lost)
And you will too
(And you will too)
If you don't take
(If you don't take)
A riggabamboo! 
(A riggabamboo! )

w/ hand motions


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## kdawna (Feb 16, 2009)

I learned this when I went to Girl Scout Camp with my daughter

Harlem Goat
Oh there was an old man
And he lived in a shack
And he had an old goat
Tied in the back

One day that goat
Wasn’t feeling fine
Ate three red shirts
Right off the line

Old Dick got mad
Gave him a whack
And he tied him to
The railroad track

The whistle blew
The train grew nigh
And that old Harlem Goat
Was due to die

He gave three groans
Three groans of pain
Coughed up those shirts
And flagged the train

But a button got stuck
In the middle of his throat
And that was the end
Of the Harlem Goat!


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> Thanks for remembering the end there Meredith.. I went totally blank last night.


You are so welcome!


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## Jen Bluekissed (Jan 22, 2011)

Miss Mary Mac Mac Mac
All dressed in black black black
With silver buttons buttons buttons
All down her back back back
She jumped so high high high
She touched the sky sky sky
That she never came back back back
Til the fourth of July July July
She asked her mother mother mother
For fifteen cents cents cents
To see the elephants elephants elephants
Jump over the fence fence fence
They jumped so low low low
They stubbed their toe toe toe
And that's the end end end
Of the elephant show show show
She asked her mother mother mother
For five cents more more more
To see the elephants elephants elephants
Fit under the door door door

I can't remember the rest, though.  It has been a very, very, long time.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Warning -- The following are not suggested as foodstuffs. 
However, I did learn these on the playground when I was a kid. 

Great green gobs of greasy glossy gopher guts,
Mincelated monkey meat,
Itty, bitty, birdy feet,
French fried eyeballs roasted in some liverwurst,
That's what I had to eat.
And that ain't all....

Does anyone remember the second verse to the song above?

Comet, it makes your teeth turn green.
Comet, it taste like gasoline.
Comet, it makes you vomit.
So have some Comet, and vomit, today.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Annalog said:


> Warning -- The following are not suggested as foodstuffs.
> However, I did learn these on the playground when I was a kid.
> 
> Great green gobs of greasy glossy gopher guts,
> ...


This belongs on the "What's for dinner" forum !!


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Annalog:  My kids used to sing a version of that song which I think they learned at camp.  I never could listen to the whole song; so can't help you out.  They loved the fact that the song grossed me out.


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## patrisha w. (Oct 28, 2008)

Jen Bluekissed said:


> Miss Mary Mac Mac Mac
> All dressed in black black black
> With silver buttons buttons buttons
> All down her back back back
> ...


Have you heard the group "Sweet Honey in the Rock" sing this? I had no idea it was/is a playground chant...


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## Jen Bluekissed (Jan 22, 2011)

No, I haven't.  I have heard of a song called Mary Mack that is an Irish song but has different words. 

Here's another one from girlscout camp.  All the girls sit around in a circle and when it gets to three, they have to either slap the other girl's hand or fake her out three times. 

A rum mack a rum ti a terra
A rum
Terra terra ti ti ti
Terra terra ti ti ti 
one
two  
three

Someone "gets out" every round until there is only one girl left.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Why do I remember the ones about food?

Found a peanut, found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now,
Just now I found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now.

Cracked it open, cracked it open,
Cracked it open just now,
Just now I cracked it open,
Cracked it open just now.

It was rotten, it was rotten,
It was rotten just now,
Just now it was rotten,
It was rotten just now.

Ate it anyway, ate it anyway,
Ate it anyway just now,
Just now I ate it anyway,
Ate it anyway just now.

Got a stomach ache, got a stomach ache,
Got a stomach ache just now,
Just now I got a stomach ache,
Got a stomach ache just now.

Called the doctor, called the doctor,
Called the doctor just now,
Just now I called the doctor,
Called the doctor just now.

Penicillin, Penicillin,
Penicillin just now,
Just now I took Penicillin,
Penicillin just now.

Operation, operation,
Operation just now,
Just now an operation,
An operation just now.

Died anyway, died anyway,
Died anyway just now,
Just now I died anyway,
Died anyway just now.

Went to heaven, went to heaven,
Went to heaven just now,
Just now I went to heaven,
Went to heaven just now.

Wouldn't take me, wouldn't take me,
Wouldn't take me just now,
Just now Heaven wouldn't take me,
Wouldn't take me just now.

Went the other way, went the other way,
Went the other way just now,
Just now I went the other way,
Went the other way just now.

Didn't want me, didn't want me,
Didn't want me just now,
Just now they didn't want me,
Didn't want me just now.

Was a dream, was a dream,
Was a dream just now,
Just now it was a dream,
Was a dream, just now.

Then I woke up, then I woke up,
Then I woke up just now,
Just now I woke up,
I woke up just now.

Found a peanut, found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now,
Just now I found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

NapCat said:


> "I see London,
> I see France,
> I see someone's underpants !!!"
> 
> ...


These are fun! I have a 9-year old girl who knows almost every one of these. Especially Miss Mary Mack.

My son wore this t-shirt yesterday for Valentine's (it is red, after all, and he's in middle school):


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Annalog said:


> Warning -- The following are not suggested as foodstuffs.
> However, I did learn these on the playground when I was a kid.
> 
> Great green gobs of greasy glossy gopher guts,
> ...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Green_Gobs_of_Greasy,_Grimy_Gopher_Guts

OMG that page is hilarious to read.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

It's amazing what seems fun to kids.  We used to march around the playground yelling as loud as we could:

I left
I left
I left my wife and 24 children
in a starving condition 
without any gingerbread left

I left
I left
and on and on


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

I STILL sing that silly Comet song!


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## dpinmd (Dec 30, 2009)

It's interesting how many of these are familiar, but I learned slightly different words. I wonder if they are regional differences, or age differences, or what. For example, when we sang Miss Mary Mack, there was nothing about MARY jumping so high (we went right from the buttons down her back to "she asked her mother"). Then it was the elephants jumping so high (instead of so LOW), and that's how we ended it:

They jumped so high high high
They touched the sky sky sky
And they never came back back back
Til the 4th of July July July
YOU LIE!!

What about this one?

Say say oh playmate,
Come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three
Climb up my apple tree
Slide down my rainspout
Into my cellar door
And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more, more, more!

and then the variation:

Say say oh enemy
Come out and fight with me
And bring your soldiers three
Climb up my poison tree
Slide down my [??]
Into my [??]
And we'll be enemies
Forever more, more, more!


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

tsilver, thankyou for reminding me of the two marching songs from WWII he told us were OK for us know.

My sister got drunk 
And she packed her trunk
And she left.
She left.
She left her husband
And 49 kids
'Cause she thought it was right
So she left.
She left.
Left right left.

He said that this one was a comercial jingle that was funny to hear from grown men.

We feed our doggie Thrivo.
He's very much alive-o.
Full of pep and vim.
If you want a healthy pup,
You'd better hurry up,
Feed Thrivo to him!
(Then in a high voice)
We feed our doggie Thrivo! Do you?


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## KatieKlein (Dec 19, 2010)

We Sang: "Fried Ham, Fried Ham, Cheese and Bologna, and after that Macaroni we'll have Onions, Pickles, and Lettuce, and then we'll have some more Fried Ham. Fried Ham! Fried Ham!" 

(The idea was to sing in different voices: old lady, cowboy style, etc.)

We would also go up to girls in elementary school, touch their backs and say: "North, South, East, West, Oh! I found the equator" and then snap their training bras. 

We were dorks.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Gosh, this takes me back! How about this one.

THE SKUNK SONG

Oh, I stuck my head in a little skunk's hole,
And the little skunk said, "Upon my soul,
Take it out, take it out, take it out, take it out--
Re-mooooooooooooooove it!"

Well, I
Didn't take it out, and the little skunk said,
"If you don't take it out, you'll wish you had,
Take it out, take it out, take it out, take it out--
Re-mooooooooooooooove it!"

PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST!!!!

I re-mooooooooooooooved it--
Too late!


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Bat, bat, come into my hat
and I'll give you a piece of bacon
And when I bake
I'll bake you a cake
if I'm not mistaken


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## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

You can't ride my little red wagon.
The front seat's broken and the axle's draggin'.
Chugga! Chugga! Second verse!
A little bit louder and a little bit worse.

You can't ride my little red wagon.
The front seat's broken and the axle's draggin'.
Chugga! Chugga! Third verse!
A little bit louder and a little bit worse.

You can't ride my little red wagon.
The front seat's broken and the axle's draggin'.
Chugga! Chugga! fourth verse!
A little bit louder and a little bit worse.

ad nauseum


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