KIDZ LORE
 illustration from Blinky Bill Grows Up by Dorothy Wall

  • SYDNEY FOLKLORE PROJECT CONTENTS
  • KIDZ LORE
  • BAWDY KIDZ LORE
  • WAR CRIES
  • SCHOOL SONGS
  • TRADITIONAL GAMES
  • METHODOLOGY
  • CLAPPING GAMES
  • COLLECTING CHILDREN'S FOLKLORE

  • SECTION 16: Clapping Games

    NOTE:
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    The wonderful thing about children's folklore is its vibrancy and influence. It is also very cyclical and age dependent. In 2005 I video-taped three year six students at the Paddington home of one of the girls. Two of the girls Madison Lucas and Danielle Gonda went to the same school (Sceggs, Darlinghurst, in Sydney) and Claudia Moriz to Glenmore Road Public School, Darlinghurst, Sydney. This allowed some comparison of songs and clapping and opportunities for explanation and teaching of particular songs. I have left this material in the videos to show the folklore learning process.

    Being year six this is usually the last year girls participate in playground games, especially singing and clapping games, as they become self-conscious and also
    preoccupied with boys. All three of the girls were told of the background to the video session, what was expected and that it was being done at home (rather than school) so there would be no censorship of the more ribald material.

    The series of videos provides a look inside the world of folklore and especially the influence of popular entertainment, in particular the internet, popular music and film.

    The video session was focused on clapping rhymes and action songs and did not include elastics, skipping and other action games. Being Year Six the girls referred to such activities as being 'for the younger girls at school'

    Introduction    3.19 MB
    Introduction to this collection by Warren Fahey


    Introduction 2      16.7 MB
    Madison, Danielle and Claudia introduce themselves.
    Warren Fahey asks girls a series of questions related to the learning, performing and transition of songs.


    I'm Sexy, I'm Cute (from Bring It On)    1 MB
    An action song taken from a film and showing the ever-increasing
    influence of American hip-hop culture

    I'm sexy, I'm cute
    I'm popular to boot,

    I'm bitchin', great hair
    The boys all like to stare
    I'm pretty I'm cool
    I dominate the school

    who am I?
    just guess?
    guys wanna touch my chest

    Yeah.........



    Brick Wall    1.04 MB
    Action song originating from the film 'Dickie Roberts Former Childhood Star'.

    Brick wall
    waterfall
    Dickie thinks he's
    Got it all

    But he don't, I do
    So boom with that attitude
    Peace, punch Captain Crunch
    I've got something you can touch
    So Bang! Bang!
    Choo Choo Train,
    You wind me up and I do my thing
    And I know Karate and I know Kung Foo
    You mess with me and I'll mess with you.

    So recess, pieces, 7 up
    you mess with me, I'll mess you up.



    Mary Had a Little Lamb    1.63 MB
    A play on words, ribald clapping rhyme.

    Mary had a little lamb
    She also had a duck
    she took him round the corner
    and taught him how to
    fry an eggs for breakfast
    fry your eggs for tea
    the more you eat
    the more drink
    the more you want to
    Peter had a boat
    the boat began to rock
    out jumped jaws
    and bit him on the cock
    tail, ginger ale, forty cents a glass
    if you don't drink then
    shove it up your
    ask no questions
    tell no lies
    I saw two policemen
    doing up their flies

    are bad, mosquitoes are worse
    I saw the doctor
    lying on the nurse
    nurse him well
    if you don't you will go to hell

    If you crash you'll fall
    to the ground


    A Soldier     830 KB
    Bawdy clapping rymne

    Arse sol, arse sol, a soldier I may be
    two piss, two piss, two pistols on my knee
    fuck you, fuck you, fu-curiousity
    so fight for the old cunt, fight for the old cunt,
    fight for the old country.


    Double This, Double That    1.21 MB
    Hand clapping rhyme

    Double Double
    This This
    Double Double
    That That
    Double This
    Double That
    Double Double This That.
    Double Double
    Ice Ice
    Double Double Cream Cream
    Double Double Ice

    Double cream,
    double, double ice cream.


    (Rehearsal) Boys are cheats & Liars    5.41 MB
    This segment shows the girls teaching each other the words and actions
    associated with the rhyme

    Boys are cheats and liars
    They're such a big disgrace
    They will tell you anything
    to get to second base
    baseball baseball
    ------------------
    If you don't go all the way
    then you are a whore
    the ---- studies ---
    the older studies rock
    All guys want from you is a
    place to put their cock
    roaches, beatles, butterflies and bugs
    nothing makes them happier than
    a giant pair of jugglers
    acrobats and -----
    all guys want from you is -----


    Boys are cheats & Liars    1.47 MB


    Down Down Baby    1.10 MB
    Body action song that originated with American cult tween film

    Down, down, baby, down, down the riverbank
    sweet, sweet baby
    I'll never ever let you go
    shimmy shimmy
    coca pops
    shimmy shimmy POW!
    shimmy shimmy
    cocoa pops
    shimmy shimmy
    POW!

    I met a girl friend Marissa
    She says to me 'a la vista'
    Walking down the street
    ten times a week
    I read it, I said it
    I stole my mother's credit
    I'm sweet, I'm hot
    and that's what I've got!


    So Macca Doras    3.02 MB
    A hand clapping out rhythm aimed at slapping your partners hands with
    the final count out.

    See See My Playmate    855 KB
    Clapping rhyme

    See See my playmate
    I cannot play with you
    My sister's on the loo
    Since 1982.
    roll down my rainbow
    In to the corridor
    and we'll be friends for ever more more more


    My Name is Elli Elli     674 KB
    My name is Elli
    Chickili chickili
    Oozy oozy
    up up up
    Down in the dungeon
    she's on crack
    cheese on crackers
    up up up

    My Aunty Anna    1.95 MB
    A leg split rhyme where the participants have to jump after every verse
    until the first to fall over.

    My Aunty anna
    Plays the pia-na
    twenty four hours a day
    SPLIT


    Slime Yuck    1.71 MB


    Who Broke the Window    3.41MB
    Pronouced wind-a

    Hand clap rhyme

    Who broke the window
    You'll break the window
    You broke the window
    You'll break the window


    We are the Can Can Girls    2 MB
    We are the Can Can girls
    We wear our hair in curls
    We don't smoke or drink
    (or that's what our parent's think)
    we don't play with toys
    we just kiss with boys
    We are the Can Can girls
    - Of 2005!


    Ooh Ahh, I lost my bra    1.79 MB
    Ooh Ahh, I lost my bra
    I lost it in my boyfriend's car
    Why did you leave it there
    For I needed some fresh air.

    with

    Girls are sexy made out of Pepsi
    Boys are rotten, made out of cotten
    Girls go to Mars to get more bras
    Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider


    My Boyfriend Gave me an Apple    2.16 MB
    My boyfriend gave me an apple
    my boyfriend gave me a pair
    My boyfriend gave me a kiss on the lips
    and I threw him down the stairs
    I threw him over London
    I threw him over France
    I threw him over the Harbour Bridge
    and he lost his underpants


    Which Backstreet Boy is Gay    2.54 MB
    The Backstreet Boys is a popular all-boy band and this song originated
    on an internet comedy site,

    Which Backstreet Boy is gay?
    tell me - who ain't saying that it's Ryan
    Tell me - who ain't saying that it's Howie
    Tell me - I never want to hear you say
    Which Backstreet Boy is gay?

    Now you can see him,
    He's in women's clothes
    The dog is cheating on me
    We are on fire
    His back perspires
    Which one is that way
    Which Backstreet Boy is gay?

    Tell me who ain't saying that it's Ryan
    Tell me who ain't saying that it's Howie
    Tell me I never want to hear you say
    Which Backstreet Boy is gay?
    I never want to hear you say
    Which backstreet Boy is gay/
    - all right - we're all gay!


    Boom Boom Bang Bang     383 KB


    Dick Flop    861 KB
    Action song with insult end



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