Playground song
Encyclopedia
A playground song is a song sung by children
, usually on a playground
or other children's gathering place. Most such songs are traditional in nature and are passed, with constantly evolving regional variations, down the generations. They have been studied for over a century, with H.C Bolton publishing a paper on "The counting out rhymes of children" in New York in 1888.
Playground songs are distinct from nursery rhymes in that they are sung by groups of children together in spontaneous play, rather than by parents or teachers to children. Playground songs lack the characters common in nursery rhymes (e.g. Mary, Georgie Porgie
, Jack & Jill
, and Humpty Dumpty
) and often involve counting games or role playing. They are distinct from skipping or hopscotch
rhymes which have a rhythm and logic of their own. Occasionally the songs are used as a base for modern pop songs, Circle circle, dot dot, commonly sung in American playgrounds, has been recorded as a rap song.
Common British playground songs using the counting template include One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, Five Currant Buns, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, once I caught a fish alive, This Old Man
(Knick-Knack Paddywhack), One Man Went to Mow, Ten In The Bed And The Little One Said and Ten Green Bottles. Other types of British playground songs involve animals and role playing by the singers and include Horsey, Horsey, Don't You Stop and Five little ducks went swimming one day.
Some of the most popular playground songs include actions to be done with the words. Among the most famous of these is I'm a Little Teapot. A term from the song is now commonly used in cricket
to describe a disgruntled bowler's stance when a catch has been dropped. A 'teapot' involves standing with one hand on your hip in disappointment, a 'double teapot' http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21012460-2722,00.html involves both hands on hips and a disapproving glare http://www.theage.com.au/news/news/loss-to-england-really-hurt-mcgrath/2007/02/10/1170524339195.html. Row, Row, Row Your Boat sees pairs of children rowing an imaginary boat made by their bodies as they sit facing each other, while If You're Happy And You Know It is another favourite and See Saw Margery Daw is sung by a pair of children sharing a seesaw
in the playground. 'Rounds
' are still sung, which commonly involve children singing a song in four parts, each one in turn starting the song a line after another has started singing. A common round is 'London's Burning
'. The children sing the song out of synch with their fellows with the aim of finishing the song without collapsing into confused laughter.
If a playground song does have a character, it is usually a child present at the time of the song's performance or the child singing the song. The extreme awkwardness of relations between young boys and young girls is a common motif such as in the American song K-I-S-S-I-N-G
.
Playground songs can be parodies of popular songs such as On Top of Old Smoky
or The Battle Hymn of the Republic
in the USA with suitably altered lyrics. The new lyrics are frequently highly derisive towards figures of authority such as teachers or involve ribald lyrical variations. Zero-tolerance rules in some schools now prevent this, although they are sometimes ignored by teachers who view the songs as harmless and clever http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:PPpErNhZecIJ:www.museum.vic.gov.au/playfolklore/pdf/playfolklore_issue44_2.pdf+schools+ban+rhymes+playground&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=au&client=firefox-a.
Children's song
Children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that young children invent and share among themselves, or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home, or education...
, usually on a playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
or other children's gathering place. Most such songs are traditional in nature and are passed, with constantly evolving regional variations, down the generations. They have been studied for over a century, with H.C Bolton publishing a paper on "The counting out rhymes of children" in New York in 1888.
Playground songs are distinct from nursery rhymes in that they are sung by groups of children together in spontaneous play, rather than by parents or teachers to children. Playground songs lack the characters common in nursery rhymes (e.g. Mary, Georgie Porgie
Georgie Porgie
"Georgie Porgie" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19532.-Lyrics:The most common modern lyrics are:There are various theories that link the character Georgie Porgie to historical figures including George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham , Charles...
, Jack & Jill
Jack and Jill (song)
"Jack and Jill" is a classic nursery rhyme in the English speaking world. The origin of the rhyme is obscure and there are several theories that attempt to interpret the lyrics. The rhyme is known to date back to at least the 18th century. The song is sometimes titled "Jack and Gill", particularly...
, and Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty is a character in an English language nursery rhyme, probably originally a riddle and one of the best known in the English-speaking world. He is typically portrayed as an egg and has appeared or been referred to in a large number of works of literature and popular culture...
) and often involve counting games or role playing. They are distinct from skipping or hopscotch
Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a children's game that can be played with several players or alone. Hopscotch is a popular playground game.- Court and rules :- The court :...
rhymes which have a rhythm and logic of their own. Occasionally the songs are used as a base for modern pop songs, Circle circle, dot dot, commonly sung in American playgrounds, has been recorded as a rap song.
Common British playground songs using the counting template include One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, Five Currant Buns, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, once I caught a fish alive, This Old Man
This Old Man
"This Old Man" is an English language children's song, counting and nursery rhyme with a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3550.-Origins and history:The origins of this song are obscure...
(Knick-Knack Paddywhack), One Man Went to Mow, Ten In The Bed And The Little One Said and Ten Green Bottles. Other types of British playground songs involve animals and role playing by the singers and include Horsey, Horsey, Don't You Stop and Five little ducks went swimming one day.
Some of the most popular playground songs include actions to be done with the words. Among the most famous of these is I'm a Little Teapot. A term from the song is now commonly used in cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
to describe a disgruntled bowler's stance when a catch has been dropped. A 'teapot' involves standing with one hand on your hip in disappointment, a 'double teapot' http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21012460-2722,00.html involves both hands on hips and a disapproving glare http://www.theage.com.au/news/news/loss-to-england-really-hurt-mcgrath/2007/02/10/1170524339195.html. Row, Row, Row Your Boat sees pairs of children rowing an imaginary boat made by their bodies as they sit facing each other, while If You're Happy And You Know It is another favourite and See Saw Margery Daw is sung by a pair of children sharing a seesaw
Seesaw
A seesaw is a long, narrow board pivoted in the middle so that, as one end goes up, the other goes down.-Mechanics:Mechanically a seesaw is a lever and fulcrum....
in the playground. 'Rounds
Round (music)
A round is a musical composition in which two or more voices sing exactly the same melody , but with each voice beginning at different times so that different parts of the melody coincide in the different voices, but nevertheless fit harmoniously together...
' are still sung, which commonly involve children singing a song in four parts, each one in turn starting the song a line after another has started singing. A common round is 'London's Burning
London's Burning (song)
"London's Burning" is a song by The Clash from their eponymous debut album. It is the eighth track in the U.K. version of this album, and the seventh track in the U.S. version, from 1979....
'. The children sing the song out of synch with their fellows with the aim of finishing the song without collapsing into confused laughter.
If a playground song does have a character, it is usually a child present at the time of the song's performance or the child singing the song. The extreme awkwardness of relations between young boys and young girls is a common motif such as in the American song K-I-S-S-I-N-G
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G" or "Kay Eye Ess Ess Eye En Gee" is the name of a playground song or taunt. It really only achieves its desired effect—embarrassment—when sung among children to a couple that is in romantic love...
.
Playground songs can be parodies of popular songs such as On Top of Old Smoky
On Top of Old Smoky
"On Top of Old Smoky" is a traditional folk song and a well-known ballad of the United States which, as recorded by The Weavers, reached the pop music charts in 1951....
or The Battle Hymn of the Republic
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is a hymn by American writer Julia Ward Howe using the music from the song "John Brown's Body". Howe's more famous lyrics were written in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It became popular during the American Civil War...
in the USA with suitably altered lyrics. The new lyrics are frequently highly derisive towards figures of authority such as teachers or involve ribald lyrical variations. Zero-tolerance rules in some schools now prevent this, although they are sometimes ignored by teachers who view the songs as harmless and clever http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:PPpErNhZecIJ:www.museum.vic.gov.au/playfolklore/pdf/playfolklore_issue44_2.pdf+schools+ban+rhymes+playground&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=au&client=firefox-a.
Examples
- 99 bottles of beer on the wall
- K-I-S-S-I-N-G
- The burning of the school
- Pizza hut (a song using the names of several fast food franchises)
- I stuck a dart in my heart (a rhyme involving flatulance humor)
- The song that never ends
- Micheal Finnigan
- Miss Susie
- The song that gets on everyone's nerves
- Joy to the world the teacher's dead
- I hate you, you hate me (a song using anti-Barney humor)
- Hey bus driver speed up a little bit
- Tarzan, monkey man, swinging from a rubber band
- Baby bumblebee
- Happy birthday to you, you smell like dog poo (Happy Birthday parody)
- My Ding-A-Ling
- Fatty and Skinny
- Somebody farted
- Farty Marty
- Oscar Mayer Wiener
- Diarrhea
External links
- BBC Page with lyrics of British Playground Songs
- http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool-rhymes.htm
- Miss Lucy’s Playground Songs