Rubber Dolly and folklore
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In a message dated 1/17/03 12:53:16 AM, sheran@... writes:
<< I googled it, and I found it here:
http://www.keeslau.com/TomWaitsSupplement/Lyrics/LyricsCovers/Rubberdo
lly.htm
<<It said it was an American jump rope rhyme. >>
I saw that, but I believe that is entirely incorrect.
It was listed in other places too, and nobody said jump rope rhyme. One or
two said "clapping song" (that would be like "Hey, hey, say playmate, come
out and play with me..." or "I had a little sister, her name was Suzi Q...").
All those versions had "auntie" where the one I learned was "sister."
Theirs might all be from a common source. Or not.
I have a collection of books on kids' rhymes and used to read ALL jump rope
rhyme books that came out and it was never in there.
The 3-6-9 part was used in a motown-kind-of recording in the 1960's, called
"Clap Clap" and that one does make sense, rhythmically, as a clapping song.
Rubber Dolly DEFINITELY has a tune (as do most clapping rhymes, but the
3-6-9- part doesn't have a tune, it's a chant.
All the jump-rope rhymes I ever knew were chanted. Rhythm and traditional
scheme/presentation, but no tune.
Too much folklore for most people maybe. Sorry.
Because its crossover is bluegrass and kids, I'm thinking maybe it was
recorded pre-WWII and is on somebody's obscure 78rpm, or maybe it's just
passed down through families who heard their mom singing it.
I have another my dad's dad used to sing. Anyone know this one? (It would
help if I could sing it, I know...) I have asked all my life, and now I
wonder if he made it up. One of my dad's brothers is still living. Maybe I
could ask him.
A little man bought him a big bass drum
Boom Boom Boom
Who knows, says he, when the war will come
Boom Boom Boom
I'm not at all frightened, you understand
But when I'm called to fight for my land
I wanna be ready to play in the band
Boom Boom Boom
He used to sing it with me sitting on his knee when I was really little and
bounce me a little through the whole song, and bigger on the Booms. And as I
got older I'd always ask him to sing it to me, because it seemed the thing he
should do, and I didn't want to forget it.
Sandra
<< I googled it, and I found it here:
http://www.keeslau.com/TomWaitsSupplement/Lyrics/LyricsCovers/Rubberdo
lly.htm
<<It said it was an American jump rope rhyme. >>
I saw that, but I believe that is entirely incorrect.
It was listed in other places too, and nobody said jump rope rhyme. One or
two said "clapping song" (that would be like "Hey, hey, say playmate, come
out and play with me..." or "I had a little sister, her name was Suzi Q...").
All those versions had "auntie" where the one I learned was "sister."
Theirs might all be from a common source. Or not.
I have a collection of books on kids' rhymes and used to read ALL jump rope
rhyme books that came out and it was never in there.
The 3-6-9 part was used in a motown-kind-of recording in the 1960's, called
"Clap Clap" and that one does make sense, rhythmically, as a clapping song.
Rubber Dolly DEFINITELY has a tune (as do most clapping rhymes, but the
3-6-9- part doesn't have a tune, it's a chant.
All the jump-rope rhymes I ever knew were chanted. Rhythm and traditional
scheme/presentation, but no tune.
Too much folklore for most people maybe. Sorry.
Because its crossover is bluegrass and kids, I'm thinking maybe it was
recorded pre-WWII and is on somebody's obscure 78rpm, or maybe it's just
passed down through families who heard their mom singing it.
I have another my dad's dad used to sing. Anyone know this one? (It would
help if I could sing it, I know...) I have asked all my life, and now I
wonder if he made it up. One of my dad's brothers is still living. Maybe I
could ask him.
A little man bought him a big bass drum
Boom Boom Boom
Who knows, says he, when the war will come
Boom Boom Boom
I'm not at all frightened, you understand
But when I'm called to fight for my land
I wanna be ready to play in the band
Boom Boom Boom
He used to sing it with me sitting on his knee when I was really little and
bounce me a little through the whole song, and bigger on the Booms. And as I
got older I'd always ask him to sing it to me, because it seemed the thing he
should do, and I didn't want to forget it.
Sandra
NOTE IN JANUARY 2024:
Because I'm able to come in and edit these, I want to say the song WAS found, by people outside unschooling. There are notes about that, and a recording of me singing that song, in two places (if they're still there when someone comes across this):
Kidlore, games, music (sandradodd.com/history/folklore)