Flashback Friday #85

Taunts & Tunes

A cheery welcome to all who have happened to venture into my little patch of cyberspace. In today's glance over my shoulder into the past, we look at childhood taunts that are set to music. We also take a peek at the musical rhymes used in choosing "who's it".

First up is the musical taunts. I hadn't thought much of them until I heard a kid saying one in a movie recently. The memories flooded back. Do you remember this classic?

Liar, liar, pants on fire, hanging from a telephone wire.

How about this one?

Fatty, fatty, two-by-four,

couldn't get through the bathroom door,

so he did it on the floor,

licked it up and asked for more.

Surely you remember this:

Here comes (insert name), walking down the Delaware,

chewing on his underwear, couldn't afford another pair.

Ten days later, bitten by a polar bear

Wonder why the polar bear died?

I heard all of these more times than I wished.

Next up we have the infamous "fisties" games for deciding who was it. Everyone puts their fists in the circle and the rhymes go around until someone is chosen. Remember these classics?

Engine, engine number nine, rolling down Chicago line.

If the train should jump the tracks, do you want your money back?

YES- Y E S spells yes and you are not it (or NO- N O spells no and you are not it).

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Bubble gum, bubble gum, in a dish,

how many pieces do you wish?

(number given, fists counted) and you are not it.

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Dip, dip, dip, my little ship,

sailed across the ocean you are it.

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One potato, two potato, three potato, four.
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more.
(except where I was from it was One tata, two tata, three tata, four...)


This next ditty doesn't fall into either of the above categories, but it was a song we enjoyed singing as children. I figured I'd throw it in too.

McDonald's is your kind of place.
They serve you rattlesnakes.
They throw them in your face.
They steal your license plates.
Last time that I was there,
They fried my underwear.
McDonald's is your kind of place.
You deserve a break today,
So get up and run away,
From McDonald's.
They do it all for
Big company profits.

Do you remember one that I haven't included?