- Where did you come from, Where did you go?
Where did you come from, Cotton-eyed Joe?
Come for to see you, come for to sing.
Come for to show you my diamond ring.
These are verses that my classes and I wrote:
I'll bring you candy to make you smile.
I'll be gone in a little while.
Don't be lazy, don't be shy.
Come on out and say Goodbye.
The melody goes like this:
Mi, Mi Mi Re Do Mi Mi Mi Low So,
ta-ah, ta, ta, ta-ah, ta-ah, ta-ah, ta, ta ta-ah-ah
Mi Mi Mi Re Do Low La, So, La, Do.
ta-ah, ta, ta, ta-ah, ta-ah, ta, ta, ta-a, ta-ah-ah
10370 Page Industrial Blvd.
St. Louis, Missouri 63132
If you should find this book, it is a dandy. It has a wonderful collection of black children's ring games and chants. A sampling is below:
- Miss Sue, X (clap) X (clap), Miss Sue, X X, Miss Sue from Alabama. Hey you! X X Scooby do, X X Your mama's got the measles, your papa's got the flu,
magic measles, magic flu, Take an a, b, c, d, e, f, g, Take an h, i, j, k, l-m-n-o-p, take a smooth shot, take a smooth shot, now FREEZE.
Here's another oldie but goodie, in case some of you may not have it. I learned this circle game when I worked in the Houston area and I taught at a school named Harlem. There were many poor black children there which were going to school with some children of the ultra wealthy who were bussed to the school as a pilot project.
A child is chosen to be in the center of a ring. The children in the circle begin singing verse 1.
VERSE ONE:
| Do | Fa | Fa | Fa | Fa | Do | Do | Re | Re | Do | Do | La,Do |
| ta | syn | co | pa | ta | tip | pi | tip | pi | tip | pi | ta-ah |
| Oh, | what | can | you | do? | Spe | cial | num | ber | for | ty- | two? |
| Fa | Fa | Fa | Fa | Do | Do | Re | Re | Mi | Mi | Fa | |
| syn | co | pa | ta | tip | pi | tip | pi | tip | pi | ta | |
| What | can | you | do? | Spe | cial | num | ber | for | ty | two? |
The child in the center begins a movement as he or she
sings VERSE TWO:
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