References To Double Dutch (Jump Rope) In American & British Commercials, Recorded Songs, Television Shows, And Movies

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series on recreational (street, old school) Double Dutch, with an emphasis on Double Dutch (jump rope) rhymes.

Part IV provides a partial time line of references to Double Dutch in American and British commercials, recorded songs, television shows, and movies. This lists is presented with information and comments.

This post also showcases one of this commercials: Coca Cola Double Dutch. Please help me identify a date for this Coca Cola ad!

Please add to this time line by sharing examples of references to Double Dutch that aren't included in this list. Thanks.

**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/07/speculation-about-when-why-recreational.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents my thoughts about the reasons for the demise of recreational Double Dutch with or without chanted rhymes. Part I also includes an excerpt from an online article that provides a general overview about recreational Double Dutch, with emphasis on the years that girls were involved in this activity.

In addition, Part I also showcases four YouTube videos of recreational or competitive sports Double Dutch. A video of Malcolm Mclaren's 1983 song "Double Dutch" is also featured in this post, particularly for its visual documentation of Double Dutch sports teams more than for its South African sourced music. Selected comments about Double Dutch from those videos' discussion threads are also included in this post.

**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/07/excerpt-about-recreational-double-dutch.html for Part II of this series. Part II features an excerpt from the chapter "Double Dutch And Double Cameras: Studying The Transmission Of Culture In An Urban School" by Ann Richman Beresina. This chapter is part of the 1999 book Children's Folklore: A SourceBook edited by Brian Sutton-Smith, Jay Mechling, Thomas W. Johnson, and Felicia McMahon (Utah State University Press, originally published in 1995).

In addition, Part II showcases the 1985/1986 McDonald Double Dutch commercial (which is also featured in Part I) as well as two YouTube videos of "Big Mac" performed as a two person and as a four person hand clap game.

**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/07/excerpt-about-recreational-double-dutch.html for Part II of this series. Part II features an excerpt from the chapter "Double Dutch And Double Cameras: Studying The Transmission Of Culture In An Urban School" by Ann Richman Beresina. This chapter is part of the 1999 book Children's Folklore: A SourceBook edited by Brian Sutton-Smith, Jay Mechling, Thomas W. Johnson, and Felicia McMahon (Utah State University Press, originally published in 1995).

In addition, Part II showcases the 1985/1986 McDonald Double Dutch commercial (which is also featured in Part I) as well as two YouTube videos of "Big Mac" performed as a two person and as a four person hand clap game.
Part III showcases text (word only) examples of five recreational Double Dutch rhymes and provides comments about those examples, including suggesting probably Hip Hop sources for some of those rhymes.

The words to these rhymes are from Recess Battles: Playing, Fighting, and Storytelling, by Anna R. Beresin (Univ. Press of Mississippi, May 27, 2011).

Comments about the source of certain of these jump rope rhymes and explanations about the meanings of some of the topical references in those rhymes are also included in this post.

****
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are mentioned in this post and thank to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
This is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on Double Dutch (jump rope) and jump roping rope in general, particularly as those activities relate to African American females.

Also, click the tags below to find other posts in this series.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Coca Cola Double Dutch 30 sec KOCL 8352 6:1:98 Edge Creative Red Car



TheRedCarChannel, Published on Oct 28, 2015

Coca Cola Double Dutch 30 sec KOCL 8352 6:1:98 Edge Creative Red Car
-snip-
When was this ad first aired? Please add that information in the comment section below so that I can include it in this Double Dutch timeline.

Also please help with the lyrics. Here's my transcription so far (Corrections to this transcription are welcome.)

The bottle is cool
The taste is real
When I drink it down
This is how I feel
The girls alright
This is what I say
C.O.C.A COLA"
-snip-
Later in the commercial, girls say "Coca Cola" faster and faster to match with the jumper's speed jumps.

****
PARTIAL TIME LINE OF REFERENCES TO DOUBLE DUTCH (Jump Rope) IN UNITED STATES & BRITISH COMMERCIALS, RECORDED SONGS, TELEVISION SHOWS, AND MOVIES

[Pancocojams Editor: This entry doesn't include the use of any of the featured songs in electronic games. If you know of any examples of this, please add them. Each British entry is noted as such. All other entries are from the United States.]


1979 - McDonald's (Jump Rope theme) commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up1kh0HF3Oo

jingle:
"McDonald�s knows your Double Dutch is really hard to beat
�cause when your jumping there is something magic with your feet
You�re jumping up and up and up
and we�ll give you a hand
You�re the reason we do it
If anyone can do it McDonalds knows who can."

****
1981 - McDonald`s Chicken McNugget Double Dutch commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_va6kLEIdY

Jingle:
"Down at McDonalds where the arches go
They got Chicken McNuggests
And there hot to go"

****
1981 - Frankie Smith's Funk/old school Hip Hop record "Double Dutch Bus" was first released
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Dutch_Bus for information about that song and click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK9hK82r-AM for a YouTube video of that song.

****
1981 - Pick Up Your Feet documentary on Double Dutch
http://mediaburn.org/video/pick-up-your-feet-the-double-dutch-show/
"A sweet, interesting, and enjoyable documentary about a double dutch championship for junior high age kids in New York. The tape featured mainly local kids from Manhattan and the boroughs, but the event drew an international crowd to the Lincoln Center on 6/13/81. We spend time with the teams as they practice and compete and hear about how they train and how they feel about their sport. The tape manages to simultaneously capture all of the tension of the competition and give a personal look at a number of the teams. Blumberg manages to catch the participants at their most raw and emotional moments, like when a 10 (?) year old girl is sobbing uncontrollably like she had just lost a family member. Blumberg asks her what place her team got. They were #1."

****
1983 - [British] Malcom MClarens 1983 single "Double Dutch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Dutch_(song)
" "Double Dutch" is a 1983 single by Malcolm McLaren. It is taken from his debut album Duck Rock....
"Double Dutch" is the follow-up to his successful debut single, "Buffalo Gals", and reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, making it his highest-charting single release... The song concerns the skipping game of the same name, with McLaren's narration mentioning several New York double Dutch troupes by name, notably the Ebonettes, whose name is also used as a chant in the chorus."...
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/nn974m/double-dutchs-forgotten-hip-hop-origins-456 "Double Dutch's Forgotten Hip-Hop Origins" by Lauren Schwartzberg, Mar 31 2015
...."Double dutch's rhyming chants fit with those of the MCs, and the sport demanded a physical dexterity not too far removed from breakdancing. Soon, Blue was showing double dutch to British impresario and musician Malcolm McLaren�he immediately fell in love and wrote a song about the Ebonettes, another New York double dutch team, for his 1983 Duck Rock album. It quickly became McLaren's most popular song, reaching third place on UK singles charts."...
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ4jMSCBswY for a YouTube video of this song.

****
1985 - McDonald's "Big Mac" Double Dutch commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo5DbV0ZKAI

"Big Mac
Fillet of Fish
Quarter Pounder
French Fries
Icy Coke
Sundaes
And apple pies"
-snip-
This is now widely known as a hand clap rhyme "Welcome To McDonalds" . (Note that the hand clap rhyme has added words). Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/two-mcdonalds-handclap-rhymes-source.html for a pancocojams post on two McDonalds commercials that became hand clap rhymes . That post showcases "Welcome To McDonalds" and "McDonalds Is Your Kind Of Place".

****
1990 -Reebok Double Tongue Double Dutch commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aqqQ_NRYB0

Update July 31, 2017
"Reebox" is a brand of tennis shoe. This commercial is filmed as a video game. There's no jingle/rhyme. main words are "Reebox double tongue". ("Double tongue" refers to the fastener flap on the shoe.)

**
[Update August 2, 2017]
1991 - Double-Dutch Clorox Bleach Commercial, 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjhj7nUvp-w
vintage commercial Published on Jan 12, 2013
"There's only one way to get it Clorox clean." Perhaps, but there's probably a way to cause fewer hours of work for yourself. For instance, here's a laundry-lessening idea: maybe avoid playing double-dutch on a grimy sidewalk while wearing only white socks. There's another little kid wearing orange socks AND a pair of shoes - let's maybe try to emulate that kind of outdoor jumprope fashion behavior."
-snip-
This commercial for a brand name bleach product shows a multiracial group of girls doing double dutch. In includes a jingle about there being "only one way to be Clorox clean".
-end of 8/2/2017 video-

**
[Update: 7/30/2017]
1997- Sister, Sister (television series), episode entitled "Double Dutch" [Season 4, Episode 19]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701710/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
"Tia and Tamera enter a double-Dutch contest for a family street fair and Tia overworks Tamera, not letting her see her 'guy' or even telling Tamera the reason why she is so driven. It turns out that after meeting an old childhood bully, Tia became obsessed with finally beating her at something."...

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdokT3mzKuI for a clip of that episode that shows "double dutching".
-end of 7/20/2017 update

**
2002 - Missy Elliot' (featuring Ludacris)'s single "Gossip Folks" sampled Frankie Smith�s 1981 record �Double Dutch Bus�

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYKI8tAELXY [Warning: Some of the lyrics in this song are considered to be "dirty".]

****
2003 Hitman Sammy � "Step Daddy" (sampled Frankie Smith�s "Double Dutch Bus")

****
2005 - Xbox 360 TV Commercial - "Jump Rope"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdjAukXJgM

****
2007 - Jump In!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_In!
"Jump In! is a 2007 Disney Channel Original Movie, which premiered on January 12, 2007. It was released on Disney Channel UK on April 27, 2007. The film, starring Corbin Bleu and Keke Palmer, revolves around a young boxer, Izzy Daniels (Corbin Bleu), who trains to follow in his father's footsteps by winning the Golden Glove. When his friend, Mary (Keke Palmer), who harbors a secret crush on him, asks him to substitute for a team member in a Double Dutch tournament, then, Izzy discovers his new love for jumping rope and in the meantime, he soon discovers true love in Mary."...

****
2008- Raven-Symone recorded a cover of Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus"

****
2012 - Phineas and Ferb [Disney animated series, "Double Dutch" episode]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI_RKZgUUbY

-snip-
That episode includes this song:

"Volgen nu!
One dutch, two dutch
Queens of the double dutch
We skip better than you by that much
Watch our feet, our moves are sweet
Our double dutchin' won't be beat
Touwtje springen, wat leuk.
-snip-
"Volgen nu = Dutch for "now follow"
Touwtje springen = Dutch for "jumping rope"
wat leuk = Dutch for "what fun") is often erroneously given as "fast feud".

****
2012 [British] "Maltesers Let Your Lighter Side Out TV Ad Airport
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exPHfGsSRao
-snip-
"Maltese" is the brand name for United Kingdom chocolate candy drops. This commercial features
Malcolm NcClaren's "Double Dutch" song.

****
2013 - Wolf Of Wall Street movie includes Malcolm McClaren's Double Dutch song.

****
2014 - BET Awards/Pharrell & Missy Elliot performance includes Double Dutch jumping ("double dutching")
http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2014/performances/pharrell-williams-and-missy-elliott.html
"Pharrell Takes Us to #BaeUniversity With Missy Elliott.

Missy joins Skateboard P for a special mash-up performance of "Come Get It Bae" and her classic "Pass That Dutch."
-snip-
[No other description is given on that page besides that quote.] The inclusion of Double Dutch in that BET televised show is mentioned in the article "Double Dutch's Forgotten Hip-Hop Origins" by Lauren Schwartzberg, Mar 31 2015 whose link is given above.

****
Added July 30, 2017
2014- The Real syndicated television talk show-[Double Dutch segment] Sep 29, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I0c4OfX6JU
"Tamera Shows Off Her Double Dutch Skills"
-snip-
Tamera Mowry-Housley one of The Real's hosts, was the star of Sister, Sister along with her twin sister Tia. A popular episode of that series was when the sisters jumped in a Double Dutch competition.(1997).

****
2015 - "Double dutching" is included in the Top Five movie about New York
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Five
This is mentioned is in the article "Double Dutch's Forgotten Hip-Hop Origins" by Lauren Schwartzberg, Mar 31 2015 whose link is given above.

****
2015 - Jump! television series on Lifetime channel
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/new-series-jump-to-premiere-friday-april-10-on-lifetime/377692/ New Series 'Jump!' to Premiere Friday, April 10 on Lifetime, Steve Baron, March 20, 2015
"via press release:
April - Lifetime�s all-new docu-series Jump!, chronicles the journey of one of the hottest jump rope teams in the country, Floyd-Little Double Dutch (FLDD), as they compete to defend their championship titles. Known as the face of Double Dutch, the team performed at the White House Easter celebration and opened up the 2014 BET Awards with Pharrell and Missy Elliot. Premiering Friday, April 10, at 10pm ET/PT, Jump! provides an inside look at the international competitive event filled with tricks, turns, tears and triumphs, and examines what it really takes to make it as the fiercest team in the country."
-snip-
This one season series showcased Newark, New Jersey's Floyd Little (Double Dutch) team. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVHEcfrCkuI "Jump!: Meet the Floyd Little Double Dutch Team | Lifetime"

****
Please add to this timeline. Thanks!

****
This concludes Part IV of this four part pancocojams series on Double Dutch.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Categories: American commercials American movies American television shows British commercials British music Double Dutch jump rope

Read More

Were African Americans The Originally Composers Of "I Believe I Can Fly" Parodies?

Edited by Azizi Powell

I recently happened upon this online blog post about an example of an "I Believe I Can Fly" parody which suggested that "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies (and not just that particular example) were African American in origin. I'm quoting this entire post for folkloric purposes:

From http://folklore.usc.edu/?p=23861
"Occupation: Student
Residence: CA
Performance Date: 3/06/14

"The informant is a college-age male whose parents are both originally from Pakistan. He has lived in Southern California all his life, with frequent trips to Pakistan to visit extended family. Although he graduated from a public high school, he attended a private Islamic elementary school until the third grade. He says there were Muslims of many backgrounds at the school, and one of his friends (who also happened to be of Pakistani descent) used to sing this as a joke during rehearsals for school programs. It is a partial parody of a once-popular song by the artist R. Kelly.

I believe i can die

I got shot by the FBI

My momma hit me with a chicken wing

All the way to Burger King

Analysis: The informant (and, according to him, his other friends and classmates) always thought the song was funny, both because �the original song was about how, you know, you can do anything if you try hard and believe in yourself, and like� not letting your fears get in the way of�getting your dreams or whatever. And then it�s like, oh, I got shot by the FBI and my mom hates me�So, that was funny;� and also that the friend in question was also a bit of a troublemaker, so the just the fact of him singing the rather inappropriate song when he was supposed to be singing a school song, �made it even funnier� to the informant.

From a more objective point of view, the elementary school attended by the informant was located in South Los Angeles, which has a high population of African-American residents. It is quite possible that this parody was learned from neighbors or friends who were African-American, as it seems to give voice, through humor, to anxieties about dangers which are uniquely part of the reality of African-Americans in South LA�that is, being �shot by the FBI� or otherwise victimized by members of potentially racist law enforcement or the government. It�s also a very stark contrast between the original song�s message of hope and inspiration and this version�s obvious (justified) pessimism about American society. On the other hand, the second and third lines seem to include stereotypes about African Americans� supposed fondness for fried chicken and fast-food and their strict parenting style.

An online search reveals that parodies of this song are common among African Americans from LA to Pittsburgh, revealing how far and wide the common anxieties of this minority group spreads.

COLLECTED BY RABIA
POSTED FRIDAY, 16TH OF MAY 2014 AT 05:32:19 PM"
-snip-
The words "parodies of this song are common" is a hyperlink that leads to Part I of a 2013 pancocojams post about "I Believe I Can Fly Parodies" https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/childrens-parodies-of-i-believe-i-can.html.

I also recall reading a post on a blog whose name I didn't document in which the commenter noted that his or her example of "I Believe I Can Fly" parody was racial because of the reference to "chicken wings" and "collard greens". That contributor made no other comment about any racial aspect to that example.

Here's my reaction to these comments:

I very much disagree with the comments that Rabia wrote in the above quoted article that "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies "give voice, through humor, to anxieties about dangers which are uniquely part of the reality of African-Americans in South LA�that is, being �shot by the FBI� or otherwise victimized by members of potentially racist law enforcement or the government."

I also very much disagree that the boys and girls who enthusiastically and without prompting (except for my request for them to share what songs or rhymes they knew) sung "I Believe i Can Fly" parodies in the cultural presentations and recreational sessions that I held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1999 and the early 2000s were "revealing the common anxieties" [that probably are indeed actually] "felt by [many] African Americans far and wide".

I also disagree that references to chicken wings, collard greens, and -in other examples of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies- cornbread automatically mean that these parodies are of African American origin. While its true that those food items are considered to be "soul food" dishes - i.e. African American popular food choices- other people in the United States South and elsewhere like those food items. I believe that it's probably well meaning but still socially incorrect to imply or assert that this parody is African American because the person voiced in the rhyme wanted (or, in some versions, stole) food that have been categorized as "soul food".

I also believe that it's probably well meaning but still socially incorrect to assume that the person in some versions of this parody who is shot, killed, or chased by the FBI was Black. And I don't believe that it's true that all (or maybe even most) African Americans have a stricter parenting style than other Americans. And if some African Americans do have a stricter parenting style than other Americans, I'm not convinced that the violence against the mother (hitting the mother with a garbage can or a frying pan or other such lines that -I believe- are in later versions of these parodies) have anything to do with actual dislike of or hatred for mothers.

Furthermore, in my years of informally directly and indirectly collecting and studying African American children's recreational compositions (from the mid 1980s to date), I can attest to the fact that it's rare to find examples of African American children's rhymes that even obliquely refer to "being victimized by members of potentially racist law enforcement or the government"- even if you include such examples as the late 19th century or early 20th century "Massa Massa Don't Whip Me" (whip that other "n word" behind that tree)" and the early 20th century to date rhymes "Roaches & Bedbugs Playing Ball" ("Standing On The Corner") that include these lines or similar lines:
"Oh, I'm walkin' round the corner
Doing little harm
Along comes a policeman
And grabs me by the arm
Oh, he walks me round the corner
Rings a little bell
Along comes a wagon
And knocks me in a cell"...

[Update June 17, 2017] Note that I think that both of those songs/rhymes had their sources in 19th century African American songs, but (particularly the "Standing On The Corner"/Roaches & "Bedbugs" song) were popularized by recordings and performances by f White singers. A pancocojams post on the latter song will be published ASAP and the link added here.]

The record "I Believe I Can Fly" record was written, produced, and performed in 1996 by [African] American American singer R. Kelly (as per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Believe_I_Can_Fly) and the earliest examples of the "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that I've collected (from direct interactions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1999) were from African American boys and girls ages 5-12 years. However, these examples might not be the earliest parodies of "I Believe I Can Fly". Furthermore, most of the examples of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies are found online on YouTube and other websites/blogs such as pancocojams. Online examples of children's rhymes -including I Believe I Can fly"- rarely include demographics. And I don't believe that any research project has been done to ascertain whether Black American children/teens know and have sung these parodies more than non-Black American children/teens.

However, "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies differ from most Black African and Black African Diaspora children's recreational compositions (rhymes, singing games, chants, and cheers) in that these examples don't have a percussive beat which facilitate the performance of some form of rhythmic body movement/s such as jumping rope, partner, group, or individual hand claps, skipping in a circle, dancing, or foot stomping (synchronized foot stepping) while the sung. rhyme is sung or chanted. It doesn't appear that "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies initially had any accompanying body movement activities, but the compositions became separated from that (or those) activity/activities, but that doesn't necessarily mean that these parodies weren't originally composed by African Americans. Also, it seems to me that few African American children's rhymes are parodies, although one group of rhymes that might fit that definition are the "I pledge allegiance to the flag/Michael Jackson makes me gag". This is in contrast to the "On Top Of Old Smokey" parodies that I believe are of White American origin and mostly chanted by non-Black Americans. Click http://playgroundjungle.com/2009/12/on-top-of-old-smokey-parodies.html for an article about those parodies.

It appears to me that "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies were sung -and continue to be sung- by children and pre-teens of all races, ethnic groups, and genders within the United States, and by extension, in some other nations. I believe these parodies remain popular with children and pre-teenagers (ages 5- 12 years) because they provide opportunities to engage in creative play (i.e. rhyming or near rhyming composing, singing/chanting) that often tests and flaunts societal limits with little or no consequences. This limit testing/flaunting societal norms includes children's and pre-teens's singing/chanting rhymes that include profanity or other taboo words -such as the "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" rhymes in which the "taboo" word is given in such a way that there is plausible deniability. "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies and some other limit testing and flaunting children's rhymes include references to taboo violence such as hitting one's mother or teacher, and sexual or sexualized content -and often sexualized butt shaking dancing- which cause many children to describe these rhymes as "nasty" or "dirty".

If you have demographic information about late 1990s examples of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies (including the race, ethnicity of those people chanting those parodies), please share that in the comment section below. Thanks.
-snip-
This quote and comments are included in Part I of this 2013 pancocojams post about "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies
whose link is given above.

****
ADDENDUM- ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY" PARODIES
These examples supplement examples of "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies in Part II of a 2013 pancocojams post on those parodies https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/childrens-parodies-of-i-believe-i-can_2.html.

The "I Believe I Can Fly" parodies that are given below appear to me to have texts (words) that are different from the examples that I collected in 1999s and the early 2000s (in the amount of references to violence, and/or sexualized references such as "dingaling", and rhyming content such as "hospital"/ "popsicle" and "chips/"dangling bits".
-snip-
All the examples that are given below are from that video's discussion thread.

WARNING: As is the case with many YouTube comment threads, a number of comments in this discussion thread include profanity, and/or explicit sexual references, and/or racist references, and other inappropriate content.

I believe can fly I got shot by the fbi



mari Published on Jun 25, 2014

Mari and mike
-snip-
Here's my transcription of part of these two African American children's introductory comments about and version of "I Believe I Can Fly":

�Hold on. This is a new song by Mike and Mari. We fixin* to sing �I believe I can fly. I got shot by the fbi� new version.

I believe I can fly
I got shot by the fbi
All I want is some chicken wings,
cornbread and collard greens.
I believe I can soar
I got a whoopin at the grocery store
I told my dad I can�t take no more
I got shot by the FBI.
-snip-
*fixin"= African American Vernacular English term meaning "getting ready to".

"whooping" = a beating

**
Kris Edwards, 2016
"Real. Song. :: I Believe I Can Fly I Got Shot By The F.B.I All I Wanted Was A Chicken Wing From McDonalds Or BurgerKIng I Hit My Mom With A Frying Pan She Got Me Back With A Minivan IBelieve I Can Soar Like A Butterfly......."

**
Daniela Lopez, 2015
"I believe I can fly, got shot by the FBI, all I wanted was a bag of chips, then they shot off my dangling bits..."

**
Emily Sherratt, 2016
"my friends sing it like this"I believe I can die I got shot by the FBI all I wanted was a bag of chips but all I got was a hit in the bits"

**
Joey Morales, 2017
"My version: I believe I can fly... I Got shot by the FBI... All I wanted was a chicken wing... So they shot me in my dingaling... And they brang me to the hospital... And They replaced it with a popsicle... Then they slammed me in an iron door... And so much more."
-snip-
Added June 10, 2017
[June 20, 2017]
Judging from YouTube videos and comments, the "Burger King" examples of this parody seem to be at least as widely known as the "all I wanted was some chicken wings and collard greens [or "corn bread and collard greens"] versions. Each of these versions are still being used in 2017. The "Burger King" versions might actually be more widely used. Its "wing"/"king" fits the "AABB" rhyming pattern while the "wings"/ "greens" does not.

That said, I wonder if the Burger King versions weren't composed later than the chicken wings and collard greens versions. That might especially be true if this "I Believe I Can Fly/I Got Shot By The FBI" parody was composed
(by Black person? or by a White person?) to joke about or put down Black Americans.

Also, the "wings/dingaling" and "chips"/"dangling bits" versions of this parody are even newer and than the "wings"/Burger King" versions.

****
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to R, Kelly for composing and performing the song "I Believe I Can Fly" and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Categories: African American children's rhymes and cheers African American Rhythm and Blues American children's rhymes American movies children's parodies children's rhymes that mention the FBI

Read More