Parodies of the song that ended Barney and Friends became a big hit in the 90s, enough so that Sherman’s book has a whole section on The Death of Barney. I always assumed that the following was a Barney parody: I love you, you love me,homosexualitypeople think that we’re just friendsbut we’re really lesbians The…
Yankee Doodle Parodies
“Yankee Doodle” practically started out as a playground song – popular with both sides of the American Revolution, early versions had all sorts of references to violence and farting (see The Smart Aleck’s Guide to American History). Soldiers added new parody verses all the time, and kids are still doing it. The one I remember…
Howdy Doody Time
Before kids who were too old for Barney sang about killing him, kids slightly too old for Howdy Doody sang the following to the tune of the theme song: It’s Howdy Doody TimeThat show ain’t worth a timeso turn on channel 9and we’ll watch Frankenstein
Rubber Balls and Liquor
This was a “say ______ after everything I say” joke. The best known variant among my school was “So Did the Fat Lady,” but this one is more interesting, given the lack of anatomical knowledge that went along with it.Person 1: Say “Rubber balls and liquor” after everything I say.Person 2: Rubber Balls and liquor.Person…
Diarrhea Song and Diarrhea Cha Cha Cha: The Timeless Classics
“You sort of have to take your hate off to a kid who knows as many verses to ‘Diarrhea Cha Cha Cha’ as Harlan does.” – Chrissie Woodward, I Put a Spell On You. Many folklorists like to justify these rhymes and songs by saying what function they serve for kids – ie, helping them…
Mamma mia, papa pia
Mama mia, papa piababy had some diarrheamama said it wouldn’t hurtso baby had it for desert! Another classic diarrhea-eating song. Dates to at least 1970.
Mary Mack
This is usually a hand-clap or jump rope rhyme, though I heard it sung as a kid, too. I want to say the version I heard was on a “Wee Sing” tape. It left out the repetition and was sung to a tune not unlike the theme from Jaws. It scared the heck out of…
“Plug It In, Plug It In”
There was a girl who went to singing class, where she learned to say “mi mi mi mi mi!” Then she went to a restaurant, where she learned to say “forks and knives, forks and knives!” Then she watched a Glade commercial, so she learned to say “plug it in, plug it in!” Then she…
The “Learn The Letters of the Alphabet” Joke
There was a kid who wouldn’t learn the letters of the alphabet, so his teacher said ‘go home, and learn the letters!’ He went home and asked his sister “What’s the first letter?” She said “Shut up!” Then he asked “what’s the second letter?” She was singing along with the radio, so she said “Yeah,…
The “Don’t Look Up Or Down” Joke
A boy wanted to take a shower with his dad. His dad said “okay, but don’t look down.” Then in the shower he looked down and said “Daddy, what’s that?” HIs dad said “That’s a train.” Then he asked his mom if he could take a shower with her. She said “okay, but don’t look…