Author Archives: Delaney Sylvester

Meatball Song

Age: 22
Occupation: student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 3/28/23
Primary Language: English

Text: On top of spaghetti, 

All covered with cheese,

I lost my poor meatball, 

When somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table,

And on to the floor,

And then my poor meatball,

Rolled out of the door.

It rolled in the garden,

And under a bush,

And then my poor meatball,

Was nothing but mush.

The mush was as tasty

As tasty could be,

And then the next summer, 

It grew into a tree.

The tree was all covered,

All covered with moss,

And on it grew meatballs,

And tomato sauce.

So if you eat spaghetti,

All covered with cheese,

Hold on to your meatball,

Whenever you sneeze.

Context: The informant is from Del Mar, CA and first heard this song when she was “deep in her childhood…like 7 or 8”.  She doesn’t remember who she learned it from, but thinks it was somewhere on TV or “some sort of kid show”. She would sing the song when she ate spaghetti as a joke with her younger sister. She believes the song is just a fun kid song. 

Analysis: I believe that this legend about a meatball is meant to teach the children about health and wellness. More specifically, about covering your sneezes because if you don’t you could lose something (perhaps your good health). Additionally, the song may be commenting on protecting your valuables, taking good care of them, and not letting others take them away from you or mess them up somehow. It teaches children to value what they have before it is gone. 

Johnny Verbeck

Text: Once I knew a Dutchman, his name was Johnny Verbeck. He used to deal in sausages and sauerkraut and spec. He made the finest sausages that ever you have seen, and one day he invented a machine.

Oh Mr. Mr. Johnny Verbeck how could you be so mean? I told you you’d be sorry for inventing that machine.

Now all the neighbors’ cats and dogs will never more be seen. They’ll all be ground like sausages in Johnny  VerBecks machine. 

Once a little fat boy came walking in the store he bought a pound of sausages and set them on the floor. The boy  began to whistle, he whistled up a tune, and soon the little sausages were dancing around the room. 

Oh Mr. Mr. Johnny Verbeck how could you be so mean? I told her you’d be sorry for inventing that machine. Now all the neighbors’ cats and dogs will never more be seen. They’ll all be ground like sausages in Johnny Verbeck’s machine.

Once the darn thing busted, the blame thing wouldn’t go, so Johnny Verbeck he jumped inside to see what made it slow. His wife was having a nightmare and while walking in her sleep, she gave the crank a hell-of-a yank and Johnny Verbeck was meat.

Oh Mr. Mr. Johnny Verbeck how could you be so mean? I told you you’d be sorry for inventing that machine. Now all the neighbors’ cats and dogs will never more be seen. They’ll all be ground like Johnny Verbeck in Johnny Verbeck’s machine. Bang!

Context: The informant grew up in Las Vegas, NV and learned this song from his mom and dad as a little boy. He fondly remembers that his parents only sang it to him when he was on the chairlift with them while skiing as a young boy. Because of the somewhat scary nature of the song, he thinks his parents used it to distract him from the ski lift, which was scary to him as a child because of the heights and speed of it. He believes that the song is meant to warn kids about the dangers of technology.

Analysis: I believe that this tale, told in the form of a song, is commenting on two elements of society. Firstly, I believe it being used to warn kids about the dangers of technology. In the tale, Johnny Verbeck invents a machine that makes his work easier, however, it’s his very machine that was intended to be helpful, that turns out to be harmful and brings about his demise. I think this is meant to scare children into understanding the dangers that advancing technology may have. Secondly, I believe that this tale is commenting on the dangers of falling victim to the machine of society. I think it is suggesting that we, as humans, can fall into a sleep-like state, and continue to operate within the machine (without even realizing it) taking down the people that are, unfortunately, stuck inside of it as we do. 

“No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!”

Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: 4/2/23
Primary Language: English

Text: Three little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”Two little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”One little monkey jumping on the bed
He fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“Put those monkeys right to bed!”

Context: PS grew up in Las Vegas, NV with an older brother and a twin sister. He remembers his mom and dad singing this song to him when it was time to go to bed. Often, he and his siblings would be jumping on the bed and take turns jumping off of the bed into their parents arms before eventually being sent to bed. He thinks it was a tactic his parents used to tire him and his siblings out before bed so that they would sleep better.

Analysis: I believe that this tale, told in song form, is used as a cautionary tale for children about the dangers of being rambunctious. Often, little kids have the urge to jump and play on their beds, which is potentially dangerous, and this song serves as a fun way of reminding children that foolish actions have repercussions (injury). I believe it is also used a way to wrangle and tire kids out so that they are more likely to sleep throughout the night.

La Brujita Tapita

Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/1/23
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Text: La brujita Tapita vivía en un cajón

Que no tenía puertas, ni ventanas no balcón.

La brujita Tapita vivía en un cajón

Con una gran escoba y un hermoso escobillón.

La brujita hacia brujerías

Abracadabra patas de cabra, abracadabra patas de cabra, 

punch pupunch pupunch pupunch pupunch.

Un día la brujita quiso desaparecer

Mirándose al espejo dijo 1, 2 y 3.

Y cuando abrió los ojos no se vio saben por qué?

Porque la distraída se miraba en la pared

La brujita hacia brujerías

Abracadabra patas de cabra abracadabra patas de cabra

Punch pupunch pupunch pupunch pupunch

Translation:

The little witch, Tapita, lived in a drawer

That had no doors, no windows, no balcony.

The little witch, Tapita,

lived in a drawer

with a big broom and a beautiful broom.

The little witch does her spells,

Abracadabra goat legs, abracadabra goat legs,

punch pupunch pupunch pupunch pupunch.

One day the witch wanted to disappear.

Looking in the mirror she said 1, 2 and 3,

and when she opened her eyes she didn’t see herself. Do you know why?

Because, distracted, she looked at herself on the wall.

The little witch does her spells,

Abracadabra goat legs, abracadabra goat legs,

Punch pupunch pupunch pupunch pupunch.

Context: The informant learned this song when she was young from her Aunt who lives in Bolivia, but the informant grew up in California. Spanish was her first language and English was her second language. She remembers singing this tale as a kid as a fun activity with her family, and believes it was used as a cautionary tale for little kids teaching them the dangers of magic and foolishness. 

Analysis:

I believe  that this tale, told in song form, is being used as a way to teach children not to be absentminded or foolish. I believe it is supposed to scare them into thinking that something bad will happen to them (i.e., their legs turning into goat’s legs) if they aren’t careful about what they do, and how they do it. 

However, I think that by putting it to a tune and making it rhyme makes it more appealing and easier for kids to digest — They are learning without even realizing they are learning.

This tale could also be addressing a social hierarchy, placing judgment on a lower, working class  people. Further, it is criticizing their homes (living in a small drawer swith no windows, no balcony, no doors—essentially suggesting an inability to exit this state). The only object mentioned is a broom, specifically a “beautiful broom”, again placing a strong value on the work this “little witch” (which is minimizing language in itself) will be doing. And, by suggesting the little witch lives in a drawer, there is the implication that someone else, beyond the little witch, has control over open and closing the drawer and accessing its contents whenever is necessary for them—the implication being that someone above the working class will always be able to access the “little witch” when it suits them. 

NSFW (Not Safe For Work)

Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 2/14/2023
Primary Language: English

Text: “NSFW” also expressed in long-form, “Not safe for work”.

Context: S.T. first used NSFW when describing a dirty joke he heard growing up. He used the short-hard version “NSFW”. He states that it means “NSFW” means he wouldn’t say it in a professional setting, but rather would say it to a romantic and/or sexual partner. S.T. first learned of “NSFW” from the internet/social media (perhaps Tumblr or Twitter). He uses “NSFW” in person, audibly, occasionally, but more commonly types it out in text messages.

Analysis: I came across this folk speech while collecting other pieces of folklore. The subject used NSFW to indicated that the dirty joke he was about to tell me was inappropriate and not to be used in mixed company – It was “not safe for work”. Personally, I learned of this phrase in 2019, when a friend was telling me details about a romantic partner over the phone, and wanted to make sure no one else was listening. Upon hearing the subject’s use, it became very clear that the term “NSFW” is a commonly used/known phrase, used to indicated that taboo topics may be discussed ahead. The phrase, in use, does not mean something is literally unsafe for a work setting, but rather that it would be inappropriate to discuss among colleagues/bosses/superiors. It typically indicates that what is to be said is best said among friends and close relations. It is commonly typed out as a warning over the phone, but can be used verbally as well.