Category Archives: Musical

Folk Chant

Age: 11
Occupation: Student
Residence: Westlake Village, CA
Performance Date: April 7, 2007
Primary Language: English

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and stones

May break my bones

But words will never hurt me

I am rubber. You are glue

Whatever you say

Bounces off of me

And sticks to you

While Talia acknowledges learning this chant in approximately the first grade, she rarely ever hears it recited anymore. The “sticks and stones” chant is not insulting at all, but rather a clever comeback that is taught by adults as a response to verbal abuse from another child. Talia feels that kids who still use the rhyme (in 6th grade) are viewed as corny and nerdy, but that it used to be an effective comeback during elementary school. Still, the chant has always felt too scripted to her, so she has generally refrained from using it throughout her life.

Clearly, this rhyme has been fabricated and preached by adults in order to encourage kids to refrain from using physical measures in response to insults. The kid reciting the lines is essentially proclaiming immunity from verbal harassment, while the final lines (“whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you”) assert that one who chooses to insult others is an empty person who will eventually feel the pain of the insults. Throughout my youth, I remember adults telling kids that bullies have self-confidence issues and project their negative feelings on others, and the rubber and glue metaphor reinforces the sentiment that those who pick on others receive negative emotional consequences as well. What I find interesting about the rhyme is that it seems like a challenge for a direct physical response, as the child is basically stating that the only way to affect him/her emotionally is through violence (“sticks and stones”). I cannot recall a time in which the chant solicited actual violence, but there is a noticeable contradiction between the opening lines and the grand theme (not to pick on others).

Folk Song – Westlake Village, California

Age: 21
Occupation: Summer Camp Director
Residence: New York, NY
Performance Date: April 8, 2007
Primary Language: English

Tarzan

(Leader goes: “This is a repeat after me song!”)

Tarrrrrrrzan

Swinging on a rubber band

Tarrrrrrrzan

Bumped into a frying pan

Ooo that hurts

Now Tarzan has a tan

And I hope he doesn’t peel

Like a banaaaaaaana

Jaaaaaane

Hanging on an airplane

Jaaaaane

Crashed into a traffic lane

Ooo that hurts

Now Jane has a pain

And Tarzan has a tan

And I hope he doesn’t peel

Like a banana

Cheeeeeetah

Dancing on a pizza

Cheeeeetah

Burned his little feetza

Now Cheetah is velveeta

And Jane has a pain

And Tarzan has a tan

And I hope he doesn’t peel

Like a banaaaana

(Singer sings name of a camper)

Fell in love with Cheetah

Ooooooooooooo

Nicole Ross is the camp director of First Neighborhood Day Camp in Westlake Village, CA. Over 200 kids attend camp every week, and throughout the day the counselors lead multiple song medleys. Generally, Nicole selects a counselor to come on stage with his/her group of campers and pick a song, which they will sing on stage in front of the entire camp. I attended the camp from ages 7-13, but when I arrived to work as a head counselor in the summer of 2006 I noticed that many of the songs had changed. Since the camp has been around for more than twenty years, many of the songs have been modified, and Nicole brought many new songs to the camp’s tradition. She claims to have learned “Tarzan” back when she was a camper around 1993.

At first glance, the lyrics of “Tarzan” seem very random, intended merely for entertainment purposes. Inspired by the traditional Tarzan stories, the popular song features reckless characters that reach bizarre consequences for their actions. Thus, the song’s central theme is to warn kids from performing senseless actions (such as “hanging on an airplane”) by stressing the potential risks of such activity ( as Jane “crashed into a traffic lane”). First Neighborhood Day Camp is not gated and is surrounded by public parks and residential neighborhoods; therefore, it is imperative that the campers do not wander off and act foolishly. Of course, the primary goal is for the kids to have fun, but not at the expense of their safety. The song suggests that people must take responsibility for their actions, even if they seem as harmless as “dancing on a pizza.” At the end, the song ends on a humorous note, with the song leader selecting a camper that will fall in love with Cheetah, much to the amusement of the rest of the camp.

Folk Song

Age: 21
Occupation: Summer Camp Director
Residence: New York, NY
Performance Date: April 8, 2007
Primary Language: English

The Little Green Frog

Mmmmm-blatttttttttt went the little green frog one day

Mmmmm-blattttttttt went the little green frog

Mmmmm-blattttttttt went the little green frog one day

And his eyes went blooomp blooomp blooomp

All the other frogs went doo dee doo dee doo dee doo

Doo dee doo dee doo dee doo, doo dee doo dee doo dee doo

All the other frogs went doo dee doo dee doo dee doo

And the little green frog went mmm-blatttt mmm-blatttt mmm-blattt-blattt

(Dance: mmm-blattt: the singers stick out their tongue and open their hands by their face, bloomp: the singers bob their head, doo dee doo dee doo dee doo: the dancers spin in a circle with their hands in the air)

Nicole Ross is the camp director of First Neighborhood Day Camp in Westlake Village, CA. Over 200 kids attend camp every week, and throughout the day the counselors lead multiple song medleys. Generally, Nicole selects a counselor to come on stage with his/her group of campers and pick a song, which they will sing on stage in front of the entire camp. I attended the camp from ages 7-13, but when I arrived to work as a head counselor in the summer of 2006 I noticed that many of the songs had changed. Since the camp has been around for more than twenty years, many of the songs have been modified, and Nicole brought many new songs to the camp’s tradition. She claims to have learned “Little Green Frog” back when she was a camper around 1993.

Upon observation, the “Little Green Frog” song and dance looks completely absurd, with campers and counselors spinning around and making awkward noises in a massive group. However, the lyrics certainly have a deeper metaphorical connection to the children’s everyday life. The “little green frog” is representative of uniqueness and individuality, as it makes sounds and motions that are completely different than all of the other frogs. Rather than ostracizing the frog’s unusual habits, its distinctiveness is celebrated through boisterous chanting and uncontrolled dance moves. In fact, the song criticizes the conformity and anonymity of all the other frogs, as the associated dance shows them spinning around aimlessly. The idea of accepting others who are different and encouraging a child to be original is especially important to Nicole and the message she wants to convey to the camp. As a head counselor, I am given strict rules that I must enforce regarding tolerance and unity amongst my group. The most substantial disciplinary actions taken by the administration towards campers arise when a child is picked on or criticized, as the camp tries to foster an environment in which creativity is celebrated, not censured.

An interesting parallel can be found at:

Rule, Jim. “The Little Green Frog.” Songs for Teaching. 9 Apr. 2007

<http://www.songsforteaching.com/folk/littlegreenfrog.htm>.

The site actually includes an audio clip of the song, which sounds very similar to the way it is performed at camp. Still, there is variation in the lyrics of the song, and the addition of the dance at the camp certainly distinguishes the two folklore items.

Folk Hymn

Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 21, 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

Echad (“The One”)

The one, every single one

Each one joined and united to the One

Echad yacheed

Oomeyuchad

Jay Rockman is a freshman at USC and a dedicated follower of Jewish religion and tradition. His mother is Israeli, and as a child he learned to speak Hebrew. From grades 6-12 he attend Milken Community School, a prestigious private school in Calabasas, CA that integrates Jewish education into its curriculum. According to Jay, they would often sing Jewish hymns and prayers at assemblies or certain classes; the school would combine both the Hebrew text and the English translation into these short hymns. The third and fourth lines of the hymn are normally written in Hebrew characters, with this version containing the phonetic pronunciation of the words.

“The One” stresses the connection between the people and God. The first line is about to every person in the world (“each and every one”), implying that the hymn applies to people of all race, religion, location, and morality. The second line affirms that all of these unique individuals are ultimately connected to God (“the One”), which also makes the earth’s population “one.” A primary facet of the Hebrew religion is that God’s omnipotence extends to all people, whether they acknowledge Him or not. Likewise, the Jewish religion rejects the notion of Hell, instead stressing that God loves everyone, but ultimately rewards those who respect His commands and practice the traditions.

Folk Hymn – Calabasas, California

Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 21, 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

K’ol ha’olam (“The Whole World”)

The whole world is a very narrow bridge

And the most important part is not to be afraid

K’ol ha’olam kooloh gesher tzar m’od

Veha’eekar lo l’fached k’lal

Jay Rockman is a freshman at USC and a dedicated follower of Jewish religion and tradition. His mother is Israeli, and as a child he learned to speak Hebrew. From grades 6-12 he attend Milken Community School, a prestigious private school in Calabasas, CA that integrates Jewish education into its curriculum. According to Jay, they would often sing Jewish hymns and prayers at assemblies or certain classes; the school would combine both the Hebrew text and the English translation into these short hymns. The third and fourth lines of the hymn are normally written in Hebrew characters, with this version containing the phonetic pronunciation of the words.

“The Whole World” stresses the importance of maintaining faith and focus amidst a potentially demanding or distracting world. This narrow bridge is a metaphor for the complexities and details of life; falling off the bridge refers to the ease with which one can be lead astray in life. If one is afraid to face the world and is constantly worried about what lies beneath the bridge, he/she will always be distracted by this fear. However, through faith in God (which alleviates fear), one can resist life’s many temptations and vices, and center their efforts on loving their family and doing good deeds for others (known as “tzedakkah,” this is one of the most important facets of the Jewish faith).