What kind of music are we preserving? You . The black plaintiffs in that case sued the airline for discrimination because a flight attendant had used the rhyme while urging them to take their seats. What lies behind this variability is that throughout the 19th century the rhyme spread from different parts of the UK to every playground in the English-speaking world, but by word of mouth rather than on paper. This, though the early 2000s, even, says Dr. Nel. Some experts claim that catch a n****** by the toe refers to a method of punishment by white owners to slaves who tried to run away. Joe Biden is pretty good at being president. [3], Iona and Peter Opie pointed out in The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1951) that the word "nigger" was common in American folklore, but unknown in any English traditional rhyme or proverb.[3]. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Whenever I hear the music now, the antique voice laughing about niggers and watermelon fills my head," Johnson wrote. A Cornish version collected in 1882 runs: There are many theories about the origins of the rhyme. "When the reach of racism robs me of fond memories from my childhood, it feels intensely personal again. Warning: We are talking about racism in this article. And who decides this? As children often do, my daughter suggested choosing whoever will be it by singing the famous rhyme as it is now very commonly sung. It is one of a large group of similar 'counting-out rhymes' where the child who is pointed to by the chanter on the last syllable is 'counted out'. [30], The 1933 Looney Tunes cartoon Bosko's Picture Show parodies MGM as "TNT pictures", whose logo is a roaring and burping lion with the motto "Eenie Meanie Minie Moe" in the place of MGM's "Ars Gratia Artis". The original lyrics: "It raind all night de day I left, De wedder it was dry, The sun so hot I froze to def.". It was used in the chorus of Bert Fitzgibbon's 1906 song "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo": Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo, Catch a nigger by his toe, If he won't work then let him go; Skidum, skidee, skidoo. The explanations for the American versions are varied. The scholars Iona and Peter Opie noted that many variants have been recorded, some with additional words such as " O. U. T. spells out, And out goes she, In the middle of the deep blue sea"[3] or "My mother told me/says to pick the very best one, and that is Y-O-U/you are [not] it";[3] while another source cites "Out goes Y-O-U. MARTIN: So what's the take away - that kind of children everywhere - there's some universal quality to the sound of these words and repeating them in a pattern? Change them? Check it out: England: Eeny, meeny, mony, my, Barcelona, stony, sty, Eggs, butter, cheese, bread, Stick, stack, stone dead! I love writing about what I love. These songs are part of a racist history our nation's history. Eeny meeny miny moe Catch me If you can dodo, yeah Eeny meeny miny moe Watch out If you can dodo, yeah Eeny meeny miny moe Catch me If Eeny Meeny Miny Moe Steph Moody can't take back Eeny, meeny, miny, moe Eeny, meeny, miny, moe My mind says let you go My mind says let you go But my heart says I don't know My heart MARTIN: Can you find it in other languages or is this exclusively something that lives in English? "BasketBall, Watermelon, Cadillac cars, we aint as dumb as you think we..is". [citation needed], In Salman Rushdie's The Moor's Last Sigh (1995), the leading character and his three sisters are nicknamed Ina, Minnie, Mynah and Moor. Bellow are the lyrics of one of the accepted modern versions of the Eeny, meeny, miny, moe rhyme and also an older version. Bennett, P.R. Support me by joining Medium via this link: https://eladsi.medium.com/membership. The song can be seen as glorifying and poking fun at slave conditions. The meaning: The meaning of this rhyme is rooted in the slave trade. And then the words that recognized take on a life of their own. All rights reserved. F. B. Haviland Publishing Co (1906). Catch a racist by the toe. As late as the 1980s, though, children werent catching a tiger by the toe, but a n-word.. Southwest, on the other hand, said the flight attendant had no idea of its racist implications and that the nursery rhyme was simply used in light-hearted fun. [Note: UK residents who voted in the May 2011 referendum might notice a parallel with the 'First Past the Post' and 'Alternative Vote' systems.]. I've opted for 'Eeny, meeny, miny, mo' but there are many others - 'Eenie, meenie, miney, moe', 'Eany, meany, miney, mo' and so on. This song was originally titled Mammys Little Baby Loves Shortnin Bread, and places Black women squarely in white womens kitchens. The vinyl release of Radiohead's album OK Computer (1997) uses the words "eeny meeny miny moe" (rather than letter or numbers) on the labels of Sides A, B, C and D respectively.[27]. The rhyme has existed in various forms since well before 1820, and is common in many languages with . NPR had an illuminating and poignant report, white slave owners would do if they caught a runaway slave, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the initial ruling. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Catch a tiger by the - it has rhythm built into it. Wash your hands afterwards. And it sounded a little like this. Then shop him to the FBI. Alternate Versions and Related Songs Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe Song Variations Tweet Notes *Potty ***** Other Versions: Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo. Versions of the rhyme have existed since before 1820. Catch . An example comes from the Danish region near Kattegat, where the Jack and Jill rhyme, which arrived during the British occupation in the Napoleonic wars, was repeated as: Jeck og JillVent op de hillOg Jell kom tombling efter. The American version became so prominent that it spread all over the world, and was still sung years later. Many farmers and fishermen on the fringes of Britain used such language for counting until quite recently and many natives of the north of England can still count from one to five in 'the old way' - 'yan, tan tehera, methera, pimp'. Endendino, en-den-di-no. The version before this one was much more grim and ghastly. Related Chasing Games. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Eena, meena, mina, mo, Eenie, meenie, minie mo." An alternate version: "Catch a negro by his toe/ If he hollers. Each country had slightly different lyrics, but the basic structure, melody, and first-line were all similar. It is one of a large group of similar rhymes in which the child who is pointed to by the chanter on the last syllable is either "chosen" or "counted out". My mother told me [Chorus: Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber] You can't make up your mind, mind, mind, mind, mind Please don't waste my time, time, time, time, time . This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 16:19. American in origin or English? Ooza, vooza, voka, tooza, Doo-dah!/ I go back home wid a pocket full of tin -- Oh! It's safe to say that as classic as "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" is, the centuries-old nursery rhyme no doubt has a haunted past and not so kid-friendly origins. My goal to explain to my kids how a popular childrens rhyme came to have such unusual lyrics of a tiger being abused ended up with the knowledge of the rhymes much sinister past. Some of these are obvious, others not so much! We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Was? Eeny meeny miny mo. It's all over. Sometimes the child pointed to at the end of one count is the one selected - to be 'It' in a game of hide and seek, for example. The Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo series is now on display at the Children's Defense Fund's national headquarters and is a searing daily reminder of how many children are not free but caged in America. The second line in the American rhyme, Catch a tiger by the toe, has a clearer and more dismal ancestry that traces right back to the United States. Eeny meeny miny mo. Put the baby on the po The rhyme is used by groups of children as a way of selecting someone to take a role that is different from the others. Nicki Minaj) Justin Bieber 4,179,003 Whilst there are versions of the first line of this rhyme in both German and Cornish, the two middle lines, it is agreed, undoubtedly originated from America. Likewise, some believe the nursery rhyme is based on an ancient British counting system. How the Great Recession paved the way for influencers to inherit the earth, The surprising lesson from a century of Oscar scandals. If they squeal make them squeal some more. The use of the word nigger was censored for the American market, being replaced by sailor. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Is it originally American? Bolton says that it is impossible to trace the exact origin of the rhyme. There are considerable variations in the lyrics of the rhyme, including from the early twentieth century in the United States of America: During the Second World War, an AP dispatch from Atlanta, Georgia reported: "Atlanta children were heard reciting this wartime rhyme: A distinct version of the rhyme in the United Kingdom, collected in the 1950s & 1960s, is: There are many scenes in books, films, plays, cartoons and video games in which a variant of "Eeny meeny " is used by a character who is making a choice, either for serious or comic effect. Sign up for writing inspiration in your email, Harness Your Moxie To Take This Word Of The Day Quiz, Getting Braggadocious: Top Word Trends On Dictionary.com, (one version of several; they also chant the US variation above), There isnt a clearcut explanation as to how these global variations came about and to provide one would require knowing definitively where. Every kid waits in suspense, hoping the last moe doesnt land on them. Despite language differences, the first lines of each version are remarkably alike. It was meant to propagate the sense of superiority white children felt even after they lost the Civil War. Lets take a look at some of them. In other online discussions, I found a theory that this line refers to a common way for slave traders to examine a prospect slave. eenie meanie, miny, moe phrase. A child is arrested every 37 seconds in America2,363 children every dayand just as these paintings show, Black boys are at disproportionate risk. In this theory, the words Eenie, meenie, miney, moeare thought come from the Celtic words for the numbers one, two, three, four.. "Its well known that theres some challenging language in the Gospel of John," Michael Marissen, a noted Bach scholar, said in a 2013 interview with WQXR-radio. This offensive variation was widely used until around the 1950s when kid-friendly variations that instead use words like tiger, tinker, and piggy became commonplace. ", When it comes to these songs, Shaftel explains that children should be taught the modified versions because they can't grasp the nuances of race just yet and don't have multiple levels of understanding. "These songs are part of a racist history our nation's history. Right. Eenie, meenie, minie mo." An alternate version: "Catch a negro by his toe/ If he hollers make him pay/Twenty dollars every day." Pastor, lone, bone, strei, The rhyme has existed in various forms since well before 1820[1] and is common in many languages using similar-sounding nonsense syllables. There isnt a clearcut explanation as to how these global variations came about and to provide one would require knowing definitively where Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moecomes from (which is, alas, impossible). Then and now give them credit for changing the tune those are the dark ages. There's an idea that it comes from slave selection or a description of whatwhite slave owners would do if they caught a runaway slave. 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