All things Jamaican - A totally Jamaican Site: 2013

If you know how any of these rings games are played please provide the instructions below. Also if there are some folk songs or rings games I have left out, please feel free to list that as well. If you know a different version than the one supplied please supply the lyrics and version you know.

I have compiled a list of games, my favorite being "bruk rock stone. I will provide the lyrics and instructions for each game after I supply my list.

As I find the Jamaican versions I will try to add the videos.

1-"Bruk Rock Stone

2- Jackie yuh knee can ben

3-Brown girl in the ring

4-Pass the Ball

5-Esau and Jacob

6-I bought a house upon a hill

7-All body clap

8-Farmer ring the dell

9-in groups of

10-on the bank or in the river

11- Football- shouting match- pass the ball-freekick Shift Penalty-goal

12- Punchinella

13-Johnny was a miller

14-yes Balinda

15-There is a brown girl in the ring

16-here come nancy on her pony

17-blue bird bluebird in and out the window

18- London Bridge is falling down

19-musical chairs

20-If ah lose, if a lose I don't care

21-those who born in January skip around

22-arms house

23-here we go looby loo

24-Dog n Bone

25-Around the basket

26 Rabbit in a hutch

27 Bull in the pen

28 Dandy Shandy

29. Press the Business on

30. Chubby checker

31. Let's get the riddim lots and lots of riddim

32. Up and down the deck

33. who deh bout

34. Air, land and sea

35. the way to heaven is through the saint

36.My baby got elbow

37. Poisin stick

38. Eyes on captain hands on the culprit

39. Have seen heady

40. Those who born in January, February, March...

41. Wo Who seh wah

42. Contrary partner

43. Yankee Doodle

44. There was a hole in the ground

45. grandmother feeling sick

46. who stole the cookie from the cookie

lyrics - Bruk Rockstone

Go dung a Manuel Road Gal an Bway

fi guh bruk rock stone

Bruk dem one by one gal and bway

bruk dem two by two gal and bway

bruk dem tree by tree gal and bway

bruk dem four by four gal and bway....ect

finger mash nuh cry gal and bway

memba a play we deh play

rept whole song

instructions

a ring is formed on the ground by kneeling children each having a rock before them. As they game begins a certain tempo is maintained and each child takes the rock before them and pass it to the left of him/her, to the person closest. The game and count continues,"

Bruk dem one by one gal and bway

bruk dem two by two gal and bway

bruk dem tree by tree gal and bway

bruk dem four by four gal and bway....ect

until either someone loses rhythm and gets more than one stone pilled before them or gets their fingers smashed, in which case the last part of the song would kick in

"finger mash nuh cry gal and bway memba a play we deh play"

the song and game would reset after the party who lost rhythm or was mashed was dismissed. Until one only person would be left and this would be the winner.

To end the game quickly sometimes the tempo was fluctuated to ensure there would be losers.
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2- lyrics...Jackie yuh knee cah ben

Jackie yuh knee cah ben!
Ben like how mi deh ben turn like how mi deh turn jook like how mi deh jook (rept)

Rules

Similar to "brown girl in the ring". There is a person in the ring and they are dancing to the rhythm of the clapping a singing ring. Once the second line is reached in the song, the person in the ring starts to dance and the ring imitates him/her. once the verse is complete another person runs into the ring.

They do the same until the whole rings gets a turn. (depending the size of the ring everyone may not get a chance before the game becomes boring and the leader changes the game.

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3 -lyrics-Brown Girl in the Ring

There's a Brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la
There's a brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la la

Brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la
She looks like a sugar in a plum
Plum plum
Then she skips and takes a partner 

Tra la la la la la
Then she skips and takes a partner
Tra la la la la la
Then she skips and takes a partner
Tra la la la la
She looks like a sugar in a plum
Plum plum

Show me your motion
Tra la la la la
Come on show me your motion
Tra la la la la la
Show me your motion
Tra la la la la
She looks like a sugar in a plum
Plum plum

Rules
A standing ring is formed and those around the ring sing the lyrics. Similar to Punchinella girl in the ring. There is a person in the ring and they are dancing to the rhythm of the clapping a singing ring. Once the second line is reached in the song, the person in the ring starts to dance and the ring imitates him/her. once the verse is complete another person runs into the ring.

They do the same until the whole rings get a turn. (depending on the size of the ring everyone may not get a chance before the game becomes boring and the leader changes the game.

added the Boney M video, just so the melody can be had.

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4 -lyrics-Pass the Ball

Pass the Ball and the ball gone round
man yuh neva know seh di ball gone roun'

Pass the Ball and the ball gone round
man yuh neva know seh di ball gone roun'

ah drill him boy drill him and drill him bway drill him
ah drill him boy drill him and drill him bway drill him (rept from top)

Rules
A standing ring is formed and those around the ring sing the lyrics. The participants in the ring, stand close (shoulder to shoulder) with their hands behind them as a ball is passed around. The person in the ring observes the ring while the first part of the is song is sang. When the second part is reached, the person in the ring bores into the ring to try and find the ball.

If the person in the ring catches a person with the ball, they replace the person in the ring.

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I think I would be amiss to not list Hop Skotch and Chinese Skip here, however this post was getting to long so I created separate posts for them on this blog.

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5 -Rules-Esau and Jacob

This is played similar to the pool game Marco-Polo.
Two individuals dubbed with the name Esau and Jacob are blindfolded and placed in the ring. Esau tries to catch Jacob by calling name. Jacob is trying to hide while answering to the call. Fun and entertaining to watch.

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6 - Press the business on/I bought a house upon a hill
6-lyrics

I bought a house upon a hill that all the world may have a mill, and I will do the bet I can to press the business on. Press the business on press the business on, and I will do the best I can to press the business on.

Rules

Game is played with partners. The lyrics are song as the participant clash hangs with those to their right and left. then twirl around with those to the right, until the land on the left. This keep happening until everyone is right where they started.
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7-All body clap

All persons in the game are names according to the following.
Everybody
Nobody
Anybody
Somebody
Everyone in the ring is called ALL body
then the rest of the participants in the ring are numbered
1-body, 2-body, 3-body, 4-body, etc.

A rhythm is kept as the ring leader calls out different commands.
One body clap,
all body stop,
nobody clap,
everybody clap etc.

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8- Farm in the dell

The farmer in the dell

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The farmer in the dell

The farmer takes a wife

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The farmer takes a wife

Then the wife takes the child

the wife takes the child

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The wife takes the child

Then the child takes the dog

The child takes the dog

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The child takes the dog

Then the dog takes the cat

The dog takes the cat

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The dog takes the cat

The cat takes the rat

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The cat takes the rat

Then the rat takes the cheese

The rat takes the cheese

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The rat takes the cheese

Then the farmer runs away

The farmer runs away

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The farmer runs away

Then the wife runs away

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The wife runs away

The child runs away

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The child runs away

The dog runs away

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The dog runs away

Then the cat runs away

The cat runs away

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The cat runs away

Then the rat runs away

The rat runs away

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The rat runs away

Then the cheese stands alone

The cheese stands alone

Hi-ho, the derry-o

The cheese stands alone

And we all take a bite

We all take a bite

Hi-ho, the derry-o

We all take a bite.

Although this is not all the lyrics I found online, in Jamaica, we usually skip from child to dog. (no mention of dog and cow). It starts with one person and when the time comes for another to be chosen the last in line would grab someone from the ring. Then each person would go back to the ring when it was song that their character would run away. As a child when singing the last verse, sometimes the ring would rush in and really bite that person who was chosen as the cheese. Teachers had a hard time containing children and preventing this behavior. For this reason, no one wanted to be chosen as the cheese and consequently, the game lost its popularity with the youngsters.

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9-in groups of

10-on the bank or in the river

11- Football- shouting match- pass the ball-freekick Shift Penalty-goal

12- Punchinella

This is not quite the Jamaican version, however, the just is the same.

Someone goes into the ring to start and does a motion and the ring copies the action. Then they chose someone else to come into the ring. This continues until each person gets a turn or the game is switched.
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13-Johnny was a miller

lyrics: John was a miller and he lived by the mill and the mill went round and round. One hand in the other and the other in the sack, the right stands still, and the left step back. This is sung incorrectly as "the right step forward, but it should be the right stands still. As a result, this game is usually confusing and is often not played because of this. Partners keep changing around the ring until they end up at their original partner.

Rules
The ring is made up of partners. They stand side by side holding hands. One on the right and the other on the left. This song would be sung while the ring dances around (steps to the beat) but once it is said that the right stands still and the left step back, people were supposed to change partners until they got back to their partner. This was a fun ring game, too bad it is retired.

Version 2

lyrics: John was a miller and he lived by the mill and the mill went round and round. One hand in the other and the other in the sack, the right stands still, and the left step back. This is sung incorrectly as "the right step forward, but it should be the right stands still. As a result, this game is usually confusing and is often not played because of this. Partners keep changing around the ring until they end up at their original partner. One hand in the other and the other in the sack, the right stands still, and the left step back. This is sung incorrectly as "the right step forward, but it should be the right stands still. As a result, this game is usually confusing and is often not played because of this. Partners keep changing around the ring until they end up at their original partner.

The whole ring is singing but the leader changes different parts of the song.

lyrics John was a miller and he lived by the mill

and the mill went round and round. ( The person on the outside twirls the person on the inside round and round until leader starts to sing the rest of the song....the leader can say round and round as often or as long as they want.

when the song continues person on the inside stops twirling

One hand in the other and the other in the sack, the right step forward and the left step back.

The leader can repeat right steps forward and left steps back as often or as fast as they want . Someimtes just saying back back back back. At this point the partners keep together and the ring starts moving backward rather than forward.

Lyrics: and the mill bruk dung (then the ring repaets) bruk it dung

all the while keeping the melody and timing of the sung

and

the whole ring stoops as they sing, but still going forward with the regular lyrics

Lyrics: And the mill loose out (then the ring players repeat) "loose it out"

The players then would distance from their partners but would not lose their partners.

The leader could say loose it out as fast or as slow as he wants as often as he wants.

Until the leader starts to sing again then the partners rejoin and start singing.

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14-yes Balinda

The game is played with the ring (R) responding to things the Ring Leader (RL) says with "Yes Balinda!"

(RL) Skipping in the ring

(R) "Yes Balinda!"

(RL) Skipping in the ring

(R)"Yes Balinda!"

(RL) Choose the girl/boy you love

(R)"Yes Balinda!"

(RL) Choose the girl/boy you love

(R)"Yes Balinda!"

(RL) Bring her/him come to judge

(R)"Yes Balinda!"

(RL) Bring her/him come to judge

(R)"Yes Balinda!"

(RL) Is this the boy/girl you love?

(R)"Yes Balinda!"

Usually (RL) dishes out insults and (R) responds with yes balinda. The (RL) can say kick him/her out the ring or keep her/him in the ring and then the song begins again.

(RL) Skipping in the ring

(R) "Yes Balinda!"

(RL) Skipping in the ring

(R)"Yes Balinda!"

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16-here come nancy oon her pony

The lyrics on the video are different from the ones that are ususally song at the gathereings I have attended. Howrver the hook is the same.

Lyrics: Her comes Nancy/girl Johnny/boy on her/his pony, riding on a big fat pony, Here come Nancy/girl Johnny/boy riding on her/his pony, and this is what s/he told me. Front to front to front my baby, side to side to side my baby, back to back to back my baby and this is what s/he told me.

actions are the same as in the video

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17-blue bird blue bird in and out the window

18- london bridge is falling down

19-musical chairs

20-If ah lose, if a lose I don't care

21-those who born in January skip around

22-arms house

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23- Not quite how I remember it, but this was the video that I found for this song

Here we go looby loo

Here we go looby light

Here we go looby loo

All on a Saturday night

I put my right hand in

I put my right hand out

shake it a little, a little

And turn myself about

Here we go looby loo

Here we go looby light

Here we go looby loo

All on a Saturday night

I put my left hand in

I put my left hand out

shake it a little, a little

And turn myself about

Here we go looby loo

Here we go looby light

Here we go looby loo

All on a Saturday night

I put my right foot in

I put my right foot out

shake it a little, a little

And turn myself about

Here we go looby loo

Here we go looby light

Here we go looby loo

All on a Saturday night

I put my left foot in

I put my left foot out

shake it a little, a little

And turn myself about…

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24-Dog n Bone

Two teams are chosen and they are to race to a certain spot and retrieve an item. However, if one person is tagged while they are holding the object, they are out and must return to the end of the line. The other team would score a point. This is continually repeated until everyone gets a turn or the game is retired.

25 Around the Basket

26 Rabbit in a hutch

27 Bull in the pen

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28 Dandy Shandy

The equivalent of dodge ball in America

29. Press the Business on

I bought a house upon a hill that all the world may have a jill and I will do the best I can to press the business on

30. Chubby checker

31. Let's get the riddim lots and lots of riddim

32. Up and down the deck

Up and down the deck

Rules

One line facing leader

Everyone marches in place to the melody

Leader can shoult any one of 3 Instructions : Salute, Halt, Boom

The correct response are Salute: everyone stands still and salute

Halt everyone stand still at a attention

Boom: Everyone crouches until the leader starts to sing again

Everyone has to look but only listen to what the leader says. He will do the opposite or something other than the command he shouts to get a person out.

33. who deh bout

34. Air, land and sea

Just the leader is singing and he/she will point to someone in the ring and they must name a specific ainmal from the terrain specified.

The leader can ask one person to name all 3, if the person cannot they are out of the game.

35. the way to heaven is through the saint

Lyrics: the way to heaven is through the saints

Everyine is given a nem at the begining of the game. in this fashion

St Matthew

St Mark

sait Luke

St JOhn

One

two

three

four

five

etc..

The leader has to say that the way to heaven is through given name...for example st. Mathew

Then st Matthew must respond by saying Matthew to a given number example 5

then 5 must respond with his number then to another member of the game. this keeps going until someone is called that fails to respond in the appropriate time.

once a person is out, then ring is usually renumbered.

If there are expert players only the person next to the saint change his name to a saint, cause there are always 4 saints.

The objective is to get out a person that is not focusing on their number/name, Until there is only one saint (the one chosen beginning is left) in this case it was Matthew.

36.My baby got elbow

The leader is singing my baby got :

1 Shoulder

2 toes

3 knees

4 hip

5 back

6 belly

The leader can say strange things like liver, kidney, heart...but then would go back to the main 6 parts

this is just a fun couples game.

37. Poison stick

Lyrics: Pass the stick around, keep passing (rept)

The rings has an object that they are passing around

the leader can change the lyrics to

sweet stick

sugar stick

rhyme stick

any stick

however when the leader says poison stick whoever has the stick once it is said is out.

The leader can slow down their words or speed it up. The can even start saying poison, but not complete it and play around with the phrase poison stick to ensure everyone has fun

38. Eyes on captain hands on the culprit

Rules: a person chosen to be the culprit is blindfolded, then a person is chosen to be the captain.

Everyone in the ring is following the captain, while the culprit tries to figure out who is giving the instruction to the ring by where everybody is looking.

Once the captain is found a new pair of captain and culprit are chosen

39. Have seen heady

40. Those who born in January, February, March...

41. Wa Who seh wah

Wah who say wah is continually repeated by the ring

Kelly:Kevin

Kevin: Who she wah (

Kelly: Jerry

Jerry Who she wah

42. Contrary partner

the ring is paired up ad then the ring leader addresses one partner bu tthe other must answer. If they mix it upboth are out

43. Yankee Doodle

44. There was a hole in the ground

45. grandmother feeling sick

Lyrics; Granmother grandmother feeling sick

all she needs is a walking stick

with a up cheeky cheeky

and a down cheeky cheeky

and a ooh and a ahh

and ah ah ah ahhhhh

Rules:with up cheeky cheeky- ring raises their hands

down cheeky cheeky the lowered their hands

with the ooh- move their hips to the right

ahhh move to the left

ah aha ha - move left and right and raise your hands

46. who stole the cookie from the cookie

47. ten green bottles standing on the wall

lyrics

Ten green bottles stanfind on the wall

ten green bottles standing on the wall

and if one green bottle should accidentally fall

there will be nine green bottles standing on the wall

Four groups to shout out

Pinga ling - hold it out

Bing aling

Bangalang

Crash

they would shout in that order according to the amount of bottles that fell of the wall.

Once they get up to 10 bottles falling of the wall, it is then a shouting competiion to see who is louder.

the leader will point and the group will shout.

First pingling goes against Bing aling

then Bangalang goes aginst Crash

the winner of each segment go against each other for the final win.

All things Jamaican - A totally Jamaican Site

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Quiz answers

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some Jamaican ring/circle games

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