Who remembers the rhymes and chants of the playground in our youth? Well, i’m perhaps going even further back here than my own childhood, but I’ve picked out 12 good rhymes you may remember.
Nursery rhymes and songs which formed such a staple part of growing up in Blantyre, songs sung by mums and grannies to kids on their knees and transported into playgrounds and streets across the city.
Some you may be able to recite in a heartbeat and others might be a bit more difficult to remember!
Skinny Malinky
Skinny malinky long legs, big banana feet
went tae the pictures
and couldnae find a seat
The Jeely Piece Song
Oh ye cannae fling pieces oot a twenty storey flat,
700 hungry weans’ll testify to that
If it’s butter, cheese or jeely, if the breid be plain or pan,
The odds against it reaching earth are ninety-nine tae wan
Three Craws Sat On A Wa’
Three craws sat upon a wa’
sat upon a wa’, sat upon a wa’
three craws sat upon a wa’
On a cauld and frosty mornin’
Mah Wee Cell at Barlinnie
I wanna go home, I wanna go home
tae mah wee cell at Barlinnie…
and when I get there, I’ll shave aff mah hair
Murder Murder Polis
Murder, murder polis
three stairs up,
the wuman in the middle hoose
hut me wae a cup
ma heed’s aw broken, ma face is aw cut
murder polis murder polis three stairs up
Ma Maws A Millionaire
Ma maws a millionaire
ma maws a millionaire
blue eyes and curly hair …
Ally Bally
Ally bally, ally bally bee,
sittin’ on yer mammy’s knee,
greetin’ for a bawbee
Tae buy some Coulter’s Candy
Ye Cannae Shove Yer Granny Aff The Bus!
O ye cannae shove yer Granny aff a bus,
o ye cannae shove yer Granny aff a bus,
o ye cannae shove yer Granny
cos she’s yer Mammy’s mammy
ye cannae shove yer Granny aff a bus
Does Yer Maw Drink Wine?
Does yer maw drink wine
does she drink it aw the time
does she get a funny feelin when her belly hits the ceilin …
(we have a feeling there are too many verses of this to repeat)
Duke Street Jail
There is a Happy Land, doon Duke Street jail
where a’ the prisoners stand, tied tae a nail
ham an eggs ye’ll never see
dirty watter fur yer tea
there they live in misery
The Best Wee School in Glesga
Mah wee school’s the best wee school
The best wee school in Glesca
The only thing that’s wrang wi’ it
is the baldy-heided headmaister
He goes tae the pub on a Saturday night
he goes tae church on Sunday
And prays fur god tae give him strength
tae belt the weans on Monday
‘Sam The Skull’
I’m a cat, I’m a cat, I’m a Glesga cat and my name is Sam the Skull
i’ve got claws in ma paws like a crocodiles jaws and a heid like a fermers bull.
i’m no’ the kind of cat that sits on the mat
nor the kind that give you a hug
but I’m the kind of cat can swally a rat
or even the occasional dug
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said:
Mary Kirkbride I remmember some from my childhood
Wendy Hutton My 4 year old grandson’s favourite song is Ally Bally.
Eleanor Nailon I sing them to my grandchildren.
Debbie Mckay Sang Ally Bally to all of my grandchildren.
Marion Anderson My Australian grandkids all know Ali baly
Eva Brown We sang Nessie’s schools a Bonny wee school built wi bricks and plaister, aw that’s wrang wi Nessie’s school is the baldy heided maister!
Janet Duncan Remember everyone.of them still sing to our grandkids they love them xx
Jean Richardson Mrs Maguire sat in the fire.
The fire was too hot she sat on a pot.
The pot was too wee she sat in the sea.
The sea was too big she sat in the Clyde, and all the wee fishes went up her backside!
Nan Burrows Brings back a lot of happy memories
Joy McLennan …and they think Jack and Jill are NASTY?!!lol
Sadie Dolan Wee wullie winkie running through the toon upstairs doonstairs in his nighty goon chapping at the window running through the loch all the wee children in there beds its past 8 oclock x
Nan Burrows Brings back a lot of happy memories
Helen Robb Lol aaww brilliant, remember my mum reciting so many of these. 😂 Xxx
Jessie Caldow Thanks for the memories!…so many of them are so familiar to me still. Ah, those were the days
Linda McLaren Wiseman A clapping together circle song back in the day
John Devine Recognise the old priory raws,with the coal wagons above,my old granddad worked the Bing,and was known as old Mac.Smashing photo. John devine
Mary Marr I remember the songs used to sing them with my sister’s and then to my children and my grandchildren
Margaret Mary OSullivan I absolutely LOVE the photograph! A real action shot – and look at the expressions of concentration on the faces of the kids! They are having such fun!
Jean Gibson The big ship sails through the Ellie Allay O, the Eelie Alley O, the Ellie Allie O on a cold and frosty morning!
Jean Gibson Ma maws a millionaire, blue eyes and curly hair!
ain Macdonald What about …
Dan Dan the funny wee man
Washed his face in a frying pan
Combed his hair
With the leg of the chair
Dan Dan the funny wee man.
Cllr Maureen Chalmers SNP Ward 15 Blantyre Last night there wis a murder in a chip shop…
Margaret Nimmo Lehmann 1, 2, 3, maybe 6, 7 and 8 from the late 50s early 60s although he canny shove yet granny off a bus was a hit song…