Oh, Playmate, Come Out And Play With Me also known as Say, Say, Oh, Playmate is a song that dates back to the early 20th century, probably written sometime between 1904 and 1906 by Charles Leslie Johnson when he published a song titled Lola. Somewhere along the way, a songwriter and singer known as Saxie Dowell paired an old Victorian rhythm with Leslie’s song to create the masterpiece that we now know today as Say, Say, Oh, Playmate.
Over the years, there have been some musicians and producers who have since tried to spice the music up to create different renditions of the song but the tune and the lyrics are the same most of the time.
As with other songs from that time such as Miss Mary Mack, Oh, Playmate is also popular as a clapping game is also often paired with the song where the children could touch their hands back and forth with their partners while they sang the lyrics of the song. Towards the end, one child tells the other they cannot join them to play for one reason or another. However, they remind them that they will remain friends, even though they cannot come out to play immediately.
Playmate, Come Out And Play With Me
Hey, hey, oh playmate,
Come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three
Climb up my apple tree
Slide down my rain barrel
Into my cellar door
And we’ll be jolly friends
Forever more, more, more.
So sorry, playmate
I cannot play with you
My dolly’s got the flu
Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo
Ain’t got no rain barrel
Ain’t got no cellar door
But we’ll be jolly friends
Forever more, more, more.