The origins of Down Down Baby are unclear but in the 1960s Little Anthony and the Imperials recorded Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop. Since then the song has been adapted by many artists such as Nelly, Simian Mobile Disco or Usher.

As with all clapping games, there are many variations both in the lyrics of the rhyme and in the way it is played. Below you can find the most common versions. Watch de video instruction below the lyrics.

“Down Down Baby” Lyrics

Down, down, baby
Down by the roller coaster
Sweet, sweet, baby
I’ll never let you go
Shimmy, Shimmy Ko Ko Bop
Shimmy Shimmy Pow
Shimmy, Shimmy Ko Ko Bop
Shimmy Shimmy Pow

“Down Down Baby” Alternate lyrics

Down down baby, down by the roller coaster
Sweet, sweet baby, I’ll never let you go,
Shimmy, shimmy cocoa pops,
Shimmy shimmy pow!
Shimmy, shimmy cocoa pops,
Shimmy shimmy pow!

Grandma grandma, sick in bed,
Called the doctor and the doctor said;
Let’s get the rhythm of the head – ding dong!
Let’s get the rhythm of the head – ding dong!
Let’s get the rhythm of the hands – clap, clap!
Let’s get the rhythm of the hands – clap, clap!
Let’s get the rhythm of the feet – stomp, stomp!
Let’s get the rhythm of the feet – stomp, stomp!
Let’s get the rhythm of the – hot dog
Let’s get the rhythm of the – hot dog!

Put it all together and what do you get?
Ding dong, clap clap, stomp stomp, hot dog!
Put it all backward and what do you get?
Hot dog, stomp stomp, clap clap, ding dong!

Down Down Baby Video

Clapping Game Instruction

It shares its tune with another popular jump rope song called “Miss Lucy had a baby”, that’s why they are very often confused with each other.

In “Miss Susie had a steamboat” each verse insinuates an inappropriate word or situation that will be revealed in the next sentence, but which will be replaced by an innocent expression. Thus the lyrics were subjected to many improvisations and different versions appeared over time.

“Miss Susie had a steamboat” Lyrics

Miss Susie had a steamboat,
The steamboat had a bell,
Miss Susie went to heaven,
The steamboat went to…

Hello Operator,
Please dial Number 9,
And if you disconnect me,
I’ll kick you from…

Behind the ‘frigerator,
There lay a piece of glass,
Miss Susie sat upon it,
And cut her little…

Ask me no more questions,
Tell me no more lies,
The boys are in the bathroom,
Pulling down their…

Flies are in the backyard,
The bees are in the park,
Miss Susie and her boyfriend are kissing
In the dark, dark dark

Miss Lucy had a steam boat

Version 2

Miss Lucy had a steam boat,
The steam boat had a bell, (Toot! Toot!)
Miss Lucy went to heaven,
And the steam boat went to
Hello operator, give me #9 and,
If you disconnect me, I will chop off your
Behind the refrigerator, there was a piece of glass,
Miss Lucy sat upon it, and broke her big fat
Ask me no more questions, tell me no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom, pulling down their
Flies are in the country, bees are in their hives
Miss Lucy and her boy friend
Are kissing in the D-A-R-K (spell out)
D-A-R-K
D-A-R-K
Dark! Dark! Dark!

“Mary had a steamboat”

Version 3

Mary had a steamboat
The steamboat had a bell
Mary went to Heaven
And the steamboat went Toot Toot

Who is Mary Mack

Little is known about who Mary Mack was but given its geographical origin, it is believed that Mary Mack was referred to the warship USS Merrimack named after the Merrimack River. The theory might be true as the Merrimack’s color was black with silver rivets.

Miss Mary Mack Game

The clapping game is played by two persons standing or sitting opposite each other while clapping their hands rhythmically.

The game starts with the hands positioned together facing your partner. Next, cross your hands and put them on your chest (left hand on your right shoulder and vice versa). The person facing you should do the same. This is the time you should start singing the first word of the song.

Next, while saying the second syllable, place your hands on your hips. While continuing the song, place both hands together again in the starting position.

The fourth move will be the first one where you will meet your partner’s hands but it will not be a straight clap but one done diagonally (your right hand meets your partner’s right hand) while singing the next syllable of the song. Then the two left hands meet diagonally and finally the two hands meet each other. Repeat the process with each line of the song.

“Miss Mary Mack” Lyrics

Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack
All dressed in black, black, black
With silver buttons, buttons, buttons
All down her back, back, back. (or “Up and down her back back back”)
She asked her mother, mother, mother
for fifty (or 15) cents, cents, cents
To see the elephants, elephants, elephants (or hippos or cows)
Jump the fence, fence, fence.
They jumped so high, high, high
they reached the sky, sky, sky
And didn’t (or never) come back, back, back
Till the 4th of July ly ly.
She asked her mother, mother, mother
For 5 cents more, more, more
To see the elephants, elephants, elephants
Jump the door, door, door.
They jumped to the flow flow flow
they stubbed their toe toe toe
and that was the end end end
of the elephant show show show.

“Pat a cake, Pat a cake, Baker’s man” is one of the oldest known English nursery rhymes, first appearing in 1698 in a Thomas d’Urfey play and later around 1765 in Mother Goose’s Melody.

Patty Cake game

“Pat a cake, Pat a cake, Baker’s man” is also a very popular clapping game among children.

The game is played between two partners, and one partner’s hand is used as the cake. While the second verse is sung, one partner rocks the other who pretends to sleep. After the other person wakes up, the partners pat their hands together and serve the cake.

Patty Cake Lyrics

Common version of the song:
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can;
Pat it and prick it and mark it with B,
Put it in the oven for baby and me.