Ancient Celtic counting system or Victorian nonsense verse? Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. We change the songs and scrub them clean. B. Fitzgibbon, Words and music, "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" These songs, many of which are still sung today, aren't just uncomfortable because of their lyrics; most were used in minstrel/blackface performances in the past. Ene, tene, mone, mei, But these songs, can teach us about our past. Osse bosse bakke disse, A flight attendant urged them to pick a seat by saying "Eenie, meenie, minie, mo, pick a seat, we gotta go." 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. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Related entries. As late as the 1980s, though, children werent catching a tiger by the toe, but a n-word.. 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'. To pick the very best one intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, "eeny-meeny-miney-mo - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com", "Childhood nursery rhymes and other 'classic' songs you probably never knew were racist", "Missing text can contain the true message", "Jeremy Clarkson: I didn't mean to use N-word video| News | The Week UK", "Jeremy Clarkson 'begs forgiveness' over N-word footage | Media", "Primark pulls "shocking" and "racist" Walking Dead t-shirt from stores after Sheffield man's angry complaint", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eeny,_meeny,_miny,_moe&oldid=1141869865, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, A jocular use of a form of the rhyme by a, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 07:39. And if you have a vested interest in perpetuating the myths, youll want to start corrupting your children young right from the cradle and thats how these rhymes were surely born. Our skimmable newsletter is delivered to your inbox each week, giving you 5 things you need to read and get smarter. You can replace "catch a tiger" with any word (catch a boy, catch girl, etc) or any animal, or when singing to baby you can say "catch a baby". [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 . To make matters worse, that song became the basis for an offensive folk song in 1916 titled, "Nigger Love A Watermelon Ha! Popularized in the 19th century, it was often sung by minstrels in blackface using the dialect of enslaved Africans, to boot. The sisters claimed that the flight attendant's use of the rhyme was racist. Some versions use a racial epithet, which has made the rhyme controversial at times. The version before this one was much more grim and ghastly. If he hollers, let him go. Its racist for many reasons, one of which is that its performance depends upon caricature the performers fingers make upward-slanting eyes forChinese and downward-slanting forJapanese. Weve co-opted and stolen so much of Black culture over the past 400 years that it can be hard to realize sometimes just how many aspects of American life are racist from everyday expressions, hair and clothing style, and even our food. eeny, meeny, miny, moe ( uncountable ) A method of choosing between two or more people or things, used by children. ", 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. We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Eenie, meenie, minie mo." An alternate version: "Catch a negro by his toe/ If he hollers make him pay/Twenty dollars every day." Were not born racist; its something thats taught. In the early-mid 1800s, the rhyme could be found in Europe and the US. At School 05. One white member would read jokes out loud in front of the whole team. It was written at a time when slaves were regularly dehumanized and not presented as having internal lives or worth, but the slave portrayed in "Jimmy " is someone who has feelings (whether it be lament or rejoicing), someone who is human, someone "who isn't just property," Shaftel explained. 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 chosen. It was written by Stephen Foster (Camptown Races, Swanee River,) in the 19th century, and was originally sung in a slave dialect. "Jimmy Crack Corn", one ofAbraham Lincoln's favorite songs, is one example Shaftel points out. Copyright 2015 NPR. A version from Yorkshire is: Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo. "Iniminimanimo" is a 1999 song by Kim Kay. For Theodore Johnson III, who wrote the article, knowledge of that history ruined ice cream trucks for him. Change them? Or. The more you know. The song can be seen as glorifying and poking fun at slave conditions. Every kid seems to know a version of Eeny Meeny Miny Mo. [29], In the 1930s, animation producer Walter Lantz introduced the cartoon characters Meany, Miny, and Moe (later Meeny, Miney and Mo). Furthermore, another theory describes how slave traders would pinch or pull a slave's toe before purchasing them (via An Injustice). Une, fine, fane, fo I had to sit there and hear their prejudice jokes. "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" (sometimes written as "moe") has been chanted and beloved by children on playgrounds for centuries. Eenie Meenie (Radio Version) Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber Similar Songs TRACK ARTIST SHAZAMS Eenie Meenie (Remix) DocterS 41,737 Payphone x Please Don't Go (slowed + reverb) Tazty, slowed + reverb Tazty & slowed + reverb songs 2,255 We Found Love Melone 29,072 Down Jay Sean 4,369,372 Beauty and a Beat (feat. Harvard PhD student Adrienne Raphel looked into its origins, and tells NPR's Rachel Martin it's found on playgrounds around the world. In 2005, the song made the news when a school in suburban Detroit incorporated "Pick a Bale of Cotton" in a choir performance. If he hollers, let him go, Please enter a valid email and try again. The words: "Ol' massa's gone and I'll let him rest/They say all things are for the best/ But I'll never forget 'til the day I die". Children often utilize this rhyme to determine whos it, especially during a game of Hiden Seek. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. Remember playing this choosing game on the playground? Doo-dah day!". And she says you can trace the rhyme's origin way back to when shepherds used it to count hundreds of years ago. The songs meant something at the time they were created, and they have a different, and important meaning to our lives now: remembering a past that we should never forget. RAPHEL: Oh, it's all over the world. We don't always do this with American folk songs. ine mina mana mu meaning my sisters children in Sa Tomenese sounds very similar to the first line in the childrens rhyme. Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo. Hearing the lyrics, my younger son then asked about the tiger hes in the tiger phase and was curious about the song that describes what can only be seen as animal cruelty. Eeena, meena, mina, mo. In other online discussions, I found a theory that this line refers to a common way for slave traders to examine a prospect slave. There's also another version that goes. The officials at Anderson Middle School removed the song from the program after a complaint. 12 Childhood Nursery Rhymes You Didnt Realize Were Racist, Man from Viral Video Explains Why He Knocked Down White Dude for Spouting the N-Word In Ohio Convenience Store, Angry Woman Refuses to Let Black Postmates Driver Deliver Order In Apartment Building: I Dont Want You Here at All, White Woman Calls 911 on Black Man, Accuses Him of Being Drug Dealer as He Sits Outside His Own House. Stop singing them? Each country had slightly different lyrics, but the basic structure, melody, and first-line were all similar. Thanks so much for talking with us, Adrienne. MARTIN: Is it fair to call it a song? Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe is a rhyme for choosing who's "It" in a game or to choose who goes first. You might think that childrens nursery rhymes are about as innocent as it gets, but as with pretty much anything created after the rise of the concept of racism in the 1400s, thats not the case. And then maybe your new eeny meeny miny mo variation will be the one that kids on the playgrounds for generations will be reciting. Speaking of counting, a less fatalistic theory is that Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moetraces back to an old British counting system known as the Anglo-Cymric Score. "BasketBall, Watermelon, Cadillac cars, we aint as dumb as you think we..is". The book was published in 1888 and thoroughly describes the authors research into various childrens counting-out rhymes that were popular at the time. Bellow are the lyrics of one of the accepted modern versions of the "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" rhyme and also an older version. Well, as is so often the case in etymology, yes and no. If he hollers, let him go. And we want to be aware of our racist roots," Shaftel said. Subbing out the word isnt enough, says educators like Nel, because the use of the rhyme at all can be traumatizing for people of color. Catch a mouse by the toe; Remarks on a little-known Africanism. And no, subbing in monkeys and making the rhymes less deadly isnt innocent, says Kansas State University English professor Philip Nel. It's all over. [3] Bolton also found a similar rhyme in German: Variations of this rhyme with the nonsense/counting first line have been collected since the 1820s. Whenever I hear the music now, the antique voice laughing about niggers and watermelon fills my head," Johnson wrote. The sisters claimed the flight attendant was being racist. Catch an nigger by the toe. Eenie, meenie, miney, mo Catch a bad chick by her toe If she holla If, if, if she holla, let her go She's indecisive, she can't decide She keeps on looking from left to right And there's versions in France(reciting poem with French dialect). You can replace catch a tiger with any word (catch a boy, catch girl, etc) or any animal, or when singing to baby you can say catch a baby. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe The last line is often topped off with a short emphasized 'You are It!' (one version of several; they also chant the US variation above) France: Une, mine, mane, mo, Une, fine, fane, fo Maticaire et matico, Me being the only black guy on the Helitack team was rough. 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? In the 1800s, the nursery rhyme could be found in both the US and Europe (via An Injustice). On the Wikipedia page Talk: Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, the editors of the rhymes Wiki page were discussing the issue: At school in North London 197278 we used the n***** version, without any ill intention; it was just part of the rhyme, mentioned one of the editors. Versions of the Score include: Northern England, southern Scotland: yan, tan, tethera, methera, pimp. The Itis 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). Walk us through the journey of this rhyme. For example, you may have heard, "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo, catch a tiger by his toe," but the original version was undeniably racist: "Eenie, meenie, minie mo. This, however, is a recent revision. Eeny meeny miny mo. You start saying eeny meeny, and then you go miny mo. If they squeal make them squeal some more. Catch a tiger by the toe, If he hollers, let him go. If then the slave would scream, the trader would decline to purchase him. Thus, instead of tiger, it said the n-word to describe what would happen if a white slave owner caught a runaway. The rhyme is used by groups of children as a way of selecting someone to take a role that is different from the others. Why do so many fairy tales contain a hero named Jack? Every kid seems to know a version of Eeny Meeny Miny Mo. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Gotta jump down, turn around, Oh, Lordie, pick a bale a day." It first began to be written down in the 19th century - the scholarly journal Notes and Queries published this in the February 1855 edition: "The following are used in the United States for the selection of a taggerEeny, meeny, moany, mite,Butter, lather, boney, strike,Hair, bit, frost, neck,Harrico, barrico, we, wo, wack". Eeny meeny miney mo, Catch a tiger by the toe, If he swears, let it go, Eeny meeny miney mo. Eeny meeny miny mo. 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. "When the reach of racism robs me of fond memories from my childhood, it feels intensely personal again. Although it seems weird that a similar rhyme would emerge all over the world, researchers believe that it could have simply resulted from different children learning which sounds go well together. And his story raised awareness among his readers. Was? The Racist History of Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Shaftel explains that we usually attach a disclaimer to Bach and explain how his art was a product of his time. 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. Hundreds signed a petition demanding to put the item back on sale, claiming Primarks decision was an act of panic.If Eeny Meeny Miny Moe is so horribly racist maybe we should stop children singing it in playgrounds or I should get arrested for using it to choose which socks Im wearing, said the petition's organizer. Counting-out rhymes, like this one, were popular decision-making tools for children years ago and are still used today. She's indecisive, she can't decide She keeps on looking from left to right Girl, come a bit closer, look in my eyes Searching is so wrong, I'm Mr. Catch a racist by the toe. Get the fascinating stories of your favorite words in your inbox. 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. In more important choices - selecting who has to ask that grumpy man down the road for their ball back - the one pointed to last drops out and the formula is repeated several times until only one is left. Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? Years later, in 1982, linguist Derek Bickerton proposed a theory that Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe was actually a distorted version of an African phrase. The song portrays a slave who shows emotion and perhaps longing in the wake of his master's death. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Director Jokes Yanes Writers J. Bishop Jokes Yanes Stars Andres Dominguez Belkys Galvez David Scott Lago In 2004, two African-American sisters sued Southwest Airlines for discrimination on the basis of the nursery rhyme. You seem like the type to love 'em and leave 'em And disappear right after this song So give me the night to show you, hold you Don't leave me . I've opted for 'Eeny, meeny, miny, mo' but there are many others - 'Eenie, meenie, miney, moe', 'Eany, meany, miney, mo' and so on. Likewise, some believe the nursery rhyme is based on an ancient British counting system. Each week, we explore unique solutions to some of the world's biggest problems. The stories we learn from them are painful, but also valuable. Its not a coincidencetheres actually a pretty interesting explanation! [28], Rex Stout wrote a 1962 Nero Wolfe novella titled Eeny Meeny Murder Mo. . But, it gets a little complicated because parts of the rhyme probably come from different places and times. American in origin or English? Joe Biden is pretty good at being president. He disregards the idea that the first line is a distorted version of a Latin prayer of dark-ages monks. Something went wrong. 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. In other musical instances, this is not the case. Added to that, as far back as the 19th century there have been variants of the rhyme which are so dissimilar to our current version as to be scarcely recognisable - 'Hana, mana, mona, mike' (from New York) and 'Eetern, feetern, peeny, pump' (from Scotland) and many of these now have local variants and words added from other languages. Alternate Versions and Related Songs Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe Song Variations Tweet Notes *Potty ***** Other Versions: Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo. Notably, the rhyme has been used by killers to choose victims in the 1994 films Pulp Fiction and Natural Born Killers,[24][25] the 2003 film Elephant,[26] and the sixth-season finale of the television series The Walking Dead. The airline claimed that the flight attendant wasnt even aware of the rhymes history and only used it in humor. The meaning: The vocabulary used by lyricist Stephen Foster is meant to mimic black speech. Seemingly innocent, the rhyme is not what it seems. Ha!" A more acceptable version has now established itself: Eeny, meeny, miny, mo,Catch the tiger/monkey/baby by the toe.If it hollers[USA]/screams[UK] let him go,Eeny, meeny, miny, mo. Tiger, it said the n-word to describe what would happen if a slave. Originating from this website but a n-word his art was a product of his time 1962 Nero novella! An ancient British counting system probably come from different places and times is used by groups children! 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