Shirley Ellis - Clapping Song Lyrics (2024)

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Shirley Ellis

About Clapping Song

"The Clapping Song" is an American song, written by Lincoln Chase, originally arranged by Charles Callello and recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1965. The song was released shortly after Ellis had released "The Name Game". "The Clapping Song" incorporates lyrics from the song "Little Rubber Dolly", a 1930s song recorded by the Light Crust Doughboys, and also features instructions for a clapping game. The single sold over a million copies, and peaked at number eight in the United States and number six in the UK. The song returned to the charts in 1982, when the Belle Stars' version charted at number 11 in the UK. This version did not chart in the US, although a version by Pia Zadora charted there at number 36 in 1983.more »


Year:
1965
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#24

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Three six nine, the goose drank wine.The monkey chew tobacco on the street car line.The line broke, the monkey got chokedAnd they all went to heaven in a little rowboat.Clap pat, clap pat, clap pat clap slap!Clap pat clap your hand, pat it on your partner's handRight hand.Clap pat clap pat clap your hand. Cross it with your left arm.Pat you partner's left palm.Clap pat, clap your hand, pat your partner's right palmWith your right palm again.Clap slap, clap your hand, slap your thighs and sing a little song.My mother told me, if I was goody.That she would buy me a rubber dolly.My aunty told her I kissed a soldier,Now she won't buy me a rubber dolly.Three six nine, the goose drank wine.The monkey chew tobacco on the street car line.The line broke, the monkey got chokedAnd they all went to heaven in a little rowboat.Clap clap (clap your hands and prepare to pat)Pat (take your right arm put your partner's right palm with your right palm)Clap (take your hand back and clap)Pat (take your right arm, cross your right arm with your left arm. PatYour partner's left palm with your left palm)Clap (take your hand back and clap)Pat (take your right arm, cross your left arm pat your partner's rightPalm with your right palm.)Clap (now back, with a clap)Slap (take the pats of your palms and slap your thighs and watch theFun materialize as you sing this little songMy mother told me, if I was goody.That she would buy me a rubber dolly.My aunty told her I kissed a soldier,Now she won't buy me a rubber dolly.Three six nine, the goose drank wine.The monkey chew tobacco on the street car line.The line broke, the monkey got chokedAnd they all went to heaven in a little rowboat.Clap pat, clap pat, clap pat clap slap!Clap pat, clap pat, clap pat clap slap!Clap pat, clap pat, clap pat clap slap!Clap pat, clap pat, clap pat clap slap!

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Shirley Ellis

Shirley Ellis (born 1941) is an American soul music singer and songwriter of West Indian origin. She is best known for her novelty hits "The Nitty Gritty" (1963) (US #8), "The Name Game" (1964) (US #3) and "The Clapping Song" (1965) (US #8/UK #6). "The Clapping Song" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. more »

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Funk / Soul

Style »

Soul

Sheet Music PDF Playlist

Written by: Kay Werner, Sue Werner, Lincoln Chase

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

10 facts about this song

Song Basics

"The Clapping Song" is a track recorded by American artist Shirley Ellis and was released in the year 1965.

Chart Performance

This three-minute-long song charted at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 list, exemplifying its popularity at the time.

Song Lyrics

The lyrics of "The Clapping Song" are noted for their unconventional style. They include instructions for a children's clapping game, making it an interesting synthesis of music and play.

Song Popularity

Over time, "The Clapping Song" has become a classic and is frequently used in various commercials, films, and television series due to its fun and energetic melody.

Song Composition

The song's rhythms are based on the song "Little Rubber Dolly", a popular hit tune from the 1930s, demonstrating Ellis's ability to reinterpret older music for newer audiences.

Cover Versions

Over the years, "The Clapping Song" has been covered by a number of artists, including British band Belle Stars, whose version charted at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart in 1982.

Song Influence

The song has been an influential example of how to incorporate playful and catchy elements into music, inspiring other artists to follow suit.

Commercial Usage

In the 1980s, "The Clapping Song" was used in a popular Swatch watch TV commercial, which further boosted its recognition among broader audiences.

Cultural Reference

"The Clapping Song" is frequently mentioned in discussions about the evolution of African-American music and its influence on mainstream pop culture.

Legacy

Despite having been released over half a century ago, “The Clapping Song" continues to be appreciated by new generations due to its timeless melody and fun lyrics.

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Shirley Ellis - Clapping Song Lyrics (2024)

FAQs

When did Shirley Ellis The Clapping Song come out? ›

"The Clapping Song" is an American song, written by Lincoln Chase, originally arranged by Charles Calello and recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1965.

Where did the clapping song come from? ›

"The Clapping Song" incorporates lyrics from the song "Little Rubber Dolly", a 1930s song recorded by the Light Crust Doughboys, and also features instructions for a clapping game. The single sold over a million copies, and peaked at number eight in the United States and number six in the UK.

What movie is the clapping song in Netflix? ›

Shirley Ellis, “The Clapping Song"

Aside from the powerhouse, “Feels Like Home,” this might be the second most important song in the movie. All Together Now actually starts with Amber teaching her ESL class this song as they all sing and dance along to it.

Who wrote clapping music for 2 musicians in 1972? ›

Clapping Music is a minimalist piece written by Steve Reich in 1972. It is written for two performers and is performed entirely by clapping.

What does the clapping represent? ›

Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), but also in rhythm as a form of body percussion to match the sounds in music, dance, chants, hand games, and clapping games.

What was the original reason for clapping? ›

Applause, in the ancient world, was acclamation. But it was also communication. It was, in its way, power. It was a way for frail little humans to recreate, through hands made "thunderous," the rumbles and smashes of nature.

Who popularized clapping? ›

In the Roman Empire, the practice of using applause to influence was applied to politics, and claquers were found in both courts of law and private art demonstrations. Roman emperor Nero even established a school of applause with a claque of thousands of knights and soldiers following his concert tours!

What scary movie claps? ›

If you saw the horror movie "The Conjuring" you probably remember the hide and clap game the family plays in their new home. The game combines the ideas of Hide and Go Seek and Marco Polo.

What is the song from all together now? ›

'Feels like Home' is the only original song, but there's a great selection of other bops, including 'The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap)' by Shirley Ellis, which the millennials among you might remember from long school bus trips.

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