ID: 370 Date: 1970s-2006 Title: When Sally was a baby Gender: Female Classification: Clapping Rhyme: When Sally was a baby she used to act like this, "Waa,waa," When Sally was a toddler, she went,"Don't want this, don't want this." When Sally was a schoolgirl , she went "Miss, Miss I need to go piss." When Sally was a teenager, she went, "Ohh ah I lost my bra in my boyfriend's car," When Sally was a mother, she went, "Rock, rock around the clock." When Sally was a grandmother, she went, "Knit, knit I lost my stitch." When Sally was a skeleton, she went, "Crack, crack I broke my back." When Sally was a ghost, she went, "Boo, boo." When Sally was a star, she went, "Twinkle, twinkle little star." Cumulative version: Alice was a baby Baby - waah, waah, Toddler - waah,wahh, I want my sucker, Schoolgirl - waah, waah, I want my sucker, I know the answer, Teenager - waah... criss cross lollipops. Mother - waah, waah.. 1, 2, 3, 4 chuck the baby out the door. Grandma - wahh waah.. oh my sore back. In the grave - waah, waah, (closed mouth) (Auckland, 2002) -- My cousin Susie, Baby - Wahh, wah, wah. School girl - Miss, Miss I need a piss. Teenager - Ohh, ahh, I lost my bra, left it in my boyfriend's car, Grandma - Knit, knit, you little twit. Zombie - Weeee, waaaah. (Hamilton, 2004) When Susie was a baby, wah, wah. Toddler - one, two, one, two. School girl - Miss, Miss I can't do this. Teenager - Ohh ahh, I lost my bra, I left my knickers in my boyfriend's car Adult - Rock, rock, around the clock. Grandma - Knit, knit, you're a twit. Dead - (assume a corpse-like pose.) Skeleton - Rattle, rattle, Ghost - Wooo, wooo. Angel - Flap, flap. Heaven - Relax to the max. (Raumati South, 2000) -- When Sally was a baby, she went "Waa, waaa." When Sally was a preschooler, she went, "Miss, Miss, I need to go piss." When Sally was a school girl, she went, "Miss me, miss me, now you've got to kiss me!" When Sally was a mother, she went, "1,2,3,4, throw the baby out the door, 5,6,7,8 let's all celebrate." When Sally was a grandmother, she went, "Knit, knit, knit my tit." When Sally was a grandmother, she went, "Knit, knit you little twit." When Sally was a zombie, she went, "Weee, waaah!" When Sally was a devil, she just stayed still. (Christchurch, 1970s; Christchurch, 1990s; Wellington, 1990s; Whakatane, 1990s; Timaru, 1990s) -- When Miss Mary was a baby, she used to go like this, "Wah, wah, wah." When Miss Mary was a toddler, she used to go like this, "Wah, wah, I want a sucker." When Miss Mary was a school girl, she used to go like this, "I know the answer." When Miss Mary was a teenager, she used to go like this, "Oh ah I lost my bra, I don't know where my undies are, Here they are, here they are, in my boyfriend's racing car." When Miss Mary was an adult, she used to go like this, "...1, 2, 3, 4, chuck the baby out the door." When Miss Mary was a granny, she used to go like this, "Knit, knit, my knitting sticks." When Miss Mary was a ghost, she used to go like this, "Booo!" (Arrowtown, 2006) -- My name is Susie. I am a baby, and this is howa howa she reads, Wa,wa,wa, wa,. My name is Susie. I am a school girl. Miss, miss I can't do this. I am a teenager. Ohh ahh I lost my bra.Lost it in my boyfriend's car. I am a mother. Rock, rock around the clock. I am a grandmother. Speak up dear. I can't hear. I am dead. Snore, snore. I am a pile of bones. Clatter, clatter, pile of dust. I am a ghost. Oooo. (Christchurch, 1990) -- When Sally was a baby Baby - Waa, waa. Pre schooler - Miss, Miss, I got to go piss. School girl - Miss me, miss me, now you've got to kiss me. Teenager - Oh ah I lost my bra, I don't know where my knickers are. They might be pink, they might be white, they might be filled with dynamite. Mother - 1,2,3,4, throw the baby out the door. 5,6,7,8, let's all celebrate. Grandmother - Knit, knit, my tit. (Kerikeri, 1990s) -- Cross down O' Mary, Down, down, O' Mary, She is a baby this is the way she reacts, waa, waa Cross down O' Mary. She is a toddler, this the way she reacts.. She is a grandma, this is the way she reacts, "Speak up dearie." She is a skeleton, this is the way she reacts, rattle, rattle. She is a ghost, this is the way she reacts, "Boo, boo." (Ashburton, 2006) -- Background Info: Comment on this rhyme in Factor, 1988:175, related to a 'freedom from customary propriety'. Also known as Miss Suzy, Alice rhyme. Other names used include; Molly, Twiggy, Delphine, Lucy and Fanny. == Thought to have developed from an early singing game, "When I was a lady," Opie, 1988:458-461.: When I was a lady, a lady, a lady, When I was a lady, a lady was I. 'Twas this way and that way, and this way and that way, When I was a lady a lady was I. == Arleo, 2001:115-134 for details of the international nature of this game. Arleo found versions of this game in Australia, Britain, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Ireland, Israel, South Africa, Spain and USA, in at least five different languages, English, Danish, Greek, French and Spanish. The rhyme describes the stages of life for its female character as she goes through the stages of life from infancy to death and beyond. == Susie appears to miss out a little on the career path, as in the New Zealand version there is no mention of a career, and in the many Australian versions the only careers mentioned are typist, teacher, and stripper. (Australian Folklore Collection, Museum Victoria) == Keywords: rites of passage, life passages, roles, international Location: Various NZ Group size: 2 Incidence: 11