ID: 716
Date: 1960s-1990s
Title: Charlie Chaplin
Gender: Male and Female 
Classification: Fun 
Rhyme: 

Charlie Chaplin meek and mild,
Swiped a sausage from a child,
When the child began to cry,
Charlie socked him in the eye,
Oh, the moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin,
His boots are crackin' for a want of blackin'
And his old dusty coat needs a mendin'
Until hey, send him to the Dardanelles.
Charlie Chaplin went to France
To teach the ladies how to dance,
First the heel and then the toe,
Lift your skirt and round you go.
Charlie Chaplin had no sense,
He bought a fiddle for 18 pence,
The only tune that he could play 
Was ta ra ra de boom de ay.

(Christchurch, 1990s)

--

Charlie Chaplin went to France,
To teach the ladies how to dance,
This is what he taught them.
Heel, toe and over you go (x 3)

(Waipukurau, 1960s)

--
 
Background Info: Section on Charlie Chaplin rhymes in Opie, 1967:108-110.

==

See also Sutton-Smith, 1959:82 & 87 for versions played as action and ball bouncing rhymes pre 1950s:

Charlie Chaplin walks like this,
Charlie Chaplin throws a kiss.
Charlie Chaplin winks one eye,
Charlie Chaplin waves good-bye. (82)

Charlie Chaplin went to France,
To teach the ladies how to dance,
And this is the way he taught them.
Heel, toe and over we go.
Heel and toe and over we go.
Heel and toe and over we go.

(Dunedin, 1915, a ball bouncing rhyme with the ball being bounced under the leg.)

==

For sexual connotations see Butler, 1989:67-68:

Charlie Chaplin sat on a pin.
How many inches did it go in? (Virginia, 1947) 

==

Discussion in Turner, 1969:2. Minney in "Chaplin -The Immortal Tramp" (1954) noted the rhyme sung by children in the street in USA and UK:

1,2,3,4, Charlie Chaplin went to war,
He taught the nurses how to dance,
And this is what he taught them:
Heel, toe, over we go,
Heel, toe, over we go,
Salute to the King and bow to the Queen
And turn your back on the submarine.

==
 
Keywords: media culture, topical rhyme 
Location: Various NZ 
Group size: 5 
Incidence: 2