171:
The song has developed many variations over an extended period, as is common for such rhymes. Even 21st-century versions, however, typically preserve long-outdated references to the dangerousness of
69:", which is sung to the same tune and also served as a jump-rope song. That song developed from verses of much older (and cruder) songs which were most commonly known as "
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702:
232:, questions and lies, German spies, raving aunts, and so forth. While the initial stanzas were fairly stable by the late 20th century, the folklorist
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228:
Later versions developed by embellishment: adding, removing, and adjusting stanzas involving kissing, boys in bathrooms, a little black boy, bras,
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62:. Hand signs sometimes accompany the song, such as pulling on the bell in the first verse or making a phone gesture in the second.
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225:, but the first version of this song known to have done so—versions about Fulton and a girl named Helen—date to the 1950s.
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which is revealed in the next verse as part of an innocuous word or phrase. Originally used as a
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19:"Miss Lucy had a steamboat" redirects here. For the schoolyard rhyme with a similar name, see
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Similarities & Differences between 'Bang Bang Lulu' & 'Miss Lucy Had a
Steamboat'
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Lucy" for granted. An adaptation—"Miss Lucy had some leeches"—has been recorded by
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and wife, and may be responsible for the steamboat owner's most common name today.
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375:. 2014. Accessed 12 Jan 2014. Ms Yannucci credited her version as from
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570:. Chicago Review Press (Chicago), 2012. Accessed 13 Jan 2014.
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Gopher Guts and Army Trucks: The Modern
Evolution of Children's Folk Rhymes
331:
Vaudeville Humor: The
Collected Jokes, Routines, and Skits of Ed Lowry
122:
110:
198:
during his career in the 1910s, '20s, and '30s, although versions about
93:
purse urging the baby's mother to vote have been seen as a reference to
645:
Miss Susie Had a
Steamboat: V. Versions of the Rhyme Used in This Essay
373:
Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World
142:
766:
740:" at South Park Studios. 2010. Accessed 14 Jan 2014.
442:, . ECW Press (Toronto), 2006. Accessed 14 Jan 2014.
241:
210:") may record older traditions. The Lulu tradition—including "
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The
Whorehouse Bells Are Ringing and Other Songs Cowboys Sing
248:
and another—"Mrs. Landers was a health nut"—featured in the
408:. 27 Sept 2010. Accessed 13 Jan 2014.
651:. 29 Nov 2008. Accessed 12 Jan 2014.
617:. 29 Nov 2008. Accessed 13 Jan 2014.
587:. 29 Nov 2008. Accessed 13 Jan 2014.
705:. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04 – via
317:. 3 Apr 2004. Accessed 13 Jan 2014.
756:" at Wikiquote. 2010. Accessed 14 Jan 2014.
145:
words, only to cut them off and modify them with an
133:) is a common form in English folk verse, including
42:", and many other names, is the name of an American
16:
American schoolyard rhyme with rude or profane words
895:
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Comedy on Record: the
Complete Critical Discography
65:This song is sometimes combined or confused with "
58:, it is now more often sung alone or as part of a
186:The earliest recorded version—about a girl named
149:. It shares much of the same melody as the 1937 "
634:Xlibris, 2010. Accessed 14 Jan 2014.
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236:noted that two unrelated children in 1990s
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611:Miss Susie Had a Steamboat: II. Evolution
600:, p. 634. Garland Publishing, 1988.
117:. The rhyme is organized by its meter, a
89:. The variants including a woman with an
581:Miss Susie Had a Steamboat: I. Structure
520:), 1999. Accessed 13 Jan 2014.
429:), 2007. Accessed 14 Jan 2014.
345:), 2002. Accessed 12 Jan 2014.
954:Songs about fictional female characters
564:Rightfully Ours: How Women Won the Vote
302:
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754:Something You Can Do with Your Finger
738:Something You Can Do with Your Finger
507:The Erotic Muse: American Bawdy Songs
256:Something You Can Do with Your Finger
240:took the change from "Miss Lucy" to "
7:
496:. 16 Oct 2013. Accessed 13 Jan 2014.
856:Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man
665:Origins: Ask Me No Questions rhymes
14:
419:Endless Things: A Part of Ægypt
1:
151:The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down
959:Traditional children's songs
703:"Miss Lucy had some leeches"
551:Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms
50:leads up to a rude word or
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689:Children's Folklore Review
369:When Lucy Had a Steam Boat
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974:American children's songs
929:Children's street culture
719:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
643:Henninger, Jessie. "
609:Henninger, Jessie. "
465:When Lucy had a steamboat
206:) and Lulu (the star of "
109:The rhyme is arranged in
683:Sherman, Josepha. "
157:. as the theme to their
562:Hollihan, Kerrie.
309:Mayfield, Josh. "
141:. The rhyme approaches
701:Emilie Autumn (2007).
535:pp. 154 ff.
393:Bohren, Django. "
367:Yannucci, Lisa. "
175:and to the need for a
511:p. 173 ff.
173:19th-century steamers
979:Skipping-rope rhymes
969:Year of song unknown
846:Miss Lucy had a baby
579:Henninger, Jessie. "
469:Lulu had a steamboat
425:. Small Beer Press (
423:pp. 428 ff
395:Lulu had a steamboat
283:Miss Lucy had a baby
212:Miss Lucy had a baby
177:switchboard operator
67:Miss Lucy had a baby
21:Miss Lucy had a baby
949:American folk songs
908:Rock paper scissors
329:Levitt, Paul.
194:jokes collected by
190:—appears among the
964:Songwriter unknown
861:Pease Porridge Hot
670:2014-01-21 at the
649:The Raveled Sleeve
615:The Raveled Sleeve
585:The Raveled Sleeve
406:Milk Milk Lemonade
400:2014-01-16 at the
202:, inventor of the
183:a telephone call.
30:", also known as "
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160:Looney Tunes
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115:rhyme scheme
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707:MetroLyrics
632:p. 17.
568:p. 78
494:Pancocojams
473:Miss Sophie
427:Northampton
377:Long Island
335:p. 125
230:King Arthur
221:during the
155:Warner Bros
129:(including
99:suffragette
83:My Lula Gal
923:Categories
877:Chopsticks
851:Miss Susie
794:Hand games
750:South Park
734:South Park
477:Miss Molly
451:Including
343:Carbondale
297:References
251:South Park
223:World Wars
192:vaudeville
163:cartoons.
153:" used by
147:enjambment
79:Appalachia
28:Miss Susie
841:Mary Mack
818:Thumb war
808:Red hands
801:Endurance
547:bluegrass
543:Champaign
518:Champaign
290:Mary Mack
254:episode "
204:steamboat
111:quatrains
105:Structure
91:alligator
85:" in the
52:profanity
40:Miss Lucy
36:Miss Suzy
715:cite web
668:Archived
398:Archived
262:See also
238:New York
216:enjambed
196:Ed Lowry
123:trimeter
440:Joyland
167:History
81:, and "
475:, and
896:Other
882:Morra
813:Mercy
687:" in
647:" at
613:" at
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404:" at
371:" at
313:" at
143:taboo
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721:link
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