"Miss Susie had a steamboat", also known as "Hello Operator",Mayfield, Josh.

at ''Inky's Linkies''. 3 Apr 2004. Accessed 13 Jan 2014. "Miss Suzy", "Miss Lucy", and many other names, is the name of an American schoolyard rhyme in which each verse leads up to a rude word or

profanity Profanity, also known as cursing, cussing, swearing, bad language, foul language, obscenities, expletives or vulgarism, is a socially offensive use of language. Accordingly, profanity is language use that is sometimes deemed impolite, rud ...

which is revealed in the next verse as part of an innocuous word or phrase. Originally used as a

jump-rope rhyme A skipping rhyme (occasionally skipping-rope rhyme or jump-rope rhyme), is a rhyme chanted by children while skipping. Such rhymes have been recorded in all cultures where skipping is played. Examples of English-language rhymes have been found ...

, it is now more often sung alone or as part of a

clapping game A clapping game (or hand game) is a type of usually cooperative (i.e., non-competitive) game which is generally played by two players and involves clapping as a rhythmic accompaniment to a singing game or reciting of a rhyme, often nursery rh ...

.Powell, Azizi.
Similarities & Differences between 'Bang Bang Lulu' & 'Miss Lucy Had a Steamboat'
at ''Pancocojams''. 16 Oct 2013. Accessed 13 Jan 2014. Hand signs sometimes accompany the song, such as pulling on the bell in the first verse or making a phone gesture in the second. This song is sometimes combined or confused with "

Miss Lucy had a baby "Miss Lucy had a baby...", also known by various other names, is an American schoolyard rhyme. Originally used as a jump-rope chant, it is now more often sung alone or as part of a clapping game. It has many variations, possibly originating fro ...

", 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 " Bang Bang Rosie" in Britain, " Bang Away Lulu" in

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

, and "

My Lula Gal "Bang Bang Lulu" is a traditional American song with many variations. It derives from older songs most commonly known as "Bang Bang Rosie" in Ireland, "Bang Away Lulu" in Appalachia,Cray, Ed. ''The Erotic Muse: American Bawdy Songs'' 2nd&nbs ...

" in the

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

. The variants including a woman with an

alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...

purse urging the baby's mother to vote have been seen as a reference to

Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to s ...

, an American

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

and wife, and may be responsible for the steamboat owner's most common name today.

Structure

The rhyme is arranged in

quatrain A quatrain is a type of stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines. Existing in a variety of forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Persia, Ancient India, Ancient Greec ...

s, with an A-B-C-B

rhyme scheme A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other. An example of the ABAB r ...

. The rhyme is organized by its meter, a

sprung rhythm Sprung rhythm is a poetic rhythm designed to imitate the rhythm of natural speech. It is constructed from feet in which the first syllable is stressed and may be followed by a variable number of unstressed syllables. The British poet Gerard Manle ...

trimeter In poetry, a trimeter (Greek for "three measure") is a metre of three metrical feet per line. Examples: : When here // the spring // we see, : Fresh green // upon // the tree. See also * Anapaest * Dactyl * Tristich * Triadic-line poetry Triad ...

.Henninger, Jessie.
Miss Susie Had a Steamboat: I. Structure
at ''The Raveled Sleeve''. 29 Nov 2008. Accessed 13 Jan 2014.

Accentual verse Accentual verse has a fixed number of stresses per line regardless of the number of syllables that are present. It is common in languages that are stress-timed, such as English, as opposed to syllabic verse which is common in syllable-timed langua ...

(including

) is a common form in English folk verse, including

nursery rhyme A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From t ...

s and

s. The rhyme approaches

taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

words, only to cut them off and modify them with an

enjambment In poetry, enjambment ( or ; from the French ''enjamber'') is incomplete syntax at the end of a line; the meaning 'runs over' or 'steps over' from one poetic line to the next, without punctuation. Lines without enjambment are end-stopped. The or ...

. It shares much of the same melody as the 1937 "

The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" is a song written in 1937 by Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin and published by Harms Inc., New York. It is best known as the theme tune for the ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon series and ''Merrie Melodies'' reissued cartoon ...

" used by

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

. as the theme to their ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

'' cartoons.

History

The song has developed many variations over an extended period, as is common for such rhymes.Henninger, Jessie.
Miss Susie Had a Steamboat: II. Evolution
at ''The Raveled Sleeve''. 29 Nov 2008. Accessed 13 Jan 2014. Even 21st-century versions, however, typically preserve long-outdated references to the dangerousness of 19th-century steamers and to the need for a

switchboard operator In the early days of telephony, companies used manual telephone switchboards, and switchboard operators connected calls by inserting a pair of phone plugs into the appropriate jacks. They were gradually phased out and replaced by automated system ...

to manually connect a telephone call. The earliest recorded version—about a girl named

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

—appears among the

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

jokes collected by Ed Lowry during his career in the 1910s, '20s, and '30s,Levitt, Paul. ''Vaudeville Humor: The Collected Jokes, Routines, and Skits of Ed Lowry''
p. 125
SIU Press ( Carbondale), 2002. Accessed 12 Jan 2014. although versions about

Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboat ...

, inventor of the

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

) and Lulu (the star of "

Bang Bang Lulu "Bang Bang Lulu" is a traditional American song with many variations. It derives from older songs most commonly known as "Bang Bang Rosie" in Ireland, "Bang Away Lulu" in Appalachia,Cray, Ed. ''The Erotic Muse: American Bawdy Songs'' 2nd&nbs ...

") may record older traditions. The Lulu tradition—including "

"—already record enjambed

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...

s during the

World Wars A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

, but the first version of this song known to have done so—versions about Fulton and a girl named Helen—date to the 1950s.Henninger, Jessie.
Miss Susie Had a Steamboat: V. Versions of the Rhyme Used in This Essay
at ''The Raveled Sleeve''. 29 Nov 2008. Accessed 12 Jan 2014. Later versions developed by embellishment: adding, removing, and adjusting stanzas involving kissing, boys in bathrooms, a little black boy, bras,

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

, questions and lies,''The Mudcat Cafe''.
Origins: Ask Me No Questions rhymes
often where the lyrics cut to the same word, only in a different context. Apr 2006. Accessed 13 Jan 2014. German spies,Bohren, Django.
Lulu had a steamboat
at ''Milk Milk Lemonade''. 27 Sept 2010. Accessed 13 Jan 2014. raving aunts, and so forth. While the initial stanzas were fairly stable by the late 20th century, the folklorist

Josepha Sherman Josepha Sherman (December 12, 1946 – August 23, 2012) was an American author, folklorist, and anthologist. In 1990 she won the Compton Crook Award for the novel ''The Shining Falcon''. Works Series Buffyverse *'' Visitors'' (1999) (wit ...

noted that two unrelated children in 1990s

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

took the change from "Miss Lucy" to "

Ms. Ms. (American English) or Ms (British English; normally , but also , or when unstressed)''Oxford English Dictionary'' online, Ms, ''n.2''. Etymology: "An orthographic and phonetic blend of Mrs ''n.1'' and miss ''n.2'' Compare mizz ''n.'' The pr ...

Lucy" for granted. An adaptation—"Miss Lucy had some leeches"—has been recorded by

Emilie Autumn Emilie Autumn Liddell (born September 22, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, author and violinist. Autumn's musical style is described by her as "Fairy Pop", "Fantasy Rock" or "Victoriandustrial". It is influenced by glam rock and ...

and another—"Mrs. Landers was a health nut"—featured in the ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...

'' episode "

Something You Can Do with Your Finger "Something You Can Do with Your Finger" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series ''South Park'', and the 56th episode of the series overall. It is the 9th produced episode of Season 4. "Something You Can Do with ...

".''South Park''. " :q:South_Park/Season_4#Something_You_Can_Do_with_Your_Finger_[4.8Something_You_Can_Do_with_Your_Finger.html" ;"title=".8.html" ;"title=":q:South Park/Season 4#Something You Can Do with Your Finger :q:South_Park/Season_4#Something_You_Can_Do_with_Your_Finger_[4.8Something_You_Can_Do_with_Your_Finger">.8.html"_;"title=":q:South_Park/Season_4#Something_You_Can_Do_with_Your_Finger_[4.8">:q:South_Park/Season_4#Something_You_Can_Do_with_Your_Finger_[4.8Something_You_Can_Do_with_Your_Finger"_at_Wikiquote._2010._Accessed_14 Jan 2014.

_Lyrics

Numerous_versions_exist,_varying_across_time_and_regionally.__One_version_is: Miss_Susie_had_a_steamboat, The_steamboat_had_a_bell, Miss_Susie_went_to_heaven, The_steamboat_went_to... Hello_Operator, Please_dial_Number_9, And_if_you_disconnect_me, I'll_kick_you_from... Behind_the_'frigerator, There_lay_a_piece_of_glass, Miss_Susie_sat_upon_it, And_cut_her_little... Ask_me_no_more_questions, I’ll_tell_you_no_more_lies, The_boys_are_in_the_bathroom, Zipping_up_their... Flies_are_in_the_backyard, The_bees_are_in_the_park, Miss_Susie_and_her_boyfriend Are_kissing_in_the_D-A-R-K Dark,_dark,_dark D-A-R-K_D-A-R-K_dark_dark_dark_ Dark_is_like_a_movie,_ A_movie’s_like_a_show._ A_show_is_like_a_TV_screen,_ And_that_is_all_I_know I_know_I_know_my_mother,_ I_know_I_know_my_pa._ I_know_I_know_my_sister_ With_the_forty_acre_bra._ Additional_common_lyrics_ Another_version,_from_the_early_1900s,_begins_as_follows: Mary_had_a_steamboat The_steamboat_had_a_bell Mary_went_to_Heaven And_the_steamboat_went_wikt:toot.html" ;"title=".8">:q:South Park/Season 4#Something You Can Do with Your Finger [4.8Something You Can Do with Your Finger">.8.html" ;"title=":q:South Park/Season 4#Something You Can Do with Your Finger [4.8">:q:South Park/Season 4#Something You Can Do with Your Finger [4.8Something You Can Do with Your Finger" at Wikiquote. 2010. Accessed 14 Jan 2014.

Lyrics

Numerous versions exist, varying across time and regionally. One version is: Miss Susie had a steamboat, The steamboat had a bell, Miss Susie went to heaven, The steamboat went to... Hello Operator, Please dial Number 9, And if you disconnect me, I'll kick you from... Behind the 'frigerator, There lay a piece of glass, Miss Susie sat upon it, And cut her little... Ask me no more questions, I’ll tell you no more lies, The boys are in the bathroom, Zipping up their... Flies are in the backyard, The bees are in the park, Miss Susie and her boyfriend Are kissing in the D-A-R-K Dark, dark, dark D-A-R-K D-A-R-K dark dark dark Dark is like a movie, A movie’s like a show. A show is like a TV screen, And that is all I know I know I know my mother, I know I know my pa. I know I know my sister With the forty acre bra. Additional common lyrics Another version, from the early 1900s, begins as follows: Mary had a steamboat The steamboat had a bell Mary went to Heaven And the steamboat went wikt:toot">Toot Toot."Tuyere Blasts". ''Iowa Transit''. October 1924.

References

{{Hand games Children's street culture Clapping games Playground songs Vaudeville songs American folk songs Songs about fictional female characters Traditional children's songs Songwriter unknown Year of song unknown