One of the first songs this Grandma began singing to grandchildren, as soon as they connected faces with names and could call each person or thing by his or her or its name, was the “Name Game.” It was a natural.
Without thinking, I went into
His or her name, then the song: then continued with, “Mommy, Mommy , Bo Bammy, Banana fanna Fo Fommy, Me My Mo-ommy, Mommy.” “Daddy, Daddy, Bo Baddy Banana fanna fo Faddy, Me My Mo-addy, Daddy.”
It literally brought giggles to my first toddler grandchild, who gave me the best response the grandma of a toddler can hear, “Mo” (Translation: “more”). We grandmas need very little motivation to grant our grandchild every wish if we could and get an easy one here. We can repeat this song with a new name of anything, nearly forever. I even got to “tree,” “blankie,” “bunny” (or whatever comfort toy they covet and have named).
I never know if I remember it exactly. But, after our youngest grandson, age five, wanted more, I remembered that the name game works to entertain him too, no matter if I remember the rhyme correctly. And also the nine and ten year old too, but they do want sillier words to rhyme (be careful with “luck.”).
Teenagers may be ready for the YouTube karaoke version they can follow along sung by Shirley Ellis in the original version we remember from 1964.
The old lyrics really don’t work for this generation of names though. Take a look. Do we know an Arnold anymore?
Lyrics
Lincoln!
Come on everybody!
I say now let’s play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme out of anybody’s name
The first letter of the name, I treat it like it wasn’t there
But a B or an F or an M will appear
And then I say bo add a B then I say the name and Bonana fanna and a fo
And then I say the name again with an F very plain
and a fee fy and a mo
And then I say the name again with an M this time
and there isn’t any name that I can’t rhyme
Arnold!
Arnold, Arnold bo Barnold Bonana fanna fo Farnold
Fee fy mo Marnold Arnold!
But if the first two letters are ever the same,
I drop them both and say the name like
Bob, Bob drop the B’s Bo ob
For Fred, Fred drop the F’s Fo red
For Mary, Mary drop the M’s Mo ary
That’s the only rule that is contrary.
Okay? Now say Bo: Bo
Now Tony with a B: Bony
Then Bonana fanna fo: bonana fanna fo
Then you say the name again with an F very plain: Fony
Then a fee fy and a mo: fee fy mo
Then you say the name again with an M this time: Mony
And there isn’t any name that you can’t rhyme
Every body do Tony!
Pretty good, let’s do Billy!
Very good, let’s do Marsha!
A little trick with Nick!
The name game.
When you are ready to share the video of Shirley Ellis singing “The Name Game” live, also on YouTube, to show how we Boomer grandparents dressed and danced back then, or just for nostalgia, look at this link and follow along with the lyrics. It is still easy to learn and great fun.
“The Name Game” was a major hit in Our Boomer generation. According to Wikipedia, “The Name Game” went to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 4 on the magazine’s R&B charts in 1965. The record was re-released in 1966 and again in 1973.” Maybe that’s why we remember it so well.
And, according to Wikipedia, there are actual rules which, of course, we Boomer Grandmas can ignore and go with our own recollection. For those with no recollection, here are the rules:
“A verse can be created for any name, with X as the name and Y as the name without the first consonant sound (if it begins with a consonant), as follows:
(X), (X), bo-b (Y)
Banana-fana fo-f (Y)
Fee-fy-mo-m (Y)
(X)!
And if the name starts with a b, f, or m, that sound simply is not repeated. For example: Billy becomes “Billy Billy bo-illy”; Fred becomes “banana fana fo-red”; Marsha becomes “Fee-fy “mo-arsha””
Now, try it with the grandchild’s name, Mommy, Daddy, what the grandchild calls you, the dog’s name. Or, better yet, just go with your own recollection of the rhyme.
Not only is “The Name Game” addictive, it is actually an educational experience. “The Name Game,” in addition to being a famous American pop tune, according to Wikipedia, is considered a rhyming game, one that just creates variations on a person’s name. You can teach your grandchild the meaning of a rhyme, one of two or more words or phrases that end in the same sounds, and think of rhymes together. You can go to others. Rhymes are always easy to memorize. With the youngest of grandchildren, Boomer grandmas are singing nursery rhymes, also without thinking. Here is a link to so many nursery rhyme lyrics.
But, it seems “The Name Game” has the most popularity still with our grandchildren and the most staying power. It is of our Boomer Generation, so what else would you expect!
Joy,
Mema
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