Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "Two Lips" Or "Tulips Together" (also known as "The Spades Go")
Written on: Oktober 25, 2020
Title : Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "Two Lips" Or "Tulips Together" (also known as "The Spades Go")
link : Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "Two Lips" Or "Tulips Together" (also known as "The Spades Go")
Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "Two Lips" Or "Tulips Together" (also known as "The Spades Go")
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides a compilation of some examples of the children's rhymes that are known as "Two Lips" (also known as "Tulips together" or "The Spades Go" or other titles (first lines).
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, recreational, and socio-cultural purposes.
-snip-
Some of these examples were previously included in this pancocojams post or its comment section:
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-real-meaning-of-spades-go-space-go.html "The REAL Meaning Of "The Spades Go" & "The Space Go" In Playground Rhymes".
**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/10/examples-of-childrens-rhymes-that_26.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Examples Of Children's Rhymes That Include The Phrase "The Spades Go" Or "The Space Goes" (except for "Two Lips"/Tulips Together" Rhymes)"
Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-saying-call-spade-spade-article.html for this closely related pancocojams post entitled "The Saying "Call A Spade A Spade" (article excerpts & comments)".
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES (revised Oct. 26, 2020, 11:32 PM ET)
My guess is that the children's rhymes that are most widely known in the United States as "Two Lips", "Tulips Together" or "The Spades Go" are folk processed forms of the words "true love forever" or "true love together". Notice the example given as #1 below with its words " true love together/twilight forever".
It's not surprising that "tulips together" would be part of a rhyme about love given this quote:
https://flowermeanings.org/tulip-flower-meaning/#:~:text=Tulip%20and%20the%20love%20symbolism,for%20Valentine's
Tulip is one of the most recognized and beloved flowers in the world. It is universally known as the symbol of love and romance, and people usually gift this flower to the person they love. Tulip flower has a very long history of existence and it was often used as a symbol in art and literature. Tulip flowers can often be found in poems and in paintings of many famous artists. Their presence represented something symbolical that needed to be transferred to the viewer or to the person reading a poem
[..]
Bright red Tulips symbolize love and passion. This is the perfect bouquet of flowers you can send to someone you love and adore. This is the right kind of message you want to pass on to this special person"...
-end of quote-
Some versions of "two lips"/"tulips together" rhymes and certain other recreational begin with or contain the words "the spades go" or "the space goes". I believe that "the space goes" is a folk processed form of "the spades go".
Here's a portion of my comments from the 2012 pancocojams post "The REAL Meaning Of "The Spades Go" & "The Space Go" In Playground Rhymes http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-real-meaning-of-spades-go-space-go.html
... "it's my position that, early on, when a specific meaning was given to the introductory phrase the "spades go", that phrase meant "(This is the way) Black people go (say or do this rhyme). I don't believe that any pejorative connotations were/are attributed to the words "the spades go" in children's rhymes.
Saying "the spades go" was a way of attributing the words of those rhymes or the way the rhymes were performed to Black people (or more specifically, to Black girls). That attribution lent authenticity to those rhymes and/or to their performance activities. That was because Black girls were (and still are) considered to be the arbiters of "the real way" that those songs or those hand clap rhymes were/are supposed to be sung, or chanted and performed.
This was/is partly because Black girls were/are considered to be the sources of many of these rhymes, or were/are considered to be the "coolest" or "hippest" examples of how those rhymes should be performed. This same dynamic can be found in the use of introductory phrases as "the Black people say" or "the Black people sing" in vaudeville songs. And this same dynamic can be found in past and current attitudes that mainstream American (i.e. White America) had/has about Black people being the "go to" population when it comes to learning how to do popular R&B/Hip Hop dances."...
-snip-
I believe that "the spades go" is another way of saying "The Blacks go" (Note that "the Blacks" is a socially unacceptable way of saying "The Black people".
Here's an example of the children's rhyme "Shimmy Shimmy Co Co Pop" which begins with the words "The Blacks go". That rhyme is included in a 1973 book of children's rhymes "Shimmy Shimmy Coke-Ca-Pop!, A Collection of City Children's Street Games & Rhymes", edited by John Langstaff, Carol Langstaff, (Garden City, New York, Double Day & Co; p. 76; 1973)
"The Blacks go down down baby
Down by the roller coaster
Sweet sweet baby
I don't wanna let you go
Shimmy shimmy shimmy shimmy
shimmy shimmy-pop!
Shimmy shimmy shimmy shimmy
shimmy shimmy coke-ca-pop!
-snip-
Unfortunately, I can't find my copy of that book, but I seem to recall that the editors didn't give any demographics for these rhymes except that were performed by children in United States cities. (Additions and corrections are very welcome.)
Note that "the Blacks" is a socially unacceptable form of the referent "Black people".
No racial demographics are included for this rhyme from that book or for most of the rhymes that are included in this compilation. However, my guess is that the contributors of most of these rhymes are White or otherwise are non-Black. But I wouldn't be surprised if rhymes with the words "the spades say" or "the space say" have been (or still are) chanted by Black people. (Note the example given as #1 below was collected from African American children. That said, I've been collecting children's recreational rhymes directly (mostly in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area) and indirectly (mostly online), and I don't recall ever hearing or coming across any examples of these rhymes from Black people (or from people who online self-identified as Black.).
**
Read the content and comments in the pancocojams posts that are given as links for more about this topic.
****
HOW THESE COMMENTS ARE PRESENTED
The rhyme examples that are presented in this post are given in relative chronological order (by date published off-line or online). These examples may include comments and notes about the rhyme, and/or comments about the meaning of "spades" in that rhyme, and/or information about how the rhyme was performed.
These examples are numbered for referencing purposes only.
****
RHYME EXAMPLES
Example #1
"The space goes true love together
twilight forever
Bring back my love to me
What is the matter?
When we get married
And have some children
We’ll name them
Sandra and Jane
and Billy and Tom
And Betty and Jimmy now,
Source: Let's Slice The Ice (Eleanor Fulton and Pat Smith; St. Louis, Missouri; Magnamusic-Baton; 1978; p. 30 [This is a collection of African Americans' children rhymes from various states.]
**
Example #2
"One I remember is:
Tulips together twilight in heaven bring back my love to me. It was probably 2 lips - but I was an
innocent kid back then."
-Allison, April 12, 1999
**
Example #3
"Allison:
I remember that ... didn't it start ...
The spades go tulips together
twlight in heaven
bring back my love to me?
Or something like that?
Two girls would hold hands, arms outstretched in front, and sway back and forth while singing the verses... :)
[...]
-Butirfli@aol...[email deleted], April 13, 1999
-snip-
Both Example #2 and Example #3 were found in the Archive through June 8, 2000 of the Girl's games; Clap and Rhyme section of that streetplay website. That streetplay website has changed to a members only forum.
Example #4
"
Ace of spades goes two lips together,
down and forever
bring back my love to me
what is the meaning meaning meaning
of all the flow-ow-ow-ow-flowers
they tell the sto-o-o-o-story
the story of love from me to you
Then I think it goes back to Ace of Spades, but I don't remember if there are any more verses, and I don't remember the specifics of the hand clapping.
Anyone out there know anything more?
Thanks!!!"
-ratgirl,http://hubpages.com/hub/Recess-is-BACK-Hand-Clapping-Games, May 10, 2010
-snip-
This link is still active but doesn't include the "Ace Of Spades" example.
**
Example #5
"I used to play a game with my friends when we were kids. You used to
clap hands and sing a song called "The spades go tow lips together,
twilights forever, bring back my love to me." Can you help me find
the rest of the lyrics/verses? Thank you."
-
**
Example #6
"Here's a longer version of this hand-clapping song:
"The spades go
Two lips together
Twilight forever
Bring back my love to me
I love you one and only
I love you personally
And that's the story
Of L-O-V-E love
My heart goes
Bum-ba-de-ump-bump
Bum-ba-de-ump-bump
Over the likes of you
I saw the ship sail away
It sailed a year and a day
My love is far far away
And I love him too
Oh yes I do
Cha cha cha
Cross cross cross
Applesauce
Pumpkin pie"
-pinkfreud-ga on 27 Jul 2003, http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=235768
-snip-
This commenter cited a google.com/group as the source for that example. Google.com/groups are no longer
active.
This commenter also shared several other variations of this rhyme on that page. I'm posting
those rhymes as separate examples. The examples that have google.com/groups are cited that way
without any longer address for those no longer active groups.
**
Example #7
Tie them forever"The spades go two lips together,
Blood in the gutter,
Bring back my love to me.
What is the meaning of all these flowers?
They tell the story,
The story of love from me to you, cha cha cha!"
-pinkfreud-ga on 27 Jul 2003, http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=235768,
google.com/group**
Example #8"A spade is
Two hearts in heaven
Working together
To bring back my true love to me
What is the meaning
Of all the flowers
That tell the story
The story of L-O-V-E
The story of love..."
-pinkfreud-ga on 27 Jul 2003, http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=235768,
from The Phrase Finder: Clapping Rhyme,
http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/16/messages/614.html [link no longer active]
**
Example #9"The spades go tulips together,
Twilight forever,
Bring back my love to me.
What is the meaning
Of all these flowers?
It is the meaning
The meaning of love from me to you."
-pinkfreud-ga on 27 Jul 2003, http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=235768,google.com/group
-snip-
Here's what pinkfreud-ga wrote about how this rhyme was played:
"Here's a description of the hand motions associated with this song,from the last newsgroup post linked above:
"In Brooklyn, the elementary school girls would play hand games at the
same time that they chanted a rhyme. Two girls would face each other,
then pat each other's hands in a particular pattern, which had to be
learned. There were several patterns, which were taught from girl to
girl.
For example, the right hand would face up and the left hand down for
the first pat. Then the girl would clap, and reverse the orientation
of the hands. Then both hands would face upwards, then outwards, etc.
The facing girl had to do the reverse motion so they could pat each
other's hands. Each pat was in time to the chanted rhyme.
The rhymes were nonsense verses, chanted in a singsong voice."
-snip-
That commenter also shared another variant, but because that example doesn't
include the words "two lips", "tulips", or "the spade goes", I'm not adding it to this
compilation.**
Example #10"The spades go two lips together
Bring back my love to me.
What is the meaning of this?
For all the fellows I've kissed
They tell the story
the story of l-o-v-e.
-DebbieO_ (from memories of childhood in near Boston, Mass. in the 1970s); http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350 I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes; December 29, 2006
**
Example #11
"I remember parts of this song:
The spades go two lips together
tie them together
bring back my love to me.
What is the me-ee-eening
of all these flow-er-er-ers
they tel the sto-or-or-y,
the story of love,
from me to you.
I saw the ship sail away,
it sailed three years and a day,
my love is far far away,
and I love him so, oh yes I do.
My heart goes bump ba de dump bump,
bump ba de dump bump,
over my love for you.
You are my one and only,
I love you passionately,
Source: Guest, susan; http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350 I'm Rubber . You're Glue: Children's Rhymes, 19 Jul 10
**
Example #12
"My recollection of The Spades Go is from Harlem on West 144th between 7th and Lenox and Hoe Avenue, the South Bronx, ( the two places I played, home and at my grandparents') circa 1960. From the clapping games where your palms were placed on another's, and according to the rhyme chanted you either slapped your partners palms or clapped your own between in syncopation, switching whose palms were on top or bottom as another part of the performance:
The Spades go (hold hands and swing)
Two lips together (slap clap slap [switch] slap [switch] slap)
Twilight forever (slap clap slap [switch] slap [switch] slap)
Bring back my love to me ( slap clap slap [switch] slap [switch] slap [switch]slap)
What is the Me-e-ea –ning ( hold hands, swing. slap clap slap [switch] slap,[switch] slap [switch] slap)
of all these Flo-ow-ow –wers ( hold hands, swing. slap clap slap [switch] slap,[switch] slap [switch] slap)
They tell the Sto-or-ory ( hold hands, swing. slap clap slap [switch] slap,[switch] slap [switch] slap)
The story of l-o and v-e (hold hands, swing. slap clap slap [switch] slap [switch] slap)
l-o and v-e (slap clap slap [switch] slap [switch] slap)
l-o and v-e (slap clap slap [switch] slap [switch] slap)
love cha, cha cha (slap , swing, swing, swing)
-Akua Lezli Hope, January 15, 2016, http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-real-meaning-of-spades-go-space-go.html [comments]
Example #13
"
-Nancy, July 28, 2019, http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-real-meaning-of-spades-go-space-go.html [comments]
**
Example #14
"I grew up in western Canada and we said “they say that two lips together, tie them together, bring back my love to me, etc..."
**
[Examples Added at 12:00 AM, Oct 27, 2020...Thanks Google Search!]
Each of these examples are from https://groups.google.com/g/alt.culture.us.1970s/c/TCixj0KBboM [contributors Contributors names on that site are given with an email address which I deleted. The numbers continue from above.]
Example #15
"I CANT BELIEVE IT!!! I HAVE BEEN SCOURING THE INTERNET LOOKING FOR ONE PERSON THAT CAN REMEMBER THIS!!! YESSSSS! I CAN DO THE WHOLE HAND CLAPPING WITH MY SISTER TO THIS & I IS THE BEST ONE! OK...SOME OF THE WORDS MAYBE OFF....BUT HERE WE GO:
For spades go (start holding hands and swinging them 4 times)
Tulips together, twilight in heaven
bring back my love to me
what is the me- me - meaning
of all the flow ow ow flowers
it tells the store or or ry
the story of love from me to you
when we get mar ah ah arried
where shall we li i i i ive
in Sunny spai ai ai ain
or gay par ri ri ri ri ri ri?
our hearts go boom body boom boom (hands in fists bumping on top of each other)
boom body boom boom
over the love for you!
I love you eternally (now you slap pinkies softly)
our love is special indeed
and thats the store or or ry
the story of
L.....O......V......E.... (now you clap loudly palms up then down)
Love from me to you! CHA CHA CHA! (end with hi-fi'ing loudly)
-pcarb...-2/10/14
**
Example #5
"This the version of tulips together I was taught by my mother:
Tulips together, tie them together
bring back my love to me
what is the me- me - me meaning
of all these flow ow ow owers
They tell the store or or ory
The story of love from me to you
The Ship sailed over the ocean
over the ocean
over the big blue sea
It sailed for many a day
it sailed for hours away
This is our store or or ory
Our story of love from me to you! CHA CHA CHA!"
-
**
Example #16
"Oh there are two lips together tied up forever so they will never part
What is the meaning, meaning
Of all these flowers, flowers
They tell a story, story
The story of my love to you from me
My heart goes thumpitty, thump thump, thumpitty, thump thump
Over my love for you
My lips go tinkitty, tink tink, tinkitty, tink tink
Over my love for you"
-
**
Example #17
"Spades was always my favorite. Online, I cannot find the version we did, which is similar to the others, but different.
The spades go
Two lips together
Tie them forever
Bring back my love to me
What is the Me he ha ning
Of all these flo ha ha wers
This is my sto ho hory
My story of love
From me to you.
My heart goes
thumpatity thump thump
thumpatity thump thump
Over the site of you
You are my one and only
I love you per son ally
This is my sto ho hory
My story of love
From me to you.
My eyes go
blinkety blink blink
blinkety blink blink
Over the sight of you
You are my one and only
I love you per son ally
This is my sto ho hory
My story of love
From me to you.
Cha cha cha
-
Example #18
"
... Anyone remember Tulips together (a hand
clapping song)?? I remember the begining starting "tulips together...tie them
together (I think)...bring back my love to me". Thats as far as I get!
Sandy
"What is the meaning,
Of all these flowers
They tell the story
The story of love
From me to you
When we get married
Where shall we live
In sunny Spain
Or Gay Pari(s)
Wee Wee Wee Wee (clap, clap, clap)
-
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
That's the article Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "Two Lips" Or "Tulips Together" (also known as "The Spades Go")
You are now reading the article Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "Two Lips" Or "Tulips Together" (also known as "The Spades Go") with link address https://aafricanmedia.blogspot.com/2020/10/examples-of-children-rhyme-lips-or.html