Category: Dances

We can call this song and use the lyric “winter shiver”, “winter pokey”, or “snowkey pokey”. All three have advantages. “Winter pokey” is closest to the original, “The Hokey Pokey“, and is in otherwise standard English. “Snowkey Pokey” is cute and sounds more like the original. “Winter shiver” has more meaning for EFL and introduces another English word and gesture “shiver”, which means “involuntary body shaking to warm the body due to cold”.

The Winter Shiver

(Sung to the tune of The Hokey Pokey)

You put your right mitten on,
You take your right mitten off.
You put your right mitten on,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter shiver
And you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your left mitten on,
You take your left mitten off.
You put your left mitten on,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter shiver
And you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your right boot on,
You take your right boot off.
You put your right boot on,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter shiver
And you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your left boot on,
You take your left boot off.
You put your left boot on,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter shiver
And you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your winter hat on,
You take your winter hat off.
You put your winter hat on,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter shiver
And you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your long scarf on,
You take your long scarf off.
You put your long scarf on,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter shiver
And you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your snowsuit on
You take your snowsuit off
You put your snowsuit on
And you shake it all about
You do the winter shiver
And you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

Bye-bye. Goodbye.
Bye, bye, bye, bye. Goodbye.

I can clap my hands.
I can stamp my feet.
I can clap my hands.
I can stamp my feet.

Bye-bye. Goodbye.
Bye, bye, bye, bye. Goodbye.

Bye-bye. Goodbye.
Bye, bye, bye, bye. Goodbye.
GOODBYE!

“Hello!” is our greeting song.

Hello!
Hello!
Hello, how are you?
(Repeat)

I’m good!
I’m great!
I’m wonderful!
(Repeat)

Hello!
Hello!
Hello, how are you?
(Repeat)

I’m tired.
I’m hungry.
I’m not so good.
(Repeat)

Hello!
Hello!
Hello, how are you?
(Repeat 3x)

The Hokey Pokey is a participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure. The Hokey Pokey is well known in English-speaking countries.

The song has actions, uses “right” and “left”, and names body parts. We can sing and dance this song with as many body parts as we can thing of:

• right foot, left foot
• right leg, left leg
• knees
• elbows
• bottom or butt
• shoulders
• right hand, left hand
• right arm, left arm
• head
• quiet voice
• loud voice
• whole body

You put your [right leg] in,
You take your [right leg] out;
You put your [right leg] in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the hokey pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!

The Hokey Pokey originated in a British folk dance The song and accompanying dance peaked in popularity as a music hall song and novelty dance in the mid-1940s in the UK

(POST) Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)

If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet. (stomp stomp)

If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hooray!” (Hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hooray!” (Hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hooray!” (Hoo-ray!)

If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three. (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray

• “…tap your shoulders”
• “… slap your knees!”
• “…blink your eyes!”
• “…pull your ears!”
• “…turn around!”
• “…twist your body!”
• “…touch the ground!”
• “… slap your legs!”
• “…slap your thighs!”
• “… turn around!”
• “… snap your fingers!”
• “… nod your head!”
• “… tap your toes!”
• “… honk your nose!”
• “… pat your head!”
• “… shout/say ‘We are’!”
• “…shout/say ‘Hello’!”
• “…shout/say ‘Amen’!”

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Further Reading:

• Wikipedia article

I grew up with a song, “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush”, with the same melody as “The Wheels on the Bus” but with different words:

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush
So early in the morning.

This is the way we wash our face,
Wash our face,
Wash our face.
This is the way we wash our face
So early in the morning.

This is the way we comb our hair,
Comb our hair,
Comb our hair.
This is the way we comb our hair
So early in the morning.

This is the way we brush our teeth,
Brush our teeth,
Brush our teeth.
This is the way we brush our teeth
So early in the morning.

This is the way we put on our clothes,
Put on our clothes,
Put on our clothes.
This is the way we put on our clothes
So early in the morning.

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush
So early in the morning.

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Further reading:

• Wikipedia: The Wheels on the Bus
• Wikipedia: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
• Wikipedia: Buffalo Gals