A Ram Sam Sam
| "Ram Sam Sam" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Written | Morocco |
| Songwriter(s) | Traditional |
"Ram Sam Sam" (
song that has gained popularity as a children's song
around the world since the mid-20th century.
Lyrics
In most forms, the song has a few
.| Arabic | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| رام سام سام | Ram sam sam | [Meaningless] |
| قولي قولي قولي قولي | Guli guli guli guli | Tell tell tell tell [ feminine imperative] |
| رفيق رفيق | Rafīq rafīq | Friend friend |
The
Gestures
In Morocco, the song is often performed with gestures, one leader singing the tune and the others performing certain matching actions. Typically, the routine is:[citation needed]
- Ram sam sam — Pound fists, alternating right over left and left over right
- Guli guli... — Pull hands apart as if separating something gooey
- Rafiq rafiq — Spin index fingers on both sides of the head (the "crazy" gesture), then end with all fingers pointed up
History
Donikkl und die Weißwürschtl recorded a German version called "Aram Sam Sam".[where?][when?][citation needed] In 2011, Gracey released a Dutch version[clarification needed] that reached #75 on the singles charts in the Netherlands[6] and Lorenz Büffel recorded his French version "Aramsamsam" for his album Après Ski Hits 2011.[citation needed
]
Adaptations
- The Jewish educational television series The Magic Door, which aired in the Chicago area from 1962 to 1982, had a theme song "A Room Zoom Zoom", based on the first two lines of "Ram Sam Sam".[7]
- "Ram Sam Sam" featured in the Tom Tom Club's "Wordy Rappinghood" on their 1981 self-titled debut album, subsequently covered by Chicks on Speed on their 2003 album 99 Cents and by Uffie and DJ Mehdi.[8][when?][where?]
- The Boy Scouts of America adapted the song with the lyrics "A good Cub Scout / A good Cub Scout / A new Tiger Cub and a good Cub Scout..."[when?][citation needed]
- Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's.[citation needed]
- The Battle Hymn of the Republic".[citation needed]
- DieAussenseiter's "Aram Sam Sam" includes additional lyrics in German and the English refrain "Jump, jump, motherfucker".[9]
References
- ^ a b "A Ram Sam Sam – How to Play on the Glockenspiel / Xylophone : Singing Bell". www.singing-bell.com. 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- ^ ""A Ram Sam Sam" from Morocco". The Folk Music Experience. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "A ram sam sam – katena.it". Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- ^ "The Spinners - Folk At The Phil!". Discogs. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "Rolf Harris - A Ram Sam Sam". Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- ^ "Gracey - A Ram Sam Sam". shop.berkmusic.nl. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- ^ Neil Gale (February 28, 2017). ""The Magic Door" TV Show, a part of Chicagolands Sunday Morning Programming". The Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ uffie - wordy rappinghood (original), retrieved 2023-08-12
- ^ DieAussenseiter (21 December 2012). "Aram Sam Sam (Official Music Video) HD". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 5 February 2018 – via YouTube.