I was thinking about the new title of my blog this weekend. I was wondering how many people out there knew instinctively where the title originated from. How many other people knew the song? Where did you learn it? And what version did you learn?
I just recently discovered that there are so many different versions. Who knew?
So if you know this song…let me know. Share with me where you learned it and what version you learned. I think that’d be fun.
Here’s the version that was taught to me and my sister by my parents. We used to sing it on car trips (both short and long). It’s a great memory for me.
Flea
(echo)
Flea, Fly
(echo)
Flea, Fly, Flow
(echo)
Kumalata Kumalata Kumala Vista
(echo)
No, no, no, not la vista
(echo)
eenie meenie decimeenie oohwa oohwa ameenie
exameenie cellameenie oohwa oohwa
(echo)
Beat Billie Oaten Doaten Do Watt A Ditten Datten Sshh
(echo)
This one is ‘close’
Tags: blog title, camp songs, childhood memories, children's songs, clapping songs, Kumalata kumalata, repeating songs, singing, songs
June 25, 2008 at 11:37 am |
I have no idea where I learned it (maybe girl scouts), but as soon as I saw the new title, I started humming it to myself. Mostly because I couldn’t remember any more of the words.
August 28, 2008 at 4:22 pm |
I learned it in girl scouts and the version I recall went…
flea, flea fly, flea fly flow
kumalata kumalata kumalata vista, oh no no no not la vista
eenie meanie decimeanie oohwa chuwanna meanie
exameanie xylameanie oohwa oohwa
a be bittle lee oten boaten bobo ska ditten dotten hot chuwawa mmm mmm
March 25, 2009 at 6:54 pm |
I’m in my 50’s and learned it very young from my older sibblings and their freinds. The trick back then was to do the whole thing as fast as you could with only one breath. Fun times. How old is this thing? Does anyone know?
May 6, 2009 at 10:20 pm |
Jesus…
This song is older than the hills. AND there is an AWESOME punk(ish) version of it with some rudimentary lyrics that go along with it. Ahem: “Every time I go to town, boys start kickin’ my dog around. And every time I go to sleep, they’re wakin’ me up with this crazy speak: Kumalata, Kumalata, Kumalata Vista. Noooo, no, no, no, not la vista. Decimeenie, xylomeenie, doowah-doowahnameenie, Exomeenie, xylomeenie, doowah, doo-WAH. (Followed immediately by an AWEsome guitar riff.) WHO KNOWS OF THIS SONG!?!? I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE CREATORS OF THIS SONG AND/OR A DECENT COPY OF THIS SONG FOR A DECADE!!!
June 29, 2009 at 9:13 am |
This “punkish” version used to lull me to sleep as a little girl for quite some time. I lost the tape it was on long ago and have been searching for a copy of it ever since! Friends would tell me it’s an old camp song and I would look at them like they were crazy since the only version of the song I knew had more lyrics and mad guitar riffs. I’m so glad to see there are other fans of this song.