Flee Fly Flo

DESCRIPTION: ""Flee/Flea," then Flee fly," is chanted and echoed. "Flee fly flo" is chanted and echoed. "Vesta"/"Vista' is chanted and echoed. Then the process seems to fall into random gibberish. The "Flea/Flee" part may be omitted so it starts with "Kumala Vista"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1970 (Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame)
KEYWORDS: nonsense playparty campsong
FOUND IN: Britain(England(North,West)) US(MW)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame 115, "Flee Fly Flo" (2 texts, 1 tune)
List-SingingAboutIt-FolkSongsInSouthernIndiana, pp. 101-104, "Flea" (1 text, 1 tune)
LibraryThingCampSongsThread, post 68, "(Kumala Vista)" (1 text, from user 2wonderY, posted September 1, 2021; it lacks the "Flea Fly" part but has the "Kumala Vista" part)
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, pp. 151, 153, 308, 441, 495, "Flea" (notes only)
ST OpGa115 (Partial)
Roud #16804
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Flea Fly
Vee Vye
NOTES [90 words]: Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame: "The song was recorded at Kristiansund, Norway, in 1973, but the recorder did not attempt a translation because, she said, 'In Norwegian the words have little sense.'"
There are a number of YouTube videos. The one I find most useful -- because the "words" are not drowned out by instruments -- is "Hurrah Players: Flee Fly Floo," a 46 second performance by an acting class of thirteen children and two leaders, apparently from Virginia (as far as I can tell) [Google: "Hurrah Players" "Flee Fly Floo" YouTube]. - BS
Last updated in version 6.3
File: OpGa115

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