Em Pom Pee

DESCRIPTION: "Em pom pee para me Para moscas,..., Acca dairy, so fairy ... Poof poof!"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1965 (Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame)
KEYWORDS: nonsense playparty
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame 142, "Em Pom Pee" (3 texts, 1 tune)
Roud #12944
NOTES [160 words]: Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame, quoting a Liss woman: "They say they learnt it at school, and they say it's French -- but it's complete nonsense." - BS
When I looked at it, I thought of a Latin phrase beginning "In Pompeii," but that works for only a few words.
John Patrick tells me, "I have found versions of this song from the US, UK, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Germany, Sweden and Portugal. The 'Gin Gan Goolie' version was a minor hit for the group "The Scaffold" in 1969 which may account for the spread of the song world wide."
"Gin Gang Goolie" is in the Index, but I'm not convinced that it's the same song.
He also notes versions "I Paula Taska," "Qui Qua Quo" (Latin again...), "Oh, Nicodemo," "A Ram Sam Sam," "Ging Gang Goolie, and "Kin Kahn Koolie," with a different being used for "Sarasponda" (the only one of these I've ever heard personally). Most of these I cannot verify, but obviously a counting-out rhyme with nonsense words can easily evolve. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.3
File: OpGa142

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography