Pebbles And Bam Bam (Military Cadence)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases examples of the military cadence entitled "Pebbles And Bam Bam".

The content of this post is provided for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and educational purposes.

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Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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INFORMATION AND COMMENTS
Pebbles and Bam Bam are fictitious characters that are best known in their infant forms on the American animated television series The Flintstones.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flintstones
"The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that was broadcast from September 30, 1960, to April 1, 1966, on ABC. The show was produced by Hanna-Barbera. The Flintstones was about a working-class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend.

The show's continuing popularity rested heavily on its juxtaposition of modern everyday concerns in the Stone Age setting.[2][3] The Flintstones was the most financially successful network animated franchise for three decades, until The Simpsons debuted.[4] In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Flintstones the second Greatest TV Cartoon of All Time (after The Simpsons ranked at first).[5]"

...Pebbles Flintstone is The Flintstones' infant daughter, who is born near the end of the third season.

...Bamm-Bamm Rubble is the Rubbles' abnormally strong adopted son, whom they adopt during the fourth season; his name comes from the only phrase he ever speaks as a baby: "Bamm, Bamm!""
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Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebbles_Flintstone for more information about Pebbles Flintstone and click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamm-Bamm_Rubble for more information about "Bam Bam".

My guess that the "Pebbles And Bam Bam" military cadence was created by someone in the military rather than being adapted from other sources like the military cadence "Little Liza Jane" and certain other military cadences. Visit this page of my cultural website for that cadence and other family friendly examples of military cadences: http://www.cocojams.com/content/military-cadences-other-cadences.

I believe that the verse of that cadence that includes the lines "tryin to get to heaven on the tail of a kite" and "instead of going to heaven they went to..." have their source in the early 20th century or late 19th century African American dance song "Raise A Ruckus (Rucus) Tonight." Click
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/raise-ruckus-tonight-examples-comments.html for a pancocojams post about that song.

I believe that the children's rhyme "Ten [Three] Little Angels [Devils] Dressed In White" also has its source in the "Raise A Ruckus Tonight" song. Click http://www.cocojams.com/content/handclap-jump-rope-and-elastics-rhymes-2http://www.cocojams.com/content/handclap-jump-rope-and-elastics-rhymes-2for a version of that rhyme.

Click that same cocojams link for examples of the playground rhyme "When Pebbles Was A Baby". That cumulative rhyme is probably named after "Pebbles Flinstones" although earlier versions of that cumulative rhyme don't feature that name or any other characters name (i.e. "When I was a Baby").

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TEXT EXAMPLES OF THIS CADENCE
Example #1: PEBBLES AND BAM BAM
[common marching cadence]

Pebbles and Bam-Bam on a Friday night
Trying to get to heaven on a paper kite
Lighting struck (Boom) and down they fell (Ahhh)
Instead of getting to heaven, they went straight to hell

Dino the dog (Ruff Ruff) was on the bone (Chomp Chomp)
While Fred and Barney rock the microphone
There was nothing that Fred or Barney could do
'cept sing "Yabba daba daba daba daba daaaaaba do!"

Source: http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/Prep_For_Basic_Training/Prep_for_basic_general_information/common-marching-cadence.shtml
-snip-
"Yabba daba do!" is a signature yell from "The Flintstones" television show/movies.

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Example #2: PEBBLES AND BAM-BAM

This is a running cadence taught to me in Germany, about 1987. Like all running cadences, the runners simply repeat each line after the cadence caller sings it. Both the content and the melody, however, are highly unusual. The rhythm, of course, is not, and this song could be made to fit any standard "jody" with no trouble.

Wing-dang wing-dang wing-dang-do
Come on First Sergeant, sing along, too;
Wing-dang wing-dang wing-dang dee
Come on ev'rybody sing along with me . . .

Pebbles and Bam-Bam on a Friday night,
Y' know they tried to get to Heaven on a paper kite.
Lightning struck, and down they fell,
Y'know instead of gettin' to Heaven they went to Hell.

Dino the dog was on the bone,
While Fred and Barney rocked the microphone.

Betty didn't know it, but she heard the shout,
It was Mr. Slate a-cussin' Wilma out.

Fred didn't know exactly what to do,
He shouted "Yabba-dabba-dabba-dabba-doo!"

He shouted "Yabba-dabba-dabba-dabba-doo!"

You caught me walkin' when I shoulda been runnin',
Caught me runnin' when I shoulda been walkin',
Caught me shirkin' when I shoulda been workin',
Caught me workin' when I shoulda been shirkin'.

Source: http://www.sndhight.com/1cadences.htm#Pebbles and Bam-Bam
-snip-
"Jody" ("jodies") is a general term for military cadences. The character is a womanizing man who is the featured character in some African American secular songs & in some military cadences.

FEATURED EXAMPLE: Flintstone Army Cadance



DShabazz7's channel, Published March 3, 2013

My kids having fun
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In this video, the girls said “went to jail” instead of “hell” which is the word that is implied in the song & the cadence.

Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
forseti52, 2014
" I heard a scream...I heard a Shout!... " it was Mr. Slater puching Willma out.." lol I remeber this from being in basic. One of my Drill Sgts. did this cadance."

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