h is for … hokey pokey

Day 23:365 Gratitude Challenge and April 9th A to Z Challenge

Today I am grateful for the hokey pokey because, really, that’s what it’s all about. Plus I figured that everyone needed a nice song stuck in their head today especially since it has been stuck in mine since yesterday. I like to share all my gratitude with you because you are my peeps and that is what we as peeps do; we share. There is no need to thank me because that is not why I am doing these sharing things. No sirreeeee, I am not looking to be showered with your thanks for sharing such a good deed. Just knowing that you are happily bopping about wherever you are while going about your day is thanks enough for me. For those of you insisting on thanking me, well, you are indeed very welcome.

Here are the lyrics just in case you have forgotten any or have forgotten the order that they go in: 

Since I know that you are all sitting on the edges of your seats wanting to know more about the hokey pokey, here are some interesting facts for you to ponder:

• The hokey pokey is a participation dance known as the ‘hokey cokey’ in the UK, ‘hokey tokey’ in New Zealand, and ‘hokey pokey’ in Canada, US, Ireland, Australia, the Caribbean and Mexico.
• There is no one definitive answer to where the hokey pokey derives from but there are some theories about it. They are as follows:
• It originates in a British dance as early as 1826.
• There are those who insist the song originated in the UK with Scottish Puritans as an anti-Catholic taunt against the Catholic belief that the bread and wine turn into the body and blood of Christ during the Mass. Hokey cokey is a derivative of ‘hocus pocus’ meaning trickery which is how the Puritans viewed the Catholic doctrine.
• In 1857, two sisters from Canterbury, England were visiting Bridgewater, NH and brought the song and its gestures with them.
• In 1940, a Canadian officer suggested writing an action party song to bandleader Al Tabor. “The Hokey Pokey” was supposedly in homage to a ice cream vendor from Tabor’s childhood who would call out “hokey pokey penny a lumb. Have a lick and make you jump.”
• In 1944, two musicians from Pennsylvania (Robert Degan and Joe Brier) made a record of a song called “The Hokey Pokey Dance” but it is still not the version that we shake it all about today.
• In 1949, Charles Mack, Taft Baker and Larry Laprise (The Ram Trio) made their own version of the song, which is closer to the version we all know and love today.

Here is my take on the Hokey Pokey:

• Since I love ice cream, I am going to put my right hand up and vote for the Hokey Pokey version that is in homage to the ice cream vendor. Definitely a win/win situation for me. Chocolate is my favourite in case you wanted to know.

• It evokes memories of my and my children’s childhood and the giggles that ensued while trying to shake it all about.

  

• If I was co-ordinated enough, I could use the gestures and movements as an exercise program. Think about it. Shaking it all about would be a good form of exercise and would perhaps promote some weight loss which would make me even more grateful for the hockey pokey. Since I am certain that no one would want to see me shaking me arse about, I give you my word that I will perform the dance in private and without drinking any alcohol what.so.ever.

I  think that I would change up the lyrics a little bit in order to
target specific areas of my body that need firming and toning.
My version would go like this:

I put my right boob in
I put my right boob out
I put my right boob in
And I flap it all about

And I do the hokey pokey
And I turn myself around
That’s what it’s all about

I put my left boob in
I put my left boob out
I put my left boob in
And I flap it all about

And I do the hokey pokey
And I turn myself around
That’s what it’s all about

I put my muffin top in
I put my muffin top out
I put my muffin top in
And I roll it all about

And I do the hokey pokey
And I turn myself around
That’s what it’s all about

I put my butt cheeks in
I put my butt cheeks out
I put my butt cheeks in
And may be let out a fart

And I do the hokey pokey
And I turn myself around
That’s what it’s all about

Not bad, eh? Feel free to use these awesome lyrics any time you would like especially if you, too, would like to work on the same areas. It is all about that sharing I was talking about at the beginning on this post. You could also create your own lyrics and share them with me. See? Sharing is caring. While I had also considered adding a verse for each flabby arm, I think that I will work on that another day. Having all these visuals of my body shaking all about is making me very tired not to mention nauseous. Maybe a bowl of chocolate ice cream would help.

I also thought I would share with you that I did go to a hokey pokey clinic about twenty years ago only it was called ‘pyschotherapy’ something or other. The hokey pokey clinic name would have been soooooooo much better but, on the bright side, I did turn my life around. So, you see, there is always hope. If I can do it, any one can.

Hokey pokey: 1
Talent: 0