Friday, December 11, 2009

Clap Your Hands and Stomp Your Feet

The parenthesis denote the action that goes with the line:

Clap you hands (stomp feet)
Stomp your feet (clap hands)
We're the __________ who can't be beat
We're number 1 (hold up two fingers)
Peace! (hold up one finger)


The ______ has been filled in many ways, from the inappropriate ("retards" and replacing the line with "special ed is really neat") to the harmless ("Morons") to the topical ("insert name of politician, school team, etc, here"). Dates back to at least the early 90s, probably further. I heard it in about 91, and when I moved to Georgia a few years later, the kids there already knew it.

3 comments:

  1. The version my best friend taught me in elementary school went like this:

    Clap your hands (stomp your feet)
    Stomp your feet (clap your hands)
    Retardation can't be beat
    Number one! Number one! (wave around two fingers)
    Peace! Peace! Peace! (Wave middle finger at every "Peace")
    The world is round (draw a square in the air)
    Square dance! (press your fists together and draw a circle in the air)

    I always thought it was just something she made up herself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh yeah, I forgot. *Texas, 2005.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My friends and I made up:
    We stomp our feet (clap)
    We clap our hands (stomp)
    We retards are the best
    We're number one (holds 2 fingers)
    We're number one (holds 2 fingers)
    Peace (hold up a thumb)
    The earth is round (draw a square in the air)

    ReplyDelete

PLEASE tell us where and when you heard your version (ie, "Chicago, early 1950s). And please be aware that the information may end up in a book sooner or later. Comments are screened; too much spam.