Can Anyone Help with a Canadian Song “”Yoki and the Kaiser”" – Possibly with Korean Origins
Patricia wrote:
Wondering if you have heard the words to a 50’s skipping game we played using elastics?
I believe it was originally a Korean children’s game and the children of missionaries brought it back to Canada in 1939. Original words:
Rioyun, Kaiyo, Yaku navide etc.
This song was taught to commemorate the victory of Russian-Japanese war of 1905 and written by a Japanese poet (After this war, Japan occupied Korea).
The words we sang as children here in Ontario were:
Yoki and the Kaiser, Yoki addy ay, Tamba, so-ba, Sa-du, say-day. Yoki in the Kaiser, Yoki allee-ay, Kick him in the so-po, Sa-du, sa-day!
We had no idea what we were singing!
Patricia
Ontario Canada
It just so happens that Bill Conrad had asked me about this song last year. Here’s what he wrote:
In Montreal, in the 50’s, girls used to celebrate Spring with skipping ropes and elastics. While playing the elastic game they sung a “ditty” that went somewhat like this,”Yolem a Kaiser,Yokem addiay….” Do you know what I am referring to? Bill Conrod
I’m not familiar with this song. If anyone else can help out with the lyrics, meaning or origins of this song (or of the original song it comes from) please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
PS I have one question for Patricia and Bill: Does skipping ropes with elastics mean playing Chinese jump rope?
May 8th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
I never knew this game to be called “Chinese jump rope”. We just called it the elastic jumping game! But on many sites, in researching the internet, I guess that this game really was and still is, called Chinese Jump Rope. It is mentioned as that through out all inquiries that I made when referring to my elastic game.
May 8th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
In France we call it “jeu de l’élastique” -elastic (jumping) game- too.
November 6th, 2007 at 11:08 am
This sounds more Japanese than Korean to me. I doubt Koreans celebrate the Japanese victory in this war, because absent the balancing Russian influence on the penisnsula, Korea had to endure the bitter experience of being slaves to the Japanese colonial masters.
March 24th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I found this citation (page 152) in a book called “Sally Go Round the Sun,” compiled by Edith Fouke (ISBN 0385025130), that’s now long out of print:
YOKI AND THE KAISER. This rhyme, in many forms, is very popular with Canadian children. It is used for a variation on skipping in which a long piece of elastic is raised and lowered while the player goes over or under it. It is said to be a Korean children’s game that the children of missionaries brought back to Canada. Margaret Burbidge, daughter of Reb. and Mrs. W. A. Burbidge, came home to Toronto from Korea in 1939 and introduced the game into Humewood public school. She says the original words in phonetic spelling were:
Riojun Kaijo Yaku naride
Deki no syo-koong Stetseru
Noki daisye-do Kai Ken no
Do Ko ro was Isko sui si ei,
and gives this rough translation: “After the agreement to open the gate of the castle (or stronghold) the place were General Nogi met General Stetseru, the general of the enemy was at Shi Ei.” That was the battle for possession of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, and a Japanese poet wrote a song to celebrate it. After that war, the Japanese occupied Korea, and this song was taught to commemorate the victory, and picked up by children for their game. It is now widely known throughout Canada, usually as “Yoki and the Kaiser.” A. East York children, 1959 (FO 232). B. Elizabeth Elms, 1960. Cf. McLean’s, July 6, 1963, 18, 42.
I hope this is helpful!
June 14th, 2008 at 1:46 am
i want to see the video of the korean song the young frog and the adult frog
August 14th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
If that is the correct phonetic pronunciation, the song is definately Japanese, not Korean. I also agree with Hanja Man. Koreans did NOT celebrate any Japanese victory, however children do quickly pick up songs.
May 23rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I remember that song well, but we made up the words as we went along. I thought It was Yokie on a Kaiser, Yokie 98 and the rest was just jibberish. LOL. We used to tie elastics together and put one leg over
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
The game you refer is called gomujul in Korean, meaning long elastic string. I do not know if the game is called Chinese Jumping Rope or not since I grew up in Korea. The elastic string is about 2 -3meters long. The game is mostly played by girls. There will be two people holding the ends at a certain height( at ankle, knee, hip, waist, chest, shoulder, top of the head and lastly at the tip of upwardly extended finger) and one person is in the middle performs series of movements using the elastic string. Each time the person in the middle completes the motions successfully to the end of the song, she will have advanced to the next level( height ). When the person messes up, she becomes the person holding an end of the string.
I played gomujul
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
I played gomujul a lot while growing up in Korea in 60’s but I do not know the song you want to know. Is there a music to go with this? I can ask around.
September 27th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
In Toronto (Downsview) in the late -50s we played a game with a string usually 3m in length, made of elastic bands looped together, which we called a yoki rope. Often the game involved two ropes which might even be held at different heights. I don’t recall any songs or rhymes, but we definitely called the game Yoki.