In a zipper song, most of the verse remains the same each time you sing it, but you substitute one or more words each time. “This Old Man” is a classic zipper song. “This old man, he played one / He played knick-knack on my thumb / With a knick-knack paddy-wack, give your dog a bone / This old man came rolling home.” You then replace the underlined words with “two…on my shoe,” “three…on my knee,” “four…door,” “five…hive,” “six…sticks,” “seven…up in heaven,” “eight…on my plate,” “nine…on my spine,” “ten…once again.” Other children’s zipper songs are “Old McDonald” and “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain.”
Some African American hymns follow the zipper song form, although the noble beauty of the hymns defies the informality of the term zipper. Examples are “Over My Head” (Singing the Living Tradition, #30), “Cumbayah,” and “There Is More Love Somewhere” (Singing the Living Tradition, #95). Use the rote method to teach “There Is More Love Somewhere” phrase by phrase. Sing it a cappella (without instruments). Teach the third line in two sections, because it is tricky. When the children have learned the song, begin substituting words, “There is more joy” or “peace” or “hope.” Ask singers to provide one-syllable words, and make sure the words honor the tradition.
Zipper songs are great sing-along songs because they require little learning time and can be sung for a long time. During an assembly, the audience can pick up and join in on a zipper song with relative ease.
NOTES
I have taught “Snake Woman” UU Women’s retreat and small groups for ice breaker / different kind of check in.
When the guests arrive, they have pencil and two cards. They have to put a animal, plant, or object on one card. Then a word ending in “ing” on the other. They are encourage to be random or silly. These get collected in two bowls.
Then I teach “Snake Woman” zipper chant the “real way” and invite someone to pull a card from each bowl to make the new verse. “Giraffe Woman skiing along” or “Book woman jumping around” is pretty funny.
I could invite them to reflect for a while. In their minds invite create a meaningful verse if they want to share something about themselves that way. Just “popcorn style” for whoever wants to.
A person might sing and reveal
“Lonely woman, missing her friends.
Missing, missing, missing her friends.”
Now that they know how to zipper, the group could respond
“Lonely woman, missing her friends.
Lonely woman, missing her friends.
Missing, missing, missing her friends.
Missing, missing, missing her friends.”
And the person sharing could feel seen/heard in a new way. Quick way to break ice, build community and move on to whatever the activities are.
Then we can come back to this song and sing it the “real way” to end the group session.
This is within reach for a newbie drum circle that doesn’t really read music. They can play background for a vocalist or vocalists in ritual or worship.
Pattern — D TKT D
Syllables — Mashed. Potatoes. Yum!
Can also be one drummer keeping a beat like this version.
In the light of the full moon I am Love
Offering my prayers to rise above
The thoughts and the fears that hold me down
From thriving on this earth as she spins around
In the light of the full moon I am peace
Offering my heart to be released
From the things that no longer serve my soul
Knowing now that I am whole
The earth is a woman and she will rise The earth is a woman and she will rise We will live in (her) We will live in her
The earth is a woman and she will rise The earth is a woman and she will rise The earth is a woman and she will rise The earth is a woman and she will rise We will live in (her) We will live in her
Spiral Wound 