Here we go Loop de Loop

Here we go Loop de Loop (aka: "Looby Loo", "Loopty Loo", "Loop de Loo", or just "Dancing Looby") is a folk song and nursery rhyme for children.

Origin

A version of the folk song appeared as early as 1849 in James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps' Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales, as "Dancing Looby". The song title eventually evolved into "Here We Go...: "Looby Loo", "Loopty Loo", "Loop de Loo", and "Loop de Loop".

Lyrics and melody

The following are original lyrics from Dancing Looby:

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,
Now we dance looby, looby, light.
Shake your right hand a little
And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby,
Shake your right hand a little,
Shake your left hand a little,
And turn you round about.

The song continues with the same lyrics adding "Shake your right foot a little", "Shake your left foot a little", and "Shake your head a little." Children start by dancing in a circle, then stop and shake the body part when the lyric is mentioned. They then turn slowly around and continue dancing in a circle.

This is a modern children's version: <score sound raw> \header { tagline = ##f } global = { \key f \major \time 6/8 }

sopranoVoice = \relative c' { \global \autoBeamOff

 f8 f f a4 f8 | c'2. |
 f,8 f f a4 f8 | g2. | \break
 f8 f f a4 f8 | c'2. |
 c8 d c bes a g | f2. \bar "|."

}

verse = \lyricmode {

 Here we go loo -- by loo
 here we go loo -- by light,
 here we go loo -- by loo,
 all on a Sa -- tur -- day night.

}

\score { \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "vibraphone" }

 \sopranoVoice
 \addlyrics \verse
 \layout { indent = 0 line-width = 110 \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" } }
 \midi { \tempo 4=144 }

} </score>

In popular culture

The chorus of Johnny Thunder's 1963 hit song "Loop de Loop" featuring The Bobbettes is taken almost in whole from this song. The name was used for a ragdoll character in Andy Pandy who was regularly introduced with the song.