There’s a Brown Girl in the Ring

Lyrics

(Jamaican folk song)

1. There’s a brown girl* in the ring, Tra-la-la-la-la.
There’s a brown girl in the ring, Tra-la-la-la-la-la,
Brown girl in the ring, Tra-la-la-la-la,
And she/he looks like the sugar in a plum, plum, plum.
(Option: “For she likes sugar, and I like plums!”)

2. Now show us your motion…

3. Now let’s skip across the ocean…

*Substitute “student” or a student’s name

See also

YouTube

or purchase here or here (printables only)

  • Song with chords, Adapted version, Lesson ideas for Rhythm (Steady Beat) (PDF)
  • MIDI file
  • Listen to the song

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1 thought on “There’s a Brown Girl in the Ring”

  1. Although the Boney M version tends to be the one many people have heard, this recording by Jamaican folk historian Louise Bennett-Coverley offers words which make more sense and are more suitable for kids today. Instead of “she looks like a sugar in a plum”, the words are “for she likes sugar, and I like plums”. These lyrics are printed in the Mango Spice anthology of songs from the Caribbean. Additionally Miss Lou sings a verse for a “brown boy in the ring”.

    https://youtu.be/Y97RLpgdxyw

    Her recordings, and those by the Jamaican Folk Singers under the direction of Dr. Olive Lewin, are good sources to consult for Jamaican folk songs.

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