"Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg, Batmobile lost the wheel and the Joker got away. "

I realize this does not fit the definition of an urban legend. But since it is a meme that his survived the ages, I would like to explore how such a nonsensical son was able to spread around the world so quickly, and before the Internet no less.

Most of the evidence shows that this song originated around 1967, but where in by whom?

Who were the very first school children who first sang this famous parody?

What citystatecountry and what year did you first hear this song? Let's see if we can get any closer to its origin.

Wow I never thought of it like that, we used to sing it at school in England as well. Was it on TV or something that made it so popular??

And then of course you have "Happy birthday to you, you live in a zoo, you look like a monkey and you smell like one too." I think any popular verse always has a spoof alternative.

The Batman TV series starring Adam West originally ran from 1966 to 1968. Then there were the countless repeat broadcasts throughout the late 60's and early 70's. I would guess the TV series was the primary influence for that jingle. I was born in 1962, and I remember the song from my youth in the late 60's.





David

Adam, can I ask what city you were in when you first heard this song?

I think it was in a newspaper cartoon ages ago

I first heard it when I was in elementary school sometime in the early 1970s.

I grew up in Columbia Maryland and recall this as a kid in the early 70's as well.

Used to sing it in New Zealand in the mid seventies.
I've noticed this song and a few other kiddies ditties are in Australia too.
Though we did have one that could of only been local as it has local place names in it.

Don't know when or who started it, but I'm sure when Bart Simpson sang the Batman version in the first episode of The Simpsons, he played a big part in keeping the parody jingle alive and well.

I grew up in the 70s. We lived in Chicago, until I was 10, then we moved to Tennessee. This was well before the internet. It was odd, to me, that kids were playing the same games like "mother may I" and "Red Rover". I often wondered how kids so far away knew the same games.

In '67 I think I was in 7th grade. I'm pretty sure we were singing it in elementary school. I could be thinking the Popeye song, though. You know THAT one, right?

I'm Popeye the sailor man.
I live in a garbage can.
I eat all the worms
then spit out the germs.
I'm Popeye the sailor man.

I heard the Batman song in the late sixties. I grew up in South River, NJ.
The first time I heard it was when my cousin Steve sang it.

There is a web site and ebook documenting all the old playground songs and rhymes. Comments are allowed so that readers can share their own experiences. The jingle in question is posted there.

http://www.playgroundjungle.com/p/index-......nes.html

One source claims it can be traced back to the mid 1950s: http://sugargamers.com/origin-jingle-bel......hschild/

When I was 6 in '71, I lived for that Adam West Batman show. I did't even realize it was campy, and was somewhat confused at the fact that I was attracted to Julie Newmar's Catwoman when she was one of the Bad Guys. Seems like we knew the Jingle back then, or shortly thereafter. I also remember Bart singing it on the first Simpsons episode, though he makes a slight breach of etiquette by singing "...broke its wheel..." instead of "...lost its wheel..."

A very interesting question though, and I also wonder how it spread and became so ubiquitous. I also recall slightly risque (for a small child, anyway) versions of Yankee Doodle, and I'm sure there are many others I'd recognize if someone brought them up. I wonder if they were all universal, or if some were local.

Ben

Http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-secret-t......-smells/

an interesting write up on the possible origin

The Diarrhea Song origin???

Some people think it's funny; but it's really dark and runny....

I am not sure where it originate but my Dad told it to me when I was like 3 (He was born in the 60's) and I am pretty sure his Dad taught it to him.

I remember hearing this little ditty around 1967, when I was nine years old. I also remember hearing a version of The Battle Hymn of The Republic, which I can still recite. Funny how these types of things stick with you, well into adulthood.



Best Magical Regards,

Mark Williams