I want to compile « tape la main » songs and put them all together into a book. I don’t know what it is called in English. It is that game little girls play by clapping their hands together to the beat of a song. They clap the other girl’s hands straight and crosswise and up and down. My memory may be playing games but I seem to recall it being called something like patty cake in English. It is amazing but my niece, who is seven, didn’t even know about this game. I taught her some but it would be nice to have more.

Do you ladies remember any of the tappe la main songs you used to sing. I’d love to have some from all over the place. (and, if you don’t mind, I’d attribute them to you, like “Michel je t’abandonne” from Ginette / Canada.

[bold]The hyphen is used to mark a syllable pauses: [/bold]

I remember one in French:

Michel je t’abandon-ne
Je ne veux plus te voir
La peine que tu m’as fai-te
M’as mis au désespoir
…..…boum, boum
Assis sous la fenê-tre
Je le regarde passer
Et dis t’a ma grand mè-re
Voici mon bien aimé
…..…boum, boum
Si faut que je l’embra-se
Ah oui je l’embrasse-rai
Si faut que je’l chatoui-lle
Ah oui je’l chatouille-rai
…..…boum, boum.

Translated it it not rhytmic at all » » »
Michel I abandon you
I don’t want to see you anymore
The sadness you have given me
Has made me so depressed
Sitting by the window
I watch him go by
And say to my grandmother
There goes my true love
If I have to kiss him
Oh yes I will kiss him
If I have to tickle him
Oh yes I’ll ticke him

(at the last bit you were supposed to wait after the boum boum part and try to tickle the girl in front of you)

We used to play this non-stop when we were little girls - before the advent of gameboys and portable video toys. Any favorites out there?