# Lulu had a steamboat **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647 "2009-03-24T21:30:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/1 "2009-03-24T21:30:09Z")
OK, I figured I’d start this thread before anybody else got a chance… … A few years ago my then tweenage daughter came home singing this… largely unchanged from when I myself learned it back in the 1960s (but with a different melody). I wonder how old it really is? I’m guessing WWII vintage at least. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/2 "2009-03-24T21:41:54Z")
I feel compelled to add… The steamboat had a bell. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/3 "2009-03-24T21:45:16Z")
[For anyone who doesn’t know.](http://www.odps.org/glossword/index.php?a=term&d=3&t=46) It was used in an episode of _South Park_ a few years ago, in fact. It’s far from unknown. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/4 "2009-03-24T23:26:03Z")
Version three is the one I know. Ya know, we have threads on this and _Found A Peanut_. I now have a severe case of earworm. Those who are responsible must suffer. Painfully. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/5 "2009-03-24T23:50:21Z")
Hmmm… It was always “Miss Lucy”, not Lulu, around my area. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/6 "2009-03-25T00:05:40Z")
> [@Fetchund](#): > > Hmmm… It was always “Miss Lucy”, not Lulu, around my area. “Miss Susie” for me in Maryland in the mid-80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/7 "2009-03-25T00:15:57Z")
> [@Fetchund](#): > > Hmmm… It was always “Miss Lucy”, not Lulu, around my area. Yeah, Lulu’s the one who had two boyfriends. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/8 "2009-03-25T00:47:08Z")
Miss Susie for me in the 80s North Carolina. Looks like example 2 in the link is the one I remember, except we stopped after the D-A-R-K part. And my 8 year old niece has never heard of this. The horror. I tried teaching it to her but my brother didn’t appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/9 "2009-03-25T14:56:26Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > “Miss Susie” for me in Maryland in the mid-80’s. Miss Lucy for me in Maryland, same era (and a bit earlier). Montgomery County. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/10 "2009-03-25T15:04:25Z")
I learned it this way: Miss Lucy had a steamboat. The steamboat had a bell Miss Lucy went to heaven and the steamboat went to Hello operator Please give me number 9 And if you disconnect me I will chop off your behind the frigerator There was a piece of glass Miss Lucy slipped upon it and it went right up her ask me no more questions I’ll tell you no more lies The boys are in the girls’ room Pulling down their Flies are in the country The bees are in the park The boys and girls are kissing in the D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K dark dark dark! Central New Jersey, in the eighties. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/11 "2009-03-25T15:37:14Z")
So, bang away, my Lulu… Miss Lucy matches Scribble, ca late 70s, Westchester, NY. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/12 "2009-03-25T16:30:50Z")
Miss Mary down here in Florida, early to mid 80s. And basically what Scribble said, except it ended with Miss Mary in the principal’s office kissing in the D A R K D A R K D A R K dark dark dark! I used to know one where you almost said much dirtier things, but I can’t remember any of it now. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/13 "2009-03-25T17:53:08Z")
It was Miss Lucy at my camp. Now I’m remembering all the stupid hand-games we used to play- “Miss Mary Sue”, anyone? And then there was “Soup, macaroni” and the one about the bullfrog and… ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/14 "2009-03-25T19:47:49Z")
Well, here Miss Sally had a baby and named it Tiny Tim. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/15 "2009-03-25T20:30:19Z")
Very similar to **Scribble** ’s: Miss Lucy had a steamboat, The steamboat had a bell. Miss Lucy went to heaven and the steamboat went to Hell-o operator, Give me number 9. If you disconnect me I will chop off your Behind the ‘frigerator Was a piece of glass. Miss Lucy slipped upon it, and broke her little As’ me no more questions, Tell me no more lies. The boys are in the boys’ room Pulling down their Flies are in the meadow, The bees are in the park. The boys and girls are kissing in the D-A-R-K DARK! Northern New Jersey, late 1970’s. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/16 "2009-03-25T22:48:33Z")
Lulu had a bicycle, the bicycle had a bell… …that’s the story of Lulu and how she slipped and died! Ohio late 70s. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lulu-had-a-steamboat/490647/17 "2009-03-26T01:19:04Z")
Miss Lucy had a steamboat The steamboat had a bell Miss Lucy went to heaven and The steamboat went to Hello operator, give me number 9 And if you disconnect me I will kick you from Behind the refrigerator, there laid a piece of glass Miss Lucy slipped and fell on it and hurt her big fat Ask me no more questions, I’ll tell you no more lies This is what Miss Lucy said Right before she died died died. Alabama late 80’s.