Angie and Tipper – Martins Creek Elementary School
Pretty Girl Station is a game I remember playing in the grassy fields that lay below old Martins Creek School. We called the game Bum Bum Bum. The game has many variations and seems to have differed depending on the region a person is from. I’ll share the way I played it as a child and if the game went a different way where you lived, please leave a comment and tell us about it.
The game begins with a group of kids dividing themselves into teams. Each team makes a long line. The lines face each other-leaving a good distance between each other.
Each group huddles up-and decides on an occupation which they want to portray. A line is picked to go first before hand-then the line chosen marches towards the other while singing: Bum bum bum here we come all the way from Washington.
The marching singing line stops short just in front of the other line. The other line yells out a series of questions and the marching singing line answers:
Where’re you from?
Pretty Girl Station
What your occupation?
Doing things.
Well get to work!
The marching singing group begins to act out their chosen occupation- sorta like the game of charades. The other line tries to figure out what they are doing by yelling out guesses. If the right guess is screamed out-the marching singing group takes off running with the guessing group giving chase. The marching singing group tries to make it back to their side of the field without being caught-if a person is caught-they must join the other group.
The game continues with each side taking turns acting out a chosen occupation.
I have such fond memories of this game-thinking of it always makes me smile. It makes me think of teachers who have long since retired like Ms. Reeves, Ms. Carringer, Ms. Brenda, and Ms. Sult; of elementary school classmates playing in the sunshine with a breeze blowing through the grass that already needs cutting again.
Did you ever play Bum Bum Bum or did you call it Pretty Girl Station?
Tipper
*Source: The Frank C. Brown Collection Of North Carolina Folklore
We played a similar game, but with a slightly different chant.
1 – Here we come
2 – Where’re you from?
1 – New Orleans
2 – What’s your trade?
1 – Lemonade (or Butter & eggs)
2 – Get to work and show us something.
1 – Would give initials of what they were acting out: sometimes an occupation, but often something more elaborate like Getting Ready for a Party or The First Day of School or Planting a Garden.
My four sisters and I played this game many, many times while growing up on a farm in northern Indiana. We were always glad when friends came over so we could have more people per team.
Bum, bum, bum.
Here we come.
Blowing our bugles and beating our drums.
Where you from?
Pretty Girl Station.
What’s your trade?
Sweet lemonade.
Get to work and get it made,
We played this in Dalton, Georgia in the ‘50s and 60’s.
I played it in Southwest Virginia in the 60’s. I taught it to my grand daughters and they want to play it all the time.
We played this too. Our version was
Boom Boom Boom here we come, blowing our bugles and beating our drums
Where are you from?
Pretty Girl Station
What’s your trade?
Sweet Lemonade
The other team would say, “then get down to business and get it done”
We played bum bum bum at Glennwood School in Decatur Ga in the 1940’s. Only girls played it. We would answer “pretty girls’town” to the question about where we were from. The other team would ask “what’s your trade?” And the answer was “ sweet lemonade”. Then the other team would say “name your initials and get to work!” And we would say the initials of our job and then act it out.
On heck! I’m from a small ky. Coal town! Loved my life there, and yes, we played “pretty girl station”! My teacher, Mrs Mounts, taught this to girls & boys alike Fun was fun,…we all loved it! We also played red rover, and “a ticket a tasket”. Oh sweet memories. Wouldn’t it be cool if a bunch of us in that age bracket could get together and have a go at it now?!! Probably more fun now, but lots of aching bones to take care of..lol. p.s. Loved kick the car, I suppose our type of a soccer game!! Thanks for the memories!
I was born in 1945 in Charlotte NC, and the neighborhood kids were already playing “Bum-bum-bum” by the time I was old enough to take part. My mother told me it was from the days of the Great Depression, when “bums” were riding the rails and otherwise going around looking for work of any kind they could get. Our chant was pretty much the same: Bum-bum-bum, here I come! — Where you from? — Pretty Girl (or Boy, we weren’t particular) Station. — What’s your occupation? — Most any old thing! — Get to work!
Thanks for the reminder of those days, when we played outdoors with a gazillion other neighbor kids till our moms started calling us to supper. I can see the draw of today’s flashy-techie-toys, but I’ve got to say there’s nothing like playing simple games barefoot in the good, clean dirt.
We played it at Appomattox Elementary School in the late 50s and early 60s. Boys and girls played it together, same rules, a little difference in the chant.
Bum bum bum
Here we come
All the way from Washington
Where are you from?
Pretty Girl ( Pretty Boy) station.
What’s your occupation?
Almost any old thing.
Well, get to work and do it right.
Pantomime your chosen occupation (no talking and no props) until the opposing team guesses correctly, then dash back to your side without being caught and taken by the opposing team.
Yep! We played Bum, Bum, Bum in the same place your girls did. Loved it! Thanks for the reminder. In case you didn’t know, my class of 1979 raised the money to pay for that sign the girls are standing beside of. That would include your brother, Steve and cousin, Gail 🙂
We played this in North Carolina when I was in elementary school, 1955-1960. Our chant went like this:
Bum, bum, bum, here we come,
Where you from,
Pretty girl station,
What’s you occupation,
Most any ole thing,
Get to work!
Here is what we said in rural North Georgia in the early 70s:
Bum, Bum, Bum
Here we come
Beatin our drums
And throwin our thumbs (reference to hitchhiking).
Where ya from?
Pretty Girl Station
What’s your occupation?
Most anything
Then wash your hands
And get to work (act out your job).
The women’s liberation movement (beatin our drums) and times of early 70s show in this version.
I was just thinking about this game and searched for it on a whim. I am from Cullman County, Alabama. We played “Bum, Bum, Bum” all through elementary school at West Point. For me, that would have been from 1966 until 1972. A teacher taught it to us on the playground. We were divided into two teams facing each other in two lines and went through the marching to the rhyme/acting out a trade–action–charades/chase home when they guessed parts just as described here, but our rhyme was a little different.
We chanted:
Bum, bum, bum,
Here we come,
Blowing our bugles and beating our drums.
(Where you from?)
New Orleans.
(What’s your trade?)
Sweet lemonade.
(Get to work and get it made.)
The “Bum, bum, bum” line was our drum beat as we marched toward the other line. I loved the game, but never would have recognized it by “Pretty Girl Station.” We were girls and boys playing together and called it “Bum, Bum, Bum.”
I’m from Anderson, AL and this is the exact way we played it too! 🙂
We were taught a very racist line in answer to “what’s your occupation”. I remember the games vividly and not at all fondly.
Shelia, hello fellow Cullman Countian…I live in Birmingham (over the mountain area) now. This is exactly how we played the game…same vintage…loved playing it…teaching it to my grands! I too have such fond memories of all the outdoor group games we played! Tech games are great for lots of other developmental skills, but nothing like a fun afternoon with friends in the sunshine!
Yay!! I’ve been trying to remember this game. I played this at a friends birthday party for the first time in Mocksville, NC around 1970. I called her and we tried to remember details. I wanted to share with My GA’s (Girls’s in Action) at First Baptist Church. Thank you!
We played this in Easley, SC in the 1950’s!
We must have been less imaginative over in GA mountains, we just played Red Rover and Fox and Hounds.
It is so funny at what all I have forgotten as time marches on. We called this game “Bum, bum, bum, here we come,” playing it at home and at school. Kids now-a days don’t know what fun they have missed out on. Thanks for the reminder of the olden days!!
Amy
Thank you for the comment! So neat that you remember the game too : ) I hope you have a great day and I hope you drop back by the Blind Pig often!
Oh my goodness! I have searched for this game online many times and this is the first time I’ve ever gotten any results. My mom taught us this game when we were kids in the 80’s. One of my fondest memories of us kids playing together. We lived in a small town, and we had to come up with something to do besides run through cotton fields, ride bikes and climb trees. I never really understood some of the chant and what it was actually saying…but I do remember we said, Bum, Bum, Bum, here we come, chewing on a mouth full of bubble gum, What’s you’re trade…Sweet Lemonaide, where’re you from (then picked a state), well get to work or get away!!…then we would act out whatever we had chosen…dentist, cowboy, astronaut, gymnast…you name it! Lol Then run for our lives to base when the other team guessed it before they tagged us. Such great memories. I’m so glad to finally get some Google search results back and to hear your version of the game. I’m 38 now with two kids of my own andIm going to teach them how to play! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Oh and we did ask “Where’re you from” and always just picked a state….then said “Well get to work or get away!” I guess bc we were bums?! Idk 🙂 Anyways, it was a fun game!
Oh my goodness! I have searched for this game online many times and this is the first time I’ve ever gotten any results. My mom taught us this game when we were kids in the 80’s. One of my fondest memories of us kids playing together. We lived in a small town, and we had to come up with something to do besides run through cotton fields, ride bikes and climb trees. I never really understood some of the chant and what it was actually saying…but I do remember we said, Bum, Bum, Bum, here we come, chewing on a mouth full of bubble gum, What’s you’re trade…Sweet Lemonaide, we’ll get to work or get away…then we would act out whatever we had chosen…dentist, cowboy, astronaut, gymnast…you name it! Lol Then run for our lives to base when the other team guessed it before they tagged us. Such great memories. I’m so glad to finally get some Google search results back and to hear your version of the game. I’m 38 now with two kids of my own andIm going to teach them how to play! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
In eastern North Carolina we also played Pretty Girls Station…..same actions as others have stated, but we said – teams facing each other –
Team 1:Bum, bum, bum here we come.
Team 2:Where are you from?
Team 1: Pretty Girl Station
Team 2:What’s your trade
Team 1:Hot Lemonade
Team 2: Get to work
then team 1 acted (like charades) and if someone on team 2 guessed it correctly, team 1 would start running home. If anyone was caught, that person had to be on team 2.
Hi Tipper,
We played this game as children in Gaston County,NC. We called it “Bum, Bum, Bum” and we would recite, “Bum, Bum, Bum, Here we come…All the way from Washington.” The other team would ask “Where are you from?” and we’d answer…”Pretty Girl Station.”(while acting prissy and patting our “hairstyles” and wiggling our hips) The other team would ask…”What’s your occupation?” and we would answer…”Most any ole thing.” The other team would say…”Well get to work and do it right!” We would then act out whatever our “occupation” was while the other team would ask us questions and try to guess what that occupation was. When they guessed correctly, we would high-tail it back to our side. If you got tagged you had to go over to the other team and work with them acting out their occupation. Those were the days when children used their imaginations playing games outdoors and had so much fun while doing it. Thanks for reminding us all of a simpler time in life.
Yep. Played it in Durham, NC, around 1961 or so when I was 4 at a little nursery school across the street on Roxboro Rd. We called it Pretty Girl Station (and sometimes Bum, Bum, Bum).
New to your blog, but seeing Pretty Girl Station reminded me of another game my mother taught me: Red Rover. Two teams lined up opposite each other a good distance apart. The “receiving” team would link arms and their captain yell, “Rover, Red Rover, send Susie (or whoever) right over.” Then Susie on the other team would size up the opposition and run toward the receiving team, trying to break through the arms of two of the players. If she succeeded, she got to take a player of her choice back with her to her team. If she failed, she had to stay on that team. Of course her original team could call her back, and she wouldn’t try very hard to break through if she wanted to get back on her old team! Ah the good old days… I’m a third grade teacher now and wouldn’t dare try this with my class. I’d never hear the end of the whining and parents complaining!
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Many thanks,
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Thanx!!
I used to play this game at school and it was so much fun!
My Mother would say this a lot, and I thought she was reciting an old rhyme! It was a little different from your version. She may have described the game to us, but I’ve never played it.
I don’t recall ever playing a game remotely like that.
God bless.
RB
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Ken-LOL-no actually Im the number 10 : )
Rebecca-look at the bottom of the email or notice you get for each new post. There will be an unsubscribe link there-I think all you do is click it and then you’re unsubscribed. Safe travels!!
Oh yes, I remember playing this game. We called it Pretty Girl Station and said whats your occupation. Barbara Gantt
Tipper,
In the above picture, ain’t the
pretty little girl (#4) that’s
standing pigeon toed…You? It’s
nice to reflect back to the days
of our youth, brings back many
memories from an innocent time.
…Ken
Tipper,
I remember playing that game when
I was in grammer or primary school and it was lots of fun. We played
it at Social events too, like at
Church when we had ‘dinner on the
ground’…Kem
Tipper,
Mama and I have been trying to riddle out Bum, Bum, Bum, and Pretty Girl Station for TWO years, and here you are laying it out for us plain as day. I learned it at Berryhill School in first grade (51 yeaa ago) and Mama plalyed it at school up Hanging Dog. Thank you so much for being our own personal Wikipedia. love, Mama Crow
Oh yes, we played this all the time. Except that we answered “What’s your occupation?” with “Any old thing.” I haven’t thought of the game is years and don’t think my own children ever played it.
Nina-after reading your comment-I think those are the things we said too: most any ole thing and well get to work and show us something good : )
I’ve never heard of this game, but it sure does sound like fun!
ooops — that was Pretty Girl Station!!! My keyboard skips things 🙂
we said: “bum, bum, bum where you from.” “Pretty Station” “What’s your trade?” “Sweet Lemonade” “Then go to work and show your motion.”
Tipper,
I love reading your blog everyday. I played Bum, Bum, Bum in Hickory. However, I need to unsubscribe to your blog while I am traveling. I can’t find an unsubscribe link. Can you help me? I plan on resubscribing when I return.
Thanks, Rebecca Brooks
Tipper,
I have done some pondering and a little backards thunking on this one. I cannot ever remember playing this game. Only charades!
I wonder if it was particular to the area, started by a teacher.
When you started the paragraph with the comment about Pretty Girl Station, my mind went directly to my nieces long ago Barbie doll head and the pink hair makeup station. It had a mirrow, a dryer, curling iron, big rollers, makeup colors, etc. I guess could be a learning tool, to pretty up different hair styles, make-up that could be wiped off..etc.
Thanks Tipper, I would love to see a picture of your Crissy!
I am hoping to find one (cheap) one day at a yard sale. Why, I don’t know..I’m mostly out of the antigue business, I’m too old for dolls, my Granddaughters are getting to old for dolls…I think it is just the thrill of the hunt!
No, I never played nor have I heard about this game. It sounds rather interesting, almost like Charades.
We knew the game as Bum, Bum, Bum at Black Mountain Primary. I had forgotten it until reading your words. Mrs. Whitaker, beloved teacher, introduced the game to my first grade class. Despite its reference to pretty girl station, the game appealed to girls and boys alike. Mrs. Whitaker taught so much more than reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic. She inspired students to a life of sharing, kindness, and love for others. Our town lost her last year, but her memory lives on in the lives she touched.
We called it Bum, Bum, Bum , too. These memories almost makes you wish you were a kid again, ha. However , we didn’t say “from Washington.” When asked “what’s your occupation” the answer was ” most any ole thing”, then the other side would say ” Well, get to work and show us something. Good Memories and those games didn’t cost anything. Thanks, Tipper.
Even your big brother, Steve played Bum, Bum, Bum with us at Martins Creek. I say Bum Bum Bum at least once a week as I go down the hall to my daughter’s room. Another favorite that we played was Red Rover.
We called it Bum Bum Bum. When we got to the part about where we were from the boys said Pretty Boy Station. I would hesitate to describe myself thusly in this day and time.
Not all the bums left Washington. In fact there is more than a plenty left there. They are as prolific as bunnies in a briar patch.
This is a new one to me, but it sounds like so much fun~!