We Just Came From the U.S.A.

Published by Toronto Mike on November 10, 2008 @ 19:12 in Memories, Music

usaI've been seeing ads lately for Burton Cummings' new album, Above the Ground. The featured song is entitled "We Just Came From the U.S.A." and it's super catchy. It ought to be catchy as it's chorus is an old school yard chant I remember well.

My first three years of school were spent at St. Cecelia's on Annette Street and in the yard during lunch and recess it was fairly common to see a group of kids holding hands and repeating the following chant over and over and over again.

Hey hey, get out of our way,
We just came from the U.S.A.

When I changed schools after grade one, I never heard that chant again, so I've always assumed it was exclusive to St. Cecelia's in the late 70s. Then, when I heard Burton Cummings singing the same song, I realized it had reached all the way to Winnipeg.

Does anyone else remember this old schoolyard chant? What's the origin?

For more playground nostalgia, visit Games We Played in the Schoolyard.

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10 Responses to "We Just Came From the U.S.A."

Jill
November 10, 2008 / 21:28

He still sounds strong. I don't know about the origin of the phrase but I really like the tune. I am looking forward to hearing more from the album.

Stephanie
November 11, 2008 / 10:03

It was pretty popular at Clark Blvd Public School in Bramalea in the mid 70's.

Boys vs Girls.

Girls always won.

Alison
November 11, 2008 / 23:07

We had it goin' on at Gulleden PS in Mississauga in the early 70's too...I wonder how many things we played/sang/did in school were thought to be "original" that actually went on everywhere?

Toronto Mike
November 12, 2008 / 10:47

Dan just wrote me a note to tell me this chant appeared in Trooper's "American Dream", which was released in 1991.

So there's no telling how widespread this was. I'd love to know where it came from.

Ann
June 16, 2010 / 19:21

In Wisconsin the schoolyard chant included students walking in a line, with arms wrapped around each others back, while reciting the chant. When the line would reach you, you had two choices get out of the way,and chance being trampled on, or join in on the prosession. The choice was up to you. I did this thirty years ago and my nephews and nieces do it today.

Jane
June 16, 2010 / 20:59

This old school yard song makes me think about soldiers returning from war. Specifically, WWII. Very patriotic.

Ollie
June 16, 2010 / 21:28

I do recall the song. Never really cared much for it.

Art
June 16, 2010 / 21:30

Jane you seem like a patrotic Lass. I'm a vet.

Annelise
July 18, 2011 / 04:42

What Anne said - Oakland, California - 1965-68 - Line as wide as the playground marching across chanting - "Hey Hey get out of my way, just got back from(sic) the USA. If you don't get out of my way I'll kick you out of the way." - I never heard it anywhere else, and I suspected it came from the kids from the Navy base who went to our school, since we were IN the US and the chant was FROM the US.

T
November 2, 2011 / 14:18

I heard it in the early 90's at my elementary school playground, in Tampico, Mexico (yeah). Girls would march around the yard in groups of 5-7 with arms around each other repeating the chant. Never knew where they got it from

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