"A Ram Sam Sam (A rum sum sum)" is a popular children's song and game which originated in Morocco. Play . In certain later recordings, other variants were used like "Aram" instead of "A Ram" and "Zam Zam" instead of "Sam Sam".
Lyrics, movements and meaning
The song's lyrics are usually:
A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam
Guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam
A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam
Guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam
A rafiq, a rafiq
Guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam
A rafiq, a rafiq
Guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam
When not played as a game, this song can also be (and very frequently is) sung as a round.
The game is played by a group of children. The song is sung by the group leader and the participants should perform several actions during certain lyrics, usually:
A ram sam sam - pound fists, right over left, then left over right.
Guli guli - pull hands apart gesturing as if something were gooey
A rafiq - spin index fingers on either side of the head (like someone is crazy), ending with the fingers pointed up.
A version of the song by Liverpool folk group The Spinners, who claimed to have learned the song from an Israeli singer and that the words were in Aramaic, had the following lyrics:
Aram sa-sa, aram sa-sa,
Galli galli galli galli galli galli ram ra-sa. (2x)
Arami, arami,
Galli galli galli galli galli galli ram ra-sa. (2x)
The translation they gave was "Get up on your horse and gallop away". When they performed the song, the group would make it an audience-participation song, splitting the audience into two halves and encouraging them to sing it as a round.
The Spinners included a version of the song on their 1964 album Folk at the Phil, under the title "Aram Sa-sa".
Rolf Harris recorded the song in 1971 for Columbia Records with The Mike Sammes Singers This version contains additional lyrics and distinctive arrangement with backing vocals.
Diskoteka Avariya, a well-known Russian band, used the song in their composition "Modnyi Tanets Aram Zam Zam" (In Russian "Модный танец Арам Зам Зам" English title "A Ram Sam Sam: The Trendy Dance") in 2009.
Donikkl und die Weißwürschtl recorded a German version "Aram Sam Sam" that charted on the German charts in 2009.
Gracey released a Dutch language version in 2011 that reached #75 on the singles charts in the Netherlands.
Lorenz Büffel recorded a version entitled "Aramsamsam" for his double CD Après Ski Hits 2011.
Tom Tom Club used part of the "A Ram Sam Sam" lyrics in their song "Wordy Rappinghood". This song is found on their self-titled debut album from 1981.
Chicks on Speed recorded a cover version of the song "Wordy Rappinghood" on their 2003 album 99 Cents.
Uffie also recorded a cover version of "Wordy Rappinghood" in collaboration with DJ Mehdi.
Parodies and adaptations
The US scout movement adapted the song using new lyrics: A good Cub Scout / A good Cub Scout / A new Tiger Cub and a good Cub Scout...
Fast Food Rockers recorded a version in 2003 under the title "The Fast Food Song" with new lyrics sampling on the refrain and mentioning fast food companies, notably Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's
DJ Ötzi recorded a very similar version in German language titled "Burger Dance" in 2003, mainly being an enumeration of the same fast food companies as that of the Fast Food Rockers. The song samples on the refrain of A Ram Sam Sam and some sections of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" particularly "Glory Glory Hallelujah".
Pizza Hut used it in commercial campaigns with amended lyrics
used it in some parts of their first music video, "Aram Sam Sam" being a comic parody of the song with additional lyrics in German and a symbolic use of English lyrics in "Jump, jump, motherfucker".
