The players stand in a ring, clasping hands. For the first two lines of the chorus,--
Here we dance, looby, looby, looby, Here we dance, looby, looby, light,
the players sway from one foot to the other, throwing the free foot across the other in sort of a balance movement in rhythm to the music. On the last two lines of this verse,--
Here we dance, looby, looby, looby, loo, Every Saturday night,
the circle gallops halfway around to the left for the first line, and reverses the action, returning to place on the last line.
For the alternate verses which describe action the movements are suited to the words; for instance, when the left hand is called for, the players lean far forward and stretch the left hand into the ring while singing the first line, turn around, and stretch the left hand outward for the second line, shake the hand hard on the third line, and on the last line jump or spin completely around.
This is a very ancient game, supposed to have originated in a choral dance, probably in celebration of the rites of some deity, in which animal postures were assumed or animal rites were an object. Later, it was an old court dance, stately and decorous as the minuet.
The players stand in a circle, with one or more in the center. The circle dances around and sings the first two lines of the following verse. They then stand still while the player or players in the center choose each a partner who enters the circle with him; they clasp hands and dance around, singing the last two lines:--
Oh, have you seen the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man? Oh, have you seen the muffin man that lives in Drury Lane, O! Oh, yes, I've seen the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man, Oh, yes, I've seen the muffin man that lives in Drury Lane, O!
Oh, have you seen the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man? Oh, have you seen the muffin man that lives in Drury Lane, O!
Oh, yes, I've seen the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man, Oh, yes, I've seen the muffin man that lives in Drury Lane, O! ]
Miss Newton has a very good adaptation of this game for the schoolroom or parlor, in which four or five players stand in corners. Each of these chooses a partner at the end of the second line, and these groups of two dance in a circle.