Ag Pleez Deddy
Ag Pleez Deddy (also known as The Ballad of the Southern Suburbs) is a classic South African song written, 1961, and recorded by Jeremy Taylor(Gallo, SA). It was penned in the vernacular of English-speaking South Africans with smatterings of Afrikaans. The song's language was that of Jeremy's students where he taught Latin in the southern suburbs of Johannesburg. On the surface a children's song, it became broadly popular. It is full of references to places, brands, and entertainment popular among working-class white South Africans. The single sold more copies in South Africa than any single by Elvis Presley.
In the first four verses, a boy asks his father to take him and his numerous friends (or is it siblings?) to the drive-in theatre, fun fair, wrestling, and finally to the distant beach in Durban, with a chorus chanting: "Popcorn, chewing gum, peanuts and bubblegum". The father remains silent until the abortive fifth verse, when he shouts "voetsek!" When the song resumes, the boy complains that since his father won't take him out for amusements he will have to entertain himself by beating up the boys (moer all the outjies)next door.
For corroboration see: New York Times, July, 22, 1962 "Folk Song a hit in South Africa" pg. 56.
"Ag Pleez Deddy!, Songs and Reflections" by Jeremy Taylor, 1992. Published by Jeremy Taylor Publishing, Pretoria, SA.
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