Sitsiritsit, also known as Sitsiritsit Alibangbang, is a Filipino folk song. This humorous song describes a flirtatious woman threatening a storeowner that the ants are going to get him if he is not going to extend credit, as well as unusual situations of exchanging a child for a doll or bagoong. It is said to have originated during the country's Spanish colonization, as its lyrics suggest the ordinary life during that time. The melody of the song is similar to Fly, Fly the Butterfly, another Filipino folk song but in the English language.
Lyrics
Sitsiritsit, alibangbang
Salaginto't salagubang. Ang babae sa lansangan Kung gumiri'y parang tandang.
Santo Niño sa Pandacan
Puto seco sa tindahan
Kung ayaw kang magpautang
Uubusin ka ng langgam.
Mama, mama namamangka
Pasakayin yaring bata
Pagdating sa Maynila
Ipagpalit ng manika
Ale, aleng namamayong, Pasukubin yaring sanggol Pagdating sa Malabon, Ipagpalit ng Bagoong.
English translation
Cicada, Butterfly
Jewelled beetle, Rhinoceros beetle
The woman on the street, Struts her hips like a rooster.
Holy Child of Pandacan, Rice cookies at the store. If you do not extend credit, The ants will eat you up.
Mister, Mister, rowing a boat, Kindly take this here child for a ride Once you reach Manila, Exchange it for a doll.
Miss, Miss, holding an umbrella, Kindly take this here baby. Once you reach Malabón, Exchange it for shrimp paste.
Popular culture
In the children's program Batibot, there are two alien puppets named Sitsiritsit and Alibangbang who love discovering new things, places, and people around them. In the 1920s, a jazzy version performed with a raspy voice by Vicente Ocampo was popularized on the Manila bodabil circuit.