Song
cupboard B
Bam
chi, chi, bam
Bananas
in pyjamas
Be
happy, be happy today!
Beauty
around us
Big
Rock Candy Mountain
Big
black crow
Bill
Grogan’s goat
Billy
Boy
Billy
McGee McGaw
Blow
away the morning dew
Blow
the wind southerly
Blue
skies
Boatman
dance, boatman sing
Bobby
Shaftoe
Bought
me a cat
Bring
a little water Sylvie
Brush,
brush, brush
By
the light of the silvery moon
Bye,
bye blackbird
Last updated: 7/10/2023
10:15 AM
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’ Round and about
compiled,
adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
Return to the ‘Singing games for
children’ home
To
listen to music from these songs click on O or 🔊
To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:
© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved
You
are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the
following conditions:
·
you must give the original author credit
·
you may not use this work for commercial purposes
·
for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the
licence terms of this work
·
any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder
Your
fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.
|
Bam chi, chi, bam 🔊
A song I sang in the 1960s with children whose parents were recent
immigrants, mostly from Jamaica. Handsworth, Birmingham at this time was a
wonderful place to teach and parents including those from the Punjab enjoyed
concerts with songs from their part of the world. This one was based on a traditional song, adapted by Massie Patterson
and Sammy Heyward – and then adapted again in the classroom! |
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Bam chi, chi, bam, they
sing a this song, Bam chi, chi, bam, sing all
the night long. Bam chi, chi, bam, then
just before day, Bam chi, chi, bam, they
fly away. All the chi chi birds they
sing ‘til dawn, When the daylight comes
all the birds are gone, Chi, chi, chi, chi, chi,
chi,what a pretty song That is what them birds
are singing all day long. |
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Bananas in pyjamas O
Words and music by Carey Blyton (nephew of Enid Blyton) in 1967.This
crazy song became a regular favourite on Australia’s Playschool. Find out
more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bananas_in_Pyjamas, http://www.careyblyton.com/??=Bananas For more fun add other fruit and veggie verses. |
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Bananas, in pyjamas, Are coming down the
stairs; Bananas, in pyjamas, Are coming down in pairs; Bananas, in pyjamas, Are chasing teddy bears - 'Cos on Tuesdays They all try to CATCH them unawares! Zucchinis in bikinis… are
sliding… Green beans in blue jeans…
are running… Potatoes in their
jackets... are hopping…. |
|
Be happy, be happy today! 🔊
A song written in 1935 and
published in ‘The nursery song and picture book published in 1947. Words and
music by Miriam Drury. The seasonal lines below were written by Dany
Rosevear. Some might prefer the simple original verse: I saw a
bird in the top of a tree, This is
the song he was singing to me, “God
loves us all in a wonderful way, Be
happy, be happy today.” |
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I saw a bird in the top of
a tree, This is the song it was
singing to me, “The world is awake and
the sun’s out to play: Be happy, be happy today, Be happy, be happy today!” I saw a bird in the top of
a tree, This is the song it was
singing to me, “Lovely Autumn has come,
watch the leaves fly away: Be happy, be happy today… I saw a bird in the top of
a tree, This is the song it was
singing to me, “The snow fell all night,
soft and white as it lay, Be happy, be happy today… I saw a bird in the top of
a tree, This is the song it was
singing to me, “Now Springtime has come,
all the flowers smile and say: Be happy, be happy today… |
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Beauty around us 🔊
An appreciation of our brief passage through life. Translated from Danish by SD Redholm this a very old song set to
Silesian folk tune. It is also called the Crusader’s hymn. |
|
Glory above us, Lovely is earth and the smiling skies; Singing we pass along, Pilgrims upon our way Thro’ these fair lands of paradise. Ages are coming, Roll on and vanish, Children shall follow where fathers passed; Never our pilgrim song, Joyful and heaven born, Shall cease while time and mountains last. |
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Big black crow 🔊
A bird with a wonderfully raucous sound. Next door’s grandkids have been visiting and helped their grandpa make
two large disconcerting scarecrows down the lane to protect his crops. In our
urban area we tend to have more magpies than crows and around here and the
crows are more likely to take an interest in food waste left out on the
pavement by students on collection days; as are are a multitude of seagulls!! Words and music by Nancy Stewart; you can find more about Nancy
Stewart’s amazing talents here: Children's
Music Concerts, Recordings, and Free Songs by Nancy Stewart - Seattle
Washington (nancymusic.com). Accompany this song with a instrument such as the guiro to produce a
ratchet sound. Open and close your hand beak when singing in rhythm with the
music. Flap your elbow wings to each ‘Caw!’ |
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Big black crow, sittin’ in
a tree, What are you squawkin’
‘bout, won’t you tell me? “Caw, caw, caw!” Every day it’s the same
old song Are you hoping I can sing
along with you? “Caw, caw, caw!” Way up high in the old oak
tree, Your shiny black feathers
are clear to see; You’re bigger and louder
than all the rest, You must think you’re the
very best. Big black crow, you’re a
noisy bird, You sing the loudest song
that I ever heard, “Caw, caw, caw!” Listen to you “Caw, caw, caw!” You’re a noisy bird, “Caw, caw, caw!” |
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Bill Grogan’s goat 🔊
A comic echo song. It was a popular Burl Ives song and possibly originated from Ireland
as ‘O’Grady’s goat’ https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=53457 . |
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There was a man There was a man Now please take note Now please take note There was a man There was a man Who had a goat. Who had a goat. He loved that goat He loved that goat Indeed he did Indeed he did He loved that goat He loved that goat Just like a kid. Just like a kid. One day that goat One day that goat Felt frisk and fine Felt frisk and fine Ate three red shirts Ate three red shirts Right off the line. Right off the line. The man, he grabbed The man, he grabbed Him by the back Him by the back And tied him to And tied him to A railroad track. A railroad track Now, when that train Now, when that train Hove into sight Hove into sight That goat grew pale That goat grew pale And green with fright. And green with fright. He heaved a sigh He heaved a sigh As if in pain As if in pain Coughed up those shirts Coughed up those shirts And flagged the train! And flagged the train! |
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Big Rock Candy Mountain O
This song was written by the hobo singer Henry ‘Mac’ McClintock to
warn off young folk seduced by the supposed nirvana of the wandering life. The version below has a lighter tone describing a land of milk and
honey to feed younger more innocent imaginations before they need get to
grips with the difficult life of a hobo. |
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In the Big Rock Candy
Mountain, There's a land that's fair
and bright, Where the handouts grow on
bushes, And you sleep out ev'ry
night, Where the boxcars are all
empty, And the sun shines ev'ry
day, Oh I’m bound to go, where
there ain't no snow, Where the rain don't fall
and the winds don't blow, In the Big Rock Candy
Mountain. Oh, the buzzin’ of the
bees in the peppermint trees, ‘Round the soda water
fountain, Near the lemonade springs
where the bluebird sings, In the Big Rock Candy
Mountain. In the Big Rock Candy
Mountain, All the frogs have wooden
legs, The bulldogs all have
rubber teeth, And the hens lay
soft-boiled eggs. The farmer's trees are
full of fruit, And the barns are full of
hay. Oh I’m bound to go, where
there ain't no snow, Where the rain don't fall
and the winds don't blow, In the Big Rock Candy
Mountain. In the Big Rock Candy
Mountain, You never change your
socks, And little streams of
lemonade, Come a-tricklin' down the
rocks. The hobos there are
friendly, And their fires all burn
bright, There's a lake of stew and
ginger ale too, You can paddle all around
it in a big canoe, In the Big Rock Candy
Mountain. |
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Billy
Boy O
I have had fun trying to recall
this song I sang at a Norfolk school in the 1950s not so successfully. This
is more or less as I remember it and put together with a little help from the
internet! It has a Roud number 326. |
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Where have you been all the day, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Where have you been all the day, charming Billy? I have been to seek a wife, she’s the idol of my life, She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother. Did she ask you to come in, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Did she ask you to
come in, charming Billy? Yes, she asked me to come in, there's a dimple on her chin. She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother. Can she make a cherry pie… She can make a cherry pie in the twinkling of an eye… Can she sew and can she spin… She can sew and she can spin, she can do most anything… Can she make a feather bed… She can make a feather bed with the feet up at the head… How old is she, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? How old is she, charming Billy? Three times six and four times seven, Twenty-eight and eleven, She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother. |
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Billy McGee McGaw 🔊
Based on the melancholy
Child ballad #26 ‘The three ravens’ this song crossed the Atlantic and
changed into a ‘raucous, cynical, rollicking song’ popular in 19th
century music halls.There are many different versions and names of this song
– mostly sung to ‘When Johnny comes marching home’ itself an Irish ballad. 1. Put up three fingers to a hand tree each time a number is sung and
flap first hands then elbows for each ‘Caw!’’2. Open and and close thumb and
finger for beak of pigeon, feed self for possum, touch toes for porcupine. |
There were three crows sat
on a tree,
Billy McGee McGaw!
There were three crows sat
on a tree,
Billy McGee McGaw!
There were three crows sat
on a tree,
And they were black as crows
could be.
Chorus: And they all flapped
their wings and cried,
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
Billy McGee McGaw!
And they all flapped their
wings and cried,
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
Billy McGee McGaw!
They planned to eat by the
side of the road,
Billy McGee McGaw!
They planned to eat by the
side of the road,
Billy McGee McGaw!
They planned to eat by the
side of the road:
Pigeons and possums and
porcupine toes!
Chorus: And they all flapped
their wings and cried,
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
Billy McGee McGaw!
And they all flapped their
wings and cried,
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
Billy McGee McGaw!
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Blow away the morning dew 🔊
From "English Folk-Songs for Schools," collected and edited
by S. Baring Gould and Cecil J. Sharp, published by J. Curwen & Sons,
London. I found it in ‘The Oxford Nursery Song book’ with only three verses
more suited to younger children. You can find further verses at https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=64609
though here ‘collected’ is disputed as the words are considered bland
compared with the more racy Child 112 version! Not surprising in a school
collection! |
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Upon the sweetest summer
time, In the middle of the morn, A pretty damsel I espied, The fairest ever born. Chorus: And sing, blow away the
morning dew, The dew, and the dew. Blow away the morning dew, How sweet the winds do
blow. She gathered to her lovely
flowers, And spent her time in
sport; As if in pretty Cupid's
bowers, She daily did resort. The yellow cowslip by the
brim, The daffodil as well, The timid primrose, pale
and trim, The pretty snowdrop bell. She's gone with all those
flowers sweet, Of white, of red, of blue, And unto me about my feet Is only left the rue. |
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Blow the wind southerly 🔊
A gentle nostalgic song of the sea, A traditional English folk song
from Northumberland, originally a pipe/ fiddle tune. Find out more: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=49498
and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blow_the_Wind_Southerly
|
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Blow the wind southerly,
southerly, southerly, Blow the wind south o'er
the bonny blue sea; Blow the wind southerly,
southerly, southerly, Blow bonny breeze my true
love to me. They told me last night there
were ships in the offing, And I hurried down to the
deep, rolling sea; But my eye could not see
it, wherever might be it, The barque that is bearing
my true love to me. Blow the wind southerly,
southerly, southerly, Blow the wind south o'er
the bonny blue sea. Blow the wind southerly,
southerly, southerly, Blow bonny breeze my true
love to me. I stood by the lighthouse
the last time we parted, Till darkness came down
o'er the deep rolling sea; And I no longer saw the
bright barque of my true love. Blow, bonny breeze and
bring him to me. |
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Blue skies 🔊
A
song of good cheer. Another bit of nostalgia from my younger days. Blue Skies was written by Irving Berlin in 1926 and has been popular
ever since. |
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Blue skies smiling at me. Nothing but blue skies do
I see. Bluebirds singing a song; Nothing but bluebirds all
day long. Never saw the sun shining
so bright. Never saw things going so
right. Noticing the days hurrying
by; When you're in love my how
they fly. Blue days all of them
gone. Nothing but blue skies
from now on. Hum / whistle Blue skies smiling at me. Nothing but blue skies do
I see. Blue days all of them
gone; Nothing but blue skies
from now on. X2 |
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Boatman dance, boatman sing 🔊
This stevedore river song was written in the early 1800s by Daniel
Decatur Emmett and in the folk tradition it has spawned many versions
including banjo and other instrumentals such as a lovely one by Elizabeth
Cotten. I was probably most influenced by Stephen Griffith who’s great folk
collection can be found at: http://www.stephengriffith.com/folksongindex/boatman-dance/. |
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Boatman dance, boatman
sing, Boatman do most any old
thing. Boatman sing, boatman
play, Boatman dance your life
away. Dance boatman dance, Dance boatman dance. Dance all night ‘til the
broad daylight, Go home with the gals in
the morning. Hey-ho, the boatman row, Up and down the river on
the Ohio. Hey- ho, the boatman row, Up and down the river on
the Ohio. Now when that boatman
blows his horn, Look out farmer, your
rooster's gone. He stole my sheep and he
stole my goat, Put 'em in a bag and went
to the boat. Four and twenty boatman in
a flock, Sitting by the seaside
picking on a rock. Picking on a rock, picking
on a fiddle, Picking at a catfish,
bones in the middle. Waterways, rivers, canals
and streams, We gotta work to make them
clean. We work all day out on the
bay, Then we dance the night
away. |
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A song with a delightfully jolly and bouncy tune, Bobby Shaftoe was a
handsome fellow who broke the heart of a lady. He was also a parliamentarian
from County Durham. Find out more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Shafto's_Gone_to_Sea
Bobby Shaftoe's gone to sea, Silver buckles on his knee; He'll come back and marry me, Bonny Bobby Shaftoe! Bobby Shaftoe's bright and fair, Combing down his yellow hair; He’s my ain for evermair, Bonny Bobby Shaftoe! Bobby Shafto's getten a bairn, For to dangle on his arm; In his arm and on his knee, Bobby Shafto loves me.[ Bobby Shaftoe's been to sea, Silver buckles on his knee; He's come back to marry me, Bonny Bobby Shaftoe! |
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A classic American children’s folk song. Use puppets to help children remember the order of each farm animal.
For even more fun allocate animal masks, they can make their own, to a group
of children who stand up from squatting each time their animal is named.
Bought me a cat, the cat pleased me, Fed my cat under yonder tree. Cat went fiddle-i-fee, fiddle-i-fee. Bought me a hen, the hen pleased me, Fed my hen under yonder tree. Hen went chipsy-chopsy, Cat went fiddle-i-fee, fiddle-i-fee. Bought me a duck, the duck pleased me, Fed my duck under yonder tree. Duck went slishy, sloshy, Hen went chipsy-chopsy, Cat went fiddle-i-fee, fiddle-i-fee. Bought me a goose, the goose pleased me, Fed my goose under yonder tree. Goose went quaa, Duck went slishy, sloshy, Hen went chipsy-chopsy, Cat went fiddle-i-fee, fiddle-i-fee. Bought me a sheep... Sheep went baa... Bought me a cow... Cow went moo... Bought me a horse ... Horse went neigh... Bought me a baby... Baby went whaa.. Bought me a wife... Wife went honey, honey ... |
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Bring a little water Sylvie 🔊
From holler to song, from the singing of Huddie Ledbetter ‘Leadbelly’.
You can find a great story about its origins here: https://www.debisimons.com/bring-me-a-little-water-sylvie/ Arranged by Dany Rosevear. |
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“Bring a little water,
Sylvie, Bring a little water now. Bring a little water,
Sylvie, Every little once in a
while.” “Bring it in a bucket,
Sylvie, Bring it in a bucket now. Bring it in a bucket,
Sylvie, Every little once in a
while.” Sylvie come a runnin’, Bucket in her hand. “I will bring you water, Fast as I can.” “Don’t you see me comin’, Don’t you see me now. Don’t you see me comin’, Fast as I can.” |
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Brush, brush, brush 🔊
From BBCTV’s Playschool, written by Peter Gosling. Listen to the
original here: Pretend to have a toothbrush
and clean your teeth in time to the music. |
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Up and down with your… Brush, brush, brush You mustn’t rush, rush,
rush, When you clean your teeth
in the morning. Use plenty of paste,
paste, paste For the peppermint taste,
taste, taste, When you clean your teeth
in the morning. You can munch, munch,
munch On your lunch, lunch,
lunch, You can crunch, crunch,
crunch all day long, You can bite, bite, bite
with all your might, might, might, It’s all right, right,
right our teeth are strong. Up and down with your… Brush, brush, brush You mustn’t rush, rush,
rush, When you clean your teeth
in the morning, And last thing at night, In the morning, and last
thing at night, In the morning, and last
thing at night, alright! |
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By the light of the silvery moon 🔊
Words by Ed Madden and music by Gus Edwards. It was first published in
1909. The version below is a shortened one, very similar to the one our
family listened to on the radio when I was young in the 1950s, sung by Burl
Ives. Find out more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_the_Light_of_the_Silvery_Moon_(song) |
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By the light of the
silvery moon, I want to spoon, To my honey I'll croon
love's tune. Honeymoon keep a shining
in June; Your silv’ry beams will
bring love dreams, we'll be cuddling soon, By the silvery moon. By the light, of the
silvery moon, I want to spoon, To my honey I'll croon
love's tune. Honeymoon, sweet honeymoon, keep a shining in
June, keep a shining in June, Your silv’ry beams will
bring love dreams, we'll be cuddling soon, By the silvery moon. The sil’vry moon. |
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Bye bye blackbird 🔊
A song from my childhood; my mother would have played this on her much
loved record player but I can only remember us all singing the chorus. Written by Mort Dixon and Ray Henderson. |
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Blackbird, blackbird,
singing the blues all day, Right outside of my door. Blackbird, blackbird, why
do you sit and say, “There's no sunshine in
store.” All thru the winter you
hung around, Now I begin to feel
homeward bound. Blackbird, blackbird,
gotta be on my way, Where there's sunshine
galore. Chorus: Pack up all my cares and
woe, Here I go, singing low, Bye bye blackbird, Where somebody waits for
me, Sugar's sweet, so is she, Bye bye blackbird. No one here can love and
understand me, Oh, what hard luck stories
they all hand me, Make my bed and light the
light, I'll arrive late tonight, Blackbird, bye bye. Bluebird, bluebird,
calling me far away, I've been longing for you. Bluebird, bluebird, what
do I hear you say, Skies are turning to blue. I'm like a flower that's
fading here, Where ev'ry hour is one
long tear, Bluebird, bluebird, this
is my lucky day, Now my dreams will come
true. Chorus |
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