Song cupboard F-G

Father Grumble

Farmer Brown’s cow

Ferry boat

Fiddle-dee-dee

Five times five

Follow the drinking gourd

Four strong winds

Fox went out on a chilly night

Free little bird

Freight train, freight train

Frog went a-courting

Garden song, The / Inch by inch, row by row

Get away / To market, to market

Go round, go round

Go tell Aunt Rhody

Going down the valley

Good, better, best

Good manners

Good morning, lords and ladies

Good morning merry sunshine

“Good morning!” said the shining sun

Good peanuts

Granny will your dog bite?

Green corn, green corn

Grasshoppers three

Ground hog

For Song cupboard H

Last updated: 4/3/2023 9:37 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 🔊

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

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.

Father Grumble O

A classic folk song where household and farmyard tasks are less valued than those that require brute strength.

There was an old man who lived in the woods,

As you can plainly see,

Who said he could do more work in a day

Than his wife could do in three.

"If that be so," the old woman said,

"Why this you must allow,

That you shall do my work for a day

While I go follow the plough.”

"But you must milk the teeny cow

For fear she should go dry,

And you must feed the three little pigs

That lay in yonder sty.

And you must watch the speckled hen

For fear she’ll go astray,

And you must wind the bobbin of yarn

That I spun yesterday."

The old woman took the staff in her hand

To go and follow the plough.

The old man took the pail in his hand

And went to milk Teeny the cow.

But Teeny hinched and Teeny flinched

And Teeny wrinkled her nose,

And Teeny gave the old man such a kick

That the blood ran down to his toes.

"It's here, my good cow, and ho, my good cow,

And now, my good cow, stand still!

If ever I milk this cow again,

'Twill be against my will!

He went to feed the three little pigs

That lay in yonder sty,

The old sow ran up against his legs

And knocked him ten feet high.

He went to mind the speckled hen

For fear she’d gone astray,

He forgot to wind the bobbin of yarn

His wife spun yesterday.

He swore by the sun, he swore by the stars,

And the green leaves on the tree,

That his wife could do more work in a day

Than he could do in three!

And when the sun was going down

And set the trees a-glowing,

His wife and horses hove in sight –

They’d finished all the ploughing!

Farmer Brown’s cow O

This Belgian folk song could support a discussion about healthy eating.

There are a lot more verses to be found online or you could make up your own.

This could also be played as a circle game standing next to a partner. Bend knees up and down for each of the verses; then link arms with partner and skip round first one way and then the other.

Old Farmer Brown he had a cow, had a cow, had a cow,

But she got sick, I don't know how.

All she said was Moo-oo.

Chorus:

Hey, hey, hey! Wouldn't you say,

That would make it go away?

Hey, hey, hey! Wouldn't you say,

That's all for today. HEY!

Her friend, the pig brought chocolate cake, chocolate cake, chocolate cake,

To see if that would help her ache.

But all she said was “Moo!”

The little duck brought gingerbread, gingerbread, gingerbread,

To see if that would clear her head.

But all she said was “Moo!”

The farmer's dog brought cherry tart, cherry tart, cherry tart,

To ease the pain above her heart.

But all she said was “Moo!”

The old black sheep brought ham and eggs, ham and eggs, ham and eggs,

To help her stand upon her legs.

But all she said was “Moo!”

The farmer brought a load of grain, load of grain, load of grain,

And then she didn't have a pain.

All she said was “Moo!”

Now you may want to sing some more, sing some more, sing some more,

But now her throat is feeling sore

Cause all she said was “Moo!”

Ferry boat 🔊

A traditional American song from Deanna Hoermann and Doreen Bridges‘Catch a song’ published 1988. Use percussion, voice or instruments, for the ‘Toot, Toots!’ and have different groups doing the question and answer sections.

This could also be played as a line game, holding on to the one in front with noisy ‘Toot, toots!’ as the ‘boat’ moves round the room.

Here she comes round the bend,

Toot, Toot! Toot, Toot!

Here she comes round the bend,

Toot, Toot! Toot, Toot!

”Where's she been?" "I don't know."

"Where's she been?" "I don't know."

Toot, Toot! Toot,Toot!

Fiddle-de-dee O

Once familiar as ‘The fly has married the humble bee’; this version is from New England. Crane’s ‘Baby’s Bouquet’ 1897 had a similar version.

The Opie’s suggest that the ‘The cat came a fiddling out of the barn’ and this song were once sung together.

Fiddle-de-dee, Fiddle-de-dee,

The Fly has married the Bumble Bee,

Says the Fly, says he, "Will you marry me?

And live with me, sweet Bumble Bee?"

Fiddle-de-dee, Fiddle-de-dee,

The Fly has married the Bumble Bee.

Fiddle-de-dee, Fiddle-de-dee,

The Fly has married the Bumble Bee,

Says the Bee, says she, "I'll live under your wing,

And you'll never know I carry a sting."

Fiddle-de-dee, Fiddle-de-dee,

The Fly has married the Bumble Bee.

Fiddle-de-dee, Fiddle-de-dee,

The Fly has married the Bumble Bee,

So when Parson Beetle had joined the pair,

They both took off to take to the air.

Fiddle-de-dee, Fiddle-de-dee,

The Fly has married the Bumble Bee.

Fiddle-de-dee, Fiddle-de-dee,

The Fly has married the Bumble Bee,

And the bees did buzz and the bells did ring,

Did ever you hear a merrier thing!

Fiddle-de-dee, Fiddle-de-dee,

The Fly has married the Bumble Bee.

Five times five 🔊

This lively play party song appears in Ben Botkin’s ‘Treasury of Western folksongs’. It was collected from the singing of Lannis Sutton of Doxie Oklahoma, in 1951 by Sam Eskin and later transcribed by Ruth Crawford Seeger. I came across in a Sing Out booklet. I presume the dance is a similar one to ‘Weevily wheat’ which sometimes has the same chorus: http://www.singinggamesforchildren.com/A%20Cluster%202.2%20Awaywego/7%20Play%20party%20songs.htm

Chorus:

Five times five is twenty-five,

Five times six is thirty,

Five times seven is thirty five,

Five times eight is forty.

Way down yonder in a maple swamp,

Water's deep and muddy,

There I met a pretty little miss,

There I met my honey. Chorus

Take my little miss by her hand,

Lead her like she’s a pigeon,

Make her dance one more reel,

Scatter her religion. Chorus

Raccoon's out a-chopping wood,

Possum, he's a-hauling,

My old dog is sitting on a log,

Splitting his throat a-squalling. Chorus

Follow the drinking gourd 🔊

An African American folk song first published in 1928; it was thought to have been written to provide a mental map of the Underground Railway set up to help fugitive slaves find their way to the North and freedom.

Find out more about the meaning of this song at both: http://usslave.blogspot.com/2011/10/follow-drinking-gourd.html .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follow_the_Drinkin%27_Gourd

Follow the drinking gourd,

For the old man is a-waitin’ for to carry you to freedom,

If you follow the drinking gourd.

When the sun comes up and the first quail calls,

Follow the drinking gourd,

For the old man is a-waitin’ for to carry you to freedom,

If you follow the drinking gourd.

Now the river bank’ll make a mighty good road,

The dead trees will show you the way;

Left foot, peg foot, travelin’ on,

Follow the drinking gourd.

Now the river ends between two hills,

Follow the drinking gourd.

There's another river on the other side,

Follow the drinking gourd.

Where the great big river meets the little river,

Follow the drinking gourd.

For the old man is awaiting to carry you to freedom

If you follow the drinking gourd.

Four strong winds 🔊

A song that catches the present mood of missing loved ones and of good times lost and the desire to meet up once again. A song I loved to sing when I first had my guitar.

Written by Ian Tyson in 1964.

Chorus:

Four strong winds that blow lonely,

Seven seas that run high,

All those things that don't change, come what may;

For our good times are all gone,

And I'm bound for movin' on,

I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way.

Guess I'll go out to Alberta,

Weather's good there in the fall;

Got some friends that I can go to workin’ for;

Still I wish you'd change your mind,

If I asked you one more time,

But we've been thru that a hundred times before.

Chorus

If I get there ’fore the snow flies,

And if things are goin’ good,

You could meet me if I sent you down the fare,

But by then it would be winter,

Not too much for you to do,

And those winds sure do blow cold way out there.

Chorus

Fox went out on a chilly night O

This is the version as I remember it as a child, either from the classroom or on the radio; memory is a fragile thing!

A fox went out on a chilly night,

Prayed for the moon to give him light,

For he'd many a mile to go that night

Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o,

He'd many a mile to go that night

Before he reached the town-o!

Well, the fox he ran till he came to a pen,

Where the ducks and geese were kept therein,

Saying, “A couple of you will grease my chin

Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o,

A couple of you will grease my chin

Before I leave this town-o.”

He grabbed the grey goose by the neck,

And he threw a duck across his back,

He didn’t mind their quacky quack, quack,

And their legs all a-dangling down-o, down-o, down-o,

He didn’t mind their quacky quack, quack,

And their legs all a-dangling down-o.

Old Mother Slipper Slopper jumped out of bed,

Out of the window she popped her head,

Crying, “John, John, John, the grey goose is gone,

And the fox is off to his den-o, den-o, den-o,

John, John, John, the grey goose is gone,

And the fox is off to his den-o.”

Well, the fox he ran to his cosy den,

There were the little ones, eight, nine, ten,

Saying, “Daddy, daddy, you better go back again,

For it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o

Daddy, daddy, you better go back again,

For it must be a mighty fine town-o.”

The fox and his wife, without any strife,

Cut up the goose with a fork and knife,

They'd never had such a supper in their life

And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o,

They'd never had such a supper in their life

And the little ones chewed on the bones-o.

Free little bird O

I came across this song in ‘American folk songs for children’ by Ruth Crawford Seeger published by Doubleday, 1948.

’Where those bad boys will’ has been changed to ‘Where no-one can’ which is found in other more recent renderings of this song.

I'm as free a little bird as I can be,

I'll build my nest in the sour apple tree,

Where no-one can ever bother me.

Oh, who will shoe your little foot,

And who will glove your little hand,

And who will kiss your sweet rosy cheeks

When I'm gone to that far distant land?

Oh, it's mama will shoe my little foot,

And it's papa will glove my little hand,

And it's you shall kiss my sweet rosy cheeks

When you come from that far distant land.

Take me home, little birdie, take me home,

Take me home by the light of the moon,

With the moon a-shining bright and the stars a-giving light

Take me home to my mama, take me home.

Freight train, freight train 🔊

A version for young children. Adapted by Dany Rosevear.

Make up your own verses for a transport or places topic.

The wonderful original was written by Elizabeth Cotten as a teenager in the early 1900s, find out more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freight_Train_(folk_song). It was a very popular with skiffle groups in the 1950s and right into the 60s when I first started teaching.

Freight train, freight train goin’ so fast,

Please don’t tell what train I’m on,

So they won’t know where I’ve gone.

Rocket, rocket, goin’ so fast,

Take me to the moon and back,

Before they know just where I’ve gone.

Steamboat, steamboat, goin’ so fast,

Take me down to the sea today,

Before they know just where I’ve gone.

Going to London, goin’ so fast,

Please don’t tell what train I’m on,

So they won’t know where I’ve gone.

Frog went a-courting 🔊

Many different versions of this song have been sung and published in America and England since colonial time, indeed every time it is sung it seems to change.

My version is half remembered from children’s radio, BBC School’s ‘Music Time’ plus one or two verses from songs in my book collection.

Historically it is claimed that this song goes back 400 years when a French Duke was depicted as the frog and Queen Elizabeth 1 the mouse. It has been popular in America since colonial times, and it seems to change a little each time a person performs it.

A frog went a-courting and he did ride, A-hum, A-hum.

A frog went a-courting and he did ride,

A sword and a pistol by his side,

A-hum, A-hum.

He rode up to Miss Mousie’s door, A-hum, A-hum.

He rode up to Miss Mousie’s door,

He’d been there many times before,

A-hum, A-hum.

He took Miss Mousie on his knee, A-hum, A-hum.

He took Miss Mousie on his knee,

“Pray, Miss Mouse will you marry me?”

A-hum, A-hum.

Without my Uncle Rat's consent, A-hum, A-hum.

Without my Uncle Rat's consent,

I wouldn't marry the president,

A-hum! A-hum.

Uncle Rat laughed till he shook his fat sides, A-hum, A-hum.

Uncle Rat laughed till he shook his fat sides,

To think his niece would be a bride,

A-hum, A-hum.

Where will the wedding breakfast be? A-hum, A-hum.

Where will the wedding breakfast be?

Way down yonder in the hollow tree,

A-hum, A-hum.

What will the wedding breakfast be? A-hum, A-hum.

What will the wedding breakfast be?

Two green beans and a black-eyed pea,

A-hum, A-hum.

The first to come in was a big black bug, A-hum, A-hum.

The first to come in was a big black bug,

On his back was a cider jug,

A-hum, A-hum.

The next to come was a hoppity flea, A-hum, A-hum.

The next to come was a hoppity flea,

Who danced a jig with the bumble bee,

A-hum, A-hum.

The last to come was Old Tom Cat, A-hum, A-hum.

The last to come was Old Tom Cat,

Who ate Miss Mouse and Uncle Rat,

A-hum, A-hum.

Mr. Frog jumped into the lake, A-hum, A-hum.

Mr. Frog jumped into the lake,

And there was swallowed by a big fat snake,

A-hum, A-hum.

The owls did hoot and the birds they sang, A-hum, A-hum.

The owls did hoot and the birds they sang,

And through the woods the music rang,

A-hum, A-hum.

There's bread and cheese upon the shelf, A-hum, A-hum.

There's bread and cheese upon the shelf,

If you want any more, you can sing it yourself.

A-hum, A-hum.

The garden song / Inch by inch, row by row 🔊

A song for the growing season written by David Mallet. It has been sung by Pete Seeger and John Denver among others.

CHORUS:

Inch by inch, row by row,

Gonna make this garden grow.

All it takes is a rake and a hoe

And a piece of fertile ground.

Inch by inch, row by row,

Someone bless these seeds I sow,

Someone warm them from below,

'Til the rain comes tumbling down.

Pullin' weeds and pickin' stones,

We are made of dreams and bones,

Feel the need to grow my own, for the time is close at hand.

Grain for grain, sun and rain,

We are part of Nature's chain,

Tune my body and my brain to the music from the land. CHORUS

Plant your rows straight and long,

Temper them with prayer and song,

Mother Earth will make you strong, if you give her love and care.

Old crow watching hungrily,

From his perch in yonder tree,

In my garden I'm as free, as that feathered thief up there. CHORUS

Get away / To market, to market 🔊

A silly song for crazy times. A community camp firesong set to a familiar tune. You can find many more daft verses online: http://awe.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=28075&messages=79

To market, to market, went my Uncle Jim,

When somebody threw a tomato at him,

Now tomatoes are soft and don't bruise the skin,

But this one it did, it was wrapped in a tin!

Chorus:

Get away, get away,

It's a mighty fine song so I'll sing it all day,

With a 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,

And a 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,

It's a mighty fine song so I'll sing it again.

Now Mary the milkmaid was milking a cow,

The trouble with Mary she didn't know how!

The farmer came round and he gave her the sack,

So she tipped the cow over and poured the milk back!"

One day in a rest'rant my soup was quite thin,

I noticed a cockroach was swimming therein,

I cried to the waiter, 'What's this I can see?'

And he said 'It looks like the backstroke to me.'

Jonah the Prophet was caught by a Whale,

By whom he was swallowed or so goes the tale.

But then after three days and nights Jonah found

The truth that ‘You can't keep a good fellow down’.

Go round, go round 🔊

A southern spiritual. Can be found in ‘Sing it yourself’ 220 pentatonic American folk songs. Could be played as a simple circle dance.

Go round, go round,

Look at the mornin’ star.

Go round, go round,

Look at the mornin’ star.

Oh let me shine,

Shine like the mornin’ star.

Oh let me shine,

Shine like the mornin’ star.

Go tell Aunt Rhody O

A traditional made well known by Pete Seeger A popular choice in schools in the 1960 and was. Find out more about this sad tale at: http://www.balladofamerica.com/music/indexes/songs/gotellauntrhody/index.htm

Go tell Aunt Rhody,

Go tell Aunt Rhody

The old grey goose is dead.

The one she's been saving,

The one she's been saving

To make a feather bed.

She died in the mill pond,

She died in the mill pond

Standing on her head.

The goslings are crying,

The goslings are crying

Because their mammy's dead.

The old gander’s weeping,

Because his wife is dead.

Go tell Aunt Rhody,

Go tell Aunt Rhody

The old grey goose is dead.

Going down the valley 🔊

A popular song in Scouting derived from a gospel song of the same name.

Sing the first verse loudly getting progressively softer, sing the next verse softly becoming louder each time.

We are going down the valley,

Going down the valley,

Going down the valley one by one, one by one.

We are going down the valley,

Going down the valley,

Going to the setting of the sun.

We are coming up the valley,

Coming up the valley,

Coming up the valley one by one, one by one.

We are coming up the valley,

Coming up the valley,

Coming to the rising of the sun.

Good, better, best 🔊

Never give up! A great rhyme in the minor key for percussion accompiament.

Good, better, best,

Never let it rest,

‘Til your good is better

And your better’s best!

Try, try, try again,

Try, try, try!

Good manners 🔊

Being thoughtful and kind helps you navigate your way through life and these little maxims are a useful aide memoire.

We say, “Thank you,”

We say, “Please,”

We don’t interrupt or tease.

We don’t argue,

We don’t fuss,

We listen when folks talk to us.

We share our toys

And take our turn;

Good manners aren’t so hard to learn.

It’s really easy when you find –

Good manners means just BEING KIND!

Good morning, lords and ladies O

A traditional song for the May Day celebrations.

Mrs Johnstone of Bedfordshire learned this song from her grandmother; it was collected by Fred Hammer and included in a little book of May songs called ‘Garners Gay’ in 1967, published by EFDSS. You can hear Margery Johnstone singing at: https://afolksongaweek.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/week-141-good-morning-lords-and-ladies/ Roud number 305.

Find more at: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=68568

Good morning, lords and ladies,

It is the first of May,

We hope you'll view our garland;

It is so bright and gay.

For it is the first of May,

Oh, it is the first of May,

Remember lords and ladies,

It is the first of May.

We gathered them this morning,

All in the early dew,

And now we bring their beauty

And fragrance all for you.

For it is the first of May,

Oh, it is the first of May,

Remember lords and ladies,

It is the first of May.

The cuckoo comes in April,

It sings its song in May,

In June it changes tune,

In July it flies away.

For it is the first of May,

Oh, it is the first of May,

Remember lords and ladies,

It is the first of May.

And now you've seen our garland,

We must be on our way,

Remember lords and ladies,

It is the first of May.

For it is the first of May,

Oh, it is the first of May,

Remember lords and ladies,

It is the first of May.

Good morning, merry sunshine O

This song was a familiar one with American families at the beginning of the last century. I found three completely different tunes and chose this one for its simplicity, it can be found on children’s records in the 1940s and 50s,. You can hear another tune here.

Find out more about this song at Mudcat: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=35206

Good morning, merry sunshine,

How did you wake so soon?

You've scared the little stars away,

And shone away the moon.

I saw you go to sleep last night,

Before I stopped my play,

How did you get way over here,

So early in the day?

I never go to sleep, dear child,

I just go 'round to see,

The little children of the East,

Who rise to watch for me.

I waken all the birds and bees,

And flowers on my way,

Then last of all, the little child

Who stayed out late to play.

“Good morning!” said the shining sun 🔊

A hymn from Carey Bonner’s classic school’s assembly book ‘Child Songs’ published in 1908. It was popular all through the first half of that century and was still in the music cupboard when I first started teaching in the 1960s.

This version has been very slightly adapted to appeal to a wider audience by Dany Rosevear.

“Good morning!” said the shining sun,

Away in skies so blue,

“Good morning!” said the cheerful birds,

“A happy day to you.”

“Good morning!” said the tiny flow’rs,

“Another day’s begun,”

“Good morning!” all the children say,

“Good morning ev’ryone!”

Good peanuts O

Ad lib with your favourite foods, the naughtier the better!

I knew this song from ‘Sociable songs’ Book 11 by Anne Mendoza OUP 1970. Most of the versions online differ and presumably come from American sources.

Find out more at: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=119800

The man who has plenty of good peanuts

And gives his neighbour none,

He won’t have any of my peanuts

When his peanuts are gone,

He won't have any of my peanuts

When his peanuts are gone.

The man who has plenty of sweet oranges...

The man who has plenty of salt codfish…

Granny will you dog bite? 🔊

A traditional fiddle tune.

Find out more at: https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?42184-Lyric-for-granny-will-your-dog-bite

Granny will your dog bite, cow kick, cat scratch?

Granny will your hen peck, sow root the corn patch?

Granny will your duck quack, old grey goose hiss?

Granny will your dog bite? "No, child, no!"

Open up the gate and walk on through,

Spy an old dog but he won’t bite you.

Granny will your dog bite? "No, child, no!"

Hog bit’er pecker off a long time ago.

Chicken in the bread pan, bread pan, bread pan,

Chicken in the bread pan, scratching out dough.

Rooster in the barnyard, barnyard, barnyard,

Rooster in the barnyard, a-strutting while he crows.

Green corn, green corn 🔊

A nonsense song from ‘Wake up and sing’ by Beatrice Landreck published 1969. Words and music by Huddie Ledbetter, collected and adapted by John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax. Apparently ‘Leadbelly’ sang it differently on occasion.

Green corn, green corn, come along Charlie,

Green corn, green corn, come along Charlie.

All I need to make me happy,

Are two little kids to call me pappy.

One named Sop, and the other named Gravy,

One gonna sop it up, the other save it.

Wake, snake, day's a-breaking,

Peas in the pot and hoe cake's a-baking.

Ground hog O

Or ‘Groundhog”, a wily fellow.

Published first in ’Thirty folk song settings’ with words by J.A. MacGillivray and set to an Appalachian folk tune; the tune was credited to Cecil Sharp’s collection ‘English folk songs from the Southern Appalachians’: The song subsequently appeared in the 1980s on Thames Television’s ‘Seeing and doing’ and in an anthology of the same name.

A ground hog sits by his own front door,

He sniffs the air, then he sniffs some more

Ground Hog!

Along comes a great big snuffling dog… x2

He says “I’ll catch that old ground hog”

Ground Hog!

Into his burrow the ground hog pops… x2

The dog says “I like ground hog chops”

Ground Hog!

The dog digs down with his paws and his snout… x2

He doesn’t know there’s another way out.

Ground Hog!

The ground hog sits by his own back door…x2

He laughs and laughs till his sides are sore.

Ground Hog!

Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home