Song
cupboard When-Z
When
I first came to this land
When
I was young I had no sense
When
the train comes along
Where
are you going, little birdie?
Where
did you get that hat?
Who
built the ark?
Who
wants to be an astronaut?
Who wants
to dance with the pretty porcupine
Wild
mountain thyme
Wim
wim wobble-O
Yellow
bird
Yonder
come day
You
are my flower
Last updated: 5/15/2023
10:21 AM
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’
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:
© 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.
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When I first came to this land 🔊 O
This is the version I’ve sung in schools since the 1970s It is easy
for children to pick up as the verses are cumulative.
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When I was young I had no sense 🔊 O
An
Irish jig. The tune can be heard in many other children’s songs from Ireland. |
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When I was young, I had no sense, I bought a fiddle for eighteen pence, The only tune that I could play Was ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’. Chorus So early in the morning, So early in the morning, So early in the morning, Before the break of day. When I was old, I thought me wise, I played my fiddle for the girls and boys, But the only tune I still could play, Was ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’. Chorus |
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When the train comes along 🔊
This spiritual
is in the minor key not as well known as the one found in the pentatonic song
book ‘Just Five’; it is, however, simple and bluesy and can be sung with a
depth of feeling that is appealing and lovely to singg. |
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Refrain: When the train comes along, When the train comes along, I’m gonna meet you at the station, When the train comes along. It may be early, it may be late, But I'll meet you at the station, When the train comes along. It may be a-snowing, it may be cold… It may be morning, it may be night… |
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Where are you going, little birdie? 🔊
A
dialogue song recorded originally by Jean Ritchie who learnt it from a little
girl in the school playground. The tune is ‘Billy boy’. The more religious among you might prefer her ‘Praise the lord’ as an
ending. |
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Oh, where are you going, little bird,
little bird? Oh, where are you going, little birdie? I am going to the woods, I am going to the woods, I am going to the woods, sweet child. Oh, what's in the woods, little bird,
little bird? Oh, what's in the woods, little birdie? There's a tree in the woods, There's a tree in the woods, There's a tree in the woods, sweet child. Oh, what's in the tree, little bird, little
bird? Oh, what's in the tree, little birdie? There's a nest in the tree, There's a nest in the tree, There's a nest in the tree, sweet child. Oh, what's in the nest. little bird. little
bird? Oh, what's in the nest, little birdie? There are five little eggs, There are five little eggs, There are five little eggs, sweet child. Oh, what's in the eggs. little bird, little
bird? Oh, what's in the eggs, little birdie? There are five little birds, There are five little birds. There are five little birds, sweet child. Oh, what do they say, little bird, little
bird? Oh, what do they say, little birdie? They can say, “Peep, peep, peep!” They can say, “Peep, peep, peep!” They can say, “Peep, peep, peep!” sweet
child. |
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Where did you get that hat? 🔊
A
comic music hall song written and performed by Joseph J. Sullivan in 1888. Below you will just find the chorus as sung for the BBC’s Play
School. For the complete song visit: http://monologues.co.uk/musichall/Songs-W/Where-Did-Get-That-Hat.htm. |
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"Where did you get that hat? Where did you get that tile? Isn't it a nobby one, and just the proper
style? I should like to have one Just the same as
that!" Where'er I go they shout, "Hello! Where did you get that hat?" |
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Who built the ark? 🔊 O
Another
telling of the story of Noah and his animals and is from Afro American roots. This version is very similar to the one in Ruth Crawford Seeger's
book "American Folk Songs for Children" published in 1948. |
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Now, didn't old Noah build the Ark? Built it out of hickory bark, He build it long, both wide and tall, Plenty of room for the large and small, He found him an axe and a hammer too, Began to cut and began to hew, And every time that hammer ring, Noah shout and a-Noah sing. Chorus: Who built the ark? Noah! Noah! Who built the ark? Brother Noah built the ark. Now in come the animals two by two, Hippopotamus and kangaroo, Now in come the animals three by three, Two big cats and a bumble bee, In come the animals four by four, Two through the window and two through the
door, In come the animals five by five, Four little sparrows and the redbird’s
wife. Now in come the animals six by six, The elephant laughed at the monkey's
tricks, In come the animals seven by seven, Four from home and the rest from heaven, In come the animals eight by eight, Some were on time and the others were late, Now in come the animals nine by nine, Some was a-'shoutin' and some was a-'cryin'. In come the animals ten by ten, Five black roosters and five black hens. Now Noah says, "Go shut that door; The rain's started droppin' and we can't
take more." |
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Who wants to be an astronaut? 🔊
A
question and answer song for the adventurous. Words
and music by Dany Rosevear. New
verses can easily be added. |
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“Who wants to be an astronaut?” “I do! I do!” I’ll go to the moon in a big balloon, Who wants to come with me?” “I do!” “Who wants to be an astronaut?” “I do! I do!” I’ll go to Mars in an electric car, Who wants to come with me?” “I do!” “Who wants to be an astronaut?” “I do! I do!” I’ll go to the stars and play my guitar, Who wants to come with me?” “I do!” “Who wants to be an astronaut?” “I do! I do!” I’ll go to the sun, eat a currant bun, Who wants to come with me?” “Not me! It’s way too hot!” |
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Who wants to dance with the pretty porcupine? 🔊
This Israeli
song has English words by Margaret Marks and was published by Silver Burdett
Company in ‘Making music your own 2’ 1968. |
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“Oh, who wants to dance with the pretty
porcupine? The pretty porcupine can't dance alone.” “Oh, not I!.” “Neither do I!”. “You're as prickly as a pine cone!”/
cactus! / hairbrush! “Oh, not I!.” “Neither do I!”. “Porcupine, go home!” “If no one will dance with the pretty
porcupine? The pretty porcupine will dance alone. Look at me, dancing with me! I am perfect as a partner! Look at me, dancing with me! You can all go home!” |
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Wild mountain thyme 🔊
A
folk song popular throughout Ireland and Scotland. Find out more at : https://mainlynorfolk.info/nic.jones/songs/wildmountainthyme.html
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Oh, the summer time is comin’, And the trees are sweetly bloomin', And the wild mountain thyme, Grows around the bloomin' heather. Will ye go lassie go? Chorus And we'll all go together, To the wild mountain thyme, All around the bloomin' heather. Will ye go lassie go? I will build my love a bower, By yon clear crystal fountain, And around it I will lay, All the flowers of the mountain. Will ye go lassie go? Chorus If my true love will not go, I will surely find another, Where the wild mountain thyme, Grows around the bloomin' heather. Will ye go lassie go? Chorus |
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(The foolish boy) Find
this version in Traditional Nursery Rhymes by John Graham, it has been
slightly adapted below. You can find many more versions of this song
including the Opie’s ’The ploughboy in luck’ at http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=56919. |
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My father died, I don’t know how, He left me six horses to follow the plough. Chorus With a wim, wim, wobble-O, Strim-strim-strobble-O, Bubble-o, pretty boy, over the brow. I sold the horses and bought me a cow, But how for to milk her I didn't know how. So I sold the cow and bought me a calf, I never made a bargain but I lost the
better half. I sold my calf and bought me a pig, The poor little thing it never grew big. I sold my pig and bought me a hen, To lay me an egg every now and then. I sold that hen and bought me a cat, The pretty little creature by the chimney
corner sat. I sold the cat and bought a mouse, It set fire to its tail and it burnt down
the house. I sold my mouse and bought me a mole, Darned old thing went straight down its
hole! |
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Yellow bird 🔊
Feeling
lonely? Get together and sing. Calypsos
were very popular in the 1960s probably as a result of migration from the
West Indies. I taught at a school in Handsworth, Birmingham where there were
many first generation children of these new arrivals so we often sang many
songs such as these in class. Yellow bird was a English interpretation by Alan and Maralyn Bergman
of a Haitian song ‘Choucoune’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choucoune_(song)
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Yellow bird, up high in banana tree. Yellow bird, you sit all alone like me. Did your lady friend, leave the nest again?
That is very sad, makes me feel so bad, You can fly away, in the sky away, You more lucky than me. I also had a pretty girl, She’s not with me today. They’re all the same, the pretty girls, They leave the nest, then they fly away. Yellow bird, up high in banana tree. Yellow bird, you sit all alone like me. Let her fly away, in the sky away, Picker coming soon, pick from night to
noon, Black and yellow you, like banana too, They might pick you someday. Wish that I was that yellow bird, I'd fly away with you; But I am not that yellow bird, So here I sit, nothin' else to do. Yellow bird Yellow bird Yellow bird, up high in banana tree. Yellow bird, come fly down and sing with
me, Come fly down and sing with me! |
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Yonder come day 🔊
This
song is based on the traditional Georgia Sea Island spiritual. It is more often
than not nowadays set as a choral piece as it would originally have been sung
by church congregations. Find
a fantastic early version here by the Georgia Sea Island Singers. |
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Yonder come day, day is a breakin’, Yonder come day, oh my soul. Yonder come day, day is a breakin’, Sun is a risin’ in my soul. Rise up! Singing! Day is a breakin’, oh, my soul. Rise up! Singing! Sun is a risin’ in my soul. Yonder come day… Trees are green and the air is sweet. The good earth is singin’ underneath my
feet. I’ll point my feet down that freedom line. Walkin’ that road I’m feelin’ fine. Yonder come day, day is a breakin’, Yonder come day, oh my soul. Yonder come day, day is a breakin’, Sun is a risin’ in my soul. Rise up! Singing! Day is a breakin’, oh, my soul. Rise up! Singing! Sun is a risin’ in my soul. Yonder come day… |
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You are my flower 🔊
A song
from the Carter Family collection They found the poem in a pamphlet and
rewrote the words, Maybelle added the tune. |
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The grass is just as green, The sky is just as blue. The day is just as bright, The birds are singing too. You are my flower, That’s blooming in the mountains so free. You are my flower, That’s blooming there for me. The air is just as pure The sunlight just as free And nature seems to say It's all for you and me You are my flower .. . So wear a happy smile, And life will be worthwhile. Forget your tears, But don't forget to smile. You are my flower … When summertime has passed, And snow begins to fall, Just sing this song And say to one and all. You are my flower … |
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