Songs for an Alzheimer's group!

The singers and their carers will have lots of ideas too. A group I helped with always finished with “Show me the way to go home” (normal speed first then speeded up version, sung with everybody up on their feet). It ended the session with a laugh and everybody loved the routine.

First and second world war songs ,were ones my dad who had dementia liked were.
Daisy, daisy give me your answer do.
It's a long way to Tipperary
Keep the home fires burning.
The Lambeth walk
White cliffs of Dover
When I'm cleaning windows
You find a great age range will know these.

Lola
My Sweet Lord
You're so Vain
The Boys are back in Town
Bohemian Rhapsody
Jolene
Midnight Train to Georgia
Maggie May
Life on Mars
Teenage Kicks
Heart of Glass

Or perhaps they aren't his 'cup of tea'
Older residents may like those too

My hubby has young onset dementia. He's still only 60. None of these song hold any special memories for him. My SIL and I play keyboard and sing once a week at the residential home he now lives in. The older residents love it but he always looks like he would like to murder us. He needs someone singing songs from the 70's. (None very easy to sing btw!).

and any other old codgers out there still fans of the Beach Boys??
Yes, I have a CD I play in the car!
'Wouldn't it be nice' to play it all day?

What about My boy Lollipop, my Dad loved that one, and Millie of course.

Any Beatles or Elvis songs would probably be good for people in their 70s.

Plenty of good suggestions, I must admit I'm a great fan of WWI songs, memories of my Granddad who knew all the rude words & to lots of hymns too, I'm only 63 & have a very active brain for now at least . Late 50s/60s & early 70s is my era of music. Lots to choose from.

Motown the Musical hasn't taken off for no reason... and any other old codgers out there still fans of the Beach Boys??

"Show me the way to go home" always gets me!

A windmill in old Amsterdam - by Ronnie Hilton.
Walk tall by val Doonican
Paddy McGinties goat by val Doonican
Donald where’s your troosers !

You'll Never Walk Alone (Carousel and also Gerry and the Pacemakers)

I knew all the words of the songs from South Pacific when I was a teenager!

West Side Story has some great songs. Tonight Tonight; I just met a girl named Maria etc.

Early Beatles

A group I know of often sing "songs from the shows". Such as "The Sound of Music" and "South Pacific". These songs seem to be popular and people know the words, because so many of these songs were played on the radio. Worth a try?

My dad used to sing me music hall songs, and I'm now passing them onto to my DGD. Daisy Daisy, My old man said follow the van etc. Leonard Sachs and The Good Old Days gave these songs a revival when some of us were in our teens and 20s.

I was discussing this very thing with my DGD who works in a care home and is very involved with these activities.
I hoped that they weren't stuck in the WW1 and WW2 rut as my generation simply don't associate with these songs. She reassured me, saying that the Rat Pack is just about right for most . Sinatra and Dean Martin are very popular along with musicals like Oklahoma and South Pacific etc.

I Can See Clearly now, the rain has gone..
Rivers of Babylon,
Supercalifragelisticexpialidocious..
Swing Low Sweet Chariot,
This Little Light of Mine, I'm gonna let it shine...

funny - sorry I wasn't wearing glasses when typing.

I used to have a cd of well loved family hymns that I played for my mum. We would sing along to them. I took it in the car with us too when we went out for drives. Yes we did get some fummy looks when stopped at traffic lights, windows open and singing Jesus loves me this I know.
Thanks kittylester for reminding me of these happy memories of my mum.

High ho! Silver lining, everywhere you go now baby.. I see your sun is shining..

My mother is 97 and doesn’t have Alzheimer’s but she eschews all the social functions in her sheltered housing because she loathes the songs of the thirties and forties. Give her Queen, ABBA , the BeeGees and Barry Manilow. Unless the people in this group are over 85 war time songs will mean little to them.

The 60s were definitely Elvis
Can't help faling in love
Return to Sender

And the Beatles
Yellow Submarine
I want to hold your hand
She loves you
Please Mr Postman
We can work it out
When I'm 64

and Cliff
Bachelor Boy

That's me singing today!

what about some beatles songs

I sing in a singing fir fun group at a local library. For us:

Anything from Oliver, South Pacific, Oklahoma etc goes down very well

Also Cliff, dusty Springfield, Lulu, Joni Mitchell songs seem to work well

And:all around my hat, Do Ray Me, consider yourself, always cheer us all up