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Old childhood songs

(208 Posts)
Foxglove77 Wed 03-Jun-26 19:12:04

I came across an article remembering old songs we used to sing as children. Like Soldier, Soldier (will you marry me?) and What Shall we do with the Drunken Sailor. I was surprised how many of the words came back to me.
Happy memories, my dear Mum used to sing these to me.

Oreo Wed 03-Jun-26 20:46:18

My Nan taught me all the words of the rhyming song Oranges and Lemons but I hated the ending ( here comes a chopper to chop off your head!)

Foxglove77 Wed 03-Jun-26 20:56:39

Lavender Blue Dilly Dilly ...

Grannynannywanny Wed 03-Jun-26 20:57:34

We had an LP by Mitch Miller and his orchestra with lots of sing a long songs. My dad used to play it on the radiogram on a Saturday morning and sing his way through all the songs. I particularly remember My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean as I could never figure out what it was about. I think I was about 10 before I discovered it wasn’t my body lies over the ocean! 😆

I’ve just found it on YouTube.

youtu.be/gCUGhVXUCSg?si=fMOdl9YvwFWK51vg

Grannybags Wed 03-Jun-26 21:12:12

So many memories here!

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 21:17:37

I only lnow a couple of words of fhis song- it was Allira- who remindede of it a while back.
Its a guy singing about hos brother (Silvestre??)
Hes got an arm
What's it like??
Its like a leg!!

Whingey Wed 03-Jun-26 21:24:48

My bonnie lies over the ocean
My bonnie lies over the sea
My daddy lied over my mummy
And that's why they got little me😀

Witzend Wed 03-Jun-26 21:26:56

We sang ‘What shall we do with a drunken sailor?’ last summer at the Festival of Voices (primary school choirs, Gdd1 was a participant) ) at Dorchester Abbey in Oxfordshire. The Abbey was packed, there was a lot of very lusty singing!

Witzend Wed 03-Jun-26 21:30:10

Who remembers Nellie the Elephant? A year or two ago I found the original version (Mandy Miller) on YouTube, with a cartoon of Nellie to accompany it.
The Gdcs loved it!

Fallingstar Wed 03-Jun-26 21:42:49

Witzend

Who remembers Nellie the Elephant? A year or two ago I found the original version (Mandy Miller) on YouTube, with a cartoon of Nellie to accompany it.
The Gdcs loved it!

I sing that to my GCs as well they love it.
And they love ‘How much is that doggy in the window’.

Redcar Wed 03-Jun-26 21:43:01

Lots of memories here!

Grannynannywanny Wed 03-Jun-26 21:44:16

Yes Witzend I introduced my grandchildren to it when they were little and they loved singing along to it. Another old song I played for them was I am a mole and I live in a hole. My 2 youngest GC learned the words and made up a cute little dance to go with it.

Casdon Wed 03-Jun-26 21:48:20

I went by bus to school, and we often sang silly songs.
She’ll be coming round the mountain - we made up our own verses
John Brown’s body
The Quartermaster’s store
And one our lovely teacher sang to us playing his guitar,
Stewball was a Racehorse.
Happy days!

OldFrill Wed 03-Jun-26 22:19:11

Puff the Magic Dragon
So sad

Nannee49 Wed 03-Jun-26 22:27:06

Saturday morning dance classes threw up a few -

I'm burlington Bertie, I rise at 10.30 & saunter along like a toff

Oh, the deadwood stage is coming on over the hill...whip crack away, whip crack away, whip crack away

Come on along, come on along, it's Alexander's ragtime band

Sickofweddingcake Wed 03-Jun-26 22:29:58

Please Mr Conductor, don't put me off this train...(Also called: The Lightening Express)
...really sad!

Sickofweddingcake Wed 03-Jun-26 22:32:55

Another one was...Go, Tell Aunty Nancy.
Never understood why my mum used to sing them to us at bedtime...really sad songs!

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 23:08:36

OldFrill

Puff the Magic Dragon
So sad

I used to get told off because a lot of the songs made me cry.
Hence my nickname- Mona.

Grandyma Wed 03-Jun-26 23:21:40

Remember my grandmother singing this(amongst other old songs) with her 2 sisters at Christmas parties round the piano:
Oh, that Gorgonzola cheese
Must’ve been a wrong’un I suppose
For the old tomcat fell dead upon the mat
When the “Niff” got up its nose
Talk about the flavour of the “crackling on the pork”
Nothing could have been so strong
As the beautiful effluvia that filled our house
When the Gorgonzola cheese went wrong.

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 23:29:02

Oh I've never heard that one. smile

JamesandJon33 Thu 04-Jun-26 05:43:51

Oh Jemima , look at your uncle Jim
He ‘s in the bath tub , learning how to swim.
First he does the breast stroke,
Then he does the glide.
And now he’s in the water
Swimming against the tide.

Fairislecable Thu 04-Jun-26 06:57:43

My lovely Dad used to sing the Sylvest song Miss Adventure:

That was my brother Sylvest’ (What’s he got?)
A row of forty medals on his chest (big chest!)
He killed fifty bad men in the west; he knows no rest.
Think of a man, hells’ fire, don’t push, just shove,
Plenty of room for you and me.
He’s got an arm like a leg (a ladies’ leg!)
And a punch that would sink a battleship (big ship!)
It takes all of the Army and the Navy to put the wind up Sylvest

He sang the main parts and we children chimed in.

Happy days 😊

Magenta8 Thu 04-Jun-26 07:08:22

I'm the sheik of Araby (Not a wasp but a bee. Yes a bee)
And you belong to me (Not to im but to me just to me)
At night while your'e asleep (Not awake but asleep, fast asleep)
Into your tent I'll creep (Wiv me boots on kicking up the sand)

grumppa Thu 04-Jun-26 07:12:01

Does anyone else remember "Hey, hey clear the way, Here comes the galloping major".

Gotanewlife20 Thu 04-Jun-26 07:16:58

When I was in primary school,before I was 10,the music teacher was mad about Scotland.I still remember all the words to Marie's Wedding,Skye Boat Song,Bonny Dundee and Road to the Isles.I often sing them when out walking,alone of course.I'm 77 now!

Foxglove77 Thu 04-Jun-26 07:20:15

My grandfather's clock was too tall for the shelf, so it stood 90 years on the floor.

Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea ...