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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.

Mollygo Thu 04-Jun-26 21:05:27

Old Zip Coon
There was once a man with a double chin
And he played all day on the violin
And he played all night and he played in tune,
But he wouldn’t play anything but . . .

rubysong Thu 04-Jun-26 21:05:58

Oreo Hey ho, away we go, donkey riding, donkey riding, hey ho, away we go, riding on a donkey.
Where you ever in Quebec, stowing timber on the deck.etc. etc. (Sorry, can't remember any more. )
What a lovely thread this is. My lifelong love of folk music dates from 'singing together ' at primary school.

MissAdventure Thu 04-Jun-26 21:12:52

It's beautiful, MusicGirl.
I'm sure i could fall asleep to it, it's so gentle. smile

Nannee49 Thu 04-Jun-26 21:43:04

We should really pay homage to Cecil Sharp and his passion for collecting a lot of the wonderful folk songs on this lovely thread.

I'm sure I'm not on my own remembering being in primary school in the 50s...out would come a big radio speaker, the song sheet booklets would be passed around the class and we'd have an hour singing our heads off to
Dashing away with the smoothing iron or The Lincolnshire Poacher or Soldier Soldier won't you marry me alongside many of the others mentioned. I seem to think it was broadcast on a Friday morning but not 100% sure.
Happy days!

hollysteers Thu 04-Jun-26 22:52:00

Nannee49 Hear hear for Cecil Sharp, plus Vaughan Williams and Delius👍

nanna8 Fri 05-Jun-26 00:39:32

Give me a home amongst the gum trees
With lots of plum trees was written in the 1970s and my kids used to sing it along with the kookaburras sits in the old gum trees.
I remember the Big ship sails on the Alley alley Oo, London 1950 s. Plus R Whites ginger beer goes off pop with a penny on the bottle when you take it to the shop - skipping game.

WithNobsOnIt Fri 05-Jun-26 06:09:23

Little Dolly Dreams tried to ride a bit..

A bit naughty but fun

Padine Fri 05-Jun-26 16:31:36

I loved Singing Together! Douglas Combes was the man behind the programme and suggested little practical projects for the classes, just incase the class teacher wanted to tie it into a class project. If he’s still alive, he would be in his 80s now, what a gifted musician he was!
🎵🎶🎵

MissAdventure Fri 05-Jun-26 16:32:52

I can't remember singing together.

Clawdy Fri 05-Jun-26 16:49:14

rubysong

Oreo Hey ho, away we go, donkey riding, donkey riding, hey ho, away we go, riding on a donkey.
Where you ever in Quebec, stowing timber on the deck.etc. etc. (Sorry, can't remember any more. )
What a lovely thread this is. My lifelong love of folk music dates from 'singing together ' at primary school.

Was it:
Were you ever in Quebec, Stowing timber on the deck
Where there's a king in a golden crown, Riding on a donkey. ...

Magenta8 Fri 05-Jun-26 16:57:55

Padine

I loved Singing Together! Douglas Combes was the man behind the programme and suggested little practical projects for the classes, just incase the class teacher wanted to tie it into a class project. If he’s still alive, he would be in his 80s now, what a gifted musician he was!
🎵🎶🎵

I remember listening to the Singing Together BBC radio programmes for schools. There was "Rhythm and Melody" and "Time and Tune".

All our teachers were able to play the piano and we used to practise and learn the songs between broadcasts.

Annie71 Sat 06-Jun-26 08:59:39

This a lovely thread, lots of happy memories, some of these I sing now to my grandkids.
Does anyone remember the pull out songbooks from the middle of women’s magazines during 1960’s? I used to love them.

PamelaJ1 Sat 06-Jun-26 09:13:33

This thread has made me smile.
My favourite song when I was young was The Lollipop Tree sung by Burl Ives. I just imagined having one.
Good job I didn’t, I would have false teeth by now!

sodapop Sat 06-Jun-26 12:45:27

Oh dear Oreo I remember those songs too. Must go and lie down in a darkened room.
( lie/lay ?)

Minibookworm Sat 06-Jun-26 15:51:10

This thread brought back happy memories of a record (LP) that I remember having when I was a young child in the 60s. I did a Google search and, hey presto, there it was! Does anyone else remember Wally Whyton?

Grannynannywanny Sat 06-Jun-26 16:14:35

Yes Minibookworm I remember him. We had that same LP when I was a child 😄

Mollygo Sat 06-Jun-26 16:37:55

PamelaJ1
That immediately made me think of On The Good Ship Lollipop.

Nannee49 Sat 06-Jun-26 17:04:53

You're clearly not of an elderly age like wot I am Missadventure grin

MissAdventure Sat 06-Jun-26 17:53:50

Probably not, Nanneee49
If is any consolation, i feel about 100. grin

Magenta8 Sat 06-Jun-26 19:43:40

Wally Whyton and Pussycat Willum
Burl Ives - The Lollypop Tree and The Big Rock Candy Mountain

Oh! The memories.

SpinDriftCoastal Sun 07-Jun-26 08:09:53

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo,
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too......

JackyB Sun 07-Jun-26 11:10:54

I went to the animal fair
The birds and bees were there
The old raccoon by the light of the moon was combing his auburn hair
The monkey went kerplunk
Fell over the elephant's trunk
The elephant sneezed, fell down on his knees,
But what became of the monk-ey, monkey, monkey....

Fallingstar Sun 07-Jun-26 11:22:25

Love this thread.
So many memories.
I loved singing many songs but a firm favourite from morning assembly was ‘All things bright and beautiful’.

nanna8 Sun 07-Jun-26 11:48:03

We must have had a teacher from Manchester because we often sang
Farewell Manchester.
sadly I depart
Tear drops bodingly
From their prison start
I forget the rest except for Ever dear, Manchester my home at the end

Grandma70s Sun 07-Jun-26 11:59:00

We didn’t have the schools radio music programmes at my school, but if ever I was off school, or had a holiday when the programmes were still on, I listened to them and joined in eagerly.

My father used to sing “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine” to me. My mother would never have been that sentimental! I loved it.