Depression era childrens' songs

Subject: Folklore: Depression era childrens' songs
From: Neighmond
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 03:19 AM

This didn't really belong in Childrens' rhyming games, so I put it here. My Dad's aunt Phyllis (grew up in the early 1930's) told me they used to sing this one. She said a neighbor girl sang it all the time. The neighbors had 9 children, and were very poor. I don't know if it's true or just child's imagination, but either way I find it vaguely creepy:

Momma had a baby, we call her Norma Jean
We put her in the wash-tub to see if she'd come clean.
She drank up all the water, she ate up all the soap
She tried to eat the wash-tub but it won't go down her throat.

She ate up all the crackers, She ate up all the meat
She tried to eat the table but it was too big to eat.
They wrapped her in a blanket, and left her in the rain,
Along came the sisters and they put 'er on the train.

Anyone have any others?
Chaz

Subject: RE: Folklore: Depression era childrens' songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 03:32 AM

Hi, Chaz - I learned that one as a "Miss Lucy" chant, more-or-less like this one. Don't know if I learned it in Detroit, or if it was shortly after I moved to Racine, Wisconsin in 1958.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Folklore: Depression era childrens' songs
From: Azizi
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 05:42 PM

I just learned this uptempo chant from an African American woman who said she learned it from her aunt. The aunt was born in 1890 in Mississippi [and lived in Mississippi & Arkansas]. She would have been in her 40s during the depression {1930-1941}.

Had a little wife bout big as a thumb.
Put her in the coffepot. Beat her like a drum.
Goodbye wife. Goodbye honey.
If it hadn't been for you, I'd had a little money.

I was told that this chant was used as a "knee rocker". When I asked what a knee rocker was I was told that it was what you sang holding the baby on your knee. You bounce the baby up and down to the beat of the song.

Yes, I know. It's not a good reflection on love & marriage.





YTgfr heard her aunt chant this "knee rockin song" to her great nieces. I was told that a knee rockin song was when you ride the baby on your knee as you chant. The aunt was born

Subject: RE: Folklore: Depression era childrens' songs
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 31 Aug 07 - 08:02 PM

I should worry
I should care
I should marry
A millionaire

He should die
I should cry
I should marry
Another guy.

I should worry
I should fret
I should marry
A suffragette


Marguerite
Go wash your feet
The Board of Health
Is across the street

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: GUEST,howler
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 04:30 AM

My mother's favorite:

I had a little dog named Jack.
He pooped on the railroad track.
The train came by,
The poop flew high,
and hit the conductor right in the eye.

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: GUEST,InOBU Lorcan Otway
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 05:21 AM

S'"t' hum yer speaking to hum
S't' hum yer speaking to hum
Sharrup or I'll knock you dead
The noive of you to speak to me
is a thing like I've never have hoid
Abe Lincoln they filled him with lead
Your living you aught to be dead
so go take a hike, you low down kike
S't' hum yer speaking to s't' hum

Here is one Mum was taught by the Irish kids in Boston about 1926 - (she was born in 20)She and the other Jewish kids had songs to sing back at them, but she forgets them. Her parents went nutz when they heard her singing this...

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Nov 11 - 12:43 PM

Part of a ditty my Mother (depression era) used to recite

Fire in the mountain,
Snake in the grass,
The old man died with a rag up his ass.

Can't remember all.

Another one of hers;

Had a little dog his name was Jack,
Put him the barn and he peed through the crack.

And lastly, another of my Mother's

Shave and a haircut two bits,
I have a girlfriend with big tits and
Every time I squeeze her she shits.

Oh, as you can read my Mother liked the ornery ditties.

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: GVSue
Date: 23 May 12 - 12:14 AM

I had a dear old daddy, for whom I daily pray,
He had a set of whiskers that were always in the way.
Oh, they're always in the way, the cows eat them for hay,
the horses eat'em in their sleep, they think their eatin' shredded wheat,
they're always in the way.

Then something about
When we're sittin' ate the table,
All sittin' in a group,
My dear ole Daddy's whiskers are always in the soup.
Oh they're always in the way, the cows eat them for hay.....blablabla
I can't remember the rest-- something about being at the station, looking for a dime,
My dear ole Daddy whiskers were hidin' it all the time...

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: Mark Ross
Date: 23 May 12 - 09:34 AM

"Chicken in the car, and the car won't go,
That's how you spell Chick-car-go."

From my mother who learned it driving across country from San Francisco in the early '30's.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 May 12 - 06:46 PM

And I learned it as "Lulu had a baby"

There was also

"Sons of Bread and Gravy,
Join the Yiddish Navy,
Fight, fight fight for Palestine!

Men who love pastrami
Join the Yiddidsh Army
Fight, fight fight for Palestine!"

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: Bert
Date: 23 May 12 - 08:38 PM

One from the early nineteen hundreds when malnutrition was rife in the big cities.

Your head is like a pumpkin
your belly's like a drum
your legs are like two fiddle sticks
so run you bugger, run.

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 25 May 12 - 08:30 AM

A couple od extra bits to Joe's version

Measles, said the doctor
Mumps said the nurse
Nonsense said the lady with the Alligator purse.

medicine said the doctor
ointment said the nurse
PIZZA said the lady with the alligator purse.

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: GUEST,Mary Brennan
Date: 16 Sep 12 - 02:16 AM

Your mother is a baker
Your father cuts the meat
And you're a little hot dog
who runs around the street.

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: GUEST,Notgonna Tellya
Date: 09 Apr 14 - 01:32 PM

Dog shit on my collar
Lipstick on my shoes
Is it any wonder
That I sing the blues?

That was written by a student at Eastern Washington University.
Sorry, I do not remember the name.

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Apr 14 - 07:48 PM

There is a song called "Mama Had a Baby."

The chorus is-

Mama had a baby and his head popped off
We did all we could to try and re-attach it
I couldn't do it so I picked it up and threw it
Off the building, just to see if all the children
Were quick enough to catch it.

Can be found with Google.

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: GUEST,Charles Elliott
Date: 17 Mar 24 - 12:43 PM

anyone know the lyrics to this Children's life teaching song of the 30S?

This is all my husband can remember


down he flew the cat caught him before he time to wink oh he said I'm sorry but then I didn't think


any help would be appreciated
Thank you in advance

Subject: RE: Depression era childrens' songs
From: Monique
Date: 17 Mar 24 - 01:19 PM

It's here, lyrics, sheet music and midi file.