Songs our children sing.

Subject: Songs our children sing.
From: Mooh
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 09:18 AM

Not quite a copycat thread (a la What does your Dad/Mom sing?), since it should be present tense. What songs do our children sing?

Over the last month I've polled almost 60 guitar/bass/mandolin students ranging in age from 8 to retired (but mostly teens), and the results aren't singable for most folks, at least not in the way of my generation. Sure, there were some singer/songwriter and pop preferences among them, but most of these students choose bands like Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, lots of heavy metal, classic rock, and (I hold my nose) rap. Most aren't noted for fine singable and decipherable melodies. Admittedly, I'm viewing this from middle age, but when they admit they either don't want to or can't sing the songs they like, it seems like they won't pass along the tradition of songs sung.

Now, like many, my own kids have heard songs sung, sing their own likes, but for one that means folk/celtoid songs, for the other swing/jazz. Very little rock or pop in what they sing.

So, what songs do our children sing?

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Cuddles
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 09:43 AM

Anything by John Mayer will do for them, or Nickel Creek, or Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and just lately Led Zeppelin.

My daughter has even bought us tickets to see Robert and Alison in Cardiff in May! How great is that then!

Cuddles :-)

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Banjiman
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 09:51 AM

My daughter (8) sings this in the car (and occasionally at a gig with Mum & Dad)....... Are We Nearly There Yet? . We don't pretend it's a masterpiece.

Paul

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Newport Boy
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 09:52 AM

My children, and grandson, sing a lot of the songs that we've always sung as a family - folk, blues, political and quite a few folk-style songs from the past 40 years.

Grandson is also trying rap, as his father tried Alex Harvey 30 years ago. I'm not worried - it's just a phase!!

The disparaging view of new music is not new - this from the Guardian, February 6 1957 (coincidentally reprinted today):

I made a most unusual train journey yesterday from Waterloo to Southampton. My host was the Daily Mirror, which had arranged to meet an orchestra or "combo" known to millions as "Bill Haley and his Comets". Nobody, apparently, has ever told Mr Haley that the discoverer of the famous comet was called Halley.

The whole piece has the same tone - we don't do that here on Mudcat, do we? ???

Phil

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 11:19 AM

At 22 (and since about 15) my daughter sings Stan Rogers, Eric Bogle, a few Steeleye Span and Silly Sisters numbers, as well as some Metallica ballads and a couple of Greek contemporary folk songs.

At 25, my son sings some James Taylor, Ian Dury/Blockheads, a lot of Christian Rock, some Greek folk and at school (he is a teacher) he sings Jeremy Taylor (Jobsworth, Transplant Calypso and so on).

All along, from day one, they heard us and our friends sing, solo or in duets or in choirs, at home, in tavernas, in concerts and in the car. They are forever raiding my CD collection, and occasionally I borrow something from theirs.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 11:22 AM

Oh, I forgot - son is also heavily into Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson, like his Dad.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Mrrzy
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 06:16 PM

Both twins like pretty much what I like, which is what MY parents listened to... although one also kinda likes headbanger music... and they both thoroughly liked The Pirates of Penzance, and I've heard them doing the Pirate King and various spoken parts too.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Rog Peek
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 06:39 PM

My son is 25, he sings Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Jackson C. Frank, Paul Simon, Tom Paxton, The Levellers, some Irish tradional etc. etc. etc. His Mum says I brainwashed him as he was growing up.

Rog

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Tootler
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 07:04 PM

Neither of my daughters sing these days, though the younger one used to sing in a church choir until she left school.

The older one is into heavy metal and related stuff, the younger one likes an eclectic mix of pop music. We do share a liking for Paul Simon.

Neither of them like folk music.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: oldhippie
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 08:14 PM

I've heard sung:

"I know a song tha gets on everybody's nerves
Everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves
I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves
And it sounds just like this."

(Repeat for as long as necessary)

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Rowan
Date: 06 Feb 08 - 11:31 PM

Sunday 6pm telly on the ABC (Oz) has just finished a repeat of "Love is in the air", a history of Oz popular music since the 50s. Daughter #1 (16 last May) knew quite a lot of them and was fascinated to learn their backgrounds and contexts. She has ripped quite a lot of my CD collection into iTunes (Playschool, 50s-70s rockpop&roll, Topic traditional, Tom Lehrer might give a little indication of breadth) and she mentioned that at the most recent Nariel FF she and the other adolescents were singing stuff from all of these backgrounds.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: GUEST,Bert
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 03:26 AM

Last night Grandson Dante aged two and a half, helped me sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to his nine month old sister Ayla to sing her to sleep.

Gotta train the little buggers early.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: GUEST,Rich
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 05:38 PM

My two eldest sons aged 4 and 2 sang 'You Are My Sunshine' to my five month old last week. One of the sweetest things I ever witnessed. They have picked it up from the 'Oh Brother, Where Art Thou' soundtrack which gets regular airplay and has some great songs for kids to get into.

My eldest also finishes the lines to 'Sweet Baby James' and 'Spancil Hill' as I sing them to him regularly at bedtime.

I will however, try to never be disparaging about whatever music they get into in life, and will encourage them to listen to as much music as possible from as many sources as possible. I love traditional music, and love to pass it on through song, but I also have other music that I was told was a phase which has already stayed with me for over 20 years, some of which is rap. Believe it or not, some early Public Enemy albums are not a million miles away from our more political folk artists in their outlook and messages.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 06:08 PM

My kids (ages 9 & 6) both have heard plenty of folk and traditional music, and have both found things within that category that they really like. But, they LOVE the Beatles, and so do so many of their friends! Amazing to me. And fabulous. So they sing Beatles songs as much as anything.

GUEST,Rich, well said! I don't count rap among my musical loves, but I certainly don't put it down either. I will always encourage my kids to listen to as much music from as many places as possible, and any love of music they develop (whatever the genre) will be something I can relate to. I love music, and it tickles me that they do too. I guess we're not the first though...

I don't say any of this to "pat myself on the back" or in any kind of self righteous way. It's just the way I see it.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 09:20 PM

Sorry to say that neither of my kids have taken to folk music, despite having been to festivals when younger (maybe aversion therapy?)
Daughter likes james Blunt and all the boy bands, son is very musical, writes all his own for his indie band, and is currently doing a Masters degree in composition. At least we can talk music together, and he has introduced me to some interesting stuff such as Sigur Ros, while I tell him about e.g. Jim Sutherland as someone to aspire to.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Kent Davis
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 09:46 PM

I asked my younger daughter, who is 7, what songs she liked to sing.
Here is her list:
"Unclouded Day" ("O they tell me of a home...)
"This World Is Not My Home"
"Father, I Adore You"
"I Mean to Live for Jesus (by Blind Alfred Reed)
"Jesus Loves Me"
"There's Within My Heart" ("Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name...")
"You Must Unload" (by Blind Alfred Reed)
"Come All You Virginia Girls"
"Amazing Grace"
"I'll Fly Away"

Kent

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Kent Davis
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 10:10 PM

I also asked my oldest to make a list of the songs she likes to sing. She is 13. Below is her list. (The parenthetical remarks are mine.)

"An Empty Mansion"
"Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls?" (by Blind Alfred Reed)
"Lemon Tree"
"The Lord My Shepherd Is"
"Silent Night"
"The Devil's Nine Question's" ("Riddles Wisely Expounded", Child #1)
"Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" (Louis Armstrong)
"Spinning Wheel" ("What goes up must come down. Spinning wheels...")
"There'll Be No Distinction There" (by Blind Alfred Reed)
"Awake, Awake" ("Drowsy Sleeper", Laws M4)
"Blessed are They" ("...who do His commandments.")
"Joy, Joy, Joy"
"Bangum" ("Bangum and the Boar", Child #18)
"Hello, Dolly"
"Blind Bartemus"

Kent

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Fred Maslan
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 11:07 PM

One of my sons sings everything, from video game tunes to gilbert & sulivan to folk to rock etc. The other also has eclectic tastes but Just doesn't sing much in public. However when the three of us are riding in a car together one will start a song the other will add another and I will add a third until we are joined together in a glorious cacophony.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Janie
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 12:17 AM

My 14 y.o. son sings lots of Green Day covers, Beatles, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, and a little bit of Soul-ja Boy. Weird Al Yankovich seems to be his personal favorite songwriter. He also will sing some Led Zepplin. He likes some stringband music and will sing along with the Bing Brothers, for instance.

At least he calls it singing. he has no idea he can not carry a tune, and I ain't a-gonna be the one to tell him.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Rasener
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 01:35 AM

Overall favourite from my daughters 11 and 16 is Queen.

They sing rap (or "rap crap" as I call it) and anything they hear on Radio one.

We all normally listen to radio one in the car, but when I am in a bad mood, I make them listen to folk muisc :-). It's so nice when they join in with the choruses. My older daughter heard for the first time last week "Old maid in the garrett" Steeleye Span. I was singing along to it and she told me to shut up. I asked her why and she answered "I really like it, and you are ruining it".

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: Mooh
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 06:43 AM

Yesterday was snow day for the schools here, so my youngest worked away on homework using her laptop at the kitchen table all day. I think she likes to be in the middle of things, rather than huddled in her room. So with dogs at her feet, she sung jazz standards along with her harddrive. I don't hear as much pop anymore.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 03:49 PM

About 1990 I discovered on an LP series "Hello Children Everywhere" all the songs that Uncle Mac played on his Saturday morning wireless broadcast. I couldn't resisit buying it and we put it on tapes to play in the car to amuse the children, (then 10 and 6) and they made up their own very rude parodies that made us laugh and laugh.

I also often heard them sing:

Bill and Ben, Bill and Ben
Piss-pot men....

My granddaughter who is six sings "Alleluia I'm a Bum" to make us laugh, but she loves Christmas carols. She had to learn "Away In A Manger" for her last school Nativity play, and was absolutely amazed that I knew all the words...!

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 04:28 PM

He doesn't sing at all. I've never even heard him try. Seems to feel he hasn't got much of a voice.

He is multimusical though, plays a number of instruments including several from the sax family, and loves instrumental rock-jazz-salsa fusion, has written and performed some fairly far-out-sounding experimental stuff, and as a drummer and percussionist (his main gig) he's backed nearly everything known to humankind.

Folk music didn't take. But then we grew up on opposite coasts. He's curious to hear it once in a while, and I think is proud of me for doing it, but it holds no abiding interest for him.

Bob

Subject: RE: Songs our children sing.
From: GUEST,Gillian Marie Tolfrey
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 08:47 PM

My little boy (4) penned a delightful number called 'The Noisey Moon Song'. It goes...'It's dark outside, and there's a noisey, noisey moon'... It became quite a classic gem with the Witches of Elswick.