Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs

Subject: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: wilco
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 07:15 PM

    I'm curious about the material that others use to close with in nursing homes. I like to close with "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You," or with "It is No Secret." I've been thinking of using "Sailing Down the River of your Memory." How about it? What's your closing song?

Wilco In Tennessee

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Genie
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 07:22 PM

Happy Trails
Now Is The Hour
Till We Meet Again
I'll Be Seeing You
Bye-bye, Blackbird
So Long, It's Been Good To Know Ya
God Be With You Till We Meet Again
I'll See You In My Dreams
Goodnight, Irene
Goodnight, Ladies
God Bless America*
Show Me The Way To Go Home*

These are all popular ones for the retirement and nursing homes where I do music.

Genie

*This are, hands down, the favorites -- except, for Jewish homes, I'd add "Havenu Shalom Aleichem."

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Leadfingers
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 07:22 PM

I usually close a Pub Set with Show me the way to Go Home,or perhaps
Go Me The Way To Show Home.With a bit of Indicate the Way to My Particular Abode thrown in.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: tar_heel
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 07:51 PM

always leave them happy,smiling,even dancing if possible...dang,no mournful tunes to close out the show...they are alone after you are gone and the way you leave them is the last thing that they remember!
give them all the happiness that you have...down to the last note!!!!

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Genie
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 08:00 PM

But, of course, Leadfingers! Ya gots ta do whut I calls "the W. C. Fields version" of "Show Me The Way To Go Home," too!

BTW, my post should read "These are, hands down ..., " not "This are, hands down ...". (Incomplete editing, there.)

But, Tar Heel, I don't agree with your categorical prescription. The residents themselves often REQUEST "I'll Be Seeing You," "Now Is The Hour," and "Till We Meet Again." I sing what they want to hear, and those are among their favorites, even if they do bring back bittersweet memories and sometimes bring a tear to the eye. (Tears are not the enenmy; depression is.)

Genie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: open mike
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 08:23 PM

i hope it is not too in-appropriate,
i always like bob dylan's forever young...
i think it brings out the kid in all of us--
and it is like a prayer...and a lullaby--
i use if for all occasions, birthdays, etc.
Laurel

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Snuffy
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 08:25 PM

"They Tried To Tell Us We're Too Young" is popular

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Sorcha
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 08:44 PM

We do several of the above but never last. Wel always do Florida Blues last and that is a cue for those who want to leave. Those who want to gossip with us can always stay; there are always several.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Mudlark
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 09:20 PM

Dear Genie


"Tears are not the enenmy; depression is."

An important thought for all of us, in or out of old folk's homes.

However, i always close with You are my Sunshine, beacuase in alzeimer's wards it's the one song everyone can sing along with...we often do it 2 or even 3 times....

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Genie
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 10:20 PM

Per request, here is a link to an earlier thread with the SMTWTGH version I jokingly call "the W. C. Fields version," because it sounds like the way he talked.

Genie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Amos
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 11:07 PM

I was gonna say "Now the Day is Over", but I guess it's just too risqué. Bless you for doing what you do, anyway!

A

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: wilco
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 08:24 AM

"You Are My Sunshine" and "Good Night Irene" are both great sing-a-long songs. I guess what I'm asking for is a closing song that would give a message of compassion, understanding, and support. I don't like to close with a sad or slow song either, but this is a different setting.
I do some upbeat and humorous songs too, like "Give Him One More as he Goes," "Leftover Buscuits," "Sweet Violets," I'll Fly Away," "This world is not my home," "While I was Praying," "I saw the Light" etc.
How does "Havenu Shalom Aleichem" go, and what do the words mean.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 10:18 AM

Havenu Shalom Alechem
Havenu shalom alechem,
Havenu shalom alechem,
Havenu shalom alechem,
Havenu shalom, shalom
Shalom alechem
(repeat indefinitely)

(Peace be with you!)


More Hebrew songs here.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 11:25 AM

What about "Now Is The Hour"?

Remember the festival of Britain?

Well they had all these street parties, I gate crashed everyone in my local area! The one song that was done to death (The street party MC had all the kids singing it!) was "Irene Goodnight."

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,Gern
Date: 11 Oct 02 - 10:32 AM

I've felt good about playing the old hymn "Going Home," and I hope some in the audience has felt the same.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Genie
Date: 11 Oct 02 - 01:06 PM

Wilco, ("I guess what I'm asking for is a closing song that would give a message of
compassion, understanding, and support. I don't like to close with a sad or slow song either... ")

I usually try to end with a song that is some sort of "parting" song AND/OR an upbeat, fun song. This is why "Show Me The Way To Go Home,"Bye-bye, Blackbird," and "Goodnight, Irene" are favorites, I think. (I don't use the "...take a great notion to jump in the river and drown..." or "...gonna take morphine and die..." verses of "Irene" in nursing homes.)

But it makes a difference whether it's a general sing-along, a "musical memories" activity, or a party. For parties, I close with something like SMTWTGH or Beer Barrel Polka or Goodnight, Ladies or the "Adios, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodnight" song that ends every Lawrence Welk show. But some of the slow "parting" songs that have been mentioned above are NOT depressing to these folks and evoke very rich memories of their youth. "Till We Meet Again" has got to be in the top 20 of song requests I get in senior facilities of all ilks.

Genie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: wilco
Date: 11 Oct 02 - 01:24 PM

genie: What are your top requests? And , in what part of the world?

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Bo Vandenberg
Date: 11 Oct 02 - 02:04 PM

You generally have a more religeous crowd so you have some latitude you wouldnt have in other gigs. I think the Irish Prayer is very nice and eveyone will learn all the words quickly.

May the road Rise up to meet you
May the wind be ever at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May the rain fall soft upon your fields
Until we meet again, may god hold you
In the hollow of his hand.

Its a nice sentiment which I think is more important than a dancing tune, if they are going to remember it.

Also the Mingulay Boat song is very nice for ending sets with.

sigurd

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Genie
Date: 11 Oct 02 - 02:22 PM

Wilco, I play in senior homes on the US West Coast, primarily Seattle, San Diego, and the Portland/Salem/Vancouver area. I've no doubt that there would be some variations in requests if I were playing in Alabama, Maine, or in some other country. But the songs most requested tended to have widespread popularity in the US in their heyday -- especially the ones that were big in WWI or WWII.

Check out this link. I and several others posted lists of some of the songs most requested in "nursing homes," and that thread also gives links to several related threads. (Maybe the Joe Clones will add those links to this thread, too?)

Let me reiterate that the "top 40 list" will be different for Alzheimer's facilities, nursing/convalescent homes, assisted living facilities, retirement (independent living) residences, drop-in senior centers, adult day care centers, and various types of foster homes and group homes. The ages of residents/visitors can vary tremendously, as well as their cognitive funtioning level, ethnicity, religious orientation, etc. It never hurts to ask the staff for suggestions, as well as asking the residents themselves. I get a lot of requests for Elvis Presley songs, popular ballads and show tunes from the '50s, '60s, and '70s, in addition to requests for songs from the '20s through '40s. And "Tennessee Waltz" (©1951) is one of the most requested songs of all.

Genie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: selby
Date: 11 Oct 02 - 02:36 PM

A mate of mine used to leave them with the Keith Marsden,
Funeral song
That goes
They wheeled the coffin down the aisle
the choirboys sweetly sang
and used to have the residents in stiches but a fair bit of his repotiore was humour
Keith

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Genie
Date: 11 Oct 02 - 03:02 PM

Another popular parting song is "Goodnight, Sweetheart" ("...till we meet tomorrow. Goodnight, sweetheart, dreams will banish sorrow..."), as is the one the McGuire Sisters sang, "Goodnight, Sweetheart, well, it's time to go ...Godnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight."

Genie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 11:47 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Tiger
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 03:44 PM

I don't do these gigs yet, but always figured my best finale would be "We'll Meet Again"

The right era, the right feeling, they all know it.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Genie
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:50 AM

Yeah, Tiger, that's one of the parting songs that goes over well with the WWII generation.

BTW, folks, if any of you think that a slow, "sad" song like "Till We Meet Again" ("Smile the while you bid me sad adieu...") is a downer for these folks, you should have been at the retirement home sing-along I did Monday afternoon. We closed with that song, and not only did nearly everyone sing along with it, but as I was packing up my guitar and gear after the session ended, the residents broke spontaneously into song -- with at least 5 or six of them happily crooning that song as they made their way out to the hall or to the elevator!

Singing sad, soulful songs isn't necessarily a downer. (Any blues player knows that.)

Genie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: musicmick
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:07 AM

I have had great success with a medley of "Let the Rest of the World Go By", "Smile the While" and "Now is the Hour". They segue nicely.
Since 9/11, I've had lots of reqests for "God Bless America". I tried closing with it but it made for an awkward finale so I, now, sing it in the next to last spot, then I end with the medley. That has proven to be a good solution.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,rich
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:51 AM

you are my sunshine. they love ot & usually try singing along

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Lanfranc
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 05:05 AM

Certainly not Bert Jansch's "Needle of Death", although I once had a request for it while doing Hospital Radio some years back!

A medley of spirituals ("Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Steal Away" and "I Bid You Goodnight") has often served me well.

Alan

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,IanN
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 08:40 AM

Meet on the ledge?

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,Genie
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 11:14 AM

I'm mpre likely to OPEN with You Are My Sunshine and CLOSE with God Bless America. Seems to work well with most of my folks. Guess it depends on the group.

FWIW, though, I don't think you have to do a "parting" song to end. Sometimes I close with "Those Were The Days" or "La Bamba" or something else that's energizing. ("La Bamba" makes a great closer at Cinco de Mayo time or for a party.)

Genie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: wilco
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 12:05 PM

Ones that I occasionally get requests to close with are: "Precious Memories," "When They Ring those Golden Bells," "Sailing Down the River of Yout Memory," " This Old House," and "Where We'll Never Grow Old". With exception to old House, most of the audience can sing along, since they know the lyrics. Thanks for your suggestions.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Snuffy
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:16 PM

"With exception to old House, most of the audience can sing along, since they know the lyrics. Thanks for your suggestions."

With exception to old House, I've never even heard of any of them. But then I'm in England, and I don't think God Bless America would go down all that well here either.

"Show me the way to go home", or "Now is the hour", or "We'll meet again" or a Barn Dance/Veleta medley starting and ending with "Daisy Daisy" would be more the mark over here.

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,Bill
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:21 PM

Try "Get up and Go" by Pete Seager
You can check out in Folk Roots.
Bill

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Genie
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 10:30 PM

Snuffy, I can well imagine that UK folks would not want to hear "God Bless America" -- any more than us Yanks would want "Rule, Brittania!" *G*

As for "Daisy" ("Bicycle Built For Two" or "Daisy Bell"), I find that it has become rapidly less popular over the past 10 years of my doing this music pretty much full time. That's not surprising. "Daisy Bell" is from the 1890s -- the era of the PARENTS of most of the seniors I entertain. Songs from that era are well known to folks in their 80s and 90s, but they are not the major songs they associate with their teenage and young adult years.

For folks with severe memory impairment, of course, these really old songs do go over very well. But lots of folks in "nursing homes" are there for physical reasons, and some have little or no cognitive impairment.

Today I was doing a sing-along with an Alzheimer's group I sing for regularly. In addition to the usual simple/old/very familiar sing-alongs, I did "Please Release Me" (the favorite song of one resident), "The Rainbow Connection," and "Tennessee Waltz" (written in 1951). Not only did "The Rainbow Connection" draw spontaneous, enthusiastic approbation from one of the gentlemen -- more vocal approval than any other song -- but several residents sang along with the other two songs, as well as clapping for them. These songs drew much more participation and glee than did the usual sing-alongs like "You Are My Sunshine," "I've Been Working On The Railroad," "Red River Valley," etc.

I can't stress too much how important it is not to LIMIT the playlist for nursing homes to songs written or popular before 1930 or 1940.

That said, let me add that a very popular closing song in the US --especially for Veterans' Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Flag Day -- is "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic."

Genie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Snuffy
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 09:02 AM

Over here Old Time dances (Barn Dance, Veleta, St Bernards, etc) were still common in villages until well into the 60s. They tended to use medleys of popular songs of the previous 100 years. The band would just play the tunes, but people would sing the choruses while dancing.

Some of these medleys became almost compulsory. For example, if I start off with a chorus of "Daisy, Daisy" everybody over 50 knows that the next tune in the medley will be "She was a sweet little dickie bird"

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Bugsy
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 09:23 PM

"We May, or May Never"(All Meet Here Again)

Cheers



Bugsy

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,Bonnie
Date: 04 Sep 08 - 07:18 PM

Our residents are fairly religious and are inclined to ask for "Till we meet." They don't see it as sad, but a comfort and affirmation of their hope to see each other again in heaven. These people are dealing with the reality of knowing their turn may be up very soon and they like to rest in their faith every chance they get.

Some songs bring smiles because a resident can remember her mother or father singing this particular song.

Otherwise, they enjoy all types of music they are familiar with, especially from their teen years. They also enjoy hearing songs they heard as a child, rounds and nursery rhyme songs. It brings back such special memories for them.

Iowa, America

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Mooh
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 10:30 AM

For the last year or so my fiddle/guitar duo has done a slow swingy version of What A Wonderful World. We like it and so do the residents.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: frogprince
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 01:53 PM

"Fixin to Die Rag" probably wouldn't be the best idea...

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 02:41 PM

I've only done a dozen or so gigs at Nursing homes and Hospices, but, given my very unusual sense of humour, I have finished with one of the funniest songs I know.

It is "Hypochondria" by my good friend Clive Lever.

The audiences have been rolling on the floor laughing, and completely forgetting that they, in fact, have many of the ailments mentioned in the song.

It has NEVER failed. (and I DO get invited back, though one Matron commented that they had to get in extra supplies of oxygen).

Don T.

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 02:45 PM

I like to close with Harry Chapin's "All My Life's A Circle" and get everybody singing along on it. It works 95% of the time.

SOL

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,highlandman at work
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 03:42 PM

One I've had good success with for various ages is "Dream A Little Dream Of Me." Probably because it has had multiple incarnations as a hit during the youthful years of several generations.
Otherwise, "I'll Be Seeing You" seems to be a favorite of the rapidly dwindling WWII generation, and "Down By The Old Mill Stream" is the big winner for the really older folks.
-Glenn

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 04:16 PM

Keep right on to the end of the road
Alternatively....absolutlely anything...they'll forget what happened in a few seconds anyway.

I'll get me coat!

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 09 Aug 10 - 11:33 PM

I occasionally get requests for "home on the range", tends to be a crowd-pleaser

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 04:46 AM

I'd imagine that, by now, Nursing Home players ought to be thinking of moving on to Elvis, Bill Hailey and Eddie Cochran stuff!

Even my mum, who's 94 and who would attend a day-centre until a year or two back, would complain that the songs the visiting musicians played were "too old fashioned...why can't they play something a bit more recent? I don't just want to keep hearing songs from the war. That were a long time ago."

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,Grim Reaper
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 05:21 AM

How about Shel Silverstein's 'You're Still Gonna Die' !!!!

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,HughM
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 08:09 AM

Maggie
The Rowan Tree

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: EBarnacle
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 11:52 AM

When You and I were young, Maggie

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Sep 14 - 09:14 AM

We sing "We,ll Meet Again My Friends
Somewhere down the line
Who knows where or when, another place another time
We,ll sing a few old songs, And memories from our mind
Yes, I know we,ll meet again my friends
Somewhere down the line

Another day is over
Another day gone by
With good friends all around me
My how the time does fly
Its hard to find the words I want to say
But friends Ill try
God Bless You All and keep you
Till we meet again goodbye

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 19 Sep 14 - 09:42 AM

THESE days, nursing homes are likely to be populated by those who were teenagers in the 50s and 60s, so I think an update on all those pre-war songs is very much overdue!

How about:

Shakin' All Over
Walk Don't Run
At Last
See You Later Alligator
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Got My Mojo Working

etc.....

If they're STILL playing bloody "Good Night Irene" and "Bye Bye Blackbird" when *I'M* in a nursing home, I'll be VERY unhappy. Better start practicing "Born to Be Wild"; "Bobby Brown Goes Down" and "My Generation" folks!

Subject: RE: Best Closing Song for Nursing Home Gigs
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 19 Sep 14 - 11:03 AM

We mostly play UK folk songs, and country dance tunes. What seems to be most popular is the kind of folk songs they sang at school - Johnny's so long at the fair, Annie Laurie, Skye Boat Song, Mhairi's Wedding etc. They get enough pop music from TV and radio!