Counting Songs

Subject: Counting Songs
From: Matthew B.
Date: 26 May 99 - 07:27 PM

I was wondering how many counting songs people could remember from their childhoods (or later).

Besides the well-known 100 Bottles of Beer, (more on that in a moment), I've known a Passover Song (Chad Gadya), a Gospel Song (the title escapes me) and others. Songs have been a way to teach counting for a lot longer than books have.

Any examples out there?

Now, about that 100 bottles...

I have a version that applies to my profession, and goes like this:

100 bugs in the program code
100 bugs in the code
Fix one bug and re-compile
101 bugs in the code

...and so on.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Susan of DT
Date: 26 May 99 - 07:33 PM

We have 13 songs under @cumulative, including only one of the many 12 days of Christmas we have, so there are definately more (try xmas12* for these). they are not necessarily numbers, but...

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: campfire
Date: 26 May 99 - 07:43 PM

On the same order as "100 bottles..." there is

100 Miles to go, a hundred miles to go,
we'll walk a mile then rest a while, 99 miles to go...etc.

campfire

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: alison
Date: 26 May 99 - 09:28 PM

Hi...

1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive
6,7,8,9,10 then I let him go again
Why did you let him go? Because he bit my finger so
Which finger did he bite? This little finger on the right

3 litle speckled frogs sat on a speckled log
eating some most delicious bugs.. yum, yum
one jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool,
then there were 2 green speckled frogs
etc. etc.

3 jellyfish, 3 jellyfish, 3 jellyfish, sitting on a rock
One jumped off (AWWWWWWWWHHHHHH)

2 jellyfish............

continues until they all jump off, a verse of "No jellyfish" then, "one jumped on (YEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH)" etc.

Is this the sort of stuff you were after? this is what my 3 & 5 year olds sing to me..... (although I remember the first one from when I was small).

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: okscout
Date: 26 May 99 - 11:47 PM

Well, there is still the politically incorrect One little two little three little Indians, Four little, five little six little Indians, Seven little eight little nine little Indians, Ten little Indian boys.

Then it reverses, Ten little, nine little, etc.

Nancy

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: ok
Date: 26 May 99 - 11:48 PM

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From:
Date: 26 May 99 - 11:54 PM

How about

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah! The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah! The ants go marching one by one, The little one stopped to suck his thumb and they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain Bum, bum bum bum bum bum bum,

The ants go marching two by two And the little one stops to tie his shoe,

Three, scratch his knee Four, shut the door, Five, jump and jive Six, pick up sticks Seven, pray to heaven Eight, close the gate Nine, read a rhyme Ten, begin again Etc. Enough!

Nancy

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Barbara
Date: 27 May 99 - 12:03 AM

Green grow the Rushes-O
Five Contstipated Men
Seven old Ladies
One hen, two ducks, three...
Seven Joys of Mary
The Keeper did a Hunting Go
Blue Pigeons
what's Bill D's song about the Wet PIgs?
Mow a Meadow
One man's hands
There's a song about the Widow and the Devil
(where she'd sell her soul to be satisfied)
Oh, did you say, kids' songs?
There's a start, anyway.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: lloyd61
Date: 27 May 99 - 12:29 AM

From "Love Somebody, Yes I Do"

Twice sixteen's thirty two Twice sixteen's thirty two twice sixteen's thirty two Sally won't you have me? Do, gal, Do.

Twice 24, 48 Twice 24, 48 Twice 24, 48 Saw you kissing on the Garden Gate

Twice 55, 110 Twice 55, 110 Twice 55, 110 Saw you kissing the Old Gray Hen.

Subject: ADD: Ten in the Bed - Roll Over
From: Night Owl
Date: 27 May 99 - 12:36 AM

Not sure of the name of this song but....

" There were ten in the bed; and the little one said; Roll Over, Roll Over;
So they all rolled over; And one fell out;

There were nine in the bed; And the little one said; Roll Over, Roll Over;
So they all rolled over...." etc.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: campfire
Date: 27 May 99 - 01:01 AM

Ah yes, Night Owl - I remember that one too, now.

There's also:

Three little angels, all dressed in white
Tried to get to Heaven on the end of a kite
The Kitestring broke and down they all fell
Instead of going to Heaven, they all went to

Two little angels......

One little angel.... Instead of going to heaven, they all went to

Three little devils, all dresses in red
Tried to get to Heaven on the end of a thread
Thread-string broke and down they all fell
Instead of going to heaven they all went to

Two little devils....

One little devil, all dressed in red
Tried to get to Heaven on the end of a thread
Tread string broke and down they all fell
Instead of going to Heaven they all went to BED!

campfire

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Barbara
Date: 27 May 99 - 01:38 AM

Dublin City:
There were twenty, eighteen, sixteen, fourteen, twelve, ten, eight, six, four, two, none;
Nineteen, seventeen, fifteen, thirteen, eleven, nine, seven, five, three and one.
Round and round the wheel of fortune
Where it stops wearies me
Fair maids they are so deceiving,
Sad experience teaches me.

Little white duck
Inch Worm
Children Go Where I send Thee
Going Up the Valley one by one
Roll me over in the Clover

Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: JB3 (inactive)
Date: 27 May 99 - 03:27 AM

Barbara, as you probably know, there are a couple more verses;

As I was walking thru Dublin City
About the hour of twelve at night
Twas there I saw a fair pretty maid
Washing her feet by candle-light

First she'd wash and then she'd raise them
'Round her shoulders she pegged a towel
And in all me life I ne'er did see
Such a fine young lass upon my soul

The chorus is sung with that unusual counting backwards by 2's; even, then odd numbers. I've always supposed it represented the red and black numbers on the roulette wheel. I've heard this sung to a fast rollicking tune in English folk clubs. The version I know is a slow modal tune, as sung by Burl Ives on an old '78 my parents had. It's one of the family favorites.
June

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: MudGuard
Date: 27 May 99 - 03:37 AM

Does seven drunken nights count here?
It does not count numbers, but days of the week...
Andreas

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Matthew B.
Date: 27 May 99 - 08:24 AM

Wow! These are great.

But I'm surprised that nobody mentioned This Old Man.

Night Owl, your mention of the "Roll Over" song has made it occur to me that there must be a great wealth of counting songs that girls sing when they jump rope.

Do any of you girls (or former girls) have any examples?

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: MMario
Date: 27 May 99 - 08:41 AM

What was the one that was done a lot on "Captain Kangaroo"?

Seven little Bunnies?

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Bert
Date: 27 May 99 - 10:24 AM

When playing "two ball" (That's the game with two tennis balls which were bounced against a wall), my sisters used to sing...

One, two, three, O'Lairy
Four, five, six, O'Lairy
seven, eight, nine, O'Lairy
Ten, O'Lairy over ball.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 May 99 - 01:20 PM

From the seamier side of life, there's:

Roll me Over (in the clover)

and My Baby Rocks Me With a Solid Beat

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Jo Taylor
Date: 27 May 99 - 07:13 PM

...How about those with words in place of numbers, but used for counting, ie:

Eeny meenie miny mo
Catch a ****** by his toe,
If he hollers let him go
Eeny meenie miny mo

Eeny meeny macaraca
Rare rye dominaca
something something something (help!)
Om pom push!

One potato, two potato, three potato, four
Sure there are loads more...?
Jo

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Matthew B.
Date: 27 May 99 - 09:33 PM

Jo -

I was in my twenties before I found out that Eeeny meeny was a racist song in the original. All through my childhood, my friends and I used "catch a tiger by the toe" and never heard it any differently in all that time.

But I don't really think of it as a "counting" song, per se. It's a rhyme used for random selection. By "counting" songs I was referring to those songs that actually played a par in teaching children about numbers.

Even so, I wouldn't condsider the song One is the Loneliest Number to be a counting song, although I kind of think of the song In the Year 2525 as a sort of makes-you-think-about-math-just-a-bit kind of tune.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: alison
Date: 27 May 99 - 10:23 PM

Hi,

we did have a reasonably long thread on "skipping" or "jump rope" songs but I did a search over the lst year and couldn't find it... must have been before then....

anyone else remember what it might have been called?

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From:
Date: 27 May 99 - 11:19 PM

Honey, you can't love one, Honey, you can't love one, You can't love one and still be fun So I'm leaving on the midnight train La-dee-dah, oh boy, toot, toot!

Honey, you can't love two, etc. And still be true So I'm leaving on the midnight train La-dee-dah, oh boy, toot, toot!

Honey, you can't love three And still have me, etc.

Honey, you can't love four And still want more, etc.

Five and stay alive, etc.

Six and still play tricks, etc.

Seven and get to heaven, etc.

Eight and stay out late, etc.

Nine and still be mine, etc.

Ten so kiss me again and forget about the midnight train, La-de-dah, oh boy, toot, toot!

Yeah!

Nancy

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Bert
Date: 28 May 99 - 08:57 AM

Jo,

Our version went


Immenacka rickerracka
Rare rar dominacka
chicka bocka, bocka chicka
om pom push!

Bert.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From:
Date: 28 May 99 - 05:34 PM

Thank you Bert, that's obviously closely related but that wasn't it... any others? Matthew, sorry I went a bit off topic but it just reminded me of the eeny meeny macaraca one - my sister used to say it, I'll have to write to her in Oz & ask!
Jo

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: JZG
Date: 28 May 99 - 05:45 PM

"Eeny meeny miney mo" may not function as a counting song, but I'm told those first four words are indeed counting words, corresponding to "one, two, three, four" in an archaic British dialect (a system used for counting sheep, I believe). Perhaps historically-inclined UK correspondents will know more ...

Anyway, I assume that means some version of the rhyme predates the "original" racist second line, which I assume must have come from America?

Jonathan

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 28 May 99 - 08:18 PM

then ther is:

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and broke his little head. Momma kall the doctor and the doctor said: "no more monkey business jumping on the bed"

Good for children and some adults!

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Susan A-R
Date: 28 May 99 - 10:33 PM

The Bluebird Song.
The chorus goes:

One, you'll have sorrow, Two you'll have joy
Three, get a present, four, get a boy
Five, receive silver, six, receive gold
Seven, a secret that's never been told
Eight, a love letter with promises three
Nine means a true love, as true as can be.

I seem to remember something that started "Three, Six, Nine, the goose drank wine." Sorry, that's as far as that one goes.

Over in the Meadow,

Don't know HOW I remember this one, but as for jump-rope songs . . .

Down in the meadow where the green grass grows,
There sits (girl's name here) pretty as a rose
Along came (boy's name here) kissed her on the cheek
How many kisses does she get in a week?

(Somehow we always ended up counting this one by fives. Guess we were desperate little 9 year olds.)

Susan

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: JB3 (inactive)
Date: 29 May 99 - 02:03 AM

Chickadee

Five little chickadees perched by the door
One flew away and then there were four

(CHO) Chickadee, chickadee, fly away,
Chickadee, chickadee, happy and gay(x2)

Four little chickadees perched in a tree,
One flew away and then there were three

(CHO)

Three little chickadees a'lookin' at you
One flew away and then there were two

(CHO)

Two little chickadees perched in the sun
One flew away and then there was one.

(CHO)

One little chickadee perched all alone
He flew away and then there were none.

(CHO)

This is a fun song to teach children numbers 1-5. It has an infectious rhythm that kids seem to love. I learned this one from Jenny Armstrong and kids at a Knoxville Dance Festival many moons ago.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Night Owl
Date: 29 May 99 - 02:21 AM

An alphabet song we used to use with jumprope and/or bouncing a ball....
"A my name is Alice
My husband's name is Al
We come from Alabama
and we all love Apples

B my name is Barbara
My husband's name is Bob
we come from Boston
and we all love Beans." etc. We also had a counting jumprope/bouncing ball song...I can't remember the beginning verse, but after it, we simply counted from one until a mistake was made. Anyone remember the verse?? Susan A-R...it may have been the one you quoted..but I also seem to remember doing yours by fives instead of from one. Wondering if kids still do this stuff now.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: alison
Date: 29 May 99 - 03:24 AM

Hi again,

Three, Six, Nine, the goose drank wine,
The monkey chewed tobacco on the ?street car line
The line broke, the monkey go choked
and they all went to heaven in a little row boat
clap hands etc...... (this made it into the UK charts sometime in the 80's I think....)

Here's one of those keep counting while you skip ones.

Cinderella, dressed in yella
Went upstairs to see her fella
How many kisses did she get? 1,2,3 etc.... rope gets faster

Over here in Oz we've got "5 little Joeys jumping on the bed".....

slainte

alison

Subject: ADD: Three Chartreuse Buzzards
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 May 99 - 04:03 AM

THREE CHARTREUSE BUZZARDS

Three chartreuse buzzards
Sitting in a dead tree.
Look! One flew A-Way!
What A shame!

Two chartreuse buzzards
Sitting in a dead tree.
Look! One flew A-Way!
What A shame!

One chartreuse buzzard
Sitting in a dead tree.
Look! One flew A-Way!
What A shame!

No chartreuse buzzards
Sitting in a dead tree.
Look! One has RE-turned!
Let us RE-joice!

One chartreuse buzzard
Sitting in a dead tree.
Look! One has RE-turned!
Let us RE-joice!

Two chartreuse buzzards
Sitting in a dead tree.
Look! One has RE-turned!
Let us RE-joice!

Three chartreuse buzzards
Sitting in a dead tree.

(You may want to add a suitable buzzard noice in each verse after "dead tree.")

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Matthew B.
Date: 29 May 99 - 10:38 AM

Wow, these are great!

I started reading your contributions to my wife, and she was able to name some of her own, since after all, she does have the world's cutest job: she teaches dance to public school students, kindergarten through second grade.

A variation on the "roll over" song:
Five lttle monkies jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped [broke] his head
Momma called th doctor and the doctor said
"No more monkies jumping on the bed.

And here's a gem from an album, What's in the Sea? by Lois Skiera-Zucek

At the bottom of the sea, I saw one worm
One worm, one very little worm
At the bottom of the sea, I saw one worm
Surry scurry scurry away

..two turtles

...three eels

Three eels, two turtles, one worm

Cho: One, two, three at the botom of the sea Surry, scurry away from me One, two, three at the botom of the sea Surry, scurry away from me

...four crabs
...five fish
...six seals

Cho

...seven sharks
...eight skates
...nine snails

Cho

At the bottom if the sea I saw ten men
They asked me if I'd sing it again.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Jeri
Date: 29 May 99 - 11:12 AM

Johnathan's words about "eeney, meeney" sent me off on an internet toot, the result being the discovery of a web page with possibly all of the Waterson's song lyrics at Watersons
For textophiles, thats http://hum2mac1.murdoch.edu.au/watersons/links.html

The counting song I was looking for is The Lincolnshire Shepherd at this place
http://hum2mac1.murdoch.edu.au/watersons/lincolnshire.html

Yan, tan, tethera, tethera, pethera, pimp.
Yon owd yowe's far-welted, and this yowe's got a limp
Sethera, methera, hovera, and covera up to dik,
Aye, we can deal wi' 'em all, and wheer's me crook and stick?

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Penny S.
Date: 29 May 99 - 03:13 PM

Sussex shepherds' counting, of sheep in twos:

one-erum, two-erum,
cockerum, shoe-erum
sitherum, satherum
wineberry, wagtail
tarrydiddle, den.

which makes twenty, a score on a stick.

Though my great grandad was a shepherd on the South Downs, I got this from a book, possibly by Bob Copper. I use it at school to count the children into the swimming pool - to their amusement. I heard one saying to another "which one are you?" and comparing where they were in the chant.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Felipa
Date: 29 May 99 - 04:42 PM

the longest one I know is
There was a thousand -legged worm and he began to squirm
"Has anybody seen a leg of mine?"
If it can't be found I'll have to look around for the other ninehundred ninety-nine
Look around, look around, for the other 999
If it can't be found I'll have to look around for the other ninehundred ninety-nine

There was a thousand -legged worm and he began to squirm
"Has anybody seen a leg of mine?"
If it can't be found I'll have to look around for the other ninehundred ninety-eight
Look around, look around, for the other 998
If it can't be found I'll have to look around for the other ninehundred ninety-eight
[and so on]...

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: JB3 (inactive)
Date: 30 May 99 - 03:24 AM

I've a one man, I've a two men to mow down the meadow
I've a three men, I've a four men to carry the hay away
Me four, me three, me two, me one and all lots more
To mow the hay, to carry it away
On a beautiful midsummer's morn.

I've a five men, I've a six men to mow down the meadow
I've a seven men, I've an eight men to carry the hay away
Me eight, me seven, me six, me five
Me four, me three, me two, me one, and all lots more
To mow the hay, to carry it away
On a beautiful midsummer's morn.

Don't know the name of this one, heard it sung by a folk group called Spinning Wheel. Seems to be related to "One Man Shall Mow My Meadow" tho the tune is bouncier.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Philippa
Date: 30 May 99 - 05:27 AM

it seems I learned (in N Ireland) a much simplified version of JB3's contribution:
One man went to mow, went to mow a meadow
One man and his dog, went to mow a meadow

Two men went to mow, went to mow a meadow
Two men, one man and his dow, went to mow a meadow

Three men... three men, two men, one man and his dog (etc)

(the pattern reminds me a bit of the Rattling Bog or The Old Woman who swallowed a fly - but those don't count numbers


There were ten in the bed and the little one said "roll over, roll over"
So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were nine in the bed and the little one said:
"Please remeber to tie a know in your pyjamas,
Single beds were only meant for [shouted:]one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,
[sung]Nine in the bed and the little one said...
....there were eight in the bed and the little one said,
"Please remember...single beds were only meant for 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7,
Eight in the bed....

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: gaelicconquest
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 07:44 PM

Excellt-keep it up

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 07:51 PM

To easy... try:

19, 17, 15, 13
11, 9, 7 an' 5, 3, 1
20, 18, 16, 14
12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, none.

Round and round go the wheels of fortune
Round and round till it wearies me
Young lassie's hearts are so uncertain
Sad experience teaches me

Jon

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: mooman
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 07:51 PM

More mental arithmetic than counting....

As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
Each wife had seven sacks
Each sack had seven cats
Each cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks and wives
How many were there going to St Ives?

....if I remember it correctly (it's been a long time!)

mooman

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Bert
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 10:35 PM

One, two, three O'lairy
My ball's down the Airy
Don't forget to give it to Mary
Not to Charlie Chaplin.

Then there's

Ten green bottles hanging on a wall
Ten green bottles hanging on a wall
And if one green bottle should accidently fall
There'll be nine green bottles, hanging on the wall.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Kaleea
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 01:16 AM

One two, buckle my shoe, three, four, shut the door, five, six, pick up sticks, seven, eight, lay them straight, nine, ten, a big fat hen. Start to count all over again. One, two . . .

and then there's . . .

There was one, there were two, there were three little angels, there were four, there were five, there were six little angels, there were seven, there were eight, there were nine little angels, ten little angels in the band. On wasn't a band, Sunday morning, wasn't it a band, Sunday morning, wasn't it a band, Sunday morning, Ten little angels in the band.

and who can forget:

One elephant went out to play . . .

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 04:56 AM

Five currant buns in a baker's shop
Round and sticky with a cherry on the top
Along came (insert name) with a penny one day
Bought a currant bun and took it away

Four currant buns etc
There's also a Scottish one which begins
Three craws sat upon a wa'
sat upon a wa but I don't know the rest of it

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: The Cat's Whiskers
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 05:29 AM

I think we used to sing this at Girl Guides, accompanied by silly bum-bashing during the "boom boom boom" bit... Hmmm...

Alice the camel has 10 humps Alice the camel has 10 humps Alice the camel has 10 humps So go Alice, Go

(boom boom boom)

Alice the camel has 9 humps...

Until...

Alice the camel has no humps Alice the camel has no humps Alice the camel has no humps So ALICE IS A HORSE!

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 01:39 PM

I think the sheep counting went yan tan tethera pethera pimp (yes, I am serious)

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Penny S.
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 06:31 PM

I have a set of sheep counting rhymes, several being variations on the British (as in Welsh) which gave rise to the yan tan tethera sequence above. I hoped they were on the hard disk, but they are obviously elsewhere. I don't, unfortunately have the provenance for them. I azlso have a set of counting out rhymes, some of which are probably related, either by being derived from the sheep rhymes, or from the original number words. I used them only the other week in school, so I'll post them if anyone's interested. I thought I got them here, so I may not be able to find where I got them from.

Numerically, they are interesting, as they use a five, rather than ten base for the words (apart from the Sussex one above), once past ten.

Yan tan tethera pethera pimp Sethera methera hovera covera dick Yanadick tanadick tetheradick petheradick bunkin Yanabunkin tanabunkin tetherabunkin petherabunkin ......

Bunkin is definitely one of the 15 words. I can't remember 20, and it's not one that can be derived from the others.

Penny

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Penny S.
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 06:36 PM

Yan tan tethera pethera pimp
Sethera methera hovera covera dick
Yanadick tanadick tetheradick petheradick bunkin
Yanabunkin tanabunkin tetherabunkin petherabunkin ......

I should emphasise that the above is NOT necessarily an exact version of a collected rhyme. It is reeconstructed from the ten words above in the thread, plus "bunkin", which is one of a group of similar words, such as "bumfit" and "bumfrey", according to the rule by which all the versions I have were apparently generated. Thew source I used actually omitted "bunkin" from one of the versions, and I ask the children to find out what the missing word is. Soem of them can do it.

Penny

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Penny S.
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 06:40 PM

Twenty could be "diggit", I now recall. And my source was the foot of some poetry books called "Junior Voices" published I think by Pelican. One word per page, One verse per book.

Penny

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 07:16 AM

The verse above is very interesting as the numbers nearly all sound like paraphrased Welsh

1== Un (pronounced een)
2 = Dau (prodounced Die)
3 = tri (tree)
4 = Pedwar (pethera in the verse)
5 = pump (pronounced pimp)
10 = Deg (dick in the verse)
After ten we have

11=Un ar ddeg (which means literally one and ten) and so on. the word "petheradick" could be pedwar a ddeg (14)The word "Bunkin" could be pumtheg (15)

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Hawker
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 03:02 PM

That counting is also very akin to the Cornish -
onan
dew
tri
peswar
pymp
hwegh
seyth
eth
naw
deg

Others not so far mentioned (I think) are

When I was one I plyed the drum
The day I went to sea,
I jumped on board a pirate ship
And the captain said to me
We're going this way, that way, that way, this way
Over the Irish sea,
A bottle of Rum
To warm my tum
And that's the life for me.....

When I was two I lost my shoe the day I went to sea etc....
When I was three I ate my tea etc...
When I was four I ate some more etc. etc. etc.

Four wheels on my wagon!

Oh theres loads more! I'll have to go away and rack my brains!
Lucy

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: 8_Pints
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 04:06 PM

I am fairly certain that these are Cumbrian (hence the close correlation with Cornish & Welsh words).

Jake Thackery sang the song and I'll dig out the LP refernce later.

Bob vG

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Grab
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 04:49 PM

There's the Scottish song Three craws in the DT, which my mum liked as a walking song. Has to be sung in a Scottish accent though.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 05:29 PM

OkScout, you said:

"Honey, you can't love one,
Honey, you can't love one,
You can't love one and still be fun
So I'm leaving on the midnight train
La-dee-dah, oh boy, toot, toot!"

That's similar to the old-time song, Ridin' on that New River Train".

Ridin' on that New River Train,
Ridin' on that New River Train,
My sweetheart said, said she'd rather see me dead
Than ridin' on that New River Train.

Darlin', you can't love one.
Darlin', you can't love one.
You can't love one and have any fun!
Ridin' on that New River Train."

The New River is an actual river, in Tennessee I think. Seems to me I've heard an historical explanation about why it was so undesirable to be seen ridin' on that train, but I disremember it now.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 10:05 AM

Hi! Whiskers, I learned that as "Alison's Camel" and we ended it with ".....a horse, OF COURSE!!!!!" Interesting how children's songs change in the oral tradition.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 12:01 PM

5 little pumpkins sitting on a wall
A witch came riding by
Ha ha ha I'll take you home
and make some pumpkin pie Ha Ha
4 little pumpkins......
Good for Halloween

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: MMario
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 12:22 PM

another thread

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: SharonA
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 02:52 PM

mooman, the St. Ives rhyme sounds just what I learned, with a slight difference in the last line: "How many were going to St. Ives?" But this is more a riddle than an arithmetic song (the answer, of course, being... or shouldn't I tell?).

There are other songs I can think of with numbers of animals, but again they're not counting songs: Six Little Ducks; Three Little Kittens; Three Blind Mice. Then there is a counting song (but NOT with numbers) for toes: This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, etc.

Isn't there a counting-down song with a mother duck mourning the loss of all her offspring in the next-to-last verse, then finding them all in the last verse?

SharonA

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: SharonA
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 04:16 PM

Oh, yes, there's also:

"And it's one, two three, what are we fightin' for?...
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates..."
("Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die" Rag)

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: 8_Pints
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 08:06 PM

The song 8 Pints was referring to was :- Old Molly Metcalf counting sheep, Yan, tan, tether, mether, pip she counted Up upon Swaledale steep and bleak, Yan, tan, tether, mether, pip she said Grow little sheep come rain, come hail Yan, tan etc Fine warm wool for a lady's counterpane Yan, tan, etc

There are several more verses if anyone is interested!

Sue vG

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Jim Cheydi
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 06:24 AM

1 banana, 2 banana, 3 banana, 4/ 4 bananas make a bunch and so do many more/ Over hill and highway the banana buggies go/ Coming up to bring you the banana splits show/

La la la la la la la la la la la la la la/

4 banana, 3 banana, 2 banana, 1/ 4 bananas playing in the bright warm sun/ Flipping like a pancake, popping like a cork/ Fleagle, Bingo, Drooper and Snork/

La la la etc/

Kicking up a mess of fun x3/ Lots of fun for everyone

La la la etc/

1st verse repeat.

Does that count?

How about Steps' immortal '5, 6, 7, 8'?

JC

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: SharonA
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 01:04 PM

What about the intro to the old "Laverne and Shirley" TV show? (I'm not sure of the spelling or pronunciation, but here goes nuthin'):

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight
Schlamiel, schlameizel, Hoffenstaff Incorporated...

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 01:17 PM

THREAD CREEP ALERT:

Related to the counting songs are the alphabet songs. I'll lead off:

A, you're adorable,
B, you're so beautiful,
C, you're a bundleful of charms... etc. etc. ad nauseam.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 06 Jul 01 - 06:14 PM

(Oh, Children) Go where I send thee.
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send you one by one,
One for the little bitty baby that was born in Bethlehem.

[Start over; build each verse like Twelve Days of Xmas.]
I'm not going to recall all the numbers, but search "Go Where I Send Thee" or variants thereof.

Two for Paul and Silas.
Three for the Hebrew children.
Six for the six that couldn't get fixed.
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate.
Etc....

Flanders and Swann [not BTF? Damn age!]did a pseudo-Russian folk song they called "In the Desert." Odin, odin, odin verblud ushol--One camel moves of. They got up to twelve. You had to hear it; point was it was done--or overdone--in imitation of a Jewish cantor with that kind of resonance and intonation. Not exactly a knee-slapper if you just tell it.

Also "Green Grow the Rushes," another one that builds like 12 Days.
I'll sing you one, ho! Green grow the rushes, oh.
What is your one, oh?
One is one and all alone, and everymore shall be it so.
Two, two the lily-white boys, cloth-ed all in green, oh.
Three, three, the rivals.
Four for the Gospel makers.
Five for the symbols at your door.
Six for the six proud walkers.
Seven for the bright stars in the sky.
Eight for the April rainers.
Nine for the nine bright shiners.
Ten for the Ten Commandments.
'leven for the 'leven that went to Heaven.
Twelve for the Twelve Apostles.

CC

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: gaelicconquest
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 06:23 PM

does anyone know who wrote this song or is itv traditional?

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Gareth
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 04:34 PM

The Bells of Aberdovey ?

Gareth

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: The Walrus
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 07:35 AM

A chant rather than a song, but how about the magpie count? This is the version I knew

One for sorrow
Two for mirth
Three for a funeral (or wedding)
Four for a birth
Five for sil'er (silver)
Six is gold
Seven a tale should ne'er be told
Eight is Heaven
Nine is Hell
and Ten is the De'il in his own sel'

5-8 don't seem to quite match with the rest.

Regards

Walrus

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Crazy Eddie
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 04:02 AM

There were ten in the bed, and the little one said
"roll over, roll over"
So they all rolled over and one fell out,
And hit the ground & gave a shout,
"Please remember to tie a knot in your pyjamas, Single beds were only meant for [shouted:]one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,nine".

There were nine in the bed, and the little one said
"roll over, roll over"
So they all rolled over and one fell out,
And hit the ground & gave a shout,
"Please remember to tie a knot in your pyjamas, Single beds were only meant for [shouted:]one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 05:13 PM

A Kentucky counting-out rhyme. Children each place an index-finger on the counter's knee, making a ring of fingers. As he/she touches each finger on the beat of the rhyme, the chant is: William Tremmytoe he's a good waterman,
Catches hens, puts em in pens-
Some lay eggs, some none
Wire, brier, limber-lock,
Three geese in a flock
One flew east, and one flew west
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest
Three little hully-gulls sittin in a spring
O-U-T spells out you go, you
Ol' dirty dish-rag, you!

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 04:05 AM

French one (sorry, no cidillas or accents):

Un kilometre a pieds, ca use, ca use Un kilometre a pieds, ca use mes souliers

Deux...

Oh, and it's "where's my CROOK AND stick" is it? I've been songing it wrong all these years..

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: vindelis
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 06:10 PM

What about 'On the First Day of christmas my true love gave to me a Partridge in a pear tree' etc?

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: rich-joy
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 02:39 AM

refresh

see also LYR ADD : Old Molly Metcalfe

I'm STILL intrigued about these Shepherd Counting rhymes!!!

I just read a novel which mentions that in Suffolk, 1 to 10 was : unna / tina / wether / tether / pinkie / hater / skater / sara / dara / dic

The above posts mention the songs : Old Molly Metcalfe and The Lincolnshire Shepherd, which use these fascinating systems, supposedly relics from the old Celtic languages (pre Nordic and Norman conquest) - is this still thought to be the case?? Are they still in use anywhere?? What about examples from further north??

Maybe I'll start a new thread on this in hopes of some new replies .. Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: CarolC
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 04:05 AM

Clicky for Shepherds Counting Systems : British only thread.

Clicky for LYR ADD : Old Molly Metcalfe thread.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 04:36 AM

forgive my cymraig but what about "y's cany eto"?
no red sheep though!

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: rich-joy
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 05:10 AM

Thanks CarolC!!!!

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: sian, west wales
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 05:37 AM

Mr Red, I think you're referring to "Oes Gafr Eto" (Is there another goat?) ... of which there are many versions. I think I've read that there are some 17 goat-counting songs (Welsh language) recorded.

sian

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Gareth
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 07:30 AM

Just for you Mr Red, sorry but it will have to be goats tho

Oes gafr eto? Oes heb ei godro?
Ar y creigiau geirwon mae'r hen afr yn crwydro
Cytgan:
Gafr wen, wen, wen Ie
Finwen, finwen, finwen
Foel gynffonwen, foel gynffonwen
Ystlys wen a chynffon
Wen, wen wen.

(On repeat increase speed of melody
AND follow with all preceding colors).

Gafr du (etc)
Gafr goch (etc)
Gafr binc (etc)
Gafr lahs (etc)

English by William Cole and Peter J. Stephens

Where is the goat? It's time for milking
Off among the craggy rocks the old goat is wand'ring.
Chorus:
Goat white, white, white
With her lip white, lip white, lip white
With her tail white, with her tail white
With her tail and flank white,
White, white, white.

(On repeat increase speed of melody
AND follow with all preceding colors).

Goat black (etc)
Goat red (etc)
Goat pink (etc)
Goat blue (etc)

The original website source and the Melody can be found Here

Gareth

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 02:54 PM

Just to correct, the colours for 'counting the goats'
Ddu (pronounced Thee) (originally the word for black is 'Du' (pronounced 'Dee') but it is mutated.)
Goch (originaly 'Coch' but mutated)
Binc (originally 'Pinc' etc.,)
Las (originally glas......)

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 06:18 PM

I always thought it was goats, calling it the goat counting shanty but I was corrected last time I requested it so I believed the lass!
Just read the sheep counting thread and counting feet & dividing was qualified by not counting red ones as they were foxes! so I even got my red ones in as well. SORTED

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: BB
Date: 10 Jun 02 - 02:31 PM

One that my husband learnt from his father, who came from Stirling is:

One and one is two, Two and two is four, Four and two is six and six is twelve. Twelve and twelve are twenty-four, Add sixteen and you get two score, A seven and a three make it half a century, And if we have not blundered, Add forty-four and five, And as sure as you're alive, You only need one more to make a hundred!

If anyone knows any more about this song, we'd be delighted to hear.

All the best, Barbara

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: open mike
Date: 10 Jun 02 - 03:53 PM

the most hillarious counting song i have heard is by Trout Fishing in America and it is counting the wheels on a semi truck -- in Latin numerals..! so itgoes: I, II, III IV, but it is sounded out: eye, eye eye, eye eye eye, eye vee, etc. up to eighteen (Ex, VEE, eye eye eye,,,,)then it goes backwards, too.what a hoot!

also green grow the rushes, ho-a bible verse song,... there is the song which uses vowels-I like to eat apples and bananas--which repeats with each vowel- such as I like to OOT OOples and ba noo noos... which is fun to do with signlanguage so people can learn sign language for the vowels...

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From:
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 07:46 PM

Has anyone heard of the song Ho'ven Ho'ven. about a lady who loses her baby while picking blackberries. It has some irish words in it and im not sure exactly how the words are to be said.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Penny S.
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 05:32 PM

This link should help - but you really need to post requests like this in a thread of their own. This doesn't belong in a thread about counting songs.

Lullaby

Penny

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 06:26 PM

One, two, one two three
I love you and you love me.
Three four, three four five
I'm so glad to be alive.
Six seven six seven eight
I was born in Liverpool 8.

The Scaffold, circa 1967

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 18 Apr 03 - 05:52 PM

"The Bluebird Song," referred to earlier in this thread, goes thus:

When I was a young thing once on a day,
Dreaming under my appletree,
A great flock of bluebirds sailing through the sky
Espied my tree as they passed by-
And O, it was a wonderful sight to see
As they settled down to rest in my appletree!
Count them, said my Mother, "How?" said I,
Out of the window came this reply:

One you'll have sorrow, two you'll have joy,
Three get a present, four get a boy.
Five receive silver, six receive gold,
Seven's a secret that's never been told.
Eight a love-letter with promises three,
Nine mean's your truelove'as true as can be.

Only once in a lifetime, the oldfolks say,
The vision of the bluebirds will come your way-
But only if you're dreaming, only if you're still,
Only in an appletree on a green hill.
So stop all your hurrying and worrying away,
And take time for dreaming on a sunny day-
Wait for the bluebirds and when they come along,
Tell your fortune with the bluebird song.

(Spoken) Boys sing it like this:
One you'll have gladness, two you'll have strife,
Three get a present, four get a wife,
Five receive silver (etc. rest of chorus is same as first one)

(Note: When the birds-("flock" can be any number over three- just "count" each bird as you speak the line)rise and fly, whatever you're saying is your fortune...in doing this, use only the chorus. Mom taught me this rhyme, around 1926, and the rest of the song, and the tune, I made up when telling the story to my little boys at bedtime, about forty-one years ago- hence the "boys" words on the second chorus!) Jean Ritchie

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: denise:^)
Date: 19 Apr 03 - 12:49 AM

One, two, three, four, five--
I caught a fish alive!
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten--
I let him go again!

Why did you let him go?
Because he bit my finger so!
Which finger did he bite?
The little one on the right!

and

Five brown buns in the bakery shop,
Five brown buns with sugar on the top.
Along came a man with a penny to pay,
He looked in the window, and he took one away.

Four brown buns... (etc.--we alternate "man" and "woman" until the last verse)

Three brown buns...

Two brown buns...

One brown bun...

No brown buns in the bakery shop,
No brown buns with sugar on the top.
Along came a kid with a penny to pay,
He looked in the window, but he just went away.

--Denise:^)

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From:
Date: 02 Oct 03 - 10:18 PM

One, two, three
The devil's after me
Four, five, six
He's always throwing bricks
Seven, eight, nine
He misses every time
Halleluiah, Halleluiah, Amen

One from 50+ years ago in vacation bible school.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: PageOfCups
Date: 03 Oct 03 - 07:54 PM

About those sheep-counting rhymes... I bet Meredith Willson was familiar with them. Remember the scene in The Music Man during the July 4th "exercises" in the gym? The Mayor's wife counts to twenty "in the Indian tongue." I can't locate a text of what she chants, but in my memory of the movie it sure sounds close to those sheep rhymes.

Can anybody come up with Mrs. Shinn's chant to compare the two?

PoC
who notices something new about The Music Man every time she sees it...

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 03 Oct 03 - 08:24 PM

Yan tan tethera & associated British counting systems have been closely examined in This thread which I have requested be included atop this page

Nigel

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST,Sheleighli
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 12:09 AM

Help, I need to know if anybody has a reliable source that has the original date of this song. I know that it is an old spiritual and was sung during slave times. But I as of yet have not been able to find it. Thanks so much.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From:
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 12:36 AM

sorry I didn't leave my email [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST,Sarah
Date: 20 Feb 04 - 09:36 PM

Cinderella,
Dressed in Yella,
Went upstairs to kiss her fella,
By mistake,
She kissed a snake,
How many doctors did it take?
ONE..Two..Three (Et Cetera)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~**~
Wasen't there a song that said how many children you would have? If you know it I'd be glad to know ^.^

Subject: ADD Version: Three Craws
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 04:22 PM

The one about the three crows is

THREE CRAWS

Three craws sat upon a wa', sat upon a wa', sat upon a wa',
Three craws sat upon a wa
On a cold and frosty morning.

The first craw couldna flee at a',...

The second craw fell an' broke it ja',...

The third craw was greetin' for it's ma,...

The fourth craw wasna there at a',...

An' that's a' we ken aboot the craws,....

-- The University of St. Andrews Students' Union Song Book (1958)

There is a lovely one for telling your fortune by counting the birds in a tree, but I've forgotten which record I have it on.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST,Uly
Date: 16 Jun 09 - 10:18 PM

"Isn't there a counting-down song with a mother duck mourning the loss of all her offspring in the next-to-last verse, then finding them all in the last verse?"

Ugh, yes.

Five little ducks went out to play
Over the hills and far away
Mama duck said "Come back quack quack"
But only four little ducks came back

(And so on until the last duck is gone)

Now SAAAAD Mama duck said "quack quack quack quack"....
And all the little ducks came running back!

The tune is very similar to that OTHER duck song

Five little ducks that I once knew
Short ones, fat ones, a yellow one too
But the one little duck with a feather on his back
He led the others with a Quack, quack, quack!

I've had to sing those songs so very much these past few years. I love my nieces, truly I do, but I'm So Tired Of Those Songs!

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 10:00 AM

Because the thread about Poontang went sideways around this post...

Further versions of William Tremmytoe posted by Kytrad

Wire briar, limber lock.
Six geese in a flock.
One flew east.
One flew west.
One flew over
The cuckoo's nest

I found other versions of a counting rhyme at funtrivia.com, cited by a WikiPedia article on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

William Trimmytoes

Tingle, tingle, tremble toes
She's a good fisherman
Catches hens
Puts 'em in pens
Some lay eggs.
Some lay none.
Wire, blier, limer lock
Three geese inna flock
One flew east,
One flew west,
One flew over the cuckoo's nest
O-U-T spells out
Goose swoops down and plucks you out

And

William Matrimmatoe

William Matrimmatoe
He's a good fisherman.
He catches hens,
Puts them in pens.
Some lay eggs.
Some lay none.
William Matrimmatoe
He's a good fisherman.
Wire, briar, limber, lock.
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east.
One flew west.
One flew over the cuckoo's nest.
Wire, briar, limber, lock.
Out goes you, old dirty dish rag, you.

Go visit the linked page. There's quite a bit of useful commentary and more versions.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Joe_F
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 08:35 PM

2, 4, 6, 8!
Who do we appreciate?
Mudcat! Mudcat! Rah!

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Uly
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 09:56 PM

"Hi! Whiskers, I learned that as "Alison's Camel" and we ended it with ".....a horse, OF COURSE!!!!!" Interesting how children's songs change in the oral tradition."

And *I* learned that as "Sally Ann the Camel". I sang it to my niece, and she promptly decided it must be "Sally *and* the camel *have* so-and-so many humps" - she doesn't seem to think it's strange that Sally randomly becomes a horse at the end of her version!

On topic, I learned as a child:

1, 2, 3, 4
Mary at the kitchen door
5, 6, 7, 8
Eating cherries off a plate

though I've also heard it

2, 4, 6, 8
Mary at the garden gate
Eating cherries off a plate

*thinks*

I think you can say it in French as well...?

Speaking of French, my mother, a Belgian, taught us as children to sing a marching song. I've long since loosely translated it into English for my own nieces:

One mile by foot
It uses, it uses
One mile by foot
It uses up my shoeses!

Two miles...

There's a longer version of it here, but I don't sing it that way :)

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Martha Burns
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 10:07 PM

Don't give up so quickly on "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." Years ago, Frank Hall (then of Bloomington, Ind., now living in Ireland) was sharing an Amtrak train car with a large troop of Girl Scouts, whose singing actually wore him out. In response, he made up this very nice variation on "100 Bottles of Beer."

    It goes,
             "A hundred bottles of beer on the wall,
             A hundred bottles of beer,
             Take one down, put it back up,
             A hundred bottles of beer on the wall."

It's quite a long song, ... much longer, even, than the original.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 08:54 AM

I'm looking for children's counting songs for a play I'm writing. Looked through all the wonderful entries here. Don't think I saw the lyrics to "One Little Duck." Three little ducks, floating in the water, three little ducks doing what they oughtter, they ...... on a lily pad, ..... and they said "We're sad." Now there's two little ducks... etc.

Can anybody help with the full lyrics?

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Snuffy
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 03:12 PM

It's actually called Little White Duck and Google will let you choose from Danny Kaye, Burl Ives and many others.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST,paco rabanne
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 03:26 PM

2 4 6 8 motorway. Tom Robinson Band 1978. Oh, 100 by the way...

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST,Keeneyes
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 01:23 AM

How about:

Sittin in my boat Warmin in the countin alot of fishes havin' lots of fun
How many fishes swimming under me? Pair them up by 2's and count them with me.

2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18
20 That's the end of my set!
X2
Theres alot of songs go to
Skipcountinsongs.com and you will see songs for your toddler or infant.

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 07:47 PM

I see that this thread has had several spasms of activity, over several years, so I'm a little surprised that no-one has yet mentioned the antidote to counting songs: "Ten sticks of dynamite".

Richard

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: beeliner
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 08:45 PM

Nearly all of the above mentioned involve cardinals.

For ordinals, it's hard to beat 'Seven Old Ladies Locked in a Lava-t'ry'.

Anyone recall the lyrics?

Subject: RE: Counting Songs-five crows
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 11 - 02:06 PM

Counting Songs-five crows

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Mar 13 - 11:39 AM

I am visiting New Orleans on "spring break" (my wife is a teacher). Yesterday we took a bus tour of the city. Our driver/tour guide was a lifelong NO resident, about 60+ years old. As he drove by the French Market, which is now filled with tourist-oriented shops, he explained that in his youth it was mainly a fruit-and-vegetable market. He said when he was a kid he would go down there early in the morning, before school, and the merchants would pay him to help unload produce from trucks. Watermelons, for example, had to be counted as you unloaded them, and the workers would sing "counting songs."

I asked him: "Sing us a counting song." He said, "I can't" but he explained that any song or hymn that you already knew could be turned into a counting song—you just sing numbers instead of words.

So a counting song, in this context, is a kind of work song.

Anybody know anything more about this?

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Sanjay Sircar
Date: 27 Mar 13 - 08:09 PM

FIVE currant buns in the baker's shop
Fat and brown with the sugar on the top
A boy came in to the shop one day
Paid his money and took one right away!

FOUR.... etc.

I leant this the first day of nursery school in Calcutta, 1959, from Mrs Winifred Ray, an englishwoman.

I *think* Eleanor Farjeon in her autobiography has a reference to this song, from HER childhood.

If not, she certainly has one to a poem, which I also learnt (1964), which is tangentially relevant to the teaching numbers topic here, about a boy getting numbers and measures of things in the verbal shopping list his mother has given him mixed up in his head: "A pound of tea at one and three/A pot of strawberry jam/A dozen pegs/Four new-laid eggs/And a pound of rashers of ham." etc. ending "...And a pound of rashers of jam!" Farjeon dates this to the 1880s, I think...

Sanjay Sircar

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Mo the caller
Date: 28 Mar 13 - 06:46 AM

I googled that poem, Going on an Errand
It reminded me of a more recent telling of the same story - Don't Forget the Bacon by Pat Hutchins. I loved that book when my children were small. The shopping list gets hopelessly and fantastically garbled though the last item stays the same "and don't forget the bacon". He stops at all the right shops and the shopkeepers help him to decode things so he takes his basketful home - "oh, I forgot the bacon"

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: GUEST,Kurt Cooper
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 05:46 PM

I remember

Noah surely knew a
Good thing when he threw a
Party on his great big ark
He knew that countin' by two
Was easy even in the dark.

First came two gorillas
Then two armidillas
Now the score was up to four

Then came two kangaroos
That added up to six here's more

Subject: RE: Counting Songs
From: Bert
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 11:27 PM

Exponential Blarney by Bert - Tune: Back to Donegal

If you go to Ireland
and you have a tale to tell
Well they'll tell you a couple back
And tell 'em twice as well

Chorus:
For two to one's the deal me lads
the best you've ever known
for everyone in Ireland
has kissed the Blarney Stone.

Now you've got three stories
You're really in a fix
If you tell 'em to a friend me boys
He'll come back with six.

Chorus

Now you've got nine stories
and as sure as Ireland's green
You tell 'em to a neighbor
and he'll tell you eighteen

Chorus

Now I've twenty seven stories
and if I tell them to you
You'll have to tell me fifty four
before this day is through

Chorus

And if you keep telling stories
As you go from door to door
You'll have fifty million stories
that you've never heard before.

Chorus