Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Apr 24 - 04:15 AM

My mother used to sing this song to me and my bothers and sisters

There once was a dear old grandma
who used to look after me
and when I was in trouble
she would sit me on her knee
one night while I was sleeping
tucked in so cozy and warm
an angel came from heaven
and told me my grandma's gone
I woke up in the morning
To see if it was true
My grandma's gone to heaven
The sky is so bright and blue

So children obey your parents and do as you are told because if you lose your parents
you lose your best befriend's in the world

I've changed cozy bed to cozy and warm so it rhymed with gone instead of dead as it made me sad to hear it as a child so I changed it and that's what I sing to my children.

My mother said she learnt the song from her mother
I used to think it was about my grandma that passed before I was born

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST,Anonymous
Date: 08 Mar 24 - 01:43 AM

I would to share a story that my family was told about this song when I was young. I am now 75 years old.
To start off, my maternal grandfather was a local poet in his hometown. He used to write poems. He passed away in 1958. According to the, as told by his cousin in law, the lyrics was
written by my grandfather. The paper was taken from my grandfather & was made into a song. My grandfather was never given a credit for writing it.
I am not sure if this is accurate and I not trying to take credit for it. I just want to share what the family knew for so long about this song.
Nonetheless, it is a beautiful song with beautiful lyrics dedicated to mothers.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST,Lisa
Date: 23 Aug 21 - 04:11 PM

My Mom also sang this song to us as kids. I to sang it for my son. My mom was born in 1949 in a small Caribbean island called Trinidad.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST,#
Date: 03 Apr 21 - 09:08 AM

"Mother Song" was on a 45 rpm released in 1970 by Nora Aunor. There also was a movie that was released in 1970(?) entitled 'Mother Song' and Eddie Peregrina sings the song in the movie. I guess it was a big hit in the Philippines.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST,#
Date: 03 Apr 21 - 08:45 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV_pK54e7Tc

Song sung here with lyrics on the screen.

Thank you to the poster from 04 Mar 12 - 02:47 AM (and two other dates).

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST,BP
Date: 03 Apr 21 - 12:36 AM

this is april 2, 2021 in new jersey USA: A friend we visited, we were talking about old songs and she said she remembered a song her grandmother would sing to her when she was very young. Her grandmother is german and irish she said. My friend was born in 1934 so this was right before 1940. I told her i would serch and i found this site. She said the title might be Obey your parents children. But the words are very close to everyone's listed above. One part i wrote down: an angle flew from heaven and told me she was dead. When i awoke in morning, i found my dream came true, and now she's up in heaven, above the world so blue........Sadly no one can give the true provenance of the sound, but she will be glad that indeed others have heard it and chronicled it here. Thank you everyone.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST,New Guest
Date: 31 Mar 19 - 06:26 AM

I'm in my 70's and my mum used to sing this to me as a child. She was from Scotland. I have been surprised at the different versions. It is a very emotional song and it can still bring a tear to my eyes. I always remember it this way.

I once had a nice dear mother
who was always good to me
And when I was in trouble
she'd sit me on her knee.

One night as I lay sleeping
Upon my little bed
An Angel came from heaven
And told me my mummy was dead.

I woke up in the morning
to find that it was true
My mummy had gone to heaven
up in the skies so blue.

So listen all you children
Tho you be big or small
That when you lose your mummy
You lose the best friend of all.

They are all very

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Sep 18 - 07:10 PM

My mother who was Glaswegian sang her version

I once had a dear old mother, who was very kind to me, for when I was in trouble she sat me on her knee ....

One night as I was sleeping upon a feathered bed an angel came from heaven and told me ma was dead.

I woke up I’m the morning to see if this was true, yes Mom had gone to heaven upon the skies so blue..... so children obey your Parents and do as you are told;for once you lose your mother you lose a heart of gold

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST,brady
Date: 07 Apr 17 - 12:30 AM

My mother taught me this song from her mother,my grandmother.
I always wanted to find who wrote it or where it came from.
I sing this song on you tube.James brady mother song.
I had a dear old mother sweet as she could be.
Nora aunor recored this beautiful.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jan 17 - 03:26 PM

My mother, who grew up in an orphanage, used to sing this to me. Then, as the result of one of my father's beatings, which she normally survived-despite their extreme, vicious violence-this time her pregnancy compromised things and she died. I was seven, and she had truly been as loving a mother as humanly possible. I cannot hear it, even at age seventy, without crying.

What she had sung went as follows (and fits the meter of the melody better than some reconstructions):

I had a dear old mother,
And dearly she loved me
And when I was in trouble,
She took me on her knee.

One night as I lay sleeping,
Alone upon my bed
An angel came and whispered
And told me she was dead.

Next morning when I woke up
I found the words were true
My mother was in heaven
Above the sky so blue.

So obey your mother children
No matter big or small
For when you lose your mother
You lose the best of all...

(I think there's variations on the second and third lines of the second verse).

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 03:37 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP7EpOTOfo8

You can hear the complete song at that Youtube link.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 01:44 PM

Once I had a mother, who meant the world to me and when I got in trouble she'd nurse me on her knee. That night as I was laying upon my feather bed, an angel came from heaven and said your momma's dead. Next I woke up early, to see if it was true, no momma there she's gone to sky's are blue. Now children obey your mother and do as you are told coz when you lose your mother you lose your heart of gold

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 12 - 02:53 AM

You can hear the song from you tube. Search Nora Aunor - Mother Song

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 12 - 02:47 AM

Pls go to you tube then search Nora aunor mother song

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST,Cleo Tolentino - Philippines
Date: 15 Oct 11 - 02:57 AM

I friend sung this just this week but wasn't able to finish the song as she ended crying remembering her children who drove her away from home. She is not living happily with us at the St. Theresa de Journet, Little Sisters Home for the Elderly where we find our place under the sun with the love and care of the Little Sisters.

I one of the lucky mother so much loved by her children.

Subject: RE: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 04:00 PM

I heard it from a girl in school when I was young . I once had a dear old mother who was very kind to me and if I was in trouble she'd sit me upon her knee. One night as I lay sleeping upon my feather bed, an angel came from heaven and told me my mom was dead. And when I woke next morning to see if it were true, my mom had gone to heaven above the skies so blue. So listen all you children and do as you are told cause if you've lost your mother, you've lost your heart of gold.

Subject: Origins: I Once Had A Dear Old Mother
From: ScottishVoice
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 06:20 PM

Hoping some 'catters can help here.

My mum used to sing this song to me when I was little and she learnt it fromy her dad. My grandad maintains he heard it from a Geordie just after WWII. He doesn't know any more about it though. I now sing it to my boys (even thought it makes me cry!!) and would love to find out a bit more about it.

Lyrics:

I once had a dear old mother Who thought the world of me And when I was in trouble She sat me on her knee.

One night as I lay sleeping Upon my little bed An angel came from heaven and told me mum was dead.

When I awoke next morning To see if it were true My mum had gone to heaven Above the skies so blue.

So listen all ye children Young, old or small When you lose your mother You lose the best of all.

Any info greatly appreciated.