Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?

Subject: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jan 12 - 11:34 PM

I've found a bunch of really helpful threads on here re: scary folk/trad songs, but can anyone recommend any tunes that are meant for kids? Any suggestions for songs people sang that kept you up nights?

Great community and a great bunch of folks- really excited to have run across mudcat- thanks a million!

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jan 12 - 11:41 PM

Lady All Skin and Bones is a good one, Casey.
The Cremation of Sam McGee is a poem that works well with kids older than about fifth grade.
Welcome to Our House is more gruesome than scary, but kids like it (and so do I).
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: Bert
Date: 08 Jan 12 - 11:46 PM

I 'ope that the gizzard and the bones and the Parson's Nose
sticks in yer throat and 'erts ya
oo oo oo, oo oo oo,
gobble gobble gobble gobble gertcha!

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jan 12 - 11:57 PM

I dunno, Bert - that pig song is pretty scary when you sing it....

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 03:56 PM

The scriest ever kid song is "And The Cat Came Back," properly done.

They made a really jolly little movie short out of it years ago, and scared the $@%!# out of all the kids, some of whom are even older than I am and still run from stray cats.

Burl Ives Songbook (ca 1950?) had a version in it, but it shouldn't be foisted off on young kids now that it's faded somewhat.

John

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: caseyabrams
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 11:21 PM

Thank you all for the suggestions so far!

Rolf Harris has a great version of "The Cat Came Back', John.

And Joe, that Shel Silverstein song is great- I bet he has a dozen or more contenders.

Do you think 'Mrs. Ravoon' and 'Long Lankin' have any precedent as kids songs? I'm surprised sometimes at what turns up on kids records- like The Clancy Bros doing 'A Man of Double Deed'...

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 10 Jan 12 - 09:26 AM

A great favorite of mine is "Nobody There." It evokes those terrified nightttimes in childhood when you don't dare move a muscle ... etc. I found the first verse all by itself on the web somewhere, wrote a tune so I could sing it, added a repeating chorus and wrote two more verses. The tune in simplest possible ABC form, repeated through the first 8 lines so you can see how it varies:

C D D D D .G .G .G C
C D D G G E
E D D G G E E C
C D .G C

D .G C E
D G G E
D D G G E C
D .G .G C

NOBODY THERE (BONNY LIT THE CANDLE)
1st verse believed traditional; added verses Bob Coltman)

There's somebody under the bed,
Whoever can it be?
The skeleton, the skeleton,
Away flies he.

I call Bonnie,
Bonnie come in,
Bonnie lit the candle,
Nobody there.

CHO
Nobody there,
Nobody there,
Bonnie lit the candle,
Nobody there.

2. There's somebody under the bed,
Waiting to bite,
Don't put your hand down
This whole night.

CHO

3. There's somebody under the bed,
Scary as sin!
Bonnie, Bonnie,
Bonnie, come in.

Crawl under the covers,
Hold me tightm
Don't let go of me
This whole night.

CHO2
This whole night,
This whole night,
Don't let go of me
This whole night!

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 10 Jan 12 - 10:06 AM

How about Tom Lehrer's Irish Ballad? I think it would really appeal to kids (did to mine when they were younger). Nice and gruesome, and all about a young girl killing off her family--what could be better?

Lyrics are in the DT here.

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 11 Jan 12 - 07:54 AM

His "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" is in similar vein. I met them at late teenage, don't know how suitable you'd think them for children.

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 11 Jan 12 - 08:50 AM

Funny-scary, not terrifying-scary:

I'm Being Swallowed by a Boa Constrictor

and

Don't Go Down Into The Quarry In the Middle of the Night

both recorded by Peter, Paul & Mary

Subject: RE: Scary/Supernatural Children's Songs?
From: caseyabrams
Date: 14 Jan 12 - 10:06 PM

Great stuff- thanks all! 'Boa Constrictor' is Shel Silverstein, too! He's the one to watch for scary kids tunes, evidently.   I'll check out the other Peter, Paul and Mary tune, as well. I remember Tom Lehrer wrote a scary tune about the prefix "-ly" for "The Electric Company"...