 sj |
||
|
||
Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know
|
|
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy Date: 16 May 02 - 09:53 AM many of these mentions would be on my list of songs consigned to the dung heap of history, NEVER EVER to be sung especcially Puff the Magic Dragon, useless, (but that is a whole other thread) Yellow Submarine! Please! as if! a FEW decent ones though on the list. On idea might be for everyone to scroll through the DT alphabetically and tick off the songs 1, they know, 2, they sing, 3, they think everyone should sing. Not that many of the lot, I should think. but one song that everyone SHOULD know AND sing, is the Maori Farewell Song, 'Now is the Hour' words & music here: http://members.tripod.com/NZFolkie/poatarau/ |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: DMcG Date: 16 May 02 - 10:10 AM The thing about "Yellow Submarine" is that it is a song that everyone - five years and up - actually does seem to know. As such, it has a value in social situations that songs I would think of as better, such as "Prince Heathen", cannot provide. Take any coach outing and start singing Yellow Submarine and everyone will join in. Try that with most of the music I love and you'll be doing a solo. I would not advocate teaching people people to SING Yellow Submarine, but I would certainly be happy use it to teach simple rhythms and basic melodies. If kindergarten kids can them go back home and play the tune and have people recognise it, then that's great and makes it well worth a place on my list! |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: 53 Date: 16 May 02 - 10:31 AM My Girl, Cotton Fields, Rocky Top, Double shot, just to name a few more. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,Bugsy @ Work Date: 16 May 02 - 11:13 AM Thank you very much DMcG! I'm not a guest, by the way, I'm just on the work computer. Forgot to put in the old nickname. Whoops! CHeers Bugsy |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,Sara Jane Date: 08 Mar 08 - 10:57 PM I agree with many of the songs mentioned, most of which are very common. But there are some excellent historical songs that very clearly express pivital points in history I think should be taught more than they are. Off the top of my head these include: Blacksmith of Brandywine (American Revolution) March on Fort Sackville (Seige against a French fort in Indiana during French & Indian War) Marching to Georga (Civil War song) Lorena (Civil war Song) Battle of Shilo Hill (Song imortalizing one of the Bloodiest battles of the civil war. Bread and Roses (Union Song) Solidaridy Forever (Union Song) Byker Hill (Mining Song) Blantyre Explosion (Song about a Mining Disaster) Drill ye Tarrers Drill (Mining Song) |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: Richard Bridge Date: 09 Mar 08 - 07:52 AM Hmm. Very few English songs that anyone ought to know it seems. Surely almost all English know at least part of "My old man (said follow the van)" and "Any Old Iron" and probably a few bits of "Sam Hall". "Leaving of Liverpool" is English too please. And of course "the Wild Rover". "Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner". Perhaps a few snatches of "The Foggy foggy Dew" "Dirty Old Town" "Liverpool Lullaby" (didn't Cilla Black record it?) "A mother was washing her Baby one night" (recorded by Cream) "A long way to Tipperary" (Irish, but British Army marching song) "Colonel Bogey" "Pack up your troubles" Surprisingly, "Men of Harlech" is not on the Welsh list. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: Stringsinger Date: 09 Mar 08 - 01:52 PM OK, here's where I stand. Dick is right in that every song mentioned here would not be good in a group setting but there are many that would. I'm not sure about the selections offered that everyone should know these. I believe that everyone should know folk songs that contain good choruses. A good chorus is an entry level for people wanting to learn the whole song. I'm surprised that Pete Seeger's repitiore was not mentioned here. He has done more to get folks to sing folk songs than almost anyone. I had a thread sometime back asking folks to suggest songs that had good singable choruses. I didn't get any responses. I am collecting these songs now and have an extensive list. I'm not sure I want to hear many people sing "My Funny Valentine". It would be a nightmare of epic proportions particularly played with five-string banjo accompaniment. "Blue Skies" might work though. This is a folk music site so I had hoped that there would be more folk songs mentioned than the standard pop songs of the Twenties, Thirties etc. Songs like "Nine Pound Hammer", "This Land is Your Land", variations of "Lowlands Low" (which has a great chorus), "Beans, Bacon and Gravy".....in other words, songs that have a tradition and history and not pop necessarily. There are so many folk songs that people ought to know reflecting their respective traditions, cultures and histories that would be more useful than the commercial music industry output. Variations for example of "The Wind and The Rain"...Horton Barker's "Two Sisters" which has the great chorus of "Bow and Balance to Me", some of the American cowboy songs such as "Strawberry Roan", "Old Chisholm Trail" and others like that. How about some of the traditional Appalachian songs that have great choruses, "Jubilee", "Goin' Down to Cairo", even the standard "Cindy" and "Old Joe Clark". Play Party Songs, Spirituals, In the Irish trad,there are quite a few mentioned above. "Wild Mountain Thyme" or "Paddy's Green Shores" "I'll Tell Me Ma" but what about the beautiful "Down In The Valley"? ("Connemara Cradle Song") In short, get away from the standard pop fare of any of the years and concentrate on all the wonderful folk songs that are not being sung today that people should know. Frank Hamilton |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST Date: 10 Mar 08 - 09:01 AM Hi Richard I'd inlclude those as well - done most of them at some time or another. And of course you can always do for the price of one, and get half the audience singing 'Tipperary' whilst the other half sing 'Pack Up Your Troubles' Which lyrics are you suggesting for Co. Bogey? Bernard |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: skarpi Date: 10 Mar 08 - 09:09 AM well all ,in what country ? you r not going sing " god bless america " or " God bless USA " in Europe or here in Iceland , I dont know about England , and most of the at least those 42 songs are from US only few Irish ., so I say in what country I can easy play 50 songs from Iceland , but only few people would know those songs if I would sing them here . but good effort go on , its nice to see what people are doin ATB Skarpi Iceland |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,Sammy Rich Date: 10 Mar 08 - 10:28 AM Well, this has been a good exercise. I found the more I worked on my list the more painfully aware that now I should go and learn these 50 songs myself. At the least, this is what I consider are a fairly well rounded, excluding much of the european, mid-east, far east, south american, central american and anywhere else but here in the good ole USA. Sorry world, we have adopted many of your good songs and forgotten the rest. My list follows. Eatin Goober Peas When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again Elephant Fair, Bessie Jones Juba, Bessie Jones Where are you Going, My Pretty Little Miss? Jean Ritchie Shady Grove, almost anyone's version Froggie Went a Courtin, Wooing, etc., at least two versions Mary Mack, the British version Coonshine, Bessie Jones The Beggarman, Clancy Brothers Sittin' on the dock of the Bay, Otis St. James Infirmary, both in a minor and a major key Minnie the Moocher, Cab Callaway Motherless Children What a Day for a Daydream, John Sebastian In the Pines, In the Pines African American Spirituals 1 of 5 - you pick em African American Spirituals 2 of 5 - you pick em African American Spirituals 3 of 5 - you pick em African American Spirituals 4 of 5 - you pick em African American Spirituals 5 of 5 - you pick em Black Jack Davie Blues Stay Away from Me, Doc Precious Lord, Doc's version Keep on the Sunny Side Life Is Like a Mountain Railroad Star in the East (sacred harp song) Almeeda Riddle Beryuzoviye Kalyechke, Russian Gypsy, Theodore Bikel Rock-a-bye Baby Wondrous Love Wayfarin' Stranger Hame afore the gale, Murray Shoolbraid The Purple People Eater The Drunken Sailor Draw Me a Bucket of Water, Bessie Jones Ring a round the Rosie Home, Home on the Range America the Beautiful Hatikvoh Virgin Mary, Joan Baez As I Went Down in the Valley to Pray, Doc The Parting Glass Auld Lang Syne Broom o'er the Cowdenknowes I Wished I was a Rock. Alex Campbell Eileen Aroon All Along the Watchtower Oh Death, Dock Boggs Hush Little Baby All the Pretty Little Horses |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) Date: 10 Mar 08 - 12:03 PM "NEVER EVER to be sung especcially Puff the Magic Dragon, useless" personally I'll sing Puff the Magic Dragon just as often as my youngest wants to hear it. Maori farewell songs are not a big part of my cultural background, so forgive if I give them a miss. Charlotte (whistle while you work) |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: topical tom Date: 10 Mar 08 - 01:27 PM "Peace Will Come" by Tom Paxton.It's on this site |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: topical tom Date: 10 Mar 08 - 01:40 PM Another full version albeit not done by Tom Paxton. It's here. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: dulcimerman Date: 15 Aug 08 - 07:59 AM Does any one have the lyrics for Hog Calling Time. the one I am looking for starts out as best I can remember, When its hog calling time in the valley I'll be calling my darling to you. dulcimerman |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 15 Aug 08 - 11:46 AM Are you sure it's a song, dulcimerman? That sounds like one of those joke titles for an imaginary country song. Somebody commented somewhere above that these lists are slanted toward 'the old folkie.' Actually, I think they contain older songs because very few current songs have a melody. I have tried to define melody, and I've decided that melody is the mysterious characteristic that makes a set of notes easy to remember. Thus, songs with a good melody end up on lists of songs to teach other people. I appreciate the effort people have gone to in making these lists. I have perused them and found 15 tunes to try out for my mtn dulcimer repertoire. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: Big Al Whittle Date: 15 Aug 08 - 04:26 PM I always liked the Jolson songbook particularly You made me love you By By Blackbird April Showers fred Astaire had some good hits as well Isn't this a lovely day to be caught in the rain the Way you look tonight and two songs from the Roaring Twenties Movie It had to be you I'm just wild about Harry |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: dulcimerman Date: 15 Aug 08 - 08:59 PM Yes When its hog calling time in the valley is a song. My parents used to have a 78 record. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 16 Aug 08 - 12:58 PM Okay. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,Anna-wa Date: 16 Oct 08 - 09:13 PM 1. Polly Wolly Doodle 2. Rock-A My Soul 3. The National Anthem And oh too many to name. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 17 Oct 08 - 03:50 PM Rock-a my soul! Thanks. You have given me an idea for the offertory song this Sunday. Rock-a my Soul followed by Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. It will contrast the innocent acceptance of childhood (esp. Girl Scouts) with the peaceful countenancing of death. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 17 Oct 08 - 04:01 PM When this thread comes up, I scan it for new songs to play on the dulcimer. The idea of 'fifty songs everyone should know' can be interpreted two ways. One way is 50 songs that are very well known, so that the person who doesn't know them is left out. This would explain such titles as Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer and Yellow Submarine. The other definition would be 50 songs everyone should know because they are of high quality or convey something worth thinking about. I'm not complaining or advocating, just observing. ========= In case anybody else is looking for tunes to play, I am adding my list of songs for the dulcimer, along with the starting note. Songs for dulcimer in D-A-A tuning Across the wide Missouri/ Shenandoah---------- A Adieu, Madras A All creatures of our God and king----------------- D All my trials (blues) A All through the night--------------------------------- D Annie Laurie F# Aran boat song B As we march-ed down to Fenario......................D Ascot gavotte (key of A) C# Ash grove A Auld lang syne -------------------------------------- A Aura Lee ........................................................ A Banks of the sweet primroses D Barcarolle=========================== F# Beautiful savior--------------------------------------- D Believe me if all these endearing young charms F# Bendemeer's stream--------------------------------- A Bicycle built for two=================== hi A Blest are they A Blind Mary..........................................E, key of A Braw lads o' Galla water C# Bridget O'Malley ===================A (6.5) Bright morning stars are shining F# or C# Camptown races...............................................E Can ye sew cushions =================== F# Cockles and mussels A Colorado trail (blues) .................................... C# Come all ye pretty maidens, wherever ========D Come Christians, for to sing------------------------ D Come, lord, come lord Jesus (maranatha) F# Come ye faithful, raise the strain D Come ye shepherds (Infant lowly)...................A lo Country gardens (key of A) hi A Courante - Praetorius =================== A Day now is done, there's a star..west D Deck the hall................................................ hi A Deryn pur A hi Dillon Bay............................................. C# (6.5) Dona nobis pacem D Down by the Riverside....................................F# Down by the sally gardens---------------------------D Down in the valley A Drink to me only with thine eyes........................C# Country gardens.............................................A hi Fanny Power A Farewell to Ballymony -------------------------------E Farewell to Tarawathie .D First Noel =======================F# or C# Flow gently, sweet Afton--------------------------- A For the beauty of the earth D Galway Bay------------------------------------------ E Go tell aunt Rhodie F# God of day and God of Darkness D Grandfather's clock A Guantanamera ======================== D Happy Farmer A Happy Wanderer -------------------------E, key of A He flies thru the air with the greatest of ease........ He is an Englishman G He shall feed his flock ================ A hi Here I am, lord--------------------------------------- D Hector the hero.............................................A lo Hi lili, hi lili hi lo A lo Holly and the Ivy D Holy God, we praise thy name----------- ---------D Holy, holy, holy D Holy manna..................................................A lo How brightly beams the morning star------------- D Huna blentyn....................................................A I can't help falling in love with you D I dream of Jeanie (uses G#) ============== B I gave my love a cherry A I know where I'm going----------------------------- D I see the moon A In the bleak midwinter......................................F# In Thee is gladness A hi Irish washerwoman A hi I've got sixpence...............................................F# Jacob's ladder ....................................... F# or C# Jeannie with the lt brown hair B John, must you lend...horse (key of A) E Kelvingrove ========================== D Kerry Dancing King of love my shepherd is------------------------ D Kum by Yah D or A Lavender's blue------------------------------- A hi Leaving of Liverpool D Lo how a rose e'er blooming =============A hi Loch Lomond----------------------------------------- D Long, long ago D Lord Haddo's favorite------------------------------ E Lord of all hopefulness/be thou my vision D Lord, you have come F# Merry Widow Waltz-------------------------------- A Minuet by Paderewsky hi A Mingulay boat song ......................................... A Minuet in "G" - Bach hi A Month of January C# Morning has broken D or A My gal Sal (blues) ? Ned of the hill D Never love thee more-------------------------------A Now is the month of maying............................. D O come, little children A hi Oh, Susannah....................................................D Of the Father's love begotten ============== D Old Black Joe, key of A--------------------------- A O sacred head, surrounded, key of A C# On the bridge of Avignon==================D On top of Old Smokey..................................... A Only a shadow, key of A A Pack up your sorrows---------------------------- F# Paper of pins (make up B line) A Peace in the valley (blues) ============= A Polly-wolly doodle D Plaisir d'amour (make up variations) A Praise to the Lord------------------------------------ D Preacher went down (blues) A Que sera, sera ............................................... D Red river valley A River (Bill Staines) D Roses from the south....................................... A Salve regina, key of A A Seeman, lass das Traumen... E Seek ye first F# Shepherd's wife's waltz A lo Shores of Ponchatrain------------------------------- A Sidewalks of New York hi A Since I met you, baby (blues)............................C# Smile a while F# Snowy-breasted pearl ================= A hi Songs of thankfulness & praise A hi Spring has now unwrapped the flowers D Stars of the summer night--------------------------- A Steal away D Stewball----------------------------------------------- A Table of plenty F# or C# Tell me why A Tennessee Waltz-------------------------------------A 10th Batn Highland Light inf'try c'ing the Rhine D Think on me ========================= F# This joyful Eastertide A Ting, ting, ting--------------------------------------- F# 'Tis pretty to be in Ballinderry D There's a wideness in God's mercy.....................D Trumpet voluntary D Water is wide----------------------------------------- A Way dwn upn the Suwannee Rivr, key of A C#, We gather together E (6.5) When cockleshells (waly, waly) ========== A hi When I fall in love, it will be forever ................ A When you and I were young, Maggie A hi While strolling in the park one day=========== Wildwood flower C# key of A but uses a G Who's gonna hold her hand?------------------------ A Wild mountain thyme With someone like you, a pal good and true A Wreck of the sloop John B ================A Yellow bird ...................................................hi A Songs in D-A-G tuning Are you sleepin', Maggie? ? Banks and braes of Bonnie Doon A 1st Black is the color of my true love's hair------E 5th Blow the candle out A 1st Bonnie light horseman A 1st (6.5) Can't help but wonder where I'm bound--- E 5th Cantigas (work on cantigas) Come all you pretty maidens, wherever you be C 3rd Come you merry lads & lasses (madrigal).. D 4th Darlin' Corey-------------------------------------G 0 Dissembling love A 1st Dove she is a pretty bird ---------------- E 5th (6.5) Dowie dens of Yarrow=============== A 1st Drunken sailor.................................. E 5th (6.5) Elm tree branches----------------------------- C 3rd Froggie went a-courting------------------------A 1st Gather us in A 1st (6.5) play 2nd phrase on parallel A & D strings God rest ye merry, gentlemen ................... A 1st The great silkie D 4th Gwcw fach================== E 5th (6.5) Here I sit on Buttermilk hill............. F 6th I got a mule and her name is Sal A 1st If you miss the train I'm on C 3rd Jesus walked the lonesome valley ======= G 0 Johnny, I hardly knew you A 1st Let all mortal flesh keep silence A 1st Man of constant sorrow.......................... E 5th Masters in this hall A 1st Motherless child ================== E 5th My lord, what a morning--------------- F (6/5) Now the green blade rises (Noel nouvelet)A 1st Nyth a gog E 4th O come, o come, Emmanuel ................. A 1st Old Chisholm trail----------------------------A 1st Row your boat to Jesus' side========= D 4th Scarborough Fair A 1st (6.5) Scheherazade themes Singers, sing E 5th Star of the County Down-------------------C 3rd Summertime Porgy & Bess ====== A hi 8th Sweet the evening air of May................. A 1st Sweet Willie and Lady Margot E 5th Swing low, sweet chariot----------- F# 6 1/2 Turn ye to me---------------------------------A 1st Two young brothers marched away D 4th Wayfaring stranger--------------------------A 1st Wild Rover ==================== E 5th |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: Rapparee Date: 17 Oct 08 - 04:13 PM One is "Yankee Doodle" and the other 49 are not. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,John Cloud Date: 22 Nov 08 - 04:12 PM This a wonderful topic. Too many forget the importance of context. I hope you will keep this dialogue going. |
|
Subject: RE: Fifty Songs Everyone Should Know From: GUEST,Mollie Date: 04 Aug 10 - 07:50 PM I believe this list was created by the Music Educators National Conference (MENC). Here is a link about it: http://www.blackroseacoustic.org/encore/great-songs.htm Enjoy! Mollie
In 1996 the National Association for Music Education (MENC) introduced their list 43 Great Songs Every American Should Know. Many people complained that their favorite songs were left off the first list. Some complained so vocally that their selections were added! "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" joined the 1996 list after the MENC received thousands of letters and complaints from members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2000, they released a second list, 45 Great Songs. Is your favorite song on either list? Are there songs that you think absolutely must be added? I was pleasantly surprised to see songs containing a message of faith were included in the lists. I personally believe that attempts to make schools politically correct and religiously neutral have resulted in the loss of much of the heart and spirit of public educational music programs. Compiled from the MENC web page, www.menc.org.
|
| Share Thread: |