What songs did Mudcatters learn in school

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 10 Mar 99 - 08:37 PM

Well, I guess I'll have to tell you about Pansy Pickren's gigantic second grade musical extravaganza, "The Barnyard Follies." We were all given tryouts and I was awarded a major role, that of the FOX, the villain of the piece! My dear old mother worked long and hard sewing up a costume for me: wire frame covered with brown cloth for a muzzle, big bushy tail, the whole nine yards.

Somewhere, earlier in this thread, I described singing duets with my good buddy, Johnny Sims, as we walked to school. Johnny sang lead, I sang high harmony in my boy soprano voice. Let me tell you, kids, we were hot! Johnny sang in his own key, and did it damned well. We could break your heart singing to our old mule in "Gold Mine in the Sky." Johnny tried out for "The Barnyard Follies," too. Trouble is, Pansy Pickren could only play piano in the key of C. Johnny was comfortable in the key of G. So he did his thing and she did hers, after which Johnny was told that he could be in the big production, but he would only be one of the many chickens, and when it came time for all of the chickens to sing the big finale, Johnny was told to stand in the back row and "just move your beak; don't make a sound, 'cause, Johnny, you can't sing!"

It was many weeks, maybe months, before Johnny would sing with me again as we walked to school. In those days, a teacher's word was law.

True story. Caroline says she's glad teachers aren't like that anymore. But it seems to have happened to Art Thieme, too, and he's decades younger than we are, so... Tell me it ain't so, Art!

Sandy

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: bet
Date: 10 Mar 99 - 08:53 PM

It breaks my heart to hear people say they were told to just move their lips, beak or what ever and not sing. True, sometimes the choir would sound better but way back when I was in college I had a prof. who taught that anyone can be taught to sing if he/she had the desire. I have always believed that, thus I don't have try-outs for my choirs, never tell any one to not sing and encourage all my little one to listen closely and do their best. I've sent only 2 or 3 on to the intermediate school who couldn't carry a tune. I am so sorry that people had such uncaring teachers in music. It's what's in your heart that counts. bet

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Penny
Date: 23 Mar 99 - 12:15 PM

A friend was assured in school that he couldn't sing, so he doesn't (publicly), despite having a good voice and being able to hold a tune well, even originate tunes at times. It's a terible thing to do to a child.

Our school is having a throw out old books session again. Old Singing Together books are on their way out, but fortunately I passed them, and now have a new collection of old ones. Strange how the names of some of the songs rang recent bells. I've been to Harlem, etc. (only one verse, though)

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: steve in ottawa
Date: 23 Mar 99 - 01:01 PM

Ottawa
Sad to say, but this song immediately sprang to mind:

My hand on myself, and what is thus here?
This is my tinker-boxer, my mommer-dear
Tinker-boxer, tinker-boxer, ya-ya-ya-ya!
That's what we learned in the school, ya ya!

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Night Owl
Date: 23 Mar 99 - 03:17 PM

steve-that's a great song..don't apologize for it. I was able to open a door for someone with that song. (You must have been apologizing for the verse, which my virgin ears had never heard before.)

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From:
Date: 23 Mar 99 - 03:37 PM

I was raised in an Italian/Catholic family and the music was basically opera and Ave Maria. My schooling was mostly private/Catholic and folk music wasn't on the menu there either. Schooled in the beach towns from Santa Monica to Palos Verdes in Southern California between the late 40's thru the early 60's. I was ripe for the Folk music revival of the 60's and I loved it all. It was all fresh and new to me and I was enthralled. Barbara Dane was one of the first singers I heard. Odetta and then Baez, New Lost City Ramblers, Rev. Gary Davis, Leadbelly....ad infinitum. Nice memories.

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 23 Mar 99 - 07:41 PM

Gordon Bok once told me that he had been informed (as a child in grade school) that he was a "monotone." If that were true, he's an example of someone who wanted to make music so badly that he worked hard to be able to do it, and he succeeded. Maybe "bet" is right. There's hope for us all!

Sandy

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 24 Mar 99 - 05:40 AM

Familiar stoties:by the time I was at secondary school I was classified as a "growler" and weeded out from any choirs! My wife had a similar experience. Fortunately at Scout camps we were encouraged to sing/shout and I lost my inhibitions th' she will only sing along when we're alone in the car.

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Sam Pirt
Date: 24 Mar 99 - 07:13 AM

In primary school I can remember I used to do som celidh dancing but as far as songs go, I can remembr My Grandfarthers clock & waltzing matilda.

Bye, Sam

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Nov 02 - 11:22 PM

I realize that this is an old thread, but "I've Been to Harlem" is what brought me to this site, and I wanted to share this kid's game I found online: http://lancaster.k12.oh.us/a_seymour/the_cup_game.htm

As for what I learned in school, we learned too many songs to remember. We had a music book with a couple hundred songs in it and music class at least once a week. Also, teachers would pass out copied lyric sheets and lead us in regular classes. All those songs and I remember very few now. Mostly they seemed to be kid's songs like you'd expect, stuff kids find fun but not really camp songs so much, which I mostly learned from family. In school we sang Christmas carols around the holidays. Ugh, trying to remember some songs that might qualify as folk songs... "My Red Wagon", "The Billboard Song", "Money Honey", an eskimo song about seal hunting with hand gestures... it wasn't in English. "I've Been to Harlem" of course. A song about "Olleeanna" (sp), which was a settlement in America. The song promised all sorts of nice things to Europeans who moved there, like fish that would jump into your pot. This was the 70s and folk music was fairly popular. We had a folk hymnal at our Methodist church, for example. We also learned popular songs in school such as the songs from Wizard of Oz. I played the scarecrow.

I guess my experience was unusual in that the music teacher told my mother I had perfect pitch and seemed to encourage everyone. I didn't want to be in the choir though, probably out of shyness.

BTW, all this happened in Midland, Michigan, USA.

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: sharyn
Date: 09 Nov 02 - 11:50 PM

In Kensington Hilltop Elementary School here in Kensington, CA we sang a lot of patriotic and American geographic stuff, like "Roll On, Columbia," "This Land is Your Land" and "Columbia the Gem of the Ocean." We also sang "The Ash Grove" and "Early One Morning." And we square-danced to a record of "Marching Through Georgia" that had singing calls:

Everybody forward and back __________ the reason why
Forward again, pass right through, look your gal in the eye,
Step right up and swing 'em, boys, swing 'em mighty high --
That's the way we do it down in Georgia

We sang some stuff in Spanish, too. And "Turn Your Glasses Over," which several people have mentioned.

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 02:35 AM

When I was in school we had a twice monthly class called "Music Appreciation". Every school should have a class like that. For an hour we would listen to and discuss music of all kinds. They started us with the classical material. In time we moved on through traditional jazz (or do you prefer the term "dixieland"?), bits of the blues, and finally "folk music" (such as it was defined in the late 1950's and early 1960's).

    To a bunch of fourth-graders, whose only exposure to the folk material up to that point had been a few Stephen Foster tunes,"Polly Wolly Doodle", and "Put Your Finger in the Air" (which many of us in the back of the room insisted upon sining as "Put Your Finger Up Your Nose"), hearing the album "The Kingston Trio -- At Large" was one heck of an eye opener. After the first hearing we would not let a month go by without insisting the the teacher, Mr. Duffney, play at least one cut from it. I've no doubt that, after a time, Mr. Duffney felt somewhat less like Pygmallion and somewhat more like Dr, Frankenstein.
Over time we, collectively, managed to commit that entire album to memory. In the best possible sense, it warped us all for life.

Stephen Lee

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 02:50 AM

Almost nothing that's of any use now...... except what I learned behind the bike sheds.

LTS

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 10:20 AM

LOL Liz!!!

I learnt how to smoke behind the bike sheds!!!

In primary school we learnt Hymns and lots of them! In music class we learnt songs such as Poverty Poverty Knock.....now when I hear it all I can hear is the Kippers singing Probably probably not!!!

Cat

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: fat B****rd
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 02:18 PM

How to say something extremely rude in Latin. Gaudeamus etcetc

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 02:33 PM

Oh, and I learned to always look behind you before dissing someone.....

LTS

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Freso
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 04:23 PM

Hm... Molly Malone... and I think that's the only one that's stuck by me, there's prolly some other I can't remember the words of, or even title of right now, but which I'd be able to sing if given the text... though no folky stuff... I actually remember with my first music teacher, when he wanted one of us to sing a part solo, and I volunteered, I think I sang one line and he just said 'No' and asked for someone else... and my brother's always been bad to criticize me, and my fellow classmates from back then didn't really make life easy for me... so I guess that's why I never found the courage to sing in the open before Saint Paddy's this year, but then... I've sung openly since then :)

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Joe_F
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 07:48 PM

The songs I learned in childhood I mostly learned at home, either from my mother or from Burl Ives's records & radio program "Wayfaring Stranger". I started learning songs when I was 2, and knew dozens of them before I went to school at all.

When I was in elementary school (Beverly Hills, CA, 1940s) we had a singing class, but in it, as far as I can remember, we learned no songs that anybody else has ever heard -- they were insipid things from a book compiled for the purpose:

The ants go scouting thru the grass.
They hunt about as on they pass.
If they should march across a worm,
They tickle him and make him squirm.

Some of them, also, we learned from 78-rpm records that were so worn as to be almost unintelligible. The teacher would play the record, and a child who thought he or she understood a scrap would raise his or her hand & offer it, whereupon, if it was right, the teacher would write it on the blackboard. After a few playings, the whole text was assembled by this joint effort, and of course by then we had heard the tune enough times that we could sing it.

One autumn for a couple of months, I think in the 6th grade, I was in North Bennington, VT, instead. The singing there was much more advanced, consisting of hymns & the like sung in parts. I had never heard anything like it before, and it made a strong impression on me.

High school was something else. I went to Putney School, a private school in Vermont, where (it seems to me now) one was almost never out of earshot of someone singing or playing something. Students were not allowed to have radios or phonographs! There were an orchestra & a chorus that did classical music (Bach was king), and the whole school sang together every Friday evening -- classical, folk, Gilber & Sullivan, all kinds of things. On top of that, there was a vigorous folk tradition -- students learned songs, and how to play the guitar & banjo, from other students. I learned many songs there, and during that time also began to learn songs out of books. One of my favorite haunts in those days was the New York Public Library, and I still have song texts that I copied there.

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 10:24 PM

The only songs learned at school I can remember off the top of my head are "Golden Vanity" and some of the Really Rosie stuff ("Pierre", "Chicken Soup With Rice". Lemme sleep on it and I can probably remember a few more...

-- Gary

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: denise:^)
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 03:52 PM

We learned lots of the 'old standby' American folksongs, and several from other countries. One from elementary school that really sticks out is, "Blow Ye Winds Southerly," which I still remember to this day...

denise:^)

Subject: RE: What did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Kim C
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:35 PM

John Henry.

the Water is Wide.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: GUEST,Lina
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 10:29 PM

Ive been to haarlem ive been to dover,
i have traveled this, wide world over.
over, over, 3 times over,
drink all the chocolate milk and turn the glasses over.

sailing east, sailing west sailing over the ocean.
ive got a dog his name is rover
he has traveled this wide world over.
over, over, 3 times over,
drink all the chocolate milk and turn the glasses over.

sailing east, sailing west sailing over the ocean.
When you marry me in a field of clover,
we will travel this wide world over.
over, over, 3 times over ---------
drink all the chocolate milk and turn -----------
the glasses over.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Azizi
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 10:00 PM

I've enjoyed reading this thread. There are so many songs mentioned here from the USA and outside of the USA that I've never heard of.

Vocal music was one of the classes that I loved the best in elementary school & in junior high school. For some reason, either this class wasn't offered at my high school (which had 3,000 students for most of the years that I went to it). Or maybe I just didn't take music during high school.

In elementary school (in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1950s), the only time that any songs that mentioned God were sung was during Thanksgiving and Christmas. That was true also for junior high school and high school, except we'd be allowed to sing some religious songs at choir concerts. I particularly remember that the two years that I was in junior high school, the entire school would have an assembly program and one song we would all stand and sing together was "We Gather Together" (to ask the Lord's blessings). In spite of my fuller understanding of the history of the pilgrims and the Indians, that song still moves me.

I remember learning "Kookaburru Sits On An Old Gum Tree" but I can't remember whether that was in elementary school or junior high school. I also remember singing "I've Been To Harlem" in elementary school. The words we were taught were the same as Guest Linn wrote for the first verse. I probably remember the chorus wrong because what I remember is "sailing east/sailing west/sailing over the ocean/you better watch out/you better watch out/or you'll lose your girl in the ocean."

I have a vague memory of an outdoor concert in elementary school in which each class had to sing something. I don't remember what my class sung, but I remember this class of older kids singing

I know a little pussy
her coat is silver gray
she lives down in the meadow
not very far away
and though she is a pussy
she'll never be a cat
for she's a pussy willow.
Now what do you think of that.

I thought that song was really risque' even though I'm sure I didn't know what risque' meant. I remember some kids adding these two lines to the end of that song:

Meow Meow Meow Meow
Scat! You biack rat!

It's amazing which songs stick with you and which don't.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Azizi
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 10:20 PM

I was fortunate to have a wonderful junior high school vocal music teacher.

Way back in the late 1950s in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the first year of junior high school (7th grade) was the first year that students attended integrated schools. Prior to that, we African American students may have had White teachers, but I doubt that the White students ever had any Black teachers. I recall that Mr. Sobrola was Italian and supported John Kennedy for President of the USA (probably because Mr. Sobrola and JFK were both Catholic). Meanwhile I recall that I supported Nixon (go figure).

I don't recall learning any African American songs in Mr. Sobrola's class or in any other music class-excerpt for a blues song that I didn't know was the blues at the time. I don't think he emphasized the fact that it was a Blues song, though it had lines that mentioned that music genre...

River looks dark
with the shadows on it.
Mighty black clouds in the sky above.
Still I ain't 'fraid of the rain, doggone it.
River and rain are the things I love.
Rain fall down on me.
I'm as happy as I can be.
I'm gone down on the levy
Gonna build myself a rockin' chair.
If my lovin man don't come
I'll rock a way from there.
Cause the Blues ain't nothin
Yeah the Blues ain't nothin.
But a good (man?) feelin Blues.

-snip-

This is how I remember that song. And it may have been the only or one of the only Blues songs that I heard or that I learned until I became an adult. My family was really in to the church, and wsn't in to either Blues or Jazz music.

I might have mixed two songs together and messed up the words. Does anyone know this song?

**
I also remember Mr. Sobriola teaching his classes "Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" and teaching a smaller performing choral group of which I was a member "The Hallelujah Chorus" and a cute song called "We're The Younger Generation And The Future Of The Nation".

Good memories, all.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: bubblyrat
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 05:23 AM

At school in Sussex in the 1950s------Well,like so many others on this thread (UK catters ),I guess it was The Ash Grove,John Peel,a ghastly song called "Some folks like to do",the lyrics of which we altered to something risque (for us)..The Minstrel Boy,Westering Home,Skye Boat Song,Mairie's Wedding,Poor Old Joe,and the splendidly politically-incorrect "Johnny Come Down to Hilo ".All sung,of course,to the accompaniment of a seen-better-days piano played by a pale,earnest,boring music-teacher.No mention was ever made of any other kind of instrument,of course,so we all assumed that "Folk" singers must necessarily transport pianos about the place with them.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: kendall
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 01:50 PM

Finlandia in high school chorus.
Who is Alabama, 6th grade
The traffic cop, Kindergarten.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Compton
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 02:00 PM

Isn't it funny?...55 odd years since I listened to "Singing Together" and I can still remember "My Love's an Arbutus"...and I am still wondering what an Arbutus is!!...oh and "Donkey Riding" comes to mind too.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 01:38 PM

I guess the ones I remember best are "Long, Long Ago," "Goober Peas" - and Gregorian Chant.
Oh, and "Oh, Susanna" in harmonica band.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Ann N
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 03:42 PM

In Primary school we were taught 'Here's a health unto his Majesty' (English Civil War) and we all sang it with gusto as we were also taught that the baddies, Cromwell's lot, had been responsible for the destruction of the local castle so the lines 'I'll wish him neither wit nor wealth, Nor yet a rope to hang himself' always rang out :) Other songs were 'Frere Jacques' and 'Sur la pont d'Avignon'

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 07:20 PM

My mother singing the "Spinning Wheel". I must have been about three, 'cos Dad and Uncle Tim were still away in the army, two Irish brothers who didn't HAVE to fight, but CHOSE to defend England.

I've always been proud of that.

Dad singing "Castle of Dromore" when home on leave, must have been just prior to VE Day (He was invalided out in early 45).

Primary school, learning "The Ash Grove", "Linden Lea", "The Old House", "Early one Morning", and "Waley Waley". They CARED about folk music back then.

So there you have it, and I've just realised I've been a folkie for nearly sixty five years, and not the forty nine I had previously believed.

Bred in the Bone
Don T.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 07:37 PM

Another verse to the song I mentioned above 10 years ago!

I also remember school assemblies where they showed films intended to inspire civic values, and for some reason this one refrain sticks from my grammar school days:

We have a law that makes us proud
And no law can be better
It gives us all the right we need
The right to write a letter.

You may be white, you may be black
You may be red or pink
Your skin will never matter if
Your brain knows how to think.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Monique
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 05:29 AM

I started English in 8th grade and I must say that I was more interested in the Beatles than in what songs we were taught but I remember learning from then up to Training College: "Brother John", "My Bonnie Is over the Ocean", "John Peel", "Auld Lang Syne", "Old Black Joe" (that I'd learned in French in grade school), "Lavender's Blue, Lavender's Green". In 10th grade we had an American assistant who taught us "Yankee Doodle", "Away in a Manger", "Skip to my Lou", "Lolly Too Dum", "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", "A Land for Power and Glory". Our music teacher taught us "My Lord, What a Morning". During our training years, our young teacher of English would play her Woodstock LP's so that we could pick the lyrics by ear and I remember learning "Joe Hill".
I also learned "Los cuatro muleros", "No hay quien pueda", "Ya se van los pastores", "Si vas a la romería", "Eres alta y delgada", "Tengo que subir al Puerto" in Spanish classes. I don't remember if I learned "El paso del Ebro" then or later.
In primary (grade) school, I learned only French songs –difficult to sort out what I learned from my mother and my school mates!- but let's say "Les filles de la Rochelle" "Les marins de Groix" (both sea shanties) Mozart's Papageno's song in Fr., "Mon bon ami papillon", "Gentil coquelicot", "À la volette" "Compère Guilleri", Schubert's "La truite" (Trout Quintet), "Quand j'étais petite fille" "V'là l' bon vent", "Jean de la lune", "Sur la route de Louviers", "Qu'on m'apporte ma flûte", "Guillô prends ton tambourin" (Patapan) among others. And of course "La Marseillaise" (3 verses), "Le chant du départ" (3 verses) and "Les trois couleurs", all three being patriotic songs.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: kendall
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 08:25 AM

I believe an Arbutus is a tree.

Subject: RE: What songs did Mudcatters learn in school
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Mar 09 - 08:54 AM

I have sometimes run into students from the University of Wisconsin doing a a few months abroad at a converted palace in Dalkeith, near here; they usually visit local folk clubs at some point. They are rather a mixed bag, and so are the staff teaching them, but one thing they all have in common: they all know "Little Brown Jug" and can do it in chorus.

For chrissake, why that?