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Labor Day and TalkLikeaPirate Day songs

18 Aug 15 - 02:01 AM (#3731052)
Subject: Labor Day and TalkLikeaPirate Day songs
From: GUEST

As I'm now a teen librarian assisting with a teen tech lab that includes some musical stuff, I and a coworker are experimenting with guitar in there. We've both been playing occasionally during children's storytimes. What I'm seriously considering for next month is family-friendly folksongs appropriate for the holidays that could be thrown into the programming we're already doing, either for teens or family groups. I'm still a beginner, mostly stuck on A, D,and G chords atm. My coworker, however, has taught guitar and also knows some piano.

Labor Day:

A few Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie songs come to mind. I've recently learned The Work of the Weavers, and am thinking about Gonna Be an Engineer. I've posted the former on Youtube, but have never really noticed links posted here, so not sure if it's permitted. The latter would be really appropriate for promoting STEM.

Hispanic Heritage Month/Mexican Independence Day:

No idea, really; some of my coworkers probably know a song or two.

Talk Like a Pirate Day:

Any number of public-domain sea songs -- "The Fish of the Sea" and "Rhyme of the Chivalrous Shark" are humorous ones that might go over well with the kids I work with. "15 Men on a Dead Man's Chest" might be good. I like the Pirate's Serenade, but I'm not sure it would appeal to kids.


18 Aug 15 - 11:50 AM (#3731172)
Subject: RE: Labor Day and TalkLikeaPirate Day songs
From: CupOfTea

You don't say what part of the world you are in - songs relating to local historical jobs would be my first pick, be it mining, building trades, mills, union activity, fishing, transport (rail, canal, sail), brewing, farming, domestic labor. I could think of several to many songs for each of these categories. If you are looking to jog your memory for song you already know, or know of, your best bet is to search the DT database. Put in various search words like:
@ work
@ labor
@ union
@ farming (or whatever specific job title that's local)
There is at least one previous labor day thread.

For talk like a pirate day, Captain Kidd is great, provided you're not precluded from mentioning Christian morals (the contrast of the bloody lyrics with a tune some will know as a hymn is a great avenue to exploring the whole range migratory tunes). High Barbary is another great one. If you're posting you tube links, search out "Refrigerator Pirates" by the Smoking Fez Monkeys - full of pirate talk cliches wedded to outrageous puns.

Oh yeah, and search the DT for pirates. One caution: this sort of research can be addicting.

Joanne in Cleveland

Have fun!


18 Aug 15 - 02:07 PM (#3731212)
Subject: RE: Labor Day and TalkLikeaPirate Day songs
From: Don Firth

I was once told that all pirate songs should be sung in the key of "aarrrgh!!"

...sorry....

Don Firth


19 Aug 15 - 01:04 AM (#3731321)
Subject: RE: Labor Day and TalkLikeaPirate Day songs
From: GUEST,Jennifer

> One caution: this sort of research can be addicting.

Would you believe I wrote a short paper about this site in library school?

Also: The tune to Captain Kidd and Sam Hall is a *hymn?* Wow. I mean, I heard Jesus Loves the Little Children a couple months ago and it inspired me to learn Tramp, Tramp, Tramp! but that's something else!

I'm in Miami, not a lot of seafaring history here, though lighthouse songs might do (Keeper of the Eddystone Light, maybe?)