To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23410
23 messages

Songs Re Parental Advice

17 Jul 00 - 06:53 PM (#259538)
Subject: Songs Re Gratuitous Advice
From: John in Brisbane

This is not high brow folkie stuff - I've started putting together a medley of clicheed songs about the advice in song given to young people - the cornier the better. You know the type where someone is perhaps lying on their death bed and says 'Que sera ..' or 'Walk straight, walk tall' or 'Son don't near the the Indians' or even 'Tie me kangaroo down sport'. I'm not yet aware of a 'Don't pick your nose in public..' but there must be lots out there. I just thought of 'Don't take your guns to town...'. I suspect that many of these will be country in origin, but I'm chasing a wide variety of styles. Any suggestions would be appreciated - I love schmaltz. Regards, John


17 Jul 00 - 09:21 PM (#259666)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Mrrzy

Oh Man - Be Prepared, by Tom Lehrer, has GOT to be the best. I didn't check to see if it's in the Trad...


17 Jul 00 - 09:25 PM (#259669)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Mrrzy

OK, Be Prepared is there (wipes brow). How about Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys? The Boy Named Sue can be considered advice on how to name a baby... I'd forgotten about Don't Take Your Guns To Town. Thanks for the memory! Do we have to stay in English? In A Landry petit village girls are being advised about boys...


17 Jul 00 - 09:25 PM (#259670)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Mbo

"So Much Like My Dad" by George Strait.

--Mbo


17 Jul 00 - 09:33 PM (#259679)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Jim Dixon

Look in DT for "F-Word (A Chat With Your Mother)" by Lou & Peter Berryman.


17 Jul 00 - 10:06 PM (#259703)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Wavestar

Not only A Chat With Your Mother, but Squalor, also by the Berrymans... all about eating your vegetables... Lets see what else I can think of.

Beans in your ears (Doing things because Mom says no!) House if the Rising Sun, if we're not sticking with parental advice...

There's a wonderful Scottish Bawdy tune (in the DT) collected by Burns about a mother trying to keep her daughter from the men...

I am, as usual, not thinking...

-Jessica


17 Jul 00 - 10:48 PM (#259724)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: GUEST,Bruce O.

"The Miller's Advice to His Three Sons". Laws Q21, but the three versions in DT don't have this broadside title. There are a couple of the 17th century in the broadside ballad index on my website. Search on 'Advice'.


18 Jul 00 - 12:50 AM (#259798)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: alison

My favourite would be take her in your arms by andy M. Stewart...

"if he'd gone and asked his father, oh I'm sure he'd set him right, sayin'......."

slainte

alison


18 Jul 00 - 09:03 AM (#259917)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Liz the Squeak

Maids, when you're young, never wed an old man? Can only be the voice of experience speaking there.....

Then there is 'Tarry Trousers' about a mother telling her daughter to wed a farmer, when she really wants the sailor.

LTS


18 Jul 00 - 10:33 AM (#259990)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Bert

Don't go near the water children.


18 Jul 00 - 10:43 AM (#260000)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler

Lemon tree.
RtS


18 Jul 00 - 10:49 AM (#260006)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: sophocleese

Blow away the Morning Dew - "If you will not when you may you shall not when you wolde."


18 Jul 00 - 10:56 AM (#260017)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: SINSULL

I like it the other way around:
"Don't Go In The Lion's Den Tonight, Mother" and "James, James, Morrisson, Morrisson" (You must never go down to the end of the town if you don't go down with me). Mothers aren't always right (but we never admit it).


18 Jul 00 - 11:00 AM (#260023)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: MMario

"The walk" -- from sawyer brown


18 Jul 00 - 11:01 AM (#260024)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: SINSULL

"Too Many Parties And Too Many Pals" - Hank Wiiliam's tearjerker about a judge whose daughter turns up in court.


18 Jul 00 - 11:06 AM (#260028)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: SINSULL

"Shop Around" circa 1960.


18 Jul 00 - 11:07 AM (#260031)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: SINSULL

"Silver Daggar"
I'll stop now.


18 Jul 00 - 11:19 AM (#260039)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Jim Dixon

Mama Told Me (Not to Come) by Three Dog Night.


18 Jul 00 - 11:31 AM (#260054)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Jim Dixon

And here are the words to Shop Around by Smokey Robinson & Berry Gordy.


18 Jul 00 - 12:01 PM (#260076)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Marion

Not folk songs, but here's what I could think of:

Diana Ross (wasn't it?) sang that "My momma said, You can't hurry love..."

Tracey Chapman sang "My momma told me, cause she said she learned the hard way, said she wants to spare the children: All that you have is your soul."

In the song "The Real Love of my Life" from the musical Brigadoon, a father urges his daughter to find a boyfriend and gives her advice on the prospects she comes up with.

Marion


18 Jul 00 - 12:25 PM (#260089)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: Bert

Blues in the Night.


18 Jul 00 - 03:19 PM (#260247)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: The Shambles

Jason's Song


18 Jul 00 - 03:21 PM (#260249)
Subject: RE: Songs Re Parental Advice
From: The Shambles

Not one of my better effortsbut it was an early one and from the heart.