I need some new songs to sing to my little ones. We have a repetoir, but I'm getting a bit bored with it. It is a mix of folk songs, oldies, pop music, jazz, etc..., and I need something new. Before bedtime we sing "Summertime" (from Porgy and Bess - my sons love it when we get to the "one of these mornings, you are going to rise up singing...") "If I only had a Brain (Heart/Nerve)" "The Erie Canal" "I Say a Little Prayer" "Froggie Went A Courtin" "The Fox" "Inch by Inch" "I Love You a Bushel and a Peck" "Istanbul Not Constantinople" "The 'LY' Song" "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome" "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" "The Leatherwing Bat" "The Old Maid in the Garret" "Blackbird" Assorted counting songs from Sesame Street, Assorted Gilbert and Sullivan, and a bunch of old folkie Union songs, but I need some new material. Any ideas?

-- Sharon in NY (astyk@brandeis.edu), May 08, 2002

Answers

There are just so many - see if you can get a hold of some of the "Wee Sing" tapes, especially "Wee Sing AMerica" and "Wee Sing Fun and Folk". Half.com might have them, and some of the warehouse stores have them pretty cheap.

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

Do you ever watch Barney??!!! I loved the songs on that show, especially "I love you, you love me..." and the one about the 5 senses. This reminds me that I might do a kid's video give-a-way!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), May 08, 2002.

You and I have similar tastes in music! Who else would sing half the Mikado to their kiddos as a lullaby? LOL...I also did Zipadedodah, "I love you, a bushel and a peck", "An old Edie Arnold Song, "That's How Much I Love You", for some reason, my children adored "The Rain in Spain," including the dancing all around the room with scarves..what FUN!!!!!!! Since I had 5 of them, we did "Tradition" with one as the conductor..when we had all the foster kids, we added a chorus...LOL..our home was always, always full of music!!!!!!Sorry, I got carried away with memories and lost the thread.....ah, children's songs...Pete Seeger had an album of very good songs for kids..perhaps the modern world has them on CD? Berl Ives was wonderful! Even in the car, we used to play "name that tune"...we sang so many of the show tunes at bedtime and through the day that the kids pretty much could name all of the big broadway hits.....which reminds me of another goodie they enjoyed alot when they were little...."Hair"...LOL...loved it.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), May 08, 2002.

Ever since my daughter was a couple days old we have been singing songs to her, but changing the words to fit her life (I'm starting to worry that this will really screw her up in the long rung!).

For instance

(The Muffin Man) "Do you know the muffin girl, she lives on Hollow Road"

(Bicycle Built for Two) "Lydia, Lydia, give me your answer, do"

(Mary had a little lamb) "Lydia had a little pup, little pup, little pup.....his hair was orange & white"

The list goes on & on.......Mostly they are songs I remember my mother singing to me.

We have fun with it - BUT I can just hear her trying to convince her friends later in life that "that's not how the song goes...it goes like this..."

ha ;)

-- heather (h.m.metheny@att.net), May 08, 2002.

Gosh, this reminds me of the many songs my Mother would sing to us girls and the ones I used for my kids. Have you ever sang, "chickory- chick", or "KKKKatie", maybe "Mares eat oats". Also, Tom T. Hall use to have an album out with songs for children, would love to find a copy of it for my grandson. He sang songs like "the one legged chicken", and " the fox from fox hollow". They were wonderful, and my kids use to fall asleep to them. We wopuld also sing them if we were in the car for any amount of time. Just one question, how many of you know there was a second verse to "Daisy, Daisy"? LOL, I found it in a very old song book of frontier songs.

-- Toni (mothergoosefarm@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002.

I have the Kathie Lee Gifford lullaby collection and a lot of time at night I would put it on and clean up the house. The kids said they used to love to fall asleep with that playing and knowing I was out in the kitchen working! There are some beautiful songs on it...

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), May 09, 2002.

We once got a video at the library: "Peter, Paul, and Mommy Too". Peter, Paul and Mary were doing a concert with mostly kids in the audience. They got the kids involved in the singing and had a lot of fun. Mary called her granddaughter up (who was maybe about 6 years old) and sat in a rocking chair with her for one of the songs. One of the men did a song with funny sounds. He taught the sounds to the kids and had them do the sounds at different times during the song. My children loved the video.

-- Cathy N. (eastern Ontario) (homekeeper86@sympatico.ca), May 09, 2002.

Ilove that song!!! Something like: I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will, (about a toy that his Dad gave him)!! I love Peter, Paul and Mary. I have there camp songs for kids CD.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), May 09, 2002.

Before I went to bed each night Mom would sing me "What shall we do with a drunken sailor." I loved that song, still hum it to myself all the time. I especially liked the verse "Shave his belly with a rusty razor."

-- Cabin Fever (cabinfever_MN@yahoo.com), May 09, 2002.

!!!!!!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), May 09, 2002.

We sing Open the eyes of my Heart to our 4 year old Grandaughter and now she sings it to us. It is a blessing to hear her sing a song of the Lord

-- Don Amon (peacelane@certainty.net), May 09, 2002.