Songs/poems our Mothers sang

What a lot of us come back to Mareseedoats and Doeseedoats and can quote it all! There must be many pre-war and war babies on here.

Feetlebaum thanks for the info on Max Bygraves and Bighead song.

Ella46. Think we are both right. Harry Belafonte and Val Doonican both recorded Scarlet Ribbons,Val Doonicans version is the one I remember.

Mairezydotes and dozeydotes and
liddlelambsydivey, kiddleydiveytoo
wouldn't you?

repeat....

If the words sound queer and funny
to you ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey,
Sint:

Mares eat oats and lambs eat oats
and little lambs eat ivy!

Mairezydotes etc................

Ella46. Think we are both right. Harry and Val seem to have recorded Scarlet Ribbond

'Bighead' was Max Bygraves's song...

Someone shouted 'Bighead!' at him during a show, and he ad libbed 'I could put it in your mouth and it would still rattle!' - it went to well that he had a stooge shout 'Bighead' ever after that!

My first memories of nursey rhymes and songs where of my grandpa singing:
Sweet Katy Connor
I don't suponner ?
Oh Kate
As sure as fate
You'll have to marry me
I've got a notion
Of jumping in the Ocean
And courting all the mermaids at the bottom of the sea.

The other one he sang when he took me out and we travelled home by bus was :
Why does everybody call me big-head ?
but I can't remember the rhyme or song I just know mum was very cross when I used to sing it when Grandpa was not around.

Scooter I think it was Harry Belafonte.

Inthefields,I think it was Val Doonican who recorded Scarlet Ribbons.

eGJ I have heard various versions of that particular ditty. Some are more or less decent than others.

feetlebaum - just looked at your Skylark post - there is a wonderful recording of this by Peter Skellern which I just love.

Our version started 'Under a cedar he played his guitar'. There are some new verses in yours, so thank you!

No songs from Mum in our house - how I wish there had been. She was too uptight to relax and do anything as laid back as singing. And she had this constant antagonism with my Dad, who was an excellent musician - got scholarship to RCM but could not take it up as family needed him to go out to work.

However, he did play the violin at home (and in local orchestras) when he could (although Mum did not like it) and my abiding beautiful memory is the sound of him playing Mendelsohn's violin concerto as it drifted up from the dining room as I lay in my bed as a child.

I inherited some of his musical bent and it has been central to my life and work in spite of the problems around it at home. Music is too precious to be allowed to play second place in the lives of those who care about it.

How lovely that so many of you have these wonderful memories - you may rest assured that my children were brought up on a diet of song and playing and singing round the piano and in family emsembles.

My Mum missed so much - very sad, but water under the bridge. Hankies away now!

Fascinating - never come across that one! Any ideas about composer, lyricist or any other details?

I see from a quick search that she also sat in the hammock/sat by the window/sat on the veranda to play her guitar!

Love all the familiar songs; does anone remember this one! (of course very moral - don't tell lies!!)
She sat 'neath the lilacs and played her guitar,
Played her guitar, played her guitar.
She sat 'neath the lilacs and played her guitar,
Played her guitar ha-ha-ha.

He sat down beside her and smoked his cigar,
Smoked his cigar, smoked his cigar.
He sat down beside her and smoked his cigar,
Smoked his cigar ha-ha-ha.

He said that he loved her but oh how he lied,
Oh how he lied, oh, how he lied.
He said that he loved her but oh how he lied,
Oh how he lied ide-ide-ide.

They were to be married but somehow she died,
Somehow she died, somehow she died.
They were to be married but somehow she died,
Somehow she died ide-ide-ide.

He went to the funeral just for the ride,
Just for the ride, just for the ride.
He went to the funeral just for the ride,
Just for the ride ide-ide-ide.

He sat on the tombstone and laughed till he cried,
Laughed till he cried, laughed till he cried.
He sat on the tombstone and laughed till he cried,
Laughed till he cried ide-ide-ide.

The tombstone fell on him and squish-squash he died,
Squish-squash he died, squish-squash he died.
The tombstone fell on him and squish-squash he died,
Squish-squash he died ide-ide-ide.

She went to heaven and fluttered and flied,
Fluttered and flied, fluttered and flied.
She went to heaven and fluttered and flied,
Fluttered and flied ide-ide-ide.

He went to t'other place and frizzled and fried,
Frizzled and fried, frizzled and fried.
He went to t'other place and frizzled and fried,
Frizzled and fried ide-ide-ide.

Now the moral of this story is never tell lies,
Never tell lies, never tell lies.
Now the moral of this story is never tell lies,
Never tell lies ies-ies-ies.

inthefields I know what you mean, I come back to this thread from time to time to read all the songs and it often makes me a little bit tearful but good tears! It's amazing how many of the same songs crop up - Shenandoah just being one of them. Perhaps they were the popular songs of the day or perhaps they had good melodies or lyrics so people sang them over and over.

I had the amazing experience a few years ago where an uncle of mine found an old tape recording of a choir that my grandpa sang in, and he made CDs for all the family and I put it on not expecting much from the recording and there suddenly I heard my granddad's clear tenor soaring above the other voices. You can imagine what that did to me!

Thats lovely but not the one I remember. Not sure if I have all the words correct but it went along the lines of ....

School time is o'er, and round the school door
children gaily play;
one little maid, fairer than all
sadly goes on her way.
A woman stands by, with tears in her eye
and says whose little girlie are you?

I'm Daddys little girlie, he loves me tenderly
Long time ago we were happy you know
Mummy & Daddy and me
But now she has gone forever, gone to the blue skies above,
and Daddy you see has no-one but me
I am my Daddys love.
So.....

Chorus
Skylark, Skylark, winging your way so high
Skylark, Skylark, up in the bright blue sky
If among the angels, my mummy you should see
Tell her to please come back again
to my poor Daddy and me

And typing that has just made me cry .

Skylark - a Johnny Mercer song - has the rather strange line "Sad as a Gypsy serenading the moon" - eh?

Skylark
Have you anything to say to me?
Won't you tell me where my love can be?
Is there a meadow in the mist
Where someone's waiting to be kissed?

Oh skylark
Have you seen a valley green with spring?
Where my heart can go a journeying
Over the shadows and the rain
To a blossom covered lane

And in your lonely flight
Haven't you heard the music in the night?
Wonderful music
Faint as a will o' the wisp
Crazy as a loon
Sad as a gypsy serenading the moon

Oh skylark
I don't know if you can find these things
But my heart is riding on your wings
So if you see them anywhere
Won't you lead me there
Oh skylark
Won't you lead me there?

One of my favourite composer/lyricists... although by all accounts a mean man when plastered!

Oh, I remember Scarlet Ribbons (there is no [wistful}icon!)
Didn't one of the 60's entertainers do a cover version ......

Does anyone remember Skylark? it was such a sad song.

Lots of lovely memories.Dad sang Scarlet Ribbons,also remember
Ali Bali Ali Bali Be
Sitting on his mammys knee
Looking for a wee bawbe
Tae buy some coulters candy
Poor wee bairn
Getting awfy thin
A rickle of bones
Covered over wae skin
Now he's getting
A double chin
Wae eating coulters candy.

Skye Boat Song
The Sky Is Bluer In Scotland,brings back lovely memories.

What a wonderful thread

Incoming sons-in-law have been mystified by our family. We cheerfully sing on most car journeys, and change words to fit particular circumstances. Works for us but drives others round the bend!! One SIL actually asked me if I had a song for EVERY occasion?"
I can't carry a tune in a bucket, and nor can my girls, but it didn't stop me passing on all the songs my grandmother sang to me ..... and my daughter now sings to her small son.

"K...K....K....Katie, beautiful Katie"
"Where was Mary when the light went out, wherever did she go"
"I'm Burlington Bertie, I rise at 10.30!
"Mother had a donkey, she kept it in the yard"
"Once in the corner of a ham & beef shop, two little sausages sat!
"Red roses for a blue lady"
"Where will the babys dimple be"

....on reflection, maybe we do have a song for every occasion!

gillizzie

Lovely thread!
My Gran sang old Music Hall songs (already listed) and my Mum sang a variety of songs (again mostly listed). I sang to my 'babies' until they were old enough to say:
'Please stop singing, Mum!'

My Father used to sing 'When Father Painted the parlour,....' I think it was an old music hall number.

After singing this to me and my Brother and Sister, my Mum also sang it to my Children, my daughter sang it at a school talent show, in a very obvious Cockney accent at the age of 10. The Teachers and pupils alike all loved it, and she got first prize.
We now sing it to her daughter, my Grandbaby of 1 year.

A mother was washing her baby one night
The youngest of ten and a delicate mite
The mother was poor and the baby was thin
'Twas naught but a skeleton covered with skin

The mother turned 'round for a soap off the rack
She was only a moment but when she turned back
Her baby had gone and in anguish she cried
"Oh, where has my baby gone?" The angels replied

Oh, your baby has gone down the plug hole
Oh, your baby has gone down the plug
The poor little thing was so skinny and thin
He should have been washed in a jug, in a jug

Your baby is perfectly happy
He won't need a bath anymore
He's a-muckin' about with the angels above
Not lost but gone before

Kids think this hilarious.....