Songs/poems our Mothers sang

Auntie Mary had a canary
Up the leg of her drawers.
When she farted
It departed
Down the leg of her drawers!

is all I have ever known!

Can't remember my mum reading to us well we were twins nd my dad was not the type but do remember him singing Irish songs to mewhen sat on his lap. Must have Ben small cant remember all words! Just remembering enjoying it.
Used to read loads to my two remember a ladybird series puddle lane probably still got in loft! As well as all traditional ones my daughter used to love the chicken liken story!

Flowerofthewest,your song is the only one here I heard as a child.

My mother sang hymns and popular music to us as children, probably why I remember the words of the old songs better than my own era. I never ever heard my Father sing

Marezydotes and dozeydontes and liddle lamseydivey kiddledivey too wouldnlt you!

My Mother did not read stories either , I am afraid the business took precedence . probably a good thing, provided a good living .

but that is why I did not go into business until mine were at UNI. so I could devote all my time to them.

Do not regret one moment .

[moon ] + Still a little left

Ah grannyactivist ,

Some of the things we do for children DO pay off .

I read and sang to mine loads and loads .

{smile]

My mother never sang or recited poetry to her children. I, on the other hand, did both ad nauseum. I sang (to their undoubted embarrassment) to my children on the way to school, in the car, before bed etc. I have a wonderful collection of poetry books and was often to be heard declaiming my favourites. Now that my children are adults and I hear my daughter singing to her children I think it couldn't have been such a bad experience for them after all.
I sang 'Daisy, Daisy' as a lullaby to every one and my eldest granddaughter is called.....Daisy.

My mother had a lovely voice.She,her sisters and brothers were all in church choir,younger bro. was an organist.Songs round piano part of their childhood.
Remember mum singing many of songs mentioned here.
Brahms lullaby,Climb up sunshine mountain,I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls .Hush little baby don't say a word.
We had some 78 records -Paul Robeson,Peter Dawson,Isabel Baillie.
I well remember 'Lulalula Byebye do you want the moon to play with,all the stars to run away with' and 'Ma Curly- headed Babby' were on the Paul Robeson record and we all sang along with it.

No no, it was:-

Auntie Mary had a canary
Up the leg of her drawers.
Chase me Charlie. chase me Charlie,
Won't you sho-ow me yours?

Sook - the way I knew it was:

Aunty Mary, had a canary,
Up the leg of her drawers,
She pulled a string to make it sing
And down came Santa Claus!

You can get the words from "I'm a Pink Toothbrush" on the internet. Just put in something like "lyrics I'm a Pink Toothbrush".

I sm digressing a little here, but I do remember going on Sunday School outings (and mum always came too) and we used to sing all the time on the coach going home (never going, though). I am sure many of you will remember "Underneath the spreading chestnut tree", and how about "One man went to mow", "Ten green bottles" etc. Yesterday when my DGS was here I was trying to remember "I'm a pink toothbrush, you're a blue toothbrush" (Maz Bygraves, I think).

I find it quite interesting that years later those things you used to say, hear or do as a child still come back to you.

I used to go to sleep to the sound of my dad picking out classic tunes on his guitar too.

I have realised, reading this, that I don't remember my mother ever singing! My dad did, all the time. Made songs up (well, ditties) all the time too. DD1 sings to her children a lot

This is a lovely thread Gally My Mum was a talented pianist but never sang.My Dad used to sing me to sleep with. ...Oh Danny Boy...and Some enchanted evening (South Pacific?). He thought he could sing, he couldn't really, but I loved it!

My lovely dad used to sing Scarlet Ribbons to me and Oh Mein Papa. Mum was less sentimental and had a collection of rude songs which she sang with great gusto. Here is my favourite

Aunty Mary, had a canary,

Up the leg of her drawers,

When she farted, down it darted,

Like a racing horse.

My mum sang from morning til night, all those old songs, but this used to upset me a bit;

Oh won't you please come down and finish the baby, finish the baby, do
He's got two eyes and one little nose,
Ten little fingers and ten little toes,
Got no hair, got no teeth
and the poor little thing can't chew.....
So, will you please come down and finish the baby, finish the baby, do.

It still brings a tear to my eyes

My dad and I used to laugh at mum when she sang, and it made her cry; how awful do I feel about that now . She used to sing Que sera sera a lot, which was probably the best advice she ever gave me.

How sad pogs, I have fond memories of my mother playing the piano and me singing the words from the sheet music. Let him go let him tarry and Welsh songs....Bells of Aberdovy in Welsh. Also a lullaby , Lulla Lulla Lulla.

my cousin didn't get on well with her mother due to a war time split at a young age. She said she cried when she heard my aunt sing that to her GD as a baby as it brought back memories she had forgot. They made up their life time of disagreements

Music is a strong force. We always sang The boy I love is up in the gallery, Daisy Daisy and Tiddley Winkey Woo to our DSs and G ch. the little ones still love to hear them if they are upset.

I remember singing Twinkle twinkle to GD when she was barely a year old after a strop and she couldn't stop herself opening and shutting her tiny hand like they did in nursery {coo that thread got me going.. sorry.}

Gally

I read your post and I coundn't remember my dear mother ever reciting a poem, not only to me, ever.

I can only slightly remember seeing myself with her maybe saying nursery rhymes and singing little ditties of the same ilk.

I am not saddened by this in any way as I had the love of a wonderful mother with whom I remember sharing so much love and laughter.

I have reflected on your thread and sat back and thought to myself, was my mothers education and family life as a child such that she would have had the same experience with her mother too. I think that is probably the case. This does not cause me sadness as such but I have now remembered how hard her life had been and I can't help shedding a tear for her.

It is nice to have this thread as I am sure we will all probably take a moment to remember our mothers.

My gran used to sing Gracie Field songs all yhe time and also Marie Lloyd.

Elegran my mum used to sing 'she's only a bird in a gilded cage' to my children and I now sing it to my grandson. Probably not very appropriate but a lovely soothing tune. She also sang 'I'll walk beside you'.

'My grandfather's clock' was one of my dad's favourites and one he would always sing, centre stage, at family gatherings. He usually co-opted a family member to sing in harmony and provide the 'tick tocks'. My dad sang from the moment he got up till the moment he went to bed. It's 30 years since I heard his voice but it's as clear in my mind as if it were yesterday.

feetlebaum My grandfather had a repertoire of Music Hall songs too,

"She is only a bird in a gilded cage ....."
"My grandfather's clock..."
"She was poor but she was honest...."

Sometimes granny would hear him start one that she felt was not suitable for our delicate ears and cut him short with a sharp "George!"

Mum used to sing lots of songs but in particular I remember 'Twas on a Monday morning' 'Where will the Baby's dimple be' Cockles and Mussels' &
Que sera sera!

She loved poetry too: Old Meg, she was a gypsy, The Listeners, Up the Airy mountain & many more

I passed them onto my girls and in turn they have passed them on to their kiddies too!

Dad sang Sinatra, Bing Crosby etc so those are always popular and 'sentimental' for me!