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Songs from Primary School

(299 Posts)
BradfordLass73 Sat 22-Feb-20 19:26:21

I've just been reminded of a song, originally heard on 'Listen with Mother', called 'Horniman and Sir' about feet.

Horniman and Sir, here we go together, Horniman and Sir, never mind the weather
...
I'm sure many will remember it.

That led me on to favourite songs from my first days at school:
At Eastertime the lillies fair and lovely flowers grow everywhere, at Eastetime, at Eastertime, how glad the world at Eastertime
Sadly, I can find no more word to that one.

Then: Sing a song of Maytime, sing a song of Spring.....

The chorus went:
Maytime, playtime, God has given the Maytime
Thank him for his gifts of love and sing a song of Spring

Both written by Frederick A. Jackson, whose school songs were popular in the 50's.

Do you remember these songs and what were your favourite songs when you were little?

nanafish Thu 27-Feb-20 18:10:25

I used to sing Spanish Ladies.
Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish Ladies.. etc.
Also in our old Austen A40
You'll never get to heaven
In an Old Ford car
Cos an old Ford Car
Wont go that far...
Chorus

We used to make up verses as we drove down to Brighton from london.. 4 adults and 4 kids all crammed in.. No seat belts in those days...

Papilionem Sun 01-Mar-20 13:32:20

Dashing away with the smoothing iron!

silverlining48 Sun 01-Mar-20 15:14:43

There was an old man called Michael Finnigan
He grew whiskers on his chinigun
The wind came out and blew them in again
Poor old Michael Finnigan, begin again....

What a lovely post, have read through all 12 pages.

MamaCaz Sun 01-Mar-20 16:57:12

Oh, silverlining, that is another song that my late dad would sing in the car with us when we were young!

Kimpese Fri 14-Jan-22 16:32:53

I saw someone asking about the song Lovely Moon?
I remember this one but a little differently.

Lovely moon, my heart goes wondering,
To a dreamland far away,
How I wish that I could follow you,
Guided by your silver ray.
Oh my heart fills with sweet longing,
Yet I know that it can never be,
But I’ll always live in that dreamland,
Where you shed your light over me.

lemsip Fri 14-Jan-22 18:32:26

Kimpese a lovely thread to revive, how did you find it?

last posted on nearly two years ago. 1 march 2020.!

Grandma2213 Sat 15-Jan-22 02:15:25

lemsip I agree. Thank you * Kimpese*. I'm singing them all over again - so many words and tunes that I forgot I knew.

Witzend Sat 15-Jan-22 07:47:42

Maggiemaybe

DH and I have just given a rousing rendition of Green Grow the Rushes Oh, followed by the Camptown Races. You’ve all missed a treat. grin He’s 5 years older than me, so they must have got full value from those song sheets. I don’t remember the cross-eyed cook, though, and he does. And only I remember Dance to your Daddy, which was probably just for our area.

Dance to your daddy
My little laddie
Dance to your daddy
My little lad

You shall have a fishy
In a little dishy
You shall have a fishy
When the boat comes in.

I don’t think we sang it at school, it was a ‘home’ one, and we didn’t live anywhere near a fishing area. Maybe it was on Listen With Mother? That was a regular thing when I was small.

lemsip Sat 15-Jan-22 10:23:25

I recall singing 'Gentle Jesus Meek and Mild when in infants then later in juniors singing 'The Ash Grove' Down yonder green valley etc.......both on you tube.... if I can't remember a song I google it and always pops up on you tube. I lived in London back then
some of your songs are so much more fun.

Chocolatelovinggran Sat 15-Jan-22 11:07:40

Bringing it up to date- my daughter and son in law, who attended the same infant school, had to be dissuaded from wanting the hymn "Cauliflowers fluffy, and cabbages green" at their wedding...

EllanVannin Sat 15-Jan-22 11:18:39

Mine wasn't a Catholic school but all I seem to remember are lots of hymns. From an early age it was " Jesus bids us shine " then went on to " When morning gilds the skies " as we got older. So far as songs, I can't even think of one, yet we had music lessons so we must have sung some, but the hymns certainly dominated.

MiniMoon Sat 15-Jan-22 11:39:35

It's funny this thread should pop up again. Just yesterday I was repeating a little song we sung at infant school to my husband.

Tick tock, tick tock, says my Daddy's big clock,
But my Mummy's little clock says tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
What do little watches all say, tick a tick a tick a tick a tock.

At the end of the day, we stood up by our chairs and sang,

Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh
Shadows of the evening, steal across the sky.
Now the darkness deepens stars begin to peep,
Birds and beasts flowers soon will be asleep.

I don't remember singing any more of the verses.
Then we put our chairs on our desks, said goodbye to Miss Little and skipped off home.

Sarahmob Sat 15-Jan-22 11:52:40

I remember ‘Marianina’ , we also sang ‘Bobby Shaftoe’ ‘ Greensleeves’and ‘Molly Malone’ as I recall.

MiniMoon Sat 15-Jan-22 11:55:13

Here's a puzzle! Do any of you remember the words to "On wings of song."
I remember the beginning, but there are several different versions and I've never been able to find the one we sang at school.

On wings of song far sailing, to distant lands we'll go,
There a dream land unveiling, we'll wend by the Ganges flow.
A garden with fair flowers (gleaming?) ... ...
The lotus flowers awaken to greet their sister dear,
The lotus flowers awaken to greet their sister dear.

mokryna Sat 15-Jan-22 12:10:41

When I saw the title I was immediately sent back to my primary school morning assemblies. It wasn’t a church school but we always sang both a hymn and the Lord’s Prayer. My favourite was ‘Morning has Broken’, long before Cat Stevens made it popular. All the pupils sat crossed legged on the floor. I can’t remember learning songs as music lessons were for learning the recorder, I still can play the tune we learnt.

adrisco Sat 15-Jan-22 12:53:08

I remember a really sad song from primary school days, about a Canadian soldier. It started "Lonely and far away, captive in distant wars" and one of the last lines was "If in these lands I die, Canada weep for me".. would love to hear this one again.

Calendargirl Sat 15-Jan-22 13:22:59

Does anyone remember a song called ‘As I Sat On The Hillside’?

As I sat on the hillside
I heard the birds sing,
And I watched them a building
Their nests in the spring.

……

It was a real favourite when I was about 6/7, and always requested if the class could choose what to sing. Have googled it, but never seems to appear.

Gwenisgreat1 Sat 15-Jan-22 14:04:03

Only every sang hymns in Primary school. but I remember popular songs being
Lavendar Blue
How much is that doggy in the window
and my Welsh mothers rendition of "Sosban Fach"

Aldom Sat 15-Jan-22 18:30:48

Molly Malone (In Dublin's Fair City) Coming through the Rye and What shall we do with a drunken sailor. And many of the songs already mentioned.

Ali08 Mon 17-Jan-22 03:35:45

'Watch With Mother' they should bring it back!!

All things bright & beautiful.
Morning has broken, blackbird has spoken.
Go tell it on the mountains.
Kumbaya my lord.

Zoejory Mon 17-Jan-22 03:55:57

Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you

I was in my 50s when I learned the correct words to this song

"Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy

Can't recall many songs from primary school.

FannyCornforth Mon 17-Jan-22 03:59:12

This is the hymn book that we had at primary school in the late 70s.
We also used to sing a lot of Beatles songs!
We must have had a brilliant music teacher! smile

Greenfinch Mon 17-Jan-22 06:38:58

Marianina as I mentioned before on this thread 2 years ago.smile