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Best loved songs from your childhood???

(226 Posts)
boheminan Wed 07-Oct-15 18:57:37

I sing-a-lot at various venues (mostly) Music Hall songs, but lately I've been branching out into a slightly different direction.

I've rediscovered songs I remember from my childhood (50's/60's) that my mum used to sing to me, and Uncle Mac used to play on Saturday mornings. I'd gathered a few from memory, eg: Animal Crackers (Shirley Temple) Nellie the Elephant (Mandy Miller).

Of course, I could look up a variety on Google - but that feels like cheating! So, all you great Gransnetters, I ask you, what songs would/do you still sing from your childhood? It would be so helpful for me to have an idea what folk like to hear and join in with grin

Elegran Tue 03-May-16 16:10:38

You probably know all the Music Hall ones that come to mind. Like "Have some madeira, m'dear," followed by, "Oh Sir Jasper, do not touch me"", and ultimately by, "It's the rich wot gets the pleasure, it's the poor wot gets the blame".

Elegran Tue 03-May-16 13:00:16

Most of the Google hits seem to be for five little men, a nursery rhyme version for children, but here is Ella Fitzgerald in 1951 on a 78, with two little men - more like I remember it.
soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/two-little-men-flying-saucer-ella-fitzgerald

Elegran Tue 03-May-16 12:52:17

I can't remember the other verses, Boheminan, but they are probably somewhere online. Will take a look.

boheminan Tue 03-May-16 11:33:30

Yes!!! Elegransmile. Was it the same for all 4 verses?

Elegran Tue 03-May-16 10:58:30

Looked to left and right of it
Couldn't bear the sight of it
And quickly flew away.

boheminan Mon 02-May-16 21:13:16

Three little men in a flying saucer
flew down to earth one day
(They took a look around the place
decided to go back to space)???
so quickly flew away

????

Jalima Mon 02-May-16 21:12:37

I am humming a tune, but don.t remember those words

boheminan Mon 02-May-16 21:11:16

Does anyone remember a little song that goes (something like this) -

Three little men in a flying saucer
flew down to earth one day
They (blah, blah blah!.....)
and ( " " ".........)
then quickly flew away.

Two little men (etc)

One little man (etc)

No one I know has heard of it. Have I imagined ithmm

Jalima Mon 02-May-16 21:07:20

Little Sir Echo, how do you do?
Hello! (Hello!) Hello! (Hello!)
Little Sir Echo, we'll answer you
Hello! (Hello!) Hello! (Hello!)
Hello! (Hello!) Hello! (Hello!)
Won't you come over and play with me? (and play)
You're a nice little fellow
I know by your voice
But you're always so far away (away)

BBbevan Mon 02-May-16 20:43:28

Shirley Abicare (?) with a zither ' little boy fishing off a wooden pier'

bookdreamer Mon 02-May-16 19:54:45

Haven't read right back to the beginning but "there's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza there's a hole in my bucket dear Liza, a hole"

Elegran Mon 02-May-16 19:50:29

It is girl guide campfire one - sung with relish, particularly when the cad gets squish-squashed!

dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/songbook/songs3/S3_39.htm lyrics
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiQyN3MONgg (not very well sung)

boheminan Mon 02-May-16 19:39:47

.....Blimey! Elegran, that sounds a joyful little dittyhmm

Elegran Mon 02-May-16 19:33:44

Then there is "She sat by the river and played her guitar . . . .He sat down beside her and smoked his cigar . . . ." (not such a happy ending as in Katzenellenbogenbythesea - he murders her, but gets his come- uppance - "Her tombstone fell on him and squish-squashed him flat" "She went to heaven and flip-flap she flew" but "He went to hell where he frizzled and fried"

Elegran Mon 02-May-16 19:28:24

Gillygillyossenfefferkatzenellenbogen by the sea -ea -ea.

(aka "There's a tiny house, by a tiny stream,
Where a lovely lass had a lovely dream,
And the dream came true, quite unexpectedly
In Gillygillyossenfefferkatzenellenbogen by the sea -ea -ea.
Gillygillyossenfefferkatzenellenbogen by the sea

She was out one day, where the ?????????s grow,
When a handsome lad stopped to say hello.

etc etc
blah blah

And they both lived happily
In Gillygilly-etc")

boheminan Mon 02-May-16 19:08:10

....Keep 'em coming! Lots of songs to learn, it'll keep me out of mischief - for a whilegrin

Daddima Mon 02-May-16 18:36:20

Nearer Stirling, Linsco, but within singing distance of both!

Linsco56 Mon 02-May-16 16:56:26

Daddima...You from Glasgow by any chance? grin

Daddima Mon 02-May-16 11:01:31

I remember all the Children's Favourite ones, but the songs sung to us by my parents were " The Wild Colonial Boy" and "Don't Laugh at Me, 'Cos I'm a Fool" ( father), and " My Ain Folk" and " Skye Boat Song" ( mother)

My father also sang;

In an underground garret,
Up three flights of stairs,
Next door to the man who made apples and pears,
There lived a wee wumman wi' teeth like a rose,
And she could not stop smiling for corns on her nose.

To the tune of " The Old Orange Flute"!

Linsco56 Mon 02-May-16 10:38:13

Don't Jump Off The Roof Dad by Tommy Cooper, I can remember every word of that song. The Teddy Bear's Picnic used to scare me a little...goodness knows why!

Gagagran Sun 01-May-16 20:37:54

Merlot yes that's the one and I remember the other side "In a Persian Market" now you have reminded me! I bet you had to suppress a smile or even a nervous giggle or two.

Ana Sun 01-May-16 19:46:15

Oh merlot, that made me laugh...! grin

BBbevan Sun 01-May-16 19:39:05

Did Ronnie Ronalde sing ' If I were blackbird' ? With lots of whistling?

merlotgran Sun 01-May-16 19:36:10

Gagagran. Do you mean 'In a Monastery Garden' by Ronnie Ronalde?

It was my late FiL's favourite and MiL wanted it played at his funeral which was fine but the numpty at the crem. who was in charge of the music played the wrong side of the record so we walked behind the coffin to.......'In a Persian Market'

I'll leave you to picture the scene. grin

gettingonabit Sun 01-May-16 19:30:05

My mother loved Victorian ballads like "Pale Hands I love" and "Come into the Garden Maude".