Gransnet forums

News & politics

The sound of my childhood.

(117 Posts)
MrsEggy Thu 18-Jun-20 19:26:06

Sad to hear the news of the death of Vera Lynn. Her songs on the BBC formed a background to my childhood. What songs/music did other gransnetters grow up to?

Septimia Thu 18-Jun-20 21:50:51

My mum singing "Somewhere over the rainbow" (can't stand it now!), "Maresy doats" (or however you spell it!) and "I'll be your sweetheart" (as a lullaby).

Luckygirl Thu 18-Jun-20 22:07:18

Two Way Family Favourites at Sunday lunchtime.

varian Thu 18-Jun-20 22:07:59

"We'll meet again" is very apt now.

MerylStreep Thu 18-Jun-20 22:23:31

My parents were big on parties so it was:
Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Billy Eckstine, Al martino, Nat King Cole etc.
It was my job to keep the wind up record player going and change the records.

mrswoo Thu 18-Jun-20 22:25:55

My dad used to take my sister and I out on a Sunday to visit various aunts and uncles. In the car he would sing what we called “ Tunday Tongs” and I remember him singing something about “Dashing away with the smoothing iron” also “Old Man River” was a favourite. We thought he had a wonderful voice it was only years later that we realised that he really couldn’t sing a note.

PGAgirl Thu 18-Jun-20 22:30:12

My Dad singing us children to sleep with "Just a Song at Twilight". Me singing my grandchildren to sleep, they always ask for the "Twilight Song", my Dad would be thrilled

grannylyn65 Thu 18-Jun-20 22:41:06

‘Mares eat oats
And does eat oats
Little lambs eat ivy
Kidle eat ivy too
Wouldn’t you? ?

lemongrove Thu 18-Jun-20 22:42:20

Some enchanted evening ( I still love that song)
Magic Moments
She wears red feathers
Love and Marriage
The rock island line
The runaway train
This old house
You’re a pink toothbrush
Records of bits of opera ( constantly played)
Ditto Gilbert and Sullivan particularly The Mikado.

sue421 Thu 18-Jun-20 22:44:35

Workers Playtime! My dad was always singing. Remember going to aunts, and grandparents, organ being played, uncle singing and playing mouth organ. Yellow Rose of Texas was a favourite!

annep1 Thu 18-Jun-20 22:47:50

Mum (mummy then) singing Somewhere over the Rainbow trying to sound like Judy Garland, and The Black Hills of Dakota.

GagaJo Thu 18-Jun-20 22:50:29

California Dreamin' - Mamas and Papas. Still gives me chills now. The summer of love and the hippies had such an influence on how I grew up. Equality and world peace. We're so far away from it now.

merlotgran Thu 18-Jun-20 22:51:44

Being a forces family, two way family favourites was practically a religion. It was followed by the Billy Cotton Bandshow which didn't interest me in the slightest.

My parents' record collection consisted of Glen Miller, The Andrews Sisters, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald et al.

Sussexborn Thu 18-Jun-20 23:08:41

Uncle Mac on Saturday mornings with Children’s favourites. Two way family favourites on Sundays. Sing songs on the way home from cricket matches my Dad played in with the local RAFA club. No one owned a car so everyone travelled to the cricket matches on coaches. As time moved on people acquired TVs and cars. They then started driving themselves home in time to see the TV shows like Sunday Night at the London Paladium. Such is progress.

MissAdventure Thu 18-Jun-20 23:16:36

The dreaded "Sing Something Simple" on a Sunday evening.
The carpenters "Close to you" - I can remember mum jokingly singing along with snippets of it, and looking at my dad. smile

FarNorth Thu 18-Jun-20 23:16:42

Yellow Rose of Texas,
Black Hills of Dakota,
Shall We Dance,
I could have Danced All Night,

Run,Rabbit,Run and Show Me The Way To Go Home sung by my Dad

Sussexborn Thu 18-Jun-20 23:17:44

Mares eat oats and lambs eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. A kid’ll eat ivy too. Wouldn’t you?

I can remember my older brother singing this to our Mum when she complained that the Beatles songs were nonsensical!

MissAdventure Thu 18-Jun-20 23:19:10

Little boxes, little boxes, and they're all made out of tickytacky and they all look just the same..
Remember mum singing that, too.

paddyanne Thu 18-Jun-20 23:19:31

My Dad had an operatic voice and sang at charity concerts we listened to lots of Opera when he was home,Mum sang all the time songs from musicals ,popular songs by Sinatra and granny's favourite Bing Crosby and anything that she liked,she sang while she did housework and its how I remember her most.
Sunday nights,most Sunday nights Dad and Granny played piano and mum and we 4 girls sang along to all sorts of stuff from Irish folk/rebel songs to Last night of the proms with modern music along the way .Neighbours used to ask what the party was for ,it wasn't a party just us having fun.I'm the only one of the sisters who didnt play an instrument but I had a good singing voice and we all had our party pieces .

Music is still central to my life and I like nothing more than finding new artists to ad dto my collection.

MissAdventure Thu 18-Jun-20 23:22:02

Oh, I do love a music thread. smile

Namsnanny Thu 18-Jun-20 23:38:32

Magic moments and anything by Perry Como.
Michael Rowed The Boat Ashore, which we sang over and over in the back of the car on the way home from EVERY summers day out!
We didn't know all the words though, so essentially we just sang a couple of lines repeatedly.
My poor Dad driving home tired listening to that| smile

ElaineI Thu 18-Jun-20 23:38:37

TRex, Monkees, Beatles, Herman's Hermits, Cassidy Family, Woodstock, McGuinnes Flint. We moved out of Edinburgh when I was 11 to a town in Midlothian and I remember going up to the woods and fields with a tranny and lying in the sun listening to music. We climbed trees, climbed over the Pentlands, waded in burns, explored desolate falling down cottages and were away for hours with jeely pieces and juice and no one batted an eyelid. I was in love with Georgie Best and Kenny Dalglish. My BF at the time now lives in Spain and my other BF is still one of my BF's and we have supported each other throughout the last 53 years during the ups and downs of family life.

MissAdventure Thu 18-Jun-20 23:40:10

We're having fun, sitting in the backseat, kissing and a-hugging with Fred. smile

GagaJo Thu 18-Jun-20 23:41:33

Oooo TRex. Still love a bit of T Rex.

MissAdventure Thu 18-Jun-20 23:47:48

Oh me too!
Marc Bolan was beautiful.
I love Jeepster, Metal Guru, Get it On.