"folk" songs everyone knows

**John Flynn** · Jun-13-2007, 10:33am

Last week, I volunteered to play solo mandolin for three music therapy classes at a camp for disabled kids. The music therapist running the class was great. I can really see why that would be a great profession, but wow, it would take a lot of energy and patience! Also, I am sure the therapist didn't get paid a lot, unfortunately. I was surprised to learn that she did not play an instrument at all outside of her work. With the kids, she only sung and played basic percussion, like tamborine, but like I said, she did a great job. Sal-ute to her!

Anyhow, the point of my post is that one thing I really found lacking in my repertoire was the kind of tunes she does with the kids that are basic American "folk tunes," and by that I do not mean "roots music" or "folk genre," I mean stuff like, "Comin' 'Round the Mountain," "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," "Skip to My Lou," etc. #I went to store yesterday and found a couple of old song books that have a lot of that stuff in there, but are far from definitive. Some of it is not in great keys, unfortunately, but I will transpose.

So I am wondering the following: #

1. What tunes do you think belongs on a list of "Top ten simple sing-along songs that most people can sing and nearly every musician probably ought to be able to play?"

2. Does anyone know of any really good, free or reasonably priced, resources for learning those kinds of tunes? I can handle notation, tab or recordings to learn by ear. I mean some I can figure out on my own from memory, but I also find those old standard tunes can get "jumbled" in my head. I can start the first part all right, but then I find I am actually playing a different standard tune in the second part! A reference would be nice.

**JimD** · Jun-13-2007, 10:52am

In notation:

American Folk Songs for Children
by Seeger, Ruth Crawford

ISBN-13: 9780385157889 ISBN: 0385157886

Ruth Crawford Seeger was the stepmother of Pete and, I believe, mother of Mike and Peggy. If I recall, she wrote the book to represent what songs she wanted her own children to know.

She was a fascinating character -- folk song collector, avant garde composer etc. In fact there are those who would put her among the great talents of the mid-20th c. in terms of her compositions.

Hope this helps -- of course there are many other books out there as well.

**Mike Buesseler** · Jun-13-2007, 11:42am

There are some kids in my neighborhood who know I play and come around occasionally to sing or play with me. They all knew "Oh Suzanna." One of my favorites, anyway. Listen to Warren Malone's version on the MP3 page. Lots of mileage available in that song.

These kids might be exceptional in this way, but they are more interested in learning songs they've never heard before, like "Farewell To Tarwathie" or "Plastic Jesus" (that one surprised me...). Oh, "Spanish Pipedream" (Blow Up Your TV) by John Prine, was also a hit with them.

But, more to the point of your post, "You Are My Sunshine" should be on that list, IMO.

JimD, I looked up that book you suggested. I love Mike and Peggy Seeger, but there were only about two songs in that collection that I ever heard of! I thought Johnny was looking for songs that that "most people can sing and nearly every musician probably ought to be able to play."

**cooper4205** · Jun-13-2007, 12:07pm

here's a site with lyrics and MIDI files to "sing-along songs"

Sing Along Songs

two of my favorites to sing with my mom when i was growing up were "Froggy Went-A Courtin'" and "Crawdad Hole"

here is a PDF File with some more lyrics

**David Horovitz** · Jun-13-2007, 12:11pm

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star / ABC song / Bah, Bah Black Sheep
Happy Birthday Song

A huge source of free sheet music in standard notation (and tablature) with some midi sound files is Traditional Music

Although it's a site in the UK, it has thousands of tunes that can be sorted by category. Take your time navigating through it.

**Enigmatic Recluse** · Jun-13-2007, 12:12pm

1) Oh Susanah
2) Camptown Races
3) Take Me Out to the Ballgame
4) This Land is Your Land
5) Yankee Doodle Dandy
6) Yellow Submarine
7) Waltzing Matilda
8) Polly Wolly Doodle
9) Froggy Went a-Courtin
10) Jenny Jenkins

**John Flynn** · Jun-13-2007, 12:18pm

Jim:

That looks like a great collection. It doesn't exactly have what I am looking for, but I may get it anyway. There is some great stuff there.

**John Flynn** · Jun-13-2007, 12:21pm

Great responses and resources everyone! This will keep me busy for a while!

**Dan Cole** · Jun-13-2007, 12:32pm

Dawg and Garcia's "Not for Kids Only" is a great CD. The songs are abit out of the theme here but pretty close. My neices and nephews like "There ain't no Bugs on Me".

Well worth a purchase

**Dan Cole** · Jun-13-2007, 12:33pm

My dad always played "The Fox". I remember the line ....and the little ones chewed on the bones. Years later Nickel Creek does it!

**bgjunkie** · Jun-14-2007, 2:23pm

I played for my daughters class one day and BINGO was a favorite. The kids got to singing it so fast that I couldn't keep up.

**Jim Broyles** · Jun-14-2007, 2:41pm

Yellow Submarine!

**Michael H Geimer** · Jun-14-2007, 5:12pm

Rise Up Singing is a great resource for those sorts of tunes.

On Top of Spaghetti is in there for instance.

**phizban** · Jun-14-2007, 5:29pm

Right on jbmando, EVERYONE knows Beatles tunes.

**John Flynn** · Jun-14-2007, 5:48pm

Well, Yellow Submarine was actually one of the tunes used in that music therapy class and the kids all seemed to know it and get into it.

**dwc** · Jun-14-2007, 8:00pm

Pretty much anything off of Grisman and Garcia's "Not for Kids Only", although didn't you swear off buying Grisman CDs?
"There Ain't no Bugs on Me"
"Teddy Bear Picnic"

I second "Bingo" and "Camptown Races"
"Puff the Magic Dragon" is always a hit with kids.
Patriotic songs "America the Beautiful" comes to mind
And, although not exactly a sing-along I have always found "Siyahamba" or "We are marching in the light of God" to be an excellent piece.

If you want any of these, I can probably hunt them down in notation.

**John Flynn** · Jun-14-2007, 8:07pm

Originally Posted by

Pretty much anything off of Grisman and Garcia's "Not for Kids Only", although didn't you swear off buying Grisman CDs?

Yeah, but I already had that one before I took the oath!

I like your suggestions. I also just remembered from the music therapy class that we did a couple tunes from the movie "Mary Poppins" and "Lion King." I imagine "Do, Re, Mi" from "The Sound of Music" would be good.

**Dave Greenspoon** · Jun-14-2007, 8:58pm

"You Are My Sunshine" is also a great old-tyme folk song that most kids can sing, as is "Oh Susanna." (already mentioned) #Of course, what kid can resist "On Top of Spaghetti?" #"She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain" is great because it allows for the kids to suggest verses #"We'll all go get some ice-cream when she comes" or "We'll all go down for free-swim when she comes" etc. #The same goes for "If I Had A Hammer." #Also, don't forget "John Jakob Jingleheimerschmidt," always a favorite for the kid crowd. #And even if they don't know the verses, the kids love the chorus to "Blow the Man Down" especially if encouraged to put on their most piratical voices! #Arrrrrrrrgh! #"Rise and Shine" as well as "This Old Man" and "Ive Been Working On The Railroad" are also great tunes and easy to do in a group.

Beyond Jerry and David's "Not For Kids Only", I also suggest getting ahold of the "Rise Up Singing" songbook. #You'll likely find more than enough material for your needs there. #Also, if you know in advance that there are a significant number of kids from a particular cultural or ethnic background (Hispanic, African American, Jewish, Irish, etc) then learning at least one song from their heritage to teach to everybody is a wondeful way to build even deeper connections with and between them. Good luck, and God bless you for the work you'll be doing with these kids!

Dave
---------------
Rigel A - (an A Natural with mega upgrades)
Michael Kelly F-4
My grandmom's labeless Vega?/Washburn?/SS Stewart? bent-top
Vega (Fairbanks?) Regent bowlback
A pancake-style mando made for me from a luthier's guitar- work leftovers

**otterly2k** · Jun-14-2007, 9:04pm

yeah... Rise Up Singing is a great resource...I've come to think of it as the Unitarian Universalist Hymnal...

However, it only has words and chords, so you have to already know the melody.

Re: specific songs,
my nephews love We Come From the Mountain (performed by Belafonte and also the muppets). #It is a "zipper" song ...e.g. the kids can pick what to put in instead of the word Mountain. #My nephews have come up with all sorts of bizarre things... planets, traffic lights, dinosaurs, you name it.

They also like Rainbow Connection (from the Muppet Movie), One Bottle Pop, and Pete Seeger's Garden Song.

Come to think of it, Pete Seeger has some great recordings for kids with some of those songs on it, and of course the all time classic, Abiyoyo.
other ideas:
If I had a Hammer, Where Have all the Flowers Gone, Good Night Irene, Rock Island Line, Michael Row, Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly,

and some rounds:
Hey Ho Nobody Home
Make New Friends (but keep the old)
Dona Nobis Pacem

**allenhopkins** · Jun-14-2007, 11:26pm

When I work with kids, seniors or generally "less sophisticated" audiences, here are some of the ones I use:

You Are My Sunshine
Puff, the Magic Dragon
Oh, Susannah
Kum By Yah
This Land Is Your Land
She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain
I've Been Working On the Railroad
Camptown Races
Goodnight Irene
My Darling Clementine

Specifically for kids, I have success with songs where they have to suggest words to me, and I have to find rhymes for them. Examples:
Down By the Bay
Goodbye Liza Jane
Alligator Pie

Old MacDonald Had a Farm, with the different animal noises, is pretty sure-fire as well.

For developmentally disabled, I get high participation levels with
If You're Happy and You Know It (Clap Your Hands)
He's Got the Whole World In His Hands
plus some of the more generic songs above.

Some less well-known songs, but well worth finding:
Place In the Choir, by Bill Staines
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
The Fox (mentioned above)
The Blue-Tail Fly
Old Dan Tucker
Buffalo Gals
Magic Penny, by Malvina Reynolds

Sources can be all over, but I'll bet Google searches would find you every song listed -- probably standard notation and, in many cases, MP3's to listen to.

**BlueMountain** · Jun-16-2007, 8:10pm

Johnny, do you not play by ear? Of the three songs you mentioned, one has three chords and two have only two.

**John Flynn** · Jun-16-2007, 10:24pm

Yeah, I do play by ear and I can figure out the three I mentioned from memory, so maybe they were bad examples. But as I said, my two issues are: 1) I was looking for a list of titles, because I forget a lot of those titles until someone calls the tune. Then I say, "Oh, of course, that's a great one!" Also, 2) My "mind's ear" is sometimes faulty and I will figure out the A part for a tune and then find myself going into the B part for another tune, so tab, notation or a recording is nice to keep me honest. For the three tunes I used as examples, that probably wouldn' happenm, but for some of the others mentioned, it might.

BTW, I just heard another one tonight that no one has mentioned, "Red River Valley." And that reminded me of another one that the music therapist used, "Down in the Valley."

**Tripp Johnson** · Jun-17-2007, 8:01am

How about Shortnin' Bread?

Playing 'simple folk songs' (until you really try to play/perform them) for kids, seniors, patients etc...what a great reminder of the REAL purpose of playing music.

Have fun John, and Bless you.

Tripp

**JEStanek** · Jun-18-2007, 7:38am

I'll also recommend Rise Up Singing link also has teaching CDs where some of the tunes from the book are performed to help your ear with the chord changes. I also like it b/c with it being spiral bound ypou can photocopy the lyrics.

I'll add the song Jamiaca Farewell to your list of fun sing alongs. Get some Dan Zanes cds or go to his site where he has chords and lyrics for almost all of his arrangements.

Erie Canal
Ratllin Bog (one of those songs where you keep adding something on top of another to make a long list).

Have fun in this worthwile use of your music.

Jamie