Archive for the ‘Lyrics’ Category
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The Nightmare Song
From Iolanthe
Words and Music by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Illustrated by Angie Sage
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A couple performances of “The Nightmare Song” (also called “Lord Chancellor’s Nightmare”) online:
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=71BXaf0x5hA
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pLppcXRMXY
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA93YkOq7sk
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcf6k5QjSRI
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THE NIGHTMARE SONG
(Also called “The Lord Chancellor’s Nightmare”)
From Iolanthe
Words and Music by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
(Love unrequited, robs me of me rest
Love, hopeless love, my ardent soul encumbers
Love, nightmare like, lies heavy on me chest
And weaves itself into my midnight slumbers)
When you’re lying awake with a dismal headache
And repose is taboo’d by anxiety
I conceive you may use any language
You choose to indulge in, without impropriety
For your brain is on fire, the bed-clothes conspire
Of usual slumber to plunder you
First your counter pane goes and uncovers your toes
And your sheet slips demurely from under you
Then the blanketing tickles, you feel like mixed pickles
So terribly sharp is the pricking
And you’re hot and you’re cross and you tumble and toss
‘Til there’s nothing ‘twixt you and the ticking
Then the bed clothes all creep to the ground in a heap
And you pick ‘em all up in a tangle
Next your pillow resigns and politely declines
To remain at its usual angle
Well, you get some repose in the form of a doze
With hot eye balls and head ever aching
But your slumbering teems with such horrible dreams
That you’d very much better be waking
For you dream you are crossing the Channel and tossing
About in a steamer from Harwich
Which is something between a large bathing machine
And a very small second class carriage
And you’re giving a treat (penny ice and cold meat)
To a party of friends and relations
They’re a ravenous horde and they all come on board
At Sloane Square and South Kensington Stations
And bound on that journey you find your attorney
Who started this morning from Devon
He’s a bit undersie’d and you don’t feel surprised
When he tells you he’s only eleven
Well you’re driving like mad with this singular lad
By the bye the ship’s now a four wheeler
And you’re playing round games, and he calls you bad names
When you tell him that, “ties pay the dealer”
But this you can’t stand so you throw up your hand
And you find you’re as cold as an icicle
In your shirt and your socks (the black silk with gold clocks)
Crossing Salisbury Plain on a bicycle
And he and the crew are on bicycles too
Which they’ve somehow or other invested in
And he’s telling the tars all the particulars
Of a company he’s interested in
It’s a scheme of devices, to get at low prices
All good from cough mixtures to cables
(Which tickled the sailors) by treating retailers
As though they were all vegetables
You get a good spadesman to plant a small tradesman
(First take off his boots with a boot-tree)
And his legs will take root, and his fingers will shoot
And they’ll blossom and bud like a fruit-tree
From the green grocer tree you get grapes And green pea,
Cauliflower, pine apple and cranberries
While the pastry cook plant cherry brandy will grant
Apple puffs and three corners and Banburys
The shares are a penny and ever so many
Are taken by Rothschild and Baring
And just as a few are allotted to you
You awake and with a shudder despairing
You’re a regular wreck, with a crick in your neck
And no wonder you snore, for your head’s on the floor
And you’ve needles and pins from your soles to your shins
And your flesh is acreep, for your left leg’s asleep
And you’ve cramp in your toes and a fly on your nose
And some fluff in your lung and a feverish tongue
And a thirst that’s intense and a general sense
That you haven’t been sleeping in clover
But the darkness has pass’d, and it’s daylight at last
And the night has been long, ditto, ditto my song
And thank goodness they’re both of them over
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Wiki about Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolanthe
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I quite enjoy that this is an example of a “Patter Song”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patter_song
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Vocabulary (to help you understand what’s going on!)
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Related Posts
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THE SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky, a funny little circle game or counting song (a Girl Scout Songbook song, too)
Posted on: May 19, 2013
Here’s a cute one I learned (and adapted a little to make a counting song) from my daughter’s Brownie Troop:
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Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky (Counting Song or Circle Game)
Traditional Words and Tune
To view or print this song sheet, click here:
down by the banks of the hanky panky
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DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY
Traditional Words and Tune
Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps, ipes, opes, opps
One fell in and went kerplops.
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Circle Game Instructions
This song is sung (and game played) by the Brownies of Troop 2740 by sitting in a circle and hands extended round in the circle. Each girl sits with right palm resting under the hand of the girl to her right and left hand resting on top of the hand to her left. When the song begins, one girl is designated to begin and on the first beat of the song she gently slaps the hand of the girl to her right with her left hand. Then, in turn, one at a time going around the circle (this would be counter-clockwise) when a girl’s left hand is gently slapped, she uses her left hand to gently slap the upturned palm of the girl to her right. The girl whose hand is slapped on the word “kerplop” is out and the game/song begins again and is played until the last girl/frog goes “kerplop.”
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Counting Game Instructions
To make this a counting song, replace “Where the” with 5 (or number for however many times you’re willing to sing the song), and in each subsequent verse, reduce the number by 1. When the group reaches zero, sing “No bullfrogs jump” and “Not one fell in and went kerplops.”
It would go like this:
DOWN BY THE BANKS OF THE HANKY PANKY (COUNTING SONG)
Traditional Words and Tune
Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Five bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps, ipes, opes, opps
One fell in and went kerplops.
Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Four bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps, ipes, opes, opps
One fell in and went kerplops.
Etc…
Last verse:
Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
No bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps, ipes, opes, opps
Not one fell in and went kerplops.
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Very similar tune to the one the girls use, a 19 second song so you can hear the whole tune by previewing the track, here (very cute),
http://www.amazon.com/Down-By-Banks-Hanky-Panky/dp/B003EYA7JS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368622270&s=dmusic&sr=1-2
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This video includes extended lyrics and a hand-clapping game, but a similar tune:
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Kids in Indonesia play the song, too (slightly different lyrics, but same tune!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zoMAvwKGfk
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This is not a circle game, but an alternative with movements (good exercise!)
King County Library System webpage for this song, includes slightly different lyrics and tune and a video with movements for a little exercise:
http://wiki.kcls.org/tellmeastory/index.php/Down_by_the_Banks_of_the_Hanky_Panky
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Slightly different lyrics but good circle game (they call it a clapping game, but the instructions are for the circle game),
http://kiboomukidssongs.com/down-by-the-banks-of-the-hanky-panky-song/
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Related Posts
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Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky, a Girl Scout Song for Troop 2740
http://brownietroop2740.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/down-by-the-banks-of-the-hanky-panky-a-girl-scout-song-for-troop-2740/
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MOVEMENTS, FINGER PLAYS AND DANCES
Get Movin’! MOVEMENTS, FINGER PLAYS AND DANCES in Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/get-movin-movements-finger-plays-and-dances-in-singable-picture-books/
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LITTLE SONGS, A NOTEBOOK OF SWEET LITTLE SONGS (MOSTLY SINGABLE POETRY) FOR TO SING WHEN YOUR BRAIN FEELS FUZZY
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/little-songs-a-notebook-of-sweet-little-songs-mostly-singable-poetry-for-to-sing-when-your-brain-feels-fuzzy/
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COUNTING
Counting (and math) in Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/counting-and-math-in-singable-picture-books/
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PINTEREST
SING WITH ME SONGBOOK FOR SINGBOOKS WITH EMILY (ON PINTEREST)
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/sing-with-me-songbook-sing-books-with-emily/
My dear friend Ms. Anctil gave me a gift of a new FARMER IN THE DELL:
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The Farmer in the Dell
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Wendy Straw
Turns out, there’s quite a few FARMERS IN THE DELL!
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The Farmer in the Dell
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Ilse Plume
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This was sitting on Mr. Mitchell’s bookshelf, so we sang it!
The Farmer in the Dell (A Singing Game)
Traditional Words and Music
Illustrated by Mary Maki Rae
This book features a description of the circle game which can be played when singing this song as well as printed music.
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Farmer in the Dell (Classic Books with Holes)
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Pam Adams
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The Farmer in the Dell
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Alexandra Wallner
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Wiki has lyrics and song history info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farmer_in_the_Dell
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A YouTube to help you with the tune:
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THE FARMER IN THE DELL
Traditional Words and Tune
The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer in the dell
The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a wife
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer takes a wife
The wife takes a child
The wife takes a child
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The wife takes a child
The child takes a nurse
The child takes a nurse
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The child takes a nurse
The nurse takes a cow
The nurse takes a cow
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The nurse takes a cow
The cow takes a dog
The cow takes a dog
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cow takes a dog
The dog takes a cat
The dog takes a cat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The dog takes a cat
The cat takes a rat
The cat takes a rat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cat takes a rat
The rat takes the cheese
The rat takes the cheese
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The rat takes the cheese
The cheese stands alone
The cheese stands alone
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cheese stands alone
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This looks like a very cool vintage toy:
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It is fun to sing this song along with accompaniment from the Fisher Price TV Radio that winds up and plays a music box version of “The Farmer in the Dell,”
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FARMER IN THE DELL
Circle Game Instructions from Ilse Plume’s Illustration:
HOW TO PLAY THE FARMER IN THE DELL
The Farmer in the Dell begins with a group of children forming a circle around a single child who is designated ”the farmer.” As the children begin to sing the song, they hold hands and dance in a circle around the farmer. When the children sing “The farmer takes a wife, the farmer takes a wife, high-ho the derry-o, the farmer takes a wife,” the child in the center of the circle chooses another child to come into the center with him, and she is designated ”the wife.”
The farmer can select a wife either by spinning around with his eyes closed and choosing the child to hem he randomly points, or he can actively choose a specific child. The game continues in the same manner with the wife picking a “child,” then the child picking a “nurse,” and so on until the seventh child becomes “the rat.”
When all of the children in the circle sing “The rat takes the cheese, the rat takes the cheese, high-ho the derry-o, the rat takes the cheese,” the eights child is chosen and as she enters the circle the other players go back into the circle, join hands with the other children , and sing along: “The cheese stands alone, the cheese stands alone, heigh-ho the derry-o, the cheese stands alone.”
To begin the next round of the game, the cheese is designated the farmer and she chooses the next wife.
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To find a good definition, I Googled “What is a dell?” and this is what came up:
dell:
/del/
Noun
A small valley, usually among trees.
Synonyms
glen – valley
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Related Posts
Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, an addition to my collection by Wendy Watson
Posted on: May 13, 2013
I wanted my own copy of FOX WENT OUT ON A CHILLY NIGHT, as illustrated by Wendy Watson, for a long time. It just arrived. I bought a very good ex-library hardcover edition from Amazon and it is as sweet and delightful an illustration as one would expect from Wendy Watson.
Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night
Traditional Words and Music
Illustrated by Wendy Watson
ISBN 0-688-10766-4
As with any old folks song, the lyrics will often vary from one printed version to another (and among the many people who sing and perform it) and that is the case here. I’ve been singing this for kids with Peter Spier’s illustration (which I also adore) and the lyrics within are slightly different than that, but the differences are wonderful and it will be lots of fun to sing both. For example, in Peter Spier’s illustration, the woman who discovers the fox and sticks her head out of the window is “Old Mother Giggle-Gaggle,” but in Wendy Watson’s illustration, the woman is “Old Mother Slipper-Slopper,” who Ms. Watson adorably draws wearing sloppy slippers.
The inside cover book flap for Wendy Watson’s illustration offers this info:
This classic folk song of a fox in pursuit of his dinner was first published in the 1810 edition of Gammer Gurton’s Garland. It has been a childhood favorite ever since…
It’s hilarious to me, that, in the text mentioned above from Gammer Gurton’s Garland, the woman is called “Old Mother Widdle Waddle.”
In the 1810 Gammer Gurton’s Garland, this is all there is of what was to become the song FOX WENT OUT ON A CHILLY NIGHT:
DAME WIDDLE WADDLE.
Old Mother Widdle Waddle jumpt out of bed,
And out at the casement she popt out her head:
Crying the house is on fire, the grey goose is dead,
And the fox he is come to the town, oh!
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Related Posts
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FOX WENT OUT ON A CHILLY NIGHT
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/the-fox-went-out-on-a-chilly-night-an-old-folk-song-and-a-singable-picture-book/
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WATSON FAMILY
Singable Picture Books from Nancy Dingman, Aldren A., Clyde and Wendy Watson
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/singable-picture-books-by-the-watsons-nancy-dingman-aldren-a-clyde-and-wendy/
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FAVORITE SINGABLES ON PINTEREST
Of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of choices, this list onPinterest displays the top blockbuster favorite Singable Picture Books that we warble together at Sing Books visits:
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/
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FATHER FOX’S PENNYRHYMES AND FATHER FOX’S FEAST OF SONGS, SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS AND PRINTED MUSIC, TOO!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/father-foxs-pennyrhymes-and-father-foxs-fest-of-songs-singable-picture-books-and-printed-music-too/
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The Fox, a Crafty Character for Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/the-fox-a-crafty-character/
- In: Art of Singing a Song | Cabaret | Case for Singable Books | Expert Info - First Hand | Girl Scout Song | Heartfelt Musings | Lyrics | Out of the Mouths of Babes | Poetry | Power of Music | Quotes of Note | Sing Along Tracks | Sing Books with Emily Sing-Along Materials | Singable Book Title | Singable Poem | Singable Poetry | Song History | Written by ELEG
- Leave a Comment
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Horse Sang a Song, Song
Words by Eloise Pauline Gleichenhaus
Tune by Eloise’s Mom
Illustrated by Eloise Pauline Gleichenhaus
Sing along with Eloise’s Mom Emily, here:
https://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/horse-sang-a-song-song
To view or print this poem poster, click here:
HORSE SANG A SONG SONG EPG POSTER 2013
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Eloise’s handwritten poem:
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THE HORSE SANG A SONG, SONG
Words by Eloise Pauline Gleichenhaus
Tune by Eloise’s Mom
Sing along with Eloise’s Mom Emily, here:
https://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/horse-sang-a-song-song
I saw a brown horse.
She sang a song.
A horse of course.
I sang along.
The horse was pretty.
She combed her hair.
The horse was witty.
She not care.
I saw a brown horse.
She sang a song.
A horse of course.
I sang along.
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Related Posts
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LITTLE SONGS, A NOTEBOOK OF SWEET LITTLE SONGS (MOSTLY SINGABLE POETRY) FOR TO SING WHEN YOUR BRAIN FEELS FUZZY
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/little-songs-a-notebook-of-sweet-little-songs-mostly-singable-poetry-for-to-sing-when-your-brain-feels-fuzzy/
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PINTEREST
FAVORITE SINGABLES ON PINTEREST
Of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of choices, this list on Pinterest displays the top blockbuster favorite Singable Picture Books that we warble together at Sing Books visits:
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/
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POETRY SINGABLE POETRY IN COMPILATIONS
An list of singable poems from compilations of poetry for children
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/singable-poetry-a-list-of-poems-that-can-be-sung-from-illustrated-compilations-of-poetry-and-singable-picture-books/
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POETRY, SINGABLE POETRY IN INDIVIDUALLY ILLUSTRATED SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
A list of individually illustrated poems that have been set to music and can be sung
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/poems-individually-illustrated-spb/
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SONGS BY EMILY
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/songs-by-emily/
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GALLERY OF KIDS ARTWORK FOR SBWE
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/praise-portraits-from-friends-of-sbwe/
The Songs We Sang at Tuckahoe Elementary School in the Week of 4/29 – 5/3, 2013
Posted on: May 8, 2013
- In: Art of Singing a Song | Case for Singable Books | Heartfelt Musings | Lyrics | Poetry | Power of Music | SBWE in Person | SBWE Sing-Along Program for Classrooms and Families | Sing Books with Emily - the Cabaret | Sing Books with Emily Sing-Along Materials | Singable Book Title | Singable Poem | Singable Poetry | Written by ELEG
- Leave a Comment
It was a delightful week to sing poetry and bid a fond farewell to April is Poetry and celebrate the coming of May flowers. We enjoyed Sing Books in the classes of Mr. Grasso (3), Ms. Campbell (K), Ms. Morgan (K), Ms. Everett (K), Mr. Koppelman (2), Ms. Howard (2), Mr. Mitchell (K), and Ms. Strickland (3).
Here’s what we sang…in no particular order:
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I began to perform this book using my lovely new soprano glockenspiel. It’s a lot of fun and those bell tones are beautiful!
The Big Bell and the Little Bell
Words and Music by Martin Kalmanoff
Illustrated by Alastair Graham
(This book is packaged with a CD with two recordings of the song!)
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The Circle Game
Words and Music by Joni Mitchell
Illustrated by Brian Deines
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All God’s Critters
Words and Music by Bill Staines
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, 2009
ISBN 987-0-689-86959-4
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Amoeba Hop
Words and Music by Christine Lavin
Illustrated by Betsy Franco Feeney
This book features a study of amoeba life, printed music and a live recording of “Amoeba Hop” by the amazingly hilarious and talented singer/songwriter
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A-You’re Adorable with ASL Alphabet
Words and Music by Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise and Sidney Lippman
Illustrated by Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus
This item is for classroom, home, or library use only.
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Ants Go Marching (Classic Books with Holes)
Traditional Words and Tune (sing to the tune of, When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
Illustrated by Dan Crisp
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Animal Fair
Traditional Tune
Words Adapted by Ponder Goembel
Illustrated by Ponder Goembel
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A Fairy Went A-Marketing
Poem by Rose Fyleman
Illustrated by Jamichael Henterly
Musical Setting can be found by Ginger Sands on her collection “The Gift of Make Believe“
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Grateful (A Song of Giving Thanks)
Words and Music by John Bucchino
Illustrated by Anna-Liisa Hakkarainen
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Grandma’s Feather Bed (John Denver’s)
Words and Music by Jim Connor
Adapted and Illustrated by Christopher Canyon
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Late for School
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Illustrated by C.F. Payne
Published by Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, New York, 2010
ISBN 978-044-6-55702-3
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Star Spangled Banner
Words by Francis Scott Key
Music by J. Stafford Smith
Illustrated by Todd Ouren
(This book features printed music and historical information)
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Snuggle Puppy
Words by Sandra Boynton
Music by Sandra Boynton and Michael Ford
Illustrated by Sandra Boynton
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The Swing
Poem by Robert Lewis Stevenson
Traditional Tune
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Originally Published in A Child’s Garden of Verses
ISBN 978-1897476482
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Sunshine on My Shoulders
Words by John Denver
Music by John Denver, Mike Taylor & Dick Kniss
Illustrated by Christopher Canyon
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There’s a Train Out for Dreamland
Music and Lyrics by Frederich H. Heider and Carl Kress
Illustrated by Jane Dyer and Brooke Dyer
ISBN 978-0-06-058022-3
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Take Me Home, Country Roads
Words and Music by John Denver, Taffy Nivert and Bill Danoff
Words Adapted by Christopher Canyon
Illustrated by Christopher Canyon
ISBN 978-1584690726
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Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Words by Jack Norworth
Music by Albert Von Tilzer
Illustrated by Amiko Hirao
Performed by Carly Simon
This edition gets a GOLD STAR for including the FULL song (both verses and chorus) and a fabulous recording of Carly Simon and her delightful arrangement she made for Ken Burn’s documentary Baseball.
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The Teddy Bear’s Picnic
Words and Music by Jimmy Kennedy
Illustrated by Michael Hague
ISBN 978-0-8050-5349-4
(This is the large, trade paperback edition)
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ZYXs with American Sign Language Alphabet
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Emily Leatha Everson Gleichenhaus
Click here to view or print my ZYX card with American Sign Language Alphabet:
ZYX letters caps WITH SIGN
Sing the ZYX’s along with me! Just click here:
http://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/zyxs-eleg-2010
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Related Posts
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http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/The_Chimpanzoo?file=TheChimpanzoo.jpg
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9eVfo4XBOo
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Richard Sherman tells the story of the song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPcECuFJ6Is
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CHIMPANZOO
Words and Music by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Song written for, but cut from, the movie MARY POPPINS
In Timbuktu, there’s a Chimpanzoo
That’s run by a chimpanzee.
It’s an oddish place where the human race
Is under lock and key.
And on their backs, they wear small plaques
For the animals to view.
Which specify the reasons why
They’re locked in the Chimpanzoo.
If you’re boisterous and bumptious,
you’re grist for the Chimpanzoo!
If you’re overly rambunctious,
You’re whisked to Timbukto.
Laughs, laughs, nothing but laughs
But you know who’s laughing at who?
It’s the animals there who giggle and stare
At you in the Chimpanzoo!
(Instrumental / Kazoo break)
You may never play the music halls
In all your wildest dreams.
But billow and blast in the Chimpanzoo
And the animals burst their seams.
It takes a lot of talent and time
To become a West End attraction.
But in this place, one rude grim-ace
Gets a marvelous reaction.
Laughs, laughs, nothing but laughs
But you know who’s laughing at who?
It’s the animals there who giggle and stare
Gate with glee incredulously
At the boisterous bumptious rowdy crew
At you in the Chimpanzoo.
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Info about the song in here:
http://www.dvdizzy.com/marypoppins.html
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Related Post
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SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK WISHES 1 (PICTURE BOOKS THAT NEED SONGS)
Like Pinocchio wished to become a real boy, I imagine that these books wish to become Singable.
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/singable-picture-book-wishes-books-that-wish-to-become-singable-and-songs-that-wish-to-be-illustrated/
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SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK WISHES 2 (SONGS THAT WISH TO BE ILLUSTRATED)
There songs are BEGGING to become Singable Picture Books
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/03/06/singable-picture-book-wishes-2-songs-that-wish-to-be-illustrated/
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SHERMAN BROTHERS
The Singable Picture Books of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/singable-picture-books-of-richard-m-sherman-and-robert-b-sherman/
Singable Picture Book-wise, it doesn’t get much better than this. BEETHOVEN’S WIG combines humor, delightful illustration and classical music. The text is saturated with robust vocabulary. We are introduced to one of the great characters and composers ever to have lived. We will all be enriched by spending some time traipsing around Beethoven’s wig…
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Beethoven’s Wig
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven (Symphony No. 5)
Words by Richard Perlmutter
Illustrated by Maria Rosetti
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Video for the song (matches the book exactly)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdRZl9g_5tw
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Beethoven Symphony Number 5 wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._5_(Beethoven)
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Website for the whole Beethoven’s Wig series:
http://www.beethovenswig.com/
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YouTube with full performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z4KK7RWjmk
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BEETHOVEN’S WIG
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Music based on Beethoven’s Sympony No. 5
Words by Richard Perlmutter
Beethoven’s Wig is very big.
Beethoven’s wig is long and curly and it’s white.
Beethoven takes his wig off when he sleeps at night.
Because it’s big.
It’s very big.
Beethoven’s wig is big.
It’s really big.
Beethoven’s wig is heavy when he takes a walk.
His wig is even bigger than the wig of Bach.
It is tremendous.
It is stupendous.
It is gigantic and titanic.
Monumental and colossal.
And enormous and humongous.
Cause it’s big.
It’s really big.
It’s very big.
It’s mighty big.
Beethoven’s Wig is oh so wide
You’ll need a guide
To see each side.
It’s really big.
It’s grandiose.
Don’t get too close you’ll overdose
Because it’s big. Big!
Beethoven’s Wig is big!
It’s stylish and it’s handsome.
It costs a small king’s ransom -
Five hundred bucks and then some.
But the hair’s so long and flowing
That the wig seems like it’s growing.
And it keeps his face from showing.
Poor Beethoven’s wig needs mowing.
Cause Beethoven’s wig is big.
Beethoven’s wig is very big.
It’s oh so big
It’s filled with goo,
It’s such a problem to shampoo.
It’s really very, very big.
Beethoven’s wig is very big.
It’s awful big.
It’s such a mess it even has it’s own address.
Beethoven’s wig is such a mop.
He should stop at the barber shop.
It’s way too big.
His mother called.
She said he would look better bald.
Because it’s big.
It’s very big.
Beethoven’s wig!
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THE SONG IS FUNNY BUT THERE WASN’T REALLY A WIG
This song is a terrific opportunity to have some fun with classical music and introduce children to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
Though Beethoven was painted with, and is frequently depicted as having, a large mane of wild hair
(As in Karl Stieler’s famous 1820 portrait of Beethoven)…
…and though this song is all about Beethoven’s wig, my research has revealed that Beethoven never wore a wig. The notion of such makes for a funny song, but the kids should know the song’s wig is for humor (and maybe can be thought of as a tribute to his wild hair, or just as a joke in the picture book) and that the great composer didn’t wear one.
There’s the lyric, “His wig is ever bigger than the wig of Bach,” extra funny because Johann Sebastian Bach (another great German composer who lived 1685-1750), see in this 1746 portrait by Elias Haussmann, really DID wear a wig:
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Visuals are always helpful!
So, to help explain to the kids how Beethoven did not actually wear a wig, but Bach did, I put this together (the portraits above plus a short Beethoven bio),
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Beethoven’s Wig (Beethoven and Bach) Composers Poster and Beethoven Bio
To view or print this packet, click here:
beethoven’s wig poster
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1959 German Stamp depicting Liwig van Beethoven
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A little info on Beethoven, gathered mostly from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
1770 -1827
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets. He also composed other chamber music, choral works, and songs.
Born in Bonn, Germany, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792 and began studying with Haydn, quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. He lived in Vienna until his death. In about 1800 his hearing began to deteriorate, and by the last decade of his life he was almost totally deaf. He gave up conducting and performing in public but continued to compose; many of his most admired works come from this period.
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Related Posts
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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
A list of SPBs with fun and sneakily educational content. The kids won’t even know they’re learning!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/singable-picture-books-with-sneaky-educational-content/
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Beethoven’s Wig, Musical Parodies of Symphonies and Piano Classics
There Was an Old Man with a Beard, Limerick by Edward Lear, Illustration by Kelly Oechsli
Posted on: May 3, 2013
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There Was an Old Man with a Beard
Limerick by Edward Lear
Traditional Tune
Illustrated by Kelly Oechsli
Sing the limerick tune with Emily, here:
http://soundcloud.com/singbookswithemily/limerick-tune-there-was-an-old
To view or print this song sheet, click here:
there was an old man w a beard lear oechsli
This songs sheet is for home or classroom use only.
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Full post about this limerick, here:
THERE WAS AN OLD MAN WITH A BEARD A FUN SINGABLE LIMERICK BY EDWARD LEAR
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/there-was-an-old-man-with-a-beard-a-fun-singable-limerick-by-edward-lear/
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Related Posts
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PINTEREST
SING WITH ME SONGBOOK FOR SINGBOOKS WITH EMILY (ON PINTEREST)
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/sing-with-me-songbook-sing-books-with-emily/
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POETRY SINGABLE POETRY IN COMPILATIONS
An list of singable poems from compilations of poetry for children
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/singable-poetry-a-list-of-poems-that-can-be-sung-from-illustrated-compilations-of-poetry-and-singable-picture-books/
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POETRY, SINGABLE POETRY IN INDIVIDUALLY ILLUSTRATED SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
A list of individually illustrated poems that have been set to music and can be sung
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/poems-individually-illustrated-spb/
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LITTLE SONGS, A NOTEBOOK OF SWEET LITTLE SONGS (MOSTLY SINGABLE POETRY) FOR TO SING WHEN YOUR BRAIN FEELS FUZZY
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/little-songs-a-notebook-of-sweet-little-songs-mostly-singable-poetry-for-to-sing-when-your-brain-feels-fuzzy/
- In: Art of Singing a Song | Book Review by ELEG | Cabaret | Case for Singable Books | Heartfelt Musings | Lyrics | Out of the Mouths of Babes | Power of Music | Quotes of Note | SBWE in Person | Sing Along Tracks | Singable Book Title | Singable Picture Book Video | Song History | Vocal Tracks
- Leave a Comment
This song takes me home, alright. Like the other John Denver songs in the Singable Picture Book repertoire, I grew up listening this song and today love the memories it brings back.
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Take Me Home, Country Roads
Words and Music by John Denver, Taffy Nivert and Bill Danoff
Words Adapted by Christopher Canyon
Illustrated by Christopher Canyon
ISBN 978-1584690726
This is a wonderfully detailed, joyful and loving book. I pulled it out in a Kindergarten class and one of the children said “Wow, those are some detailed pictures!” What a great comment, and true. Fabulous detail are found in each picture of this book, paintings made to look give the feeling of a lovingly made quilt. This book is a great work of illustration and a fitting, loving tribute to the wonderful music and big heart of John Denver.
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TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS
Words and Music by John Denver, Taffy Nivert and Bill Danoff
Almost heaven West Virginia
Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze
Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads
All my memories, they gather ’round her
Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrops in my eyes
Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads
I hear her voice in the mornin’ hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin’ down the road I get a feelin’
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday
Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads
Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads
Take me home country roads
Take me home down country roads
Take me home down country roads
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All the songwriters sing the song together:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukUL_I14GPw
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YouTube with Lyrics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i5nDWUX9Ks
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YouTube of recording sung by the great Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiCkiyTGM6E
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Take Me Home Country Roads wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Home,_Country_Roads
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Publisher’s webpage for TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS which includes images of beautiful two page illustration spreads,
http://www.dawnpub.com/our-books/take-me-home-country-roads/
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The destination of the singer is somewhere in West Virginia, but clearly the singer is coming by way of Virginia travelling from East to West, going through the Blue Ridge Mountains and over the Shenandoah River, both of which reside in the western parts of the state of Virginia. You can see West Virginia, Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River all marked on this map. I keep this map with the book and point these things out before we sing the song. A little geography, a little singing…It’s all go to know!
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/printpage/valarge.htm
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Related Post
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JOHN DENVER
The Singable Picture Books of John Denver
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/the-singable-picture-books-of-john-denver/
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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
A list of SPBs with fun and sneakily educational content. The kids won’t even know they’re learning!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/singable-picture-books-with-sneaky-educational-content/
