Three Little Ducks

My husband has been singing a version of this song lately. Except that his version goes something like: One little duck with one feather on his back. He ruled the ducks with a “Quack, quack,… More

My Breakfast Lies Over the Ocean

To the tune of My Bonnie. Source: UK Songs My breakfast lies over the ocean, My dinner lies over the sea, My stomach is in a commotion, Don’t mention my supper to me. Chorus Bring… More

An Austrian went yodeling

I have found a ton of versions to this song and from those I have pieced together when I remember from how I used to sing this song. An Austrian went yodeling on a mountain… More

Seven Golden Daffodils

In Girl Scout camp, a counselor (I think her counselor name was Drako) taught us this song.

I remember the song starting with the following words:

I have not got a mansion
I haven’t any land
Not even a paper dollar
To crinkle in your hand
But I can bring you moon beams

It is a very pretty song.

This appears to be the correct version (Source: Lyrics Mania).

I may not have mansion, I haven’t any land
Not even a paper dollar to crinkle in my hands
But I can show you morning on a thousand hills
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.

I do not have a fortune to buy you pretty things
But I can weave you moonbeams for necklaces and rings
And I can show you morning on a thousand hills
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.

Oh, seven golden daffodils all shining in the sun
To light our way to evening when our day is done
And I will give music and a crust of bread
And a pillow of piny boughs to rest your head.

A pillow of piny boughs to rest your head…

Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips

When I was a little kid see I never liked to eat.
Mama put things on my plate; I’d dump them on her feet. But then one day she made this soup, I ate it all in bed. I asked her what she put in it and this is what she said:

Oh Chicken lips and lizard hips and alligator eyes. Yeah
Monkey legs and buzzard eggs and salamander thighs.
Well Rabbit ears and camel rears and tasty toe-nail pies.
Stir them all together, and its mama’s soup surprise.

Well I went into the bathroom and stood beside the sink. I said I’m feeling slightly ill, and I think I’d like a drink. Mama said, “I’ve just the thing, I’ll get it in a wink
It’s full of lots of protein, and vitamins I think.”

It was chicken lips and lizard hips and alligator eyes. Yeah monkey legs and buzzard eggs and salamander thighs. Rabbit ears and camel rears and tasty toe-nail pies. Stir them all together, and its mama’s soup surprise.

Here is Springsteen singing this song. 🙂

Going on A Bear Hunt

When I was in camp as a child, we sang this song. There are a number of variations of this song on the internet, but this is the basic idea.

I created the following version as a compilation from a number of ones out there. It resembles closest to what I remember us singing.

One person leads, the rest of the group repeats each line after (action: slap hands on thighs like walking)

Goin’ on a bear hunt
(kids echo: bear hunt)

Gonna catch a big one
(kids echo: a big one)

I’m not afraid
(action: shake head no)

What’s that up ahead
(action: shade eyes with hand, look around)

A field.
Can’t go around it
(kids echo: around it)
Can’t go under it
(kids echo: under it)
Can’t go over it
(kids echo: over it it)
Gotta go through it
(action: rub hands together)
(kids echo: though it)

A lake
Can’t go around it
(kids echo: around it)
Can’t go under it
(kids echo: under it)
Can’t go over it
(kids echo: over it it)
Gotta swim through it
(action: rub hands together)
(kids echo: though it)
(action: swimming motion)

A tree
Can’t go around it
(kids echo: around it)
Can’t go under it
(kids echo: under it)
Gotta climb go over it
(kids echo: over it it)
(action: climbing motion)

A cave
Can’t go around it
(kids echo: around it)
Can’t go under it
(kids echo: under it)
Can’t go over it
(kids echo: over it it)
Gotta go in it
(kids echo: in it)
(action: reaching out in the dark)

Cold in here.
Dark in here.
I feel something Hairy!
It’s a bear!

run away, through actions backward
Out of the cave (you can see)
A tree ( climbing motion)
A lake (swimming motion)
A field (rub hands together)

Whew!
We’re home.
I’m not afraid!

Here is a great video version of it by Michael Rosen:

I found a version that is a lion hunt instead of a bear hunt.

Dem Dry Bones

Source: NIH

E-ze-kiel cried, “Dem dry bones!”
E-ze-kiel cried, “Dem dry bones!”
E-ze-kiel cried, “Dem dry bones!”
Oh hear the word of the Lord.

(tune ascends up in half steps, as in midi)

The foot bone con-nected to the (pause) leg-bone,
The leg bone connected to the (‘) knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the (‘) thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the (‘) back bone,
The back bone connected to the (‘) neck bone
The neck bone connected to the (‘) head bone
Oh hear the word of the Lord!

Dem bones, dem bones gon-na walk a-roun’
Dem bones, dem bones gon-na walk a-roun’
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun’
Oh hear the word of the Lord

(tune descends in half steps and we retrace the body)

The head-bone connected to the neck-bone,
the neck-bone connected to the back-bone
The backbone connected to the thigh-bone
the thighbone connected to the kee-bone
the kneebone connected to the leg bone
the leg bone connected to the foot bone
Oh hear the word of the Lord

I remember the first part being something closer to:

Dem bones. Dem bones. Dem dry bones.
Dem bones. Dem bones. Dem dry bones.
Dem bones. Dem bones. Dem dry bones.
Oh hear the word of the Lord.

Do Re Me

Doe – a deer, a female deer.
Ray – a drop of golden sun.
Me – a name, I call myself.
Far – a long, long way to run.
Sew – a needle pulling thread.
La – a note to follow sew.
Tea – a drink with jam and bread.
That will bring us back to Do – oh – oh – oh . . . .

K-K-K-Katie

My mom used to sing this song to me.

K-K-K-Katie, beautiful Katie,
You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore;
When the m-m-m-moon shines,
Over the c-c-c-cowshed,
I’ll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door.

It is pronounced something like kah-kah-kah-katie.

Five Little Speckled Frogs

It took me reading the words out loud of this song to remember the tune of this song. What fun. 🙂

Source Lantern Tree:

Five Green and speckled frogs,
Sitting on a hollow log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One frog jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are only four speckled frogs,
Glub, glub.

Four Green and speckled frogs,
Sitting on a hollow log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One frog jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are only three speckled frogs,
Glub, glub.

Three Green and speckled frogs,
Sitting on a hollow log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One frog jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are only two speckled frogs,
Glub, glub.

Two Green and speckled frogs,
Sitting on a hollow log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One frog jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there is only one speckled frog,
Glub, glub.

One Green and speckled frog,
Sitting on a hollow log,
Eating some most delicious bugs,
Yum, Yum.
One frog jumped in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are no speckled frogs,
Glub, glub.

Cute video by Cullen:

My Grandfathers Clock

I don’t recall this song as a child – but a few years ago, I learned to play it on the ukulele. I love it now. I hum it every once in awhile

Source: Lantern Tree

My grandfathers clock
was too large for the shelf
So it stood ninety years on the floor
It was taller by half than the old man himself
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.

It was bought on the morn
Of the day that he was born
And was always his pleasure and pride
But it stopped short
Never to go again
When the Old Man died

Ninety years without slumbering
Tick Tock Tick Tock
His life seconds numbering
Tick Tock Tick
But it stopped short
Never to go again
When the old man died.

He watched as its pendelum rocked to and fro
Many hours he had spent as a boy
And in childhood and manhood
The clock seemed to know
And to share both his grief and his joy

For it struck twenty-four
As he entered through the door
With a blooming and beautiful bride
But it stopped short
Never to go again
When the old man died

My Grandfather said that of those he could hire
Not a servant so faithful he found
For it kept perfect time
And its only desire
At the close of each week to be wound

And it kept in its place
With a smile upon its face
And its hands never hung by its side
But it stopped short
Never to go again
When the old man died

Mondays Child

Source: Lantern Tree

Mondays child is fair of face,
Tuesdays child is full of grace,
Wednesdays child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to go,
Fridays child is loving and giving,
Saturdays child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay

Little Jack Horner

Source: Lantern Tree

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie,
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum
And said What a good boy am I!

Rub a Dub Dub

Source: Lantern Tree

Rub a dub dub,
Three men in a tub;
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker;
Turn ’em out, knaves all three!

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And how do you think they got there?
They all jumped out of a rotten potato,
‘Twas enough to make a man stare.

This last verse about the rotten potato is completely new to me.

🙂 Count on Sesame Street to do a good Nursery Rhyme video. Here are William Wegman’s Weimaraners with Rub a Dub Dub.

Oh Where, Oh Where has My Little Dog Gone

Source: Lantern Tree

Oh where, oh where,
Has my little dog gone?
Oh where, oh where can he be?

With his ears cut short,
And his tail cut long,
Oh where, oh where can he be?