Lullabyes and Children's Songs

[Lynette Smith]

I'm going to be an auntie to twin boys any day. I've been singing the same old songs to Robbie, the two year old for 18 months, ones my dad sang to us, and a few others from childhood, but they are getting a little dull.

I'm looking for some new songs to sing. I've been looking for a translation of Der Lindenbaum, but the ones I've found so far don't tally with the version I remember vaguely, so I plan to see if Dad remembers. Others I like include My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, I've Been Working on the Railroad, and There's a Hole in the Bottem of the Sea.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[minifan]

First off, CONGRATS!!!!

My favorites for my daughter are not classics, but I like them...

Angel's Lullaby by Reba Mcentire

Hush Little baby trio...(it's Disney baby's Hush Little Baby, Sleep Child and Lullaby and Goodnight...three songs that flow very well together and easy to remember the lyrics...)

Her other favorite thing that sings is this creepy light up water dragon thingy, and something we call the baby crack machine...it's a sound box that illuminates pictures onto the wall or ceiling...

[Lynette Smith]

Actually I just got a call. My neighbor had a prenatal appointment today and they are keeping they're keeping her overnight because her blood pressure is up, then in the morning they'll decide whether to induce or do a C section, so the twins will arrive (presumably) tomorrow. I suspect it will be a C section, because she is following the same pattern as last time. So I'll be sitting the two year old Robbie tomorrow.

I just remembered Itsy Bitsy Spider. I don't know how I forgot that one.

[minifan]

OOOHHH Itsy Bitsy was my daughter's favorite for a long time...each time we started singing it she would SMILE!

[heidiiiii]

You are my sunshine

my only sunshine

you make me happy

when skies are grey

You`ll never know dear

How much I love you

Please dont take

my sunshine away.

When they get a little older..On Top of Spaghetti, Engine Engine Number 9, ummm. give me a bit and I will remember.

I used to sing songs and recite rhymes to the girls all the time when they were growing up.

[minifan]

Ohhh older songs for kids I love are Joe Scruggs & Raffi...I used to listen to them all the time when I was little...there's one Joe Scruggs I sing to my daughter and it makes her giggle...

"There's a wiggle in my toe

Teacher don'tcha know

I'd love to stop the wiggle

cause it makes me want to giggle

I've done everything I can

I've even tried a little jam

And I thought that you should know

I just can't stop the wiggle in my toe

OHHH NOOO

Now there's a knee

and it sure bothers me

And it keeps going until you get to "Now there's a wiggle in my hair and I think that I'll stop there"...

[fantail]

I always sang the Beatles......"Golden Slumbers", "Long and Winding Road", etc. Any of them....just slower!

[lmgervais]

My kids like the "Disney Silly Songs", but I think that they have one of quieter songs also.

[sparklepuppies]

I always sang the Beatles......"Golden Slumbers", "Long and Winding Road", etc. Any of them....just slower!

Yep, the Beatles were sung to me too. Daddy played the guitar, so I got music as well! "Here Comes the Sun", "Rocky Raccoon", and "Blackbird".

I have been trying to remember what I sang to my kids, and am drawing a complete blank. I guess I was bad and didn't sing... Actually, I now remember once singing Hush Little Baby to my youngest when he was very little, and him reaching up and covering my mouth. I'm not a very good singer!

What about "If You're Happy and You Know It"?

[NannaMc]

Ol McDonald had a farm is always good for some giggles. Ride a c*** horse to Banbury cross to see a fine lady on a white horse. Simple Simon met a pie man. Yankee Doodle Dandy. Humpty dumpty sat on a wall. This little piggy went to market. Round and round the garden, like a teddy bear. You are certainly lucky to have such little ones to entertain.

Shirley

[grynche]

Teddy Bears' Picnic?

If you go into the woods today

You'd better not go alone.

If you go into the woods today

It's better to stay at home.

'cuz every bear that ever there was

Is gathered there for certain because

Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

Picnic time for teddy bears,

The little teddy bears are having a wonderful time today [tonight?].

See them gaily gad about.

They love to play and shout

They never have any cares.

At 6 o'clock their mommies and daddies

Will take them home to bed

Because they're tired little teddy bears.

[Lynette Smith]

My sister had a teaddy bear which played the refrain from "Teddy Bear's Picnic", but I've never known the words.

You Are My Sunshine is one of those I've forgotten. I used to sing the chorus to him a year ago. I'll have to look up the words to the verses.

Robbie loves Old McDonald, especially when I do the pig sounds. It's another I've forgotten for quite a while.

One I need to find lyrics for is "Rockin' Robin" because I sometimes call him Rockin Robbie.

Meanwhile, Robbie just went home for the night (maybe). His mom has started to dilate (from 1 to 2 in five hours, which is a start) and is having a few strong contractions. If things change during the night, I'm already on alert. So it sounds like the boys might come on their own after all.

[doogster]

I would think Hushabye Mountain should be pretty easy to learn.

Puff the Magic Dragon is a great song too, but I don't remember the chords.

[Muriel]

Scarborough Fair, In the calm hour of evening, I will give my love an apple (lovely song, let me know if you want the lyrics), and we had a few German songs too. I started writing settling songs down somewhere when I was babysitting. Not sure where the book is, but if I find it I'll post a few more titles.

[Sherry]

My poor children got 70's songs too. Jeremiah was a bullfrog is one that they loved. My son started playing his Aggie (college) fight song to my grand daughter when she was in the womb, and swore it made her start kicking. Even after she was born, he'd play it and she'd settle right down. I guess it doesn't matter what song, it's just the music.

[Elicia]

Lynette, try this link....I think you will find anything and everything you want here......

http://duchessathome.com/childrensongs/index.html

[Gayle]

How about the nonsense songs from the 40s?

Three little fishes in an iddy biddy pool.

Mareseatoats,doeseatoats and littlelambseativy. That's not the correct spelling of the title but those are the beginning lyrics.

[AmyD]

Puff the Magic Dragon was a favorite

Itsty bitsy spider

Hush little baby

[heidiiiii]

How about the nonsense songs from the 40s?

Three little fishes in an iddy biddy pool.

Mareseatoats,doeseatoats and littlelambseativy. That's not the correct spelling of the title but those are the beginning lyrics.

Those were the type songs that I would sing because that is what my Mom and dad would sing to me.

On the gooood ship, Lollipop

It`s a niiiice trip to the candy shop

Where bon bons play

On the sunny beach of Peppermint Bay.

[LLyn M.]

Then there's...It's a Small World..

Jesus Loves Me..

Sugar Mtn.(Neil Young)

and the ever popular-Ooey,Gooey Was a Worm

(Ooey,Gooey was a worm,a mighty worm was he

He crawled upon the Railroad tracks,

the train he did not see..

Ooey,Gooey) My Nursing Home patients loved this one!!

[SnOw WhItE]

My mum used to sing one about an umberella

One rainy morning

Without any warning

A large umbrella crossed the street

Big, black and shiny

Covering someone tiny

And all that we could see were two small feet

In and out the traffic

Dodging here and there

That umbrella went with a Don't-Care air

I said in wonder

Who is that down under

Hugging that umbrella like a teddy bear

I don't know why she stopped it there, I didn't know it had more then that till I jsut looked up the lyrics online lol

[grazhina]

If you want to put them to sleep, a monotonous song is the way too go. If it's too interesting, they just stay up and listen and want more more more.

I used to sing 300 year old Lithuanian songs to my kids. The tunes didn't have a lot of range, the kids hadn't a clue as to what the words meant, but it did put them to sleep.

[Merry]

You are my sunshine

my only sunshine

you make me happy

when skies are grey

You`ll never know dear

How much I love you

Please dont take

my sunshine away.

When they get a little older..On Top of Spaghetti, Engine Engine Number 9, ummm. give me a bit and I will remember.

I used to sing songs and recite rhymes to the girls all the time when they were growing up.

I LOVE this song. Love, Love, Love it!

[Jokelly]

There is a CD from Martha Stewart's company called "Martha Stewart baby: Sleepytime." I love this CD. It's one of my favorite and not even just for lullabies. It's a collection of songs from various artists like Alison Krauss singing "Baby Mine" from Dumbo. It's just fantastic. So soothing and relaxing. I also like her Quiet Time compilation CD.

I am a preschool teacher and we play classical music to get them to sleep. Sometimes it makes me want to lay down and take a nap, also.

"You Are My Sunshine" is a great song, but I've always found it rather depressing. Am I the only one who thinks this? Maybe I just have a weird outlook. My dad's girlfriend said that she always sang this to her grandaughter and I told her that I found it depressing and she said, "No, it's such a happy song." I recited the whole song (because I can't sing). She said "Well, I just sang the chorus." That said, I do love this song. A great version is on the "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack.

[Jokelly]

I thought of some more.

I used to sing the song Debbie Reynolds sings from Charlotte's Web about Mother Earth and Father Time to my neice and nephew. It's such a sweet and soft song. I love Debbie Reynolds's voice on it.

The other is "Hushabye Mountain" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. d*** Van Dyke sings it to his children I think when they're captured but it could be another scene. It's been a long time since I've seen that movie. Now that I think about it, that movie had a lot of good songs in it.