There was an Old Woman All Skin and Bones – A Hallowe’en Song and Video
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Contents
Posts
There was an Old Woman All Skin and Bones – A Hallowe’en Song and Video
Saturday, October 24th, 2009I’ve posted several versions of this great Halloween song in the past… It’s called There Was an Old Woman All Skin and Bones.
Here’s yet another version below from Matt Vaughan and his friend Pam. They explain how to make it spookier for Halloween!
Here are the chords from Matt…
Am – Dm Am / Am Dm Am – ://There was an old woman all skin and bones
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She lived down by the old graveyard
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
One night she thought she’d take a walk
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She walked down by the old graveyard
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She saw the bones a-laying around
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She went to the closet to get a broom
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She opened the door and…
BOO!Have a spooky-fun Halloween!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Help with a Maori Song that Sounds Like, “Nane paku ana”?
Saturday, October 10th, 2009Sharon wrote:
Hi Lisa,
This is really a shot in the dark, but I’m wondering if you know of a song, which I believe is Maori. A friend of mine taught it to me, but she doesn’t know the translation or anything else about it. I’m wondering if you’ve heard of it, and if so, if you could tell me anything about it – what it means, who sings it, etc, and perhaps the proper words. My best attempt at writing it out is as follows:
Nane paku ana
Nane paku ana
eh eh eh ua
ua ua
ipea ipea ipea
Kuana Kuana Kuana Kuana Kua…Choo!
Kuana Kuana Kuana Kuana Kua…Choo!It is a rhythmic song with clapping on the off beats.
Does this seem at all familiar?
Thank you so much!
-Sharon
If anyone can help Sharon with the original Maori words to this song and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below. If you have the original text, please email me a copy at lisa@mamalisa.com – so I can make sure the accents show up properly.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Chanda Mama – “Moon” Video by Playing for Change
Friday, October 2nd, 2009Chanda Mama is a song from India about the moon. Different versions exist in the various languages of India. This one is in the Telugu language, a language mainly spoken in southern India.
Playing for Change made the Chanda Mama video with musicians around the world. Playing for Change creates music all over the world to make money to build music and art schools in communities that are in need of inspiration and hope. Music and art can have meaning across cultures and be appreciated by people of all economic classes and educational backgrounds. What better way to improve the world!
The lyrics to the Playing for Change version of Chanda Mama (in the video) are something like this…
Chanda maama chanda maama raavayyaa
nannu yettukoni muddulaadu kovayyaamaaraalu nenenni cesinaa gaaraalu nive cupinaa
maaraalu nenenni cesinaa gaaraalu nive cupinaaChanda maama chanda maama raavayyaa
nannu yettukoni muddulaadu kovayyaaIf anyone can help with the meaning of these lyrics (and/or if you can verify or correct the original lyrics), please let us know in the comments below.
We have another version of Chanda Mama which is a Telugu children’s rhyme, with an mp3. You can click the link to hear it and to read the lyrics in Telugu with an English translation.
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
Raffi Lyrics and Musical Arrangements
Sunday, May 31st, 2009Many children love Raffi’s music! I’ve just discovered something wonderful on his site… Raffi’s Lyrics and Scores – which include his specific arrangements to many of the songs he sings.
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
Are There “Correct” Versions of Traditional Nursery Rhymes and Songs?
Thursday, May 28th, 2009People often write to us looking for the correct version of a song or rhyme. Monique Palomares, who I work with on the songs and rhymes that are posted on Mama Lisa’s World wrote the following about this topic…
Until mass media devices were available, songs were mostly passed down through generations by oral transmission. Some of them are known to have authors because we can track them back to a written document mentioning the authors’ names and how they wrote them. But most traditional songs are anonymous. Therefore, there were no set versions. People would adapt the songs to their own surroundings or would forget a word and sing another, swap verses or lines or add a new one. This is why there isn’t such a thing as “THE TRUE version” or “THE CORRECT lyrics”… when talking about anonymous traditional songs.
What seems to be for each of us “the true, genuine, correct…lyrics ” is the version we learned, generally when we were a child. So it’s “always” been that way for us in our heads.
Unless a song has an author who left a copy of his work, when a song/rhyme has variants, there is only a” MOST KNOWN/SPREAD version”. Some songs have tens of versions… so imagine all the nursery rhymes or finger plays that every mom sings to her baby, multiplied by all the mothers out there, multiplied by all the times they may sing them differently according to their sense of humor, the babies’ sense of humor…! (Check out the many versions of Ride Ride Ranke and you’ll see what I mean!)
Monique Palomares has translated most of Mama Lisa’s World into French and Spanish. You can see her translations on Mama Lisa’s World en français and Mama Lisa’s World en español.
Songs from Right After the Slaves Were Freed in the US
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009The US government did a series of interviews with former slaves in the 1930’s. Project Gutenberg, has posted some of the interviews. They’re called “Slave Narratives – A Folk History of Slavery in the United States – From Interviews with Former Slaves”.
I found some songs in one of the the interviews that I thought were interesting. Below you can read excerpts from the interview, plus the songs. It was done in February 1937 with Mrs. Fannie Berry, Ex-slave from Petersburg, Virginia. The first part of the excerpt is about what happened to Mrs. Berry after the slaves were freed…
Now, Miss Sue, take up. I jes’ like to talk to you, honey ’bout dem days ob slavery; ’cause you look like you wan’ta hear all ’bout ‘em. All ’bout de ol’ rebels; an’ dem niggers who left wid de Yankees an’ were sat free, but, poor things, dey had no place to go after dey got freed. Baby, all us wuz helpless an’ ain’t had nothin’.
I wuz free a long time ‘fo’ I knew it. My Mistess still hired me out, ’til one day in talkin’ to de woman she hired me to, she, “God bless her soul”, she told me, “Fannie yo’ are free, an’ I don’t have to pay your Master for you now.” You stay with me. She didn’t give me no money, but let me stay there an’ work for vitals an’ clothes ’cause I ain’t had no where to go. Jesus, Jesus, God help us! Um, Um, Um! You Chillun don’t know. I didn’t say nothin’ when she wuz tellin’ me, but done ‘cided to leave her an’ go back to the white folks dat fus own me…
Here Mrs. Berry told some songs. The first one I found interesting because it has the “kemo kimo” sound that we find in some versions of Froggie Went a Courtin (which has Ki-Me-O in it)…
…here’s another one we use to sing. ‘Member de war done bin when we would sing dese songs. Listen now:
SONG
Kemo, Kimo, dar you are
Heh, ho rump to pume did’dle.
Set back pinkey wink,
Come Tom Nippecat
Sing song Kitty cat, can’t
You carry me o’er?(2)
Up de darkies head so bold
Sing song, Kitty, can’t you
Carry me O’er?
Sing Song, Kitty, can’t yo’
Carry me home?Here Mrs. Berry talked about the war and mentioned a song from the end when the slaves were finally free…
I wuz at Pamplin an’ de Yankees an’ Rebels were fightin’ an’ dey were wavin’ the bloody flag an’ a confederate soldier wuz upon a post an’ they were shootin’ terribly. Guns were firin’ everywhere.
All a sudden dey struck up Yankee Doodle Song. A soldier came along [and] called to me, “How far is it to the Rebels”, an I honey, wuz feared to tell him. So, I said, “I don’t know”. He called me again. Scared to death [I was]. I recollect gittin’ behind the house an’ pointed in the direction. You see, ef de Rebels knew dat I told the soldier, they would have killed me.
These were the Union men goin’ after Lee’s army which had don’ bin ‘fore dem to Appomattox.
The Colored regiment came up behind an’ when they saw the Colored regiment they put up the white flag. (Yo’ ‘member ‘fo’ dis red or bloody flag was up). Now, do you know why dey raised dat white flag? Well, honey, dat white flag wuz a token dat Lee, had surrendered. Glory! Glory! yes, child the Negroes are free, an’ when they knew dat dey were free dey, Oh! Baby! began to sing:
Mamy don’t yo’ cook no mo’,
Yo’ ar’ free, yo’ ar’ free.
Rooster don’t yo’ crow no mo’,
Yo’ ar’ free, yo’ ar’ free.
Ol’ hen, don’t yo’ lay no mo’ eggs,
Yo’ free, yo’ free.Sech rejoicing an’ shoutin’, you never he’rd in you’ life.
Yes, I can recollect de blowin’ up of the Crater. We had fled, but I do know ’bout the shellin’ of Petersburg. We left Petersburg when de shellin’ commenced an’ went to Pamplin in box cars, gettin’ out of de way. Dem were scared times too, cause you looked to be kilt any minute by stray bullets. Just before the shellin’ of Petersburg, dey were sellin’ niggers for little nothin’ hardly.
Junius Broadie, a white man bought some niggers, but dey didn’t stay slave long, cause de Yankees came an’ set ‘em free.
If you’re interested in reading more interviews, go to Project Gutenberg and look up “Work Projects Administration”.
Mama Lisa
A Recording of Don Gato in Spanish with the Lyrics and an English Translation
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009We recently received a new recording of Don Gato wonderfully sung in Spanish by Élodie Chebat. You can click the mp3 link below to hear it. While listening, you can read the lyrics in Spanish below, followed by an English translation…
El señor don Gato
(Spanish)Estaba el señor Don Gato
Sentadito en su tejado
Miarrau miau miau miau
Sentadito en su tejado.Cuando le vinieron nuevas
Que había de ser casado
Miarrau miau miau miau
Que había de ser casado.Con una gatita parda
Con un pinta en el rabo
Miarrau miau miau miau
Con un pinta en el rabo.El gato de la alegría
Se ha caído del tejado
Miarrau miau miau miau
Se ha caído del tejado.Se ha roto siete costillas
Y la puntita del rabo
Miarrau miau miau miau
Y la puntita del rabo.Le llevaron a enterrar
Por la calle del pescado
miarrau miau miau miau
Por la calle del pescado.Al olor de las sardinas
Don Gato ha resucitado
Miarrau miau miau miau
Don Gato ha resucitado.English Translation
Lord Tom Cat was
Sitting on his roof,
Marrameow meow meow meow
Sitting on his roof.He received news
Saying he had to get married,
Marrameow meow meow meow
Saying he had to get married.With a grey kitty
With a spot on her tail,
Marrameow meow meow meow
With a spot on her tail.From the exuberation, the cat
Fell down from the roof,
Marrameow meow meow meow
Fell down from the roof.He broke seven ribs
And the end of his tail,
Marrameow meow meow meow
And the end of his tail.He’s taken to be buried,
Through the fish street,
Marrameow meow meow meow,
Through the fish street.Smelling some sardines
Lord Tom Cat resuscitated
Marrameow meow meow meow
Lord Tom Cat resuscitated.Many thanks to Élodie Chebat for singing Senor Don Gato for us and for contributing this version of the song!
Check out the Don Gato Song Page for another version of Don Gato in Spanish, with English and French translations, and the sheet music and midi. Check out the Senor Don Gato English version too that’s sung in the US!
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
Four White Horses – Caribbean Folk Song
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009My daughter taught me Four White Horses yesterday. She recently learned it in her music class. It’s a Caribbean Folk Song and a hand clapping game all wrapped up into one!
Here are the lyrics…
Four White Horses
Hand Clapping SongFour white horses, on the river,
Hey, hey, hey, up tomorrow,
Up tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come on up to the shallow bay,
Shallow bay is a ripe banana,
Up tomorrow is a rainy day.Here’s a YouTube Video so you can see one way to play the hand clapping game (you’ll have to wait to get past the theme song at the beginning of the video)…
Here you can hear a chorus singing it…
Check out our song page of Four White Horses for an mp3 and other info about the song.
Feel free to share any versions you know of this song in the comments below. We also welcome any info about the meaning and history of the song.
Cheers!
Mama Lisa
Cherry Blossom Viewing in Japan
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009When the Cherry Blossoms bloom in Japan it’s traditional to go to the park to view the blossoms and have a picnic. Cherry Blossom viewing is called called Hanami. Ayako Egawa generously shared her photos of this years cherry blossom viewing.
Ayako wrote, "We walked under the flow of cherry blossoms in the park. It was beautiful!"
Close up of the cherry blossoms.
Ayako continued, "Lots of people enjoy sitting and eating ‘bento’ (their lunch)."
Ayako wrote, "We hiked along the road hearing the twitter of Japanese Bush Warbler.
I like the feel of spring!"
I asked Ayako what the Japanese Bush Warbler sounds like and she wrote, "Hearing the twitter of the Japanese Bush Warbler is a sign of Spring in Japan. They sing like ‘Whoo Who ket kyo’! It’s a unique twitter." Later Ayako sent me this YouTube video below she found to hear the bird’s tweet.
Ayako wrote, "Small purple flowers in the park. They are pretty."
Ayako wrote, "Cherry blossoms in this school playground are really beautiful! It’s common that there are lots of cherry blossoms in school playgrounds in Japan."
Thanks so much for sharing these great photos with us Ayako!
Check out these posts for more about Cherry Blossom Viewing and Festivals.
You can also hear 2 well known Cherry Blossom Songs on Mama Lisa’s World:
Sakura Sakura – Cherry Blossoms (Song #2)
Enjoy the season and try to see Cherry Blossoms blooming near you if possible. It’s worth the effort.
Mama Lisa
De colores – All the Colors – Spanish Song about Springtime
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009I was inspired to post De colores now because of a drawing my daughter created the other day – it made me think of All the Colors! The song is a celebration of the colors of Spring!
This song is originally from Spain. The first translation below was done to fit the tune, so you could sing along in English, as well as Spanish. However, I’m including a YouTube video that shows Pete Seeger actually teaching this song to his audience. So you can learn it from him!
De colores
De colores, de colores se visten los campos en la primavera
De colores, de colores son los pajaritos que vienen de afuera
De colores, de colores es el arco iris que vemos lucir
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a míCanta el gallo, canta el gallo con el quiri quiri quiri quiri quiri
La gallina, la gallina con el cara cara cara cara cara
Los polluelos, los polluelos con el pío pío pío pío pío pí
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a míDe colores, de colores brillantes y finos se viste la aurora
De colores, de colores son los mil reflejos que el sol atesora
De colores, de colores se viste el diamante que vemos lucir
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a míAll the Colors
(English Translation)All the colors, all the colors, oh how they dress up the countryside in springtime,
All the colors, all the colors of birdies, oh how they come back to us outside,
All the colors, all the colors in rainbows we see shining bright in the sky,
And that’s why a great love of the colors makes me feel like singing so joyfully,
And that’s why a great love of the colors makes me feel like singing so joyfully.The rooster sings, he sings cock-a-doodle, doodle, doodle, doodle, doodle, doodle, doodle-doo,
The chicken clucks, she clucks, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck,
The little chicks they cheep, they cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep,
And that’s why a great love of the colors makes me feel like singing so joyfully,
And that’s why a great love of the colors makes me feel like singing so joyfully.All the colors, all the great, glowing colors that we see in the sky at sunrise,
All the colors, all the colors are seen in the thousand reflections in sunlight,
All the colors, all the colors are seen glittering in a diamond ring,
And that’s why a great love of the colors makes me feel like singing so joyfully,
And that’s why a great love of the colors makes me feel like singing so joyfully.I tried to keep the translation as close as possible to the original, while making it fit the melody. The biggest liberty I took was in the line “Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí”, which I translated as “And that’s why a great love of the colors makes me feel like singing so joyfully.” A more literal translation would be, “And therefore, the great love of many colors pleases me.” or “And that’s why I like so many colors so much.” -Mama Lisa
Come visit the De colores Song Page for the French Translation, Sheet music and midi.
Here’s a street performer in Tijuana, Mexico singing De colores…
Happy Spring to all of you in the Northern Hemisphere and I hope you enjoy the autumn hues if you’re in the Southern hemisphere!
Mama Lisa
Senzenina – A Zulu Protest Song and Funeral Song
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009This is a protest song and it is traditionally sung at funerals. It was important during the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Senzenina means “What have we done” with the implication “what did we do to deserve this?” (Also spelled “senzeni na”.)
Here you can see the original lyrics, with an English translation and a wonderful mp3 recording that we just received by Élodie Chebat.
Senzenina
(Zulu/Xhosa)Senzenina
Sono sethu ubumnyama
Sono sethu yinyaniso
Sibulawayo
Mayibuye i Africa.What Have We Done?
(English Translation)What have we done?
Our sin is that we are black
Our sin is the truth
They are killing us
Let Africa return.We found that this song is considered to be in both the Zulu and Xhosa languages. Trying to figure out which language it was in, I looked up the words to this song, and found some of them in a Zulu dictionary and some in a Xhosa dictionary. On further research I found in the Encyclopedia Britannica: “The Zulu and Xhosa languages are similar enough to be considered dialects of one language, but speakers of Zulu and Xhosa consider them to be separate languages.” (FYI They are both Southeastern Bantu languages.)
Many thanks to Élodie Chebat for contributing and singing this beautiful song!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Help with a Mandarin Song with the Line “Xiao me xiao er lang”?
Thursday, March 5th, 2009Heather wrote asking for help with a Chinese folk song…
Lisa,
I’m not sure if you can help me but I am searching for the lyrics for a children’s folksong in Mandarin that is about a little boy who carries a backpack on his back and doesn’t want to disappoint his father. I sang this about 13 years ago with my college choir. I remember the melody but only parts of the words.
Phonetically, the first line is: Xiao me xiao er lang
If possible, your help will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Heather Ramirez
Houston, TXIf anyone can help with this song, either with the transliterated Mandarin, the Chinese characters and/or an English translation, please either let us know in the comments below or by emailing me at lisa@mamalisa.com .
Thanks in advance!
Mama Lisa
UPDATE: Evan wrote: “Ah! The good ol’ days… I sang this as part of my elementary school music class, quite some time ago. With the repetitions, it goes…”
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不怕太阳晒
也不怕那风雨狂
只怕先生骂我笨
没有学问无颜见爹娘
没有学问无颜见爹娘
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不怕太阳晒
也不怕那风雨狂
只怕先生骂我笨
没有学问无颜见爹娘
没有学问无颜见爹娘
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊Thanks Evan! If anyone can provide a transliteration, the Pinyin and/or an English translation, that would be great! Thanks! Lisa
Wedding Custom and Song in Occitan from France
Thursday, January 8th, 2009Guest blogger, Monique Palomares works with me on Mama Lisa’s World en français. Monique grew up speaking the Occitan language in southern France. Occitan was the language spoken by the troubadours – largely in southern France – but also in parts of Spain and Italy.
Recently, Peter emailed us asking about the lyrics of a Gascon Occitan song called “Lo torrin”. (Gascon is an Occitan Dialect.) Peter’s wife is learning how to play the “boha” (the Gascon bagpipe) and he wanted to sing along. He got the lyrics and forwarded them to us.
The song “Lo torrin” is a “wedding song” that the wedding party-goers would sing to the newlyweds. “Lo torrin” specifically refers to a garlic soup spiced with pepper. This soup was traditionally brought to newlyweds on the morning after their wedding night.
In this old tradition, the bride and the groom would ride around the village in a cart with their brand-new chamberpot, on their wedding day. It symbolized the start of their new life together and it also let people know about their wedding. Remember that at that time there were no bathrooms, only outhouses. Yet people wouldn’t go out at night to “go” in the outhouse (”la cabane au fond du jardin”*). During the evening meal and party the newlyweds would sneak out around midnight and they would go to sleep at some accomplice’s place (an aunt’s, a grandma’s…). Later in the night or early in the morning, the young people at the wedding (those in their late teens and their twenties) would search for them. When they found them, they’d get them out of bed so that they could eat the soup that had been cooked especially for them.
In some areas, they wouldn’t cook a soup, they would pour into a brand new chamberpot the leftovers of the drinks with chocolate and biscuits (nobody needs further description to guess what it was supposed to look like). This was supposed to help them recover from the wedding night.
When I was a child and in my neighborhood the bride and groom wouldn’t tour around the town with their brand-new chamberpot, but they’d still be gotten out of bed. Nowadays the tradition survives in some places. Since nobody now uses chamberpots, “pots de la mariée” (brides’ chamberpots) are still on sale for this event.
*”La cabane au fond du jardin” refers to the little wooden cabin used as toilets at the other end of the garden and it’s also the title of a spoof song imitating the style of the French singer Francis Cabrel.
Below, you can hear Jane Thomasson playing the “boha” and Peter Horton singing the first verse of the song. After that you’ll find the lyrics in Occitan, and then an English translation…
Click to Hear the first verse of Lo Torrin
Lo torrin
(Gascon Occitan)Obritz la pòrta, obritz (x2)
La novèla maridada luron lonla (x2)Vos portèm lo torrin (x2)
E la sopa ben pebrada luron lon la (x2)Coma obrirei jo (x2)
Que soi dens mon lheit cochada luron lon la (x2)Au pròche de mon marit (x2)
Que me ten tota embraçada luron lon la (x2)Que me ten e me tendrà (x2)
Tota la nèit empenada luron lon la (x2)Se perdèvi mas amors (x2)
Ont las anguerei o quèrre luron lon la (x2)Seren per debat París (x2)
A dus cent cinquanta legas luron lon la (x2)Dabans la pòrta i a (x2)
Un grand pè de heuguèra luron lon la (x2)Dens ‘quera heuguèra (x2)
Un beròi nid de tortèla luron lon la (x2)La tortèla i a cohat (x2)
E apèi s’es envolada luron lon la (x2)En partint a feit rocó (x2)
E la bèra n’es plus bèra luron lon la (x2)Obritz la pòrta, obritz (x2)
La novèla maridada luron lon la (x2)Se no l’obrissètz pas (x2)
En ‘questa ora vos l’enfoncèm luron lon la (x2)The “Torrin”
(English Translation)Open the door, open it, (2 x’s)
You, bride (newlywed) luron lon la…We bring you the tourrin*
And the soup spiced with pepper.How would I open it
If I’m lying in my bed?Close to my husband,
Who holds me in his arms**.Who holds me and will hold me
Saddened, all night long.If I lost my love
Where would I go for him?He’d be, northwards, near Paris,
250 leagues from here.In front of the door is
A big fern.In this fern is
A pretty turtle dove nest.The turtle dove hatched there
Then she flew away.When she left, she went “coo”,
And the pretty one isn’t pretty any more.Open the door, open, (twice)
You, bride.If you don’t open it
Now we’ll break it open.Click here for the Lo torrin Song Page – where you can access the Sheet Music, midi tune and French and Spanish translations.
Note: There are some other songs about getting married in Occitan and French, most of which are addressed to girls. They’re along the lines of Joan Baez’s song The Wagoner’s Lad: “Oh hard is the fortune of all womankind, she’s always controlled, she’s always confined, controlled by her parents until she is wife, a slave to her husband the rest of her life!”
Many thanks to Peter Horton for contributing the lyrics to “Lo torrin”and the sheet music (which came from the “Bohaires de Gasconha”), and for singing the first verse for us, accompanied by Jane Thomasson playing the “boha” (local bagpipe).
-Monique Palomares
UPDATE: Here’s a Recipe for Lo Torrin Soup!
RIP Odetta Gordon – Folk Music Singer and Civil Rights Activist
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008Odetta Gordon passed away on Tuesday at 77. She was called “the Queen of American Folk Music” by Martin Luther King Jr. She was also a civil rights activist and sang at the March on Washington in August 1963 and marched with King in Selma.
Odetta had a great influence on Bob Dylan, Janice Joplin, Joan Baez, among many others.
You can hear a clip of Odetta singing “Waterboy” in the YouTube video below…
Rest in Peace Odetta…
I’s the B’y – A Song from Newfoundland, Canada
Sunday, November 9th, 2008Here’s a catchy new song I just learned called I’s the B’y, meaning I’m the Boy. I found two cool YouTube videos so you could hear it. The lyrics are below with some notes about their meanings…
I’s the B’y
I’s the b’y that builds the boat
And I’s the b’y that sails her,
I’s the b’y that catches the fish,
And brings them home to Liza.Chorus
Hip yer partner*, Sally Tibbo,
Hip yer partner, Sally Brown,
Fogo, Twillingate, Moreton’s Harbour,**
All around the circle!Sods and rinds to cover your flake,***
Cake**** and tea for supper,
Codfish in the spring o’ the year
Fried in maggoty butter.Chorus
I don’t want your maggoty fish,
That’s no good for winter,
I could buy as good as that,
Down in Bonavista.Chorus
I took Liza to a dance,
As fast as she could travel,
And every step that she did take
Was up to her knees in gravel.Chorus
Susan White, she’s out of sight,
Her petticoat wants a border,
Old Sam Oliver in the dark,
He kissed her in the corner.Chorus
I’s the b’y that builds the boat
And I’s the b’y that sails her,
I’s the b’y that catches the fish,
And brings them home to Liza.*”Hip yer partner” means to bump your hip into your partner’s hip when dancing.
**These are all locations in Newfoundland (see map below).
***Sod was used to cover the holes and roofs of huts that were made to smoke fish.
Rinds are bark – they were used to cover the fish on the flakes to keep the fish from getting burnt in the hot sun.
A flake is a stand made of wooden poles used for drying out fish.
****Cake here refers to a hard, dry biscuit eaten on ships.
Can Someone Help with the Indonesian Song “Bengawan Solo”?
Friday, October 24th, 2008Gerard wrote:
Hi!
Is there somebody who can tell us the beautiful words in the Indonesian language of the song Bengawan Solo?
Thanks a lot.
Have a nice day. GerardIf anyone can help with these lyrics, and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks in advance!
Lisa
The Hearse Song Animation for Halloween
Saturday, October 18th, 2008I’ve talked in the past about how all the kids in my neighborhood loved The Hearse Song when I was growing up. (We called the song The Worms Crawl In the Worms Crawl Out.) Evidently, we weren’t the only ones who loved this song. I’ve gotten many people writing in about the different versions of The Hearse Song they sang as kids.
Here’s an animation of a vampire singing the song from YouTube, for you to enjoy for Halloween. It’s followed by the lyrics to read along with while watching…
The Hearse Song
Didn’t you ever think, as a hearse goes by,
That you may be the next to die?They wrap you up in a big white sheet,
And bury you down in the 6 feet deep.They put you in a big black box,
And cover you up with dirt and rocks.And all goes well for about a week,
And then the coffin begins to leak.The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout.They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,
They eat the jelly between your toes.A great big worm with rolling eyes,
Crawls in your stomach and out your eyes.Your stomach turns a slimy green,
And puss pours out like whipping cream.You spread it on a slice of bread,
And that’s what the worms eat, when you are dead.Have a spooky Halloween!
Mama Lisa
New Recordings of Some American Songs
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008Heather was nice enough to send me a few recordings of some American children’s songs that she did. She sent me mp3’s of the following songs:
I’m Popeye the Sailor Man (Spoof)
Don’t Put Your Trash in My Backyard/Fish and Chips and Vinegar
Animal Fair
Home on the Range/Oh Give Me a Home (the regular song and a spoof version)
Mmm mmm Went the Little Green Frog One Day
Eeny Meeny DesimeenyYou can click the link the links to access each song page.
We always welcome recordings of traditional songs to post on Mama Lisa’s World. Heather wrote about how she recorded her mp3’s:
“I recorded these on my iPod, edited them in Audacity, then exported them from Audacity as mp3’s.”
They sound really good! Thanks for sending these Heather!
Mama Lisa
PS If you’re interested in learning more, check out a blog post I wrote in the past for more on Recording onto the Computer.
Can Someone Help with a Song Called “Sambalale”?
Sunday, September 28th, 2008Ellen wrote:
I’m looking for the origin of a song entitled “Sambalale.” It’s about a boy who is a show off and is trying to get a mango out of a tree. Raffi credits it to Brazil but I can’t find anything on this. It’s one of my preschool favorites.
E. Harold-Stein
If anyone can help with the origin of “Sambalale”, and/or the original lyrics and/or an English translation, please comment below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Here’s a YouTube video I found with the name “Sambalelê na Kalimba”. They call it a Brazilian Folk Song (perhaps this is the same song?). Either way it’s great!
UPDATE: You can find the correct Samba Lele lyrics with an MP3 Recording, midi tune score and English, French and Spanish translations on Mama Lisa’s World! It is a Brazilian Folk Song in Portuguese.
Does Anyone Have the Sheet Music to “Joyeux Enfants de la Bourgogne”?
Monday, September 15th, 2008Jean wrote:
I am looking for the music to “Joyeux Enfants de la Bourgogne.” I already have the words. Does anyone know the musical notes. I could play them on my guitar if I had them. Many thanks. MJ Baney
If anyone can help out Jean, please email me or comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
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