Catherine Branner wrote to us asking for help with a childhood song…
My grandmother would sing this to us as a lullaby and she was sung to by another woman who was a surrogate mother. Anyway, I’m not sure what the original language is, but we live in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and it was written down by my grandmother. She wrote it’s circa 1920’s. I’ve always been curious if it’s from another song and we just learned the basic sounds, but I can’t find much information on it.
The Crim family special song from Grandmother Huffman (Grandmother Olive Fuss Hutzler’s surrogate mother). She taught us when we were small. She never explained it but would hold me close when I fell ‘or sompin’ and cuddle me while she crooned to me ….OOOOOOH it helped SO much:
Shula, Shula, Shu-lack-a-shak.
Shu-lack-a-Shack-a-lacka-a Shu-lay-ho!
Be-fo-lay-moo
Tsuka-a-la-la-la-voo
Shack-a-lo-lay-reel!
Sincerely,
Catherine Branner
If anyone can help with this song, please comment below.
Thanks in advance!
Mama Lisa
This article was posted on Friday, April 13th, 2018 at 8:38 pm and is filed under Countries & Cultures, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Questions, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
5 Responses to “Can Anyone Help with a Song that Starts: “Shula, Shula, Shu-lack-a-shak”?”
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August 18th, 2021 at 10:55 am
Presumably/hopefully you already have an answer, but we used to sing similar lyrics to a song we knew as Buttermilk Hill.
September 6th, 2021 at 2:37 am
I was taught the following in fifth grade. It was not written down so I don’t know if the spelling is correct so the words reflect the sound: “Shula, Shula, Shula rackaroo. Shu racka rumpstump, fiddle poppa to. Rasp and a snaligator rattle lattel E. Skneedle up a lingo bango.”
There are probably many versions that have been passed down and changed by our memories. Either way, it’s a fun song to share. And, by the way, it’s a song. I have no way to impart the melody but that makes it even more fun as you find a melody that suits you.
Hope this helps.
January 13th, 2022 at 4:54 pm
This song was recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary. The name of it is Gone the Rainbow.
Lyrics: Shoo shoo shoo la tut shoo la rack shack shoo la baba co when I saw my Sally baby beal.
January 29th, 2022 at 3:28 pm
Well my grandmother was born in 1917 so she heard it before PPM made their song. I’m thinking it is mismatched Irish.
April 20th, 2022 at 3:01 pm
My version comes from Wales
Shula shula roo
Shula rack shack shu ma baba koo
When I saw my sally baby peel
Come bideling the sho shilorie.
Oh my baby oh my love
Hush now while the stars above
Guard you safely through the night
Wake you up in the morning.
….
I’m not guaranteeing the spelling. I’ve never seen it written down.