Favorite Songs as a child

Back before 8 tracks and cassette players were installed into cars, we would spend time singing songs in the car when we traveled back and forth from relatives houses. Sometimes we would sing when we were out and about and around Robin Hood's Barn, but mostly it was on longer trips like when we went to Maine for our summer vactions or out to Colorado to take our oldest brother to college. Whatever the trip, we had fun singing in the car. And mom would often harmonize with us and sing the alto part.

One of our favorite songs which I have taught my kids and my grandkids (along with some other kids) was Wait for the Wagon. It was a song for the days of the week. So of course you don't know the tune, but here at the words using my family.

Every Sunday morning with mommy by our side, we'll hop into the wagon and we'll all take a ride. Wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.

Every Monday morning with David by our side, we'll hop into the wagon and we'll all take a ride. Wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.

Every Tuesday morning with Anne by our side, we'll hop into the wagon and we'll all take a ride. Wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.

Every Wednesday morning with Timmy by our side, we'll hop into the wagon and we'll all take a ride. Wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride. 

Every Thursday morning with Susan by our side, we'll hop into the wagon and we'll all take a ride.
Wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.

Every Friday morning with Daddy by our side, we'll hop into the wagon and we'll all take a ride. Wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.

Every Saturday morning with Duffy (dog) by our side, we'll hop into the wago and we'll all take a ride. Wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon, wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.


That's a classic song, and so much fun to sing. When I was teaching a release time class (this is when kids can leave school for a Bible lesson), I taught it to the kids on the bus ride to and from school. They loved it - and we would go on to include all 16 kids, plus the teachers, and the bus driver. Thankfully, he put up with the noise it created.

Another song was from the musical Mary Poppins - it was Let's go fly a kite.

When it's tuppence for paper and strings. You can build your own set of wings. With your feet on the ground you're a bird in flight, with your first holding tight to the the string of your kite. / Oh, oh oh Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height. let's go fly a kite and send it soaring, up to the atmosphere, up where the air is clear, oh let's go fly a kite. / When you send it flying up there, all at once you're lighter than air, you can dance on the breeze over houses and trees, with your first holding tight, to the string of your kite / Oh oh oh! Let's go fly a kite up to the highest height. let's go fly a kite and send it soaring. Up through the atmostphere, up where the air is clear. oh let's go, fly a kite.

Wow - that brings back memories. I'm singing again already. Our family loved musicals and so here is another song we would sing - Do re mi from The Sound of Music

Do a deer, a female deer, re a drop of golden sun, mi a name I call myself, fa a long long way to run, so a needle pulling thread. la a note to follow so, ti a drink with jam and bread and that will bring us back to do. do re mi fa so la ti do. / so do la fa mi do re, so do la ti do re do When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most any thing. (keep singing)

Miss those times in the car but glad also for them, to be able to pass on some of those traditions to my kids and grandkids. And even though my grandkids have a DVD player installed in their van, I still love to teach them these songs, so that they in turn can share them with their kids.

We also sang many rounds in the car - sometimes we would pair up, depending on the number of parts. So here are a few of our favorites.

Row row row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

Here's another favorite: 1 bottle pop, 2 bottle pop, 3 bottle pop, 4 bottle pop, 5 bottle pop, 6 bottle pop, 7 7 bottle pop. / Fish and chips and vinegar, vinegar, vinegar, fish and chips and vinegar, pepper pepper and salt/ Don't throw you trash in my backyard, my backyard, my backyard. Don't throw your trash in my backyard. My backyard's full.

Hey, ho nobody home, meat nor drink nor money Have I none. Still I will be mer-r-r-y.

Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques, Dormez vous? Dormez vous? Sonnez les matines, Sonnez les matines. (It's a good thing I took French in school).

And then there were some classic songs - just loved to sing them - and repeat faster and faster.

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, His name is my name too. Whenever we go out, The people always shout, There goes John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.

Dah dah dah dah, dah dah dah

Late one night, when we were all in bed, Old Lady Leary lit the lantern in the shed, And when the cow kicked it over, She winked her eye and said, “There’ll be a hot time in the ol’ town tonight!” Fire, Fire, Fire (shout this part out each time, as you sing the other quieter)

Sharing two more songs - maybe this will bring back your own memories.
 
I’m just a piece of beat-up tin. Nobody knows where I have been. Got four wheels and a running board. I’m a chevy not a ford. Beep beep rattle rattle crash boom bang. Beep beep rattle rattle crash boom bang. Beep beep rattle rattle crash boom bang. Beep beep rattle rattle crash boom bang. BOOM! 

There were three jolly fishermen, There were three jolly fishermen,
Fisher, fisher, MEN, MEN, MEN. Fisher, fisher, MEN, MEN, MEN.
There were three jolly fishermen./ The first one's name was Abraham, The first one's name was Abraham, Abra, Abra; ham ham, ham, Abra, Abra; ham ham, ham. The first one's name was Abraham. / The second one's name was I-I-saac, The second one's name was I-I-saac. I-I, I-I- zik, zik, zik, I-I, I-I- zik, zik, zik, The second one's name was I-I-saac. / The third one’s name was Ja-a-cob, The third one’s name was Ja-a-cob. Ja-a, Ja-a; cub, cub, cub, Ja-a, Ja-a; cub, cub, cub. The third one’s name was Ja-a-cob./ They all went down to Jericho, They all went down to Jericho. Jer-i, Jer-i; cho, cho, cho, Jer-i, Jer-i; cho, cho, cho.

They all went down to Jericho. /They should have gone to Amsterdam,They should have gone to Amsterdam, Amster, Amster, Shh! Shh! Shh! Amster, Amster, Shh! Shh! Shh! They should have gone to Amsterdam

(Our version had these verses) We musn’t say that naughty word, We musn’t say that naughty word. Naughty naughty word word word, Naughty naughty word word word, We musn’t say that naughty word./ We will say it any way, We will say it any way. Any any way way way, Any any way way way. We will say it any way./ They all went down to Amsterdam, They all went down to Amsterdam. Amster, amster, dam, dam, dam. Amster, amster, dam, dam, dam, They all went down to Amsterdam.

So there you have it - a bunch of songs to help pass the time away, and genuine classics incuding one I didn't write here called The Bear went over the mountain. That one you can sing for miles at a time. Ha ha.

So I hope you enjoyed the songs today - please feel free to share your favorites from your childhood - would love to hear them.