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~ Kathy

Songs: Folk Songs


Waltzing with Bears

Chorus:
He goes wa-wa-wa-wa, waltzing with bears.
Raggy bears, shaggy bears, baggy bears too.
There's nothing on earth Uncle Walter won't do.
So he can go waltzing, wa-wa-wa waltzing,
So he can go waltzing, waltzing with bears.

Verses:
I went upstairs in the middle of the night,
I tip-toed inside and turned on the light.
But to my dismay, he was nowhere in sight.
My Uncle Walter goes dancing at night.
(Chorus)

I gave Uncle Walter a new coat to wear,
When he came home it was covered with hair.
And lately I've noticed there're several new tears.
I fear Uncle Walter goes waltzing with bears.
(Chorus)

We told Uncle Walter that he should be good.
And do all the things that we said he should.
I think he would rather be off in the wood.
I'm afraid we might lose Uncle Walter for good.
(Chorus)

We begged and we pleaded,
"Oh please won't you stay?"
We managed to keep him at home for a day.
But the bears all barged in and they took him away.
Now he's dancing with pandas,
We don't understand it.
The bears all demand at least one dance a day!
(Chorus)

Sunday, May 31, 2009


Link to John McCutcheon's Howjadoo Album:


http://folkmusic.com/howjadoo/

Cut the Cake

(Happy Birthday to You)

by Tina Liza Jones
We're going to let second grade out early today
Which made little Mikey kind of blue
You see he just turned seven years old that day
And he thought he'd get a party at school

He walked to his house and he's taken of his guard
There's tables and chairs all over they yard
And his friends jumped up and they hollered real hard
"Happy birthday to you!"

It makes me think of the good old days
Happy birthday to you
You sure grew out of your baby ways
Happy birthday to you

Seventh birthday, we wish you many more
Health and wealth and friends by the score
Cut the cake and lets eat some more
Happy birthday to you

Mike's twenty-two now and he's working for his pop
And his heads full of business through and through
They're puttin' in a whole new system at the shop
And forgot he had a birthday due

It makes me think of the good old days
Happy birthday to you
You sure grew out of your baby ways
Happy birthday to you

Twenty-third birthday, we wish you many more
Health and wealth and friends by the score
Cut the cake and lets eat some more
Happy birthday to you!


Now it's old man Michael in a rocking chair
Admiring the view
He's still got all his teeth and he's still got all his hair
And today he's ninety-two

He turns in he seat and he's taken off guard
There's chairs and tables all over the yard
And his friends jumped up and they hollered real hard
Happy birthday to you

It makes me think of the good old days
Happy birthday to you
You sure grew out of your baby ways
Happy birthday to you

Ninety-second birthday, we wish you many more
Health and wealth and friends by the score
Cut the cake and lets eat some more
Happy birthday to you

It's your birthday, we wish you many more
Health and wealth and friends by the score
Tune up the fiddle and lets dance some more
Happy birthday to you

http://sniff.numachi.com/


Howjidoo
by Woody Guthrie
I stick out my little hand
To ev’ry woman, kid and man
And I shake it up and down, howjido, howjido
Yes, I shake it up and down, howjido

Howdy doozle doodle doozie
Howji hijie heejie hojie,
Howji hojie heejie hijie,
Howjido, howjido, howjido, sir,
Doodle doosie, howjido.

And when you walk in my door,
I will run across my floor,
And I'll shake you by the hand,
Howjido, howjido,
Yes, I'll shake it up and down, howjido

On my sidewalk, on my street,
Any place that we do meet,
Then I'll shake you by your hand,
Howjido, howjido,
Yes, I'll shake it up and down, howjido

When I first jump out of bed,
Out my window goes my head,
And I shake it up and down,
Howjido, howjido,
I shake at all my windows, howjido

I feel glad when you feel good,
You brighten up my neighborhood,
Shakin'hands with ev'rybody,
Howjido, howjido,
Shakin' hands with ev'rybody, howjido

When I meet a dog or cat,
I will rubby rub his back,
Shakey, shakey, shakey paw,
Howjido, howjido,
Shaking hands with everybody, howdy do.

http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Lyrics.htm

Molly and the Whale/
Rubber Blubber Whale

by John McCutcheon & Holly Near/Si Kahn


John Henry

(Traditional Song)
Well, John Henry was a little baby
Sittin' on his daddy's knee
He picked up a hammer and
a little piece of steel
And cried, "Hammer's gonna
be death of me, Lord, Lord
Hammer's gonna be the death of me"

Now the captain he
said to John Henry
"I'm gonna bring that
steam drill around
I'm gonna bring that
steam drill out on these tracks
I'm gonna knock that
steel on down, God, God
I'm gonna knock that
steel on down"

John Henry told his captain
"Lord a man ain't noth' but a man
But before I let that steam drill
beat me down
I'm gonna die with a hammer
in my hand, Lord, Lord
I'll die with a hammer in my hand"

John Henry driving
on the right side
That steam drill driving
on the left
Says, "Fore I let your
steam drill beat me down
I'm gonna hammer
myself to death, Lord, Lord,
I'll hammer my fool self to death"

Well captain said to John Henry
"What is that storm I hear?"
John Henry said, "That
ain't no storm captain
That's just my hammer
in the air, Lord, Lord
That's just my hammer in the air"

John Henry said to his shaker
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
Cause I'm swingin' thirty pounds
from my hips on down
Yeah, listen to my cold steel
ring, Lord Lord

Listen to my cold steel ring"

John Henry he hammered
in the mountains
His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard;
it broke his heart
John Henry laid down his hammer
and died, Lord, Lord

John Henry laid down his hammer and died

Well, now John Henry
he had him a woman
By the name of Polly Ann
She walked out to those tracks
Picked up John Henry's hammer
Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord
Polly drove that steel like a man

Well every, every Monday morning
When a blue bird he began to sing
You could hear John Henry
from a mile or more
You could hear John Henry's hammer
ring, Lord, Lord
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
I say, You can John Henry's
hammer ring, Lord, Lord
You can John Henry's
hammer ring



All God's Critters

by Bill Staines

All God's critters got a place in the choir
Some sing lower and some sing higher
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire
And some just clap their hands or paws,
Or anything they got now.

Listen to the bass, it's the one on the bottom
Where the bullfrog croaks and the hippopotamus
Moans and groans with a big t'do
And the old cow just goes moo.

The dogs and the cats they take up the middle
While the honeybee hums and the cricket fiddles,
The donkey brays and the pony neighs
And the old coyote howls.

All God's critters got a place in the choir
Some sing lower and some sing higher
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire
And some just clap their hands or paws,
Or anything they got now.

Listen to the top where the little birds sing
On the melodies with the high notes ringing,
The hoot owl hollers over everything
And the jaybird disagrees.

Singin' in the night time, singing in the day,
The little duck quacks, then he's on his way.
The 'possum ain't got much to say
And the porcupine talks to himself.

All God's critters got a place in the choir
Some sing lower and some sing higher
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire
And some just clap their hands or paws,
Or anything they got now.

It's a simple song of living sung everywhere
By the ox and the fox and the grizzly bear,
The grumpy alligator the the hawk above,
The sly raccoon and the turtle dove.

All God's critters got a place in the choir
Some sing lower and some sing higher
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire
And some just clap their hands or paws,
Or anything they got now.
http://www.theteachersguide.com/Songs/allgodscritters.htm

The Peanut Butter Songby Barbara Freeman/H.B. Barnum
Well, there's a food going 'round
and it's a sticky, sticky goo
Peanut, peanut butter
It tastes to good, but it's so hard to chew
Peanut, peanut butter
People everywhere, they think it's the most
Peanut, peanut butter
Early in the morning they put it on their toast
Peanut, peanut butter

Chorus:
I like peanut butter,
creamy peanut butter,
chunky peanut butter, too!

My old dog started barking
in the middle of the night
Peanut, peanut butter
He woke up all my neighbors,
I almost got in a fight
Peanut, peanut butter
So I gave him peanut butter
just to quiet him down
Peanut, peanut butter
He chewed himself to sleep
and he never made a sound
Peanut, peanut butter
Chorus:
I like peanut butter,
creamy peanut butter,
chunky peanut butter, too!


I went to a dinner party
and what did they eat?
Peanut, peanut butter
I took a big bite and it stuck to my teeth
Peanut, peanut butter
People going 'round look
like they got the mumps
Peanut, peanut butter
They were eating peanut butter
in great, big hunks
Peanut, peanut butter
Chorus:
I like peanut butter,
creamy peanut butter,
chunky peanut butter, too!


http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/song/song-596.asp



Babysitter
by Si Kahn

Pap's Billygoat
(Traditional Song)

Here's to Cheshire
by Lesley Howell

Rustic Dance
(Traditional Song)


Father Grumble
(Traditional Song)

Tender Shephard
by Carolyn Leigh & Mark Charlap


Garden Songby David Mallett

CHORUS:Inch by inch, row by rowGonna make this garden growGonna mulch it deep and lowGonna make it fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by rowPlease bless these seeds I sowPlease keep them safe below'Till the rain comes tumbling down
Pullin' weeds and pickin' stonesWe are made of dreams and bonesNeed a place to call my own'Cause the time is close at hand
Grain for grain, sun and rainFind my way in nature's chainTill my body and my brainTell the music of the land
CHORUS
Plant your rows straight and longSeason with a prayer and songMother Earth will make you strongIf you give her loving care
CHORUS
[The Anti-Garden Verses - by someone
whose name Arlo forgot]:
Slug by slug, weed by weedBoy this garden's got me t'dAll the insects come to feedOn my tomato plants
Sunburt face, skined up kneesThe kitchen's chocked with zuchinisI'm shopping at the A&P'sNext time I get the chance[End of Anti-Garden Verses]
Old crow watching from a treeHe's got his hungry eye on meIn my garden I'm as freeAs that feathered thief up there
CHORUS
©Cherry Lane Music Co (ASCAP)


Homegrown Tomatoes

by: Clark Guy


There ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon 'n lettuce 'n homegrown tomatoes
Up in the morning, out in the garden
Get you a ripe one, don't get a hard 'un
Plant 'em in the spring, eat 'em in the summer
All winter without 'em is a culinary bummer
I forget all about the sweatin' and the diggin'
Every time I go out and pick me a big 'un

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes

You can go out and eat an that's for sure
But there's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put 'em in a salad put 'em in a stew
You can make your own very own tomato juice
You can eat 'em with eggs, eat 'em with gravy
You can eat 'em with beans, pinto or navy
Put 'em on the side, put 'em in the middle
Homegrown tomato on a hot cake griddle

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes

If I's to change this life I lead
You could call me Johnny Tomato seed
'Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see
When I die don't bury me
In a box in a cold dark cemetary
Out in the garden would be much better
'Cause I could be pushin' up a homegrown tomatoes

Homegrown tomatoes,
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes



Baby-Rocking Medley
(by: Rosalie Sorrels)

All right, it's 5:30 in the morning.
That kid has not quit
howling now for six hours.
You're getting sort of desperate,
breaking out into a cold sweat
because you know that all those
other kids are going to get up in about
another half hour and
they're going to demand cereal and
peanut sandwiches and milk.
And you forgot to get milk. Oh, God.
All the paregoric is gone.
It's gone because you drank it.
Things are getting awful bad and
you need something else.
Every culture's got one:
it's the
hostile baby-rocking song.
You just can't keep all that stuff
bottled up inside yourself.
You need to let it out some way, or
you'd get strange . . .
punch the baby in the mouth . . .
and you can't do that. You'd get an
awful big ticket for it, and it
makes you feel lousy. So you take
that baby and you rock it
firmly, smile sweetly . . . and you
sing the hostile baby-rocking song:

This is the day we give babies away
With a half a pound of tea
You just open the lid,
and out pops the kid

With a twelve month guarantee.

This is the day we give babies away
With a half a pound of tea
If you know any ladies
who want any babies

Just send them round to me

There's an island where out in the sea
Where babies grow up on the trees
It's oh so much fun, to swing in the sun
But you have to watch out
if you sneeze, you sneeze

You have to watch out if you sneeze

You have to watch out if you sneeze
'Cause swinging up there in the breeze
If you happen to cough, you
might very well fall off

And tumble down flop on
your knees, your knees

And tumble down flop on your knees.
And when the stormy winds wail
And the breezes blow up in a gale
There's oh such a plopping
and flopping and dropping

And fat little babies just hail, just hail
And fat little babies just hail.

And the babies lie there in a pile
And grownups come after a while
And they always pass by any babies that cry
They take only babies that smile, that smile
Take triplets or twins if they'll smile

There's an island where out in the sea
Where babies grow up on the trees
It's oh so much fun, to swing in the sun
But you have to watch out
if you sneeze, you sneeze

You have to watch out if you sneeze

DC, MC