Lavender Lane S-Z

Vintage favourites

 

She sat ‘neath the lilacs

She’ll be coming round the mountain

The mermaid

The quartermaster’s store

The runaway train

The smoke goes up the chimney

Three little fishies

What shall we do with the drunken sailor?

Wiggley Woo

You are my sunshine

 

Also see:

The teddy bears’ picnic

Last updated: 5/9/2017 5:28 PM

 

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To listen to music from these songs click on O

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

 

© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved

 

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She sat ‘neath the lilacs O

 

This used to be a popular song in the scouting movement, I don’t know if it is still sung; smoking cigars is not very PC these days!

 

Perform the actions and expressions suggested by this song.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


She sat ‘neath the lilacs and played her guitar,

Played her guitar, played her guitar,

She sat ‘neath the lilacs and played her guitar,

Played her guitar ha-ha-ha.

 

Oom ching-a ching-a, oom ching-a ching-a,

Oom ching ching ching.

 

He sat down beside her and smoked a cigar...

 

He told her he loved her but oh, how he lied....

 

They were to get married but somehow she died...

 

He sat on her tombstone and laughed till he cried...

 

The tombstone fell over and squish squash he died...

 

She went up to heaven and flip flap she flied...

 

He went down to hell where he frizzled and fried...

 

The moral of this story is: Never tell lies....

 


 

 

 

She’ll be coming round the mountain O

 

 


This rollicking song was based on a Afro American spiritual ‘When the chariot comes’. It is now more familiar as a children’s song and scouting favourite.

Find out more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She'll_Be_Coming_'Round_the_Mountain :

There are many different popular versions, a simpler version can be sung with the following chorus:

Chorus

Singing aye, aye yippee, yippee, aye, (Yee ha!)

Singing aye, aye yippee, yippee, aye, (Yee ha!)

Singing aye , aye yippee, aye , aye yippee,

Singing aye, aye yippee, yippee, aye. (Yee ha!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes,

She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes,

She'll be coming 'round the mountain, coming 'round the mountain,

Coming 'round the mountain when she comes. (Toot, toot) Pull imaginary bell

 

She'll be ridin' six white horses when she comes... (Whoa back! Toot, toot!) Pull on reins

 

Oh we'll all go out to meet her when she comes... (Hi babe! Whoa back! Toot, toot!) Wave

 

Well we’ll all have chicken and dumplings when she comes... (Yum yum! Hi babe! Whoa back! Toot, toot!) Rub tummy

 

She will have to sleep with grandma when she comes... (Snore, snore! Yum yum! Hi babe! Whoa back! Toot, toot!) Put hands to the cheek

 

She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes… (Toot, toot! Snore, snore! Yum yum! Hi babe! Whoa back! Toot, toot!)


 

 

The mermaid O

 

I sang this traditional English ballad at primary school in the 1950s.

 

Mermaids were traditionally linked with shipwrecks – the fair maiden calling sailors to their doom. Names of the ports in the verses varies according to the location of the singer and include London town and those of the eastern board of the USA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


One Friday morn as we set sail,

And our ship not far from the land,

We there did espy a fair, pretty maid,

With a comb and a glass in her hand, her hand, her hand.

With a comb and a glass in her hand.

Chorus

And the raging seas did roar,

And the stormy winds did blow,

While we jolly sailor boys were up, were up aloft,

And the landlubbers lying down below, below, below,

And the landlubbers lying down below.

 

Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship,

And a brave young man was he;

"I've a wife and a child in fair Bristol Town,

But tonight she a widow will be, will be, will be,

But tonight she a widow will be."

Chorus

 

And then up spoke the little cabin boy,

And a fair-haired boy was he;

"I’ve a father and mother in fair Portsmouth town,

And this night they will weep for me, for me, for me.

And this night they will weep for me."

Chorus

 

Then three times round went our gallant ship,

And three times round went she;

Then three times round went our gallant, gallant ship,

And she sank to the bottom of the sea, the sea, the sea,

And she sank to the bottom of the sea.

 


 

 

The quartermaster’s store O

 

I remember singing this on the army truck on the way and back from school in Kuala Lumpur in the early 1950s.

It has long been a big favourite in the Scouting movement and indeed dates right back to WW1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


There were rats, rats as big as blooming cats,

In the store, in the store,

There were rats, rats as big as blooming cats,

In the quartermaster’s store

My eyes are dim, I cannot see,

I have not brought my specs with me,

I have not brought my specs with me,

 

There were cakes, cakes that made your belly ache...

 

There were beans, beans as big as submarines...

 

There were fleas, fleas that made you want to sneeze...

 

There were mice, mice running through the rice....

 

There were bananas, bananas wearing pink pyjamas...

 

There were bears, bears running down the stairs...

 

Bread harder than my head

Gravy enough to float the navy

Fleas as big as bumble bees

 


 

 

The runaway train O

 

 


This wonderful rollicking song was regularly heard on BBC radio’s Children’s Favourites presented by Uncle Mac’s (Derek McCullock) in the 1950s. The words are credited to Robert E. Massey and the music to Carson Robison; though the tune is very similar to ‘When Johnny comes marching home’.

Find more about its origins at: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=11461

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The runaway train came down the track, and she blew,

The runaway train came down the track and she blew.

The runaway train came down the track,

Her whistle wide and her throttle back,

And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.

 

The engineer said the train must halt and she blew,

The engineer said the train must halt and she blew.

The engineer said the train must halt,

He said it was all the fireman's fault,

And she blew, blew blew, blew, blew.

 

The fireman said he rang the bell and she blew,

The fireman said he rang the bell and she blew.

The fireman said he rang the bell,

The engineer said “You did like hell!”

And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.

 

The conductor said there'd be a wreck and she blew,

The conductor said there'd be a wreck and she blew,

The conductor said there'd be a wreck

And he felt the chills run down his neck,

And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.

 

The runaway train went over the hill, and she blew,

The runaway train went over the hill, and she blew.

The runaway train went over the hill,

And the last we heard, she was going still,

And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.


 

 

The smoke goes up the chimney O

 

 


A medley of songs some of which have been popular in the scouting movement ; where often the lines of lyrics are dropped each time the song is repeated and the actions are mimed without words.

Push - both arms move forward Pull - arms pull back

Smoke - move right hand, with a pointing forefinger up in a spiral

Just the same – one hand sweeps to the right and the other to the left.

Star –hands open and close. Leapfrog –fists leap up and back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Well you push the damper in,

And you pull the damper out,

But the smoke goes up the chimney

Just the same, just the same.

Well you push the damper in,

And you pull the damper out,

But the smoke goes up the chimney

Just the same, just the same.

 

Oh, star of the evening,

Pretty little evening star,

Star of the evening,

Shining on the harbour bar.

 

We were only playing leap frog,

We were only playing leap frog,

We were only playing leap frog,

But the smoke goes up the chimney

Just the same, just the same.


 

 

Three little fishiesO

 

Words and music by Saxie Dowell

We sang along to this song on Derek McCulloch’s ‘Uncle Mac’ Saturday morning radio programme ‘Children’s Hour’ in the 1940s and I’ve carried on singing it with and to young children throughout my teaching career.

 

Put one hand on top of the other and make thumbs into fins. Make hands swim to the music. Alternatively place palms together and make swimming movements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool,

Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too.

‘Swim!’ said the mama fishie, ‘Swim if you can’

So they swam and they swam right over the dam.

 

Chorus

Boop boop dittem dottem whattem Chu!

Boop boop dittem dottem whattem Chu!

Boop boop dittem dottem whattem Chu!

And they swam and they swam right over the dam.

 

‘Stop!’ said the mama fishie, ‘Or you’ll get lost’,

But the three little fishies didn’t want to be bossed.

So the three little fishies went off on a spree,

And they swam and they swam right out to sea.

 

Chorus

Boop boop dittem dottem whattem Chu! x3

And they swam and they swam right out to sea.

 

‘Whee!’ yelled the little fishies, ‘Here’s lots of fun,

We’ll swim in the sea ‘til the day is done.’

So they swam and they swam and it was a lark,

‘Til all of a sudden they met a shark.

 

Chorus

Boop boop dittem dottem whattem Chu! X3

‘Til all of a sudden they met a shark.

 

‘Help!’ cried the little fishies, ‘Gee! Look at the whale!’

And quick as they could they turned on their tails,

Back to the pool in the meadow they swam.

And they swam and they swam back over the dam.

 

Chorus

Boop boop dittem dottem whattem Chu! x3

And they swam and they swam back over the dam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


What shall we do with the drunken sailor? O

 

 


A lively shantey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


What shall we do with the drunken sailor,

What shall we do with the drunken sailor,

What shall we do with the drunken sailor,

Early in the morning?

Chorus

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Early in the morning.

 

Put him in the longboat ‘til he’s sober,

Put him in the longboat ‘til he’s sober,

Put him in the longboat ‘til he’s sober,

Early in the morning.

 

Pull out the plug and wet him all over,

Pull out the plug and wet him all over,

Pull out the plug and wet him all over,

Early in the morning.

 

Stick him in the scuppers with a hosepipe on him,

Stick him in the scuppers with a hosepipe on him,

Stick him in the scuppers with a hosepipe on him,

Early in the morning.

 

Shave his belly with a rusty razor...

Give him a dose of salt and water...

That’s what we’ll do with the drunken sailor...

 


 

Wiggley Woo O

 

 


Nothing ever lasts forever except perhaps a good song; worms however can be notoriously short-lived. This song has long been a favourite in the Scouting movement. I have adapted the ending for my amusement; apologies to those out there who prefer a happier outcome – but can we be sure that it was Wiggley Woo that was eaten – don’t all worms look the same?

 

You will need to make sure children can distinguish between their left and right sides before learning this song. Move forefingers to mimic a worms movement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden,

And his name is Wiggley Woo.

There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden,

And all that he can do

Is wiggle all day and wiggle all night,

He wiggles to the left and he wiggles to the right.

There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden,

And his name is Wiggley Woo.

 

There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden,

And his name is Wiggley Woo.

There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden,

And all that he can do

Is wiggle along and wiggle around,

And wiggle himself back under the ground.

There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden,

And his name is Wiggley Woo.

 

There’s a frog at the bottom of my garden,

And his name is Fiddle-i-fee.

There’s a frog at the bottom of my garden,

Just ready for his tea;

He jumps up high, he jumps down low,

The worm pops out to say hallo – GULP!

There’s a frog at the bottom of my garden,

A big-bellied Fiddle-i-fee.

 

 

There was a worm at the bottom of my garden,

And his name was Wiggley, Wig Wig Wiggely, Wig Wig Wiggley, Woo!

 


 

 

 

You are my sunshine 🔊

 

 


A familiar song from my early childhood.

This song was first recorded by The Pine Ridge Boys in 1939 and in 1940 by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana. Find out more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_My_Sunshine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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 don't take my sunshine away.

 

The other night, dear,

As I lay sleeping

I dreamt that you were by my side.

When I awoke, dear,

I was mistaken

You were gone and then I cried.

 

 


 

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