Autumn songs L-S

Laterne, Laterne

My faithful Johnny

My lantern, my lantern

My nice red rosy apples

One man shall mow my meadow

One Michaelmas morn

Pick up a leaf

Puff the magic dragon

Red, orange, yellow, brown

Roly poly acorn / Donguri korokoro

Round go the seasons

Six little acorns

Sounds of Autumn

Squirrel Nutkin

Summer, goodbye!

Sweeping with my broom

Also find:

Pick up a leaf

The leaves are green

Last updated: 9/1/2020 4:49 PM

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’ compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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Laterne, Laterne 🔊

A well known pentatonic song from Germany which is sung on lantern walks for the Martinmas festival.

Translated by Dany Rosevear.

Laterne, Laterne,

Sonne, Mond und Sterne.

Brenne auf mein Licht,

aber nur meine liebe Laterne nicht.

My lantern, my lantern,

Sun and moon and stars.

Let my light burn bright,

But not just my dear little lantern.

My lantern, my lantern,

Sun and moon and stars.

We’ll lock up that wind,

Let it wait ‘til we’re back home safely!

My lantern, my lantern,

Sun and moon and stars.

Let my light stay bright,

For then my lantern wouldn't be shining!

My faithful Johnny 🔊

A post-harvest / Halloween folk song. It can be found in Singing Together, Spring 1961, BBC Publications + Sing Together OUP songbook. Find out more at: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=14430&messages=9

When will you come again? My faithful Johnny;

When the corn is gathered,

When the leaves are withered,

I will come again, my sweet and bonnie,

I will come again.

Then winter’s winds will blow, My faithful Johnny;

Though the day be dark with drift,

That I cannot see the lift,

I will come again, my sweet and bonnie,

I will come again.

Then will you meet me here, My faithful Johnny;

Though the night be Hallowe'en,

When the fearful sights are seen,

I will come again, my sweet and bonnie,

I will come again.

My lantern, my lantern 🔊

A song for a lantern walk at Martinmas.

Words adapted from a traditional chant and with music by Dany Rosevear.

You can find some lovely balloon lanterns here: http://kleas.typepad.com/kleas/

My lantern, my lantern,

Shining near and far.

Shining like the moon,

Shining like a silver star.

My lantern, my lantern,

Shining like the sun,

My lantern, my lantern.

Shine on, shine on.

My lantern, my lantern,

Shining near and far.

Shining like the moon,

Shining like a silver star.

My lantern, my lantern,

Sun and moon and stars,

Put out your lights

So my lantern shines bright.

My lantern, my lantern.

Shine on, shine on.

My nice red rosy apple 🔊

Take an apple, cut it through the middle and you’ll find the shape of a star. Count the rooms and the pips.

‘Festivals, family and food’ by Diane Carey and Judy Large suggest you cut very thin slices this way so children can eat round the star.

My nice red rosy apple,

Has a secret midst unseen,

You’d see if you could slip inside,

Five rooms so neat and clean.

In each room there are hiding

Two pips so shining bright;

Asleep they are and dreaming

Of a lovely warm sunlight.

And sometimes they are dreaming

Of many things to be,

How some day they’ll be hanging

Upon a Christmas tree.

One man shall mow my meadow 🔊

A number song (counting back) for harvest time.

One man shall mow my meadow.

Two men shall gather it together.

Two men, one man and one more

Shall shear my lambs and ewes and rams,

And gather my gold together.

Three men shall mow my meadow.

Four men shall gather it together.

Four men, three men, two men and one more

Shall shear my lambs and ewes and rams.

And gather my gold together.

Five men shall mow my meadow.

Six men shall gather it together.

Six men, five men, four men, three men, two men and one more

Shall shear my lambs and ewes and rams,

And gather my gold together.

Seven men shall mow my meadow.

Eight men shall gather it together.

Eight men, seven men, six men, five men, four men, three men, two men and one more

Shall shear my lambs and ewes and rams

And gather my gold together.

One Michaelmas morn 🔊

From’English folk songs for schools’ and can be found in ‘A Book of Nursery Songs and Rhymes’ (1895) by Sabine Baring-Gould.

One Michaelmas morn I woke in a fright,

And rose in the dawn, before it was light.

I sat myself down the world to admire,

And saw the black berries grow on the green brier.

Then when I walked further, I chanced for to see

A cow and a pretty maid under a tree.

I stepped to the damsel, and to her said I,

'A penn-orth of milk, if you please—I am dry.

'Look yonder,' she said, 'the black cow with her tail

Has spilt all the milk and kicked over the pail.'

Pick up a leaf 🔊

It’s time to go on a leaf hunt!

Encourage children to identify and name the different kinds of leaves they find on Autumn walks or just during outdoor play when leaves are flying all about; every child should be able to do this – a skill that seems to have got lost since I was a child when weekly nature walks along country lanes were common.

You will need a decent chart, book or online aid such as: https://www.tescoliving.com/~/media/files/kids%20zone%20downloadable%20pdfs/woodland%20trust/hunt_leaves.pdf for effective identification.

Making leaf rubbings and paint printing should also help children become aware of the diversity of leaf shapes that can be found at this time of year. Autumn is also a great time for sorting leaves according to shape, colour or size.

You will need to change the words of the song to take account of common trees in your neighbourhood or country.

Pick up a leaf and put it in your pocket,

Autumn time is here!

Oak leaf, sycamore, horse chestnut and maple,

Silver birch, beech, ash, hawthorn, holly, hazel;

Name each leaf if you are able,

Autumn time is here!

Puff, the Magic Dragon 🔊

Children love to join in the chorus of this song and listen to the story of Jackie Paper and his magic dragon. It might well lead into a discussion and dramatization of the story.

This song is by Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow of ‘Peter, Paul and Mary’ who popularised it in a 1960s recording. Find out more about this wonderful song at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puff,_the_Magic_Dragon

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea,

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.

Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,

And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.

Chorus

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea,

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea,

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail;

Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail.

Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came,

Pirate ships would lower their flag when Puff roared out his name.

Chorus

A dragon lives forever but not so girls and boys,

Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.

One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more,

And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain;

Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.

Without his life-long friend Puff could not be brave,

So Puff, that mighty dragon, sadly slipped into his cave.

Chorus (quietly)

Red, orange, yellow brown 🔊

A movement song.

Get outside and move with the leaves on a windy day; swirl, twirl up and down, sweep up the leaves and finish with a big jump.

Arranged from a traditional song by Dany Rosevear.

Red, orange, yellow brown,

Autumn leaves are falling down,

Floating to the ground.

Autumn winds begin to blow,

Leaves fall fast and some fall slow,

Twirling all around they go,

Till they touch the ground.

Rake the leaves up, rake them high,

Leafy mountains touch the sky,

What a lovely, great big heap;

Jump in with a leap!

Roly poly acorn / Donguri korokoro 🔊

This Japanese song was published around 1921 Music by Tadashi Yanada (and lyrics by Nagayoshi Aoki. The English translation here is by Dany Rosevear.

The ‘whiskered fish’ is a loach, the acorn rolls into a pond rather than a stream. Find out more about this song at: http://japanese.about.com/od/japanesecultur1/a/Japanese-Children-Song-Donguri-Korokoro.htm

Down roly poly acorn, rolled merrily,

Down from the mountain and into a stream;

“Hello”, said a whiskered fish, “Would you like to play?

We’ll be good friends and have such fun today!”

Donguri korokoro donburiko

O-ike ni hamatte saa taihen

Dojou ga detekite konnichi wa

Botchan issho ni asobimashou

Dear roly poly acorn happily played,

But after a short while he didn’t want to stay;

He missed the mountains so he cried and cried,

Poor whiskered fishy he had no idea why!

Donguri korokoro yorokonde

Shibaraku issho ni asonda ga

Yappari o-yama ga koishii to

Naite wa dojou wo komaraseta

Round go the seasons 🔊

Learn the four names and orders of seasons.

Round go the seasons, seasons all four,

Winter, spring, summer, now autumn’s at my door.

Sing a song of conkers, glossy, smooth and brown.

Thread them through with strong string,

Whirl them round and round.

Crick! Crack! Summer’s gone, autumn greets the day,

Wild winter will bring frost and snow,

‘Till spring comes out to play.

Six little acorns 🔊

A song for autumn. Learn to subtract from six.

1. Hold up fingers to show the number of acorns. Make hands move like the wind.

2. As above

3. Show empty hands. Wiggle finger upwards and point to self.

Six little acorns in an old oak tree,

The autumn winds began to blow and down came three.

Three little acorns in an old oak tree,

The autumn winds began to blow and down came three.

No little acorns in an old oak tree,

But underneath I saw one sprout, just for me!

Sounds of Autumn 🔊

Change is in the air.

A hand play that would work well accompanied by percussion instruments.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Wave imaginary baton. Hands undulate across each other. 2. Hands drift downwards. Rub palms together. 3. Nibble food. Interweave fingers to make hedgehog. 4. Fists roll. Fists bang together. 5. Pick berries and eat.Eat apples. 6.Wiggle fingers and make little clapping noises. Shoot hands into the air. 7. Roll arms around each other.

Autumn sang a song for me, it sang a song for you,

The wind joined in so merrily, “Whoo-hoo-hoo!”

As leaves came gently drifting down, “Whist, whist, whist!”

All red and gold and yellowed brown, “Swish, swish, swish!”

The squirrels gathered nuts to hide, “Scuffle, scuffle, scuffle!”

While hedgehogs played among the leaves, “Rustle, rustle, rustle!”

Shiny conkers fell in spiky shells, “Drop, drop, drop!”

The children came, played conker games, “Knock, knock, knock!”

Ate blackberries, wild nature’s food, “Munch, munch, munch!”,

And picked up apples from the ground, “Crunch, crunch, crunch!”

Bonfires crackled, popped and roared, in the night,

Fireworks fizzed and whizzed and soared, what a sight!

Autumn sang a song for us, it sang with gusty glee,

The children whirled and twirled and laughed, joyfully!

Squirrel Nutkin 🔊

A poem by F.B. Wood put to a Spanish tune.

Squirrel Nutkin has a coat of brown,

Quite the loveliest in Woodland Town.

Two bright eyes look round to see

Where the sweetest nuts may be.

Squirrel Nutkin in his coat of brown,

Scampers up the trees and down.

Dashing here and swinging there,

Leaping lightly through the air.

All the live long day he plays,

In the leafy woodland ways.

But at night when squirrels rest,

In their cosy treetop nest.

Repeat tune for last section

Bushy tail curled round his head,

Mister Squirrel goes off to bed.

Sweeping with my broom 🔊

A lovely activity for outdoor play.

To and fro, to and fro,

Sweeping with my broom I go,

All the fallen leaves I sweep,

In a big and tidy heap.

Summer goodbye! 🔊

A simple seasonal song from Germany “Sommer, ade!”

Make up more couplets of things that happen as summer changes to autumn.

Summer goodbye! Summer goodbye!

Winds blow the leaves away,

Autumn is here to stay.

Summer goodbye! Summer goodbye!

Apples turn rosy red,

Roses sweet petals shed.

Summer goodbye! Summer goodbye!

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