Childhood songs and rhymes

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:08 pm

Hm.......lórecchio di elefante........

Without wanting to seem immodest, despite having shared a stage with each of the big three and with at least two score Traviata performances under my belt, I´ve never been one to pay much attention to the "lyrics", so I say pass, and leave it to the experts.

Thrall

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:47 am

Thrall

I have a fondness for a bit of opera (The big man of the 3 started it, many moons ago

) But I confess I tend to like the rhythm and sound, as I dont speak Italian or any other language, I do try to find English translations so see how it fits in the main stream of things though

but as far as this one is concerned I just dont have a clue

Classical orchestral music I have always liked since I was a boy, but sadly never had the talent to take up any instrument, even failed triangle in primary school

Ps. I think tenors being my favourite (and Sopranos) stems from the fact that my late father had a beautiful tenor voice, but none of us inherited it.

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:59 am

One quote that amused me was from either Noel or Liam Gallagher (these upstanding gentlemen of the music profession), who referred to the Three Tenors as "three fat blokes shouting".

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:30 am

AndrewP wrote:One quote that amused me was from either Noel or Liam Gallagher (these upstanding gentlemen of the music profession), who referred to the Three Tenors as "three fat blokes shouting"

Having had the privilege of hearing a (very) little Chinese opera, I can understand why a music critic here wrote recently after a local church choir´s Christmas carol concert, that when their Chinese conductor/soprano sung a little solo with her choir as an encore, it was like a siren going off!

Thrall

Whisky may not cure the common cold..
but it fails more agreeably than most other things.

Post by **joette** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 3:03 pm

We called it beds you could have aeroplane beds which were drawn differently from the ordinary variety & I guess were so called as you kind off flew as you kicked your "peever" usually an empty shoe-polish tin.Peever was a kind of old-fashioned word to us kids of the sixties.
I also remember the end walls of the tenements would be peppered with the stray lost balls which were placed in old "nylons" & then battered against the wall above your head, between your legs/arms.If you got too enthusiastic they would fly out of your hands & sail onto the wall where they would attach & despite many attempts would stay there until a Dad or the rain knocked them off.
We would also put wee shows on in the back garden & charge entrance fee with the money going to charity aka the sweetie shop

My Mum says her Mum remembered the back court singers & even dancing bears(early 1900's)!
Howsabout my fav Chinese Ropes? I remember my ecstasy on reaching oxter! For those not in the know you got elastic bands,made them into a long chain then into a circle which was then stretched around two people or even two pieces of furniture & gradually you challenged your opponent to see who could get to the highest which was"Tippy toes".However it went horribly wrong when one of my schoolchums did a handstand over at "nosey" & put her knee through a glass door.I rang the fire alarm to raise the alarm so it was a pretty exciting event.I can still remember her knee cap but wont go into details.YEUCHEE.

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 1:56 am

Hello Joette

If my memory serves me right we called it peevers in Faifley in the late 50's early 60's, and of course empty shoe polish tins did a fine job.

The tennis ball in the nylons was also a good game but sometimes it would come back and bite you if you were too enthusiastic

The only part of Chinese ropes I recall was standing like a stookie while the lassies in the next close tried their best, maybe we were useful for something to the lassies

STRAVAIG · Post by **STRAVAIG** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:57 pm

hi ninatoo, my mammy used to sing something like your googlyee verse ,it was part of the wee song katie bairdie and went......
HI JENNY COCKLE EE, CUM TAE BED AN CUDDLE ME ,
AN ILL GIE YE A CUP O TEA, TAE KEEP YER BELLIE WAAAARRRMMM,
THE NEXT VERSE WENT,
katie bairdies wudden leg ,kicked the bairnies oot o bed,
aw the fleas ran up her leg , dance katie bairdie,
does anybody mind this wee song, ?
COCKABENDIES FEELIN SEEK, GUESS YE WHIT'LL MEND HIM,
TWENTY KISSES IN A CLOOT LASSIE WILL YE SEND HIM, HALF AN UNCE O GREEN TEA, HALF AN UNCE O PEPPER,
TAK YE THAT MA BONNY WEE LAD,.....' AN AH HOPE YELL SIN BE BETTER.
there's anthor verse can any body mind,? happy days i could go on and on.

Post by **joette** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:54 pm

How could I have forgotten this ditty taught to me by my granny
"We've come to see Jemima,Jemima.Jemima
"We've come to see Jemima- well you can't see her today!
She's up the stairs ironing,ironing,ironing,
She's up the stairs ironing so you can't see her today.
Repeat first two lines
The iron fell on her big toe,big toe,
The iron fell on her big toe so you can't see her today
Repeat first two lines
She's lying in her coffin,her coffin her coffin,(sung dirge like.)
So you may see her today!
I think this was a skipping song or maybe for the peerie.
My father used to play the "mischevious" type games.Fav one was tying two door handles together chapping the doors & running away.Tapping a button on a thread against a window & my fav. kick the can.
We also played American Times(don't know where the name originated) but it involved fav.film & pop stars & running around a building in opposite directions first back was the winner.Kiss catch which I loved unless some boy gave slebbery kisses.
We used to have twist contests,hide & seek & "jags in the b--" which you played with clothes pegs

Aren't kids horrible?Or was it just me?

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:50 pm

An amazing response for this topic...wonderful how the memories have flooded back to people!

Stravaig, I was from Glasgow...where were you from? Maybe the person in the rhyme changed according to area?

STRAVAIG · Post by **STRAVAIG** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:31 am

hi ninatoo, my mammy was from edinburgh but i was born down here in south west scotland, glasgow is great for street songs , my maws a millionaire, blue eyes an curly hair , walkin doon buchanan street, wi her big banana feet my maws a millionaire, .....oor wee schools a great wee school,... its made wi bricks an plaster,..... the only thing thats wrang wi its the baldy heeded maister...... ,he gangs tae the pub on seturday nicht,....... an he gangs tae church on sunday,..... tae pray tae god tae gie him strength,..... tae murder the weans on monday!!!!! do you remember the skipping songs,..... vote vote vote, .......on the mountain stands a lady,.....manys the frosty morning we warmed up skipping, then there were the ball games,....we lassie used to stand in a row and call,...,,game game ba ba twenty lassies in a raw no a lad amang them a game game ba ba,.....or....grannie grannie grey can i go out to play ,i wont go near the water side or chase the ducks away NO because it is my washing day ....scrubbing day....ironing day and so on.how good it is to have such lovely memories,its been nice talking to you, ill say goodnight.