Some Songs from Jim Gill’s Recordings The Tempo Marches On £ List Of Dances = Alabama, Mississippi ¨ (ADAPTED FROM THE TRADITIONAL MELODY BY JIM GILL) I made a list of all the dances in this song. (TRADITIONAL) We are marching to the rhythm. I made a list so that I’d never sing them wrong. Alabama, Mississippi We are marching to the beat. ’Cause it’s hard to remember Alabama, New Orleans We are lifting up our knees and easy to forget Alabama, Mississippi and we are stamping down our feet. a list that is sixteen dances long. Shake it on down to New Orleans But the song keeps getting faster (You do) Shake, Shake, Shake with each verse that we complete. The tall Shake it baby The tempo marches on. The small Shake, Shake, Shake CHORUS: The hop Shake it baby Faster, faster, faster, faster. The stop Shake, Shake, Shake Faster, faster, faster, faster. The slow Shake it baby The tiptoe Faster, faster, faster, faster. Shake it on down to New Orleans The tempo marches on. The curl The twirl Instead of marching, try clapping or Can’t Wait to Celebrate stamping along with this song. The hide º The slide Clap, stamp, wave and bounce along. Swing Your Partner The sleep Just be ready to stop and waaaaaaaait! Ï The creep We clap our hands when we get together. In a square dance, the caller gives very specific directions for The slump the dancers to follow. This is not a traditional square dance, of Clap our hands to celebrate. course. It is a simplified version that requires the ability to The jump We clap our hands when we get together. calm down after each rousing “swing your partner” sequence The sway My friends and I can hardly wait . . . The stay and follow a few simple directions. To stamp our feet . . . Wave to your neighbor We’ve done dances like the tiptoe and the hop. To wave hello . . . And to your friend down the way. We’ve done them but it’s still not time to stop. To bounce up and down . . . Wave to your partner ’Cause though we danced it one time To clap our hands . . . And let me just say the list would seem brand new That every preschooler if we read it from the bottom to the top. The Sneezing Song And every kindergartner ¨ Should now be ready to The Irrational Anthem º A song about food allergies. SWING YOUR PARTNER! Did you know that the melody to “The Star Spangled Banner” is Please don’t feed me black-eyed peas CHORUS: an old English tavern song? Francis Scott Key’s poem was sung You know what they will do to the tune of “Anacreon in Heaven” and it caught on. It took Swing your partner ’round and ’round For if you feed me black-eyed peas until 1931, however, for the song to officially become our I’ll have to sneeze ...Ah...Ah...Ah Choo! Skippin’ and stampin’ on the ground national anthem. My own “Irrational Anthem” uses the same Locking arms with a friend melody to create a game that begins simply, but builds to Please don’t feed me macaroni and cheese . . . Around and around until the end. irrational expectations. Please don’t feed me chocolate chip cookies . . . Now swing around in the other direction Oh say can you see me slap on my knee? Around with care and great affection. If you’ll do the same, we’ll begin this new game. Sliding, Thankfully it’s in the plans Rolling, and Jumping To all slow down and prepare to shake hands. Oh but say I have plans to add clapping hands. Ï And this we’ll repeat ‘til the song is complete. There are, of course, a number of ways that children could play Shake hands with your neighbor along with this song. I have the children listen for the words And with your friend down the way. Oh say just suppose that we tried tapping toes “slid,” “rolled” and “jump.” I have them use a hand motion for Shake hands with your partner And attempted all three simultaneously. “slid” or “rolled” each time that they hear those words. Guess And let me just say Oh say have you tried to sway side to side? what the children do each time they hear the word “jump”? That every preschooler Lean left, then reverse ... on this, the I woke up in the morning and I slid right out of bed. And every kindergartner fourth verse. I slid into the bathroom and the comb slid across my head. Should now be ready to Oh say I’ll advise that you now close your eyes. I slid into the kitchen and I slid into a chair. Swing Your Partner! And let me remark ... it’s more fun in the dark. And when I finished breakfast, I slid right out of there. REPEAT CHORUS, BUT INSERT THESE LAST LINES: Oh say one more thing. Do you think you could sing? I slid into my coat and I slid my way to work and then If you feel dizzy you’ll be happy that now La la la la la la la la la la la la...... I was slid from task to task and slid back home again. It’s time to slow down and prepare to bow. I slid into the kitchen and when I was well fed I slid into my pajamas and I slid back into bed. Bow to your neighbor Oh Hey Oh Hi Hello = And to your friend down the way. In the great state of Ohio REPEAT FOR ROLLED AND JUMP Bow to your partner from Cincinnati to Toledo And let me just say they never simply say hello… Jumping and Counting º That every preschooler they sing “Oh hey Oh hi Hello.” Jump Jump Jump Jump And every kindergartner CHORUS: Jumping high are we. Should now be ready to But we’ll stop jumping SWING YOUR PARTNER! Oh hey Oh hi Hello Oh hey Oh hi Hello While we count to three. REPEAT CHORUS, BUT INSERT THIS ENDING: Oh hey Oh hi Oh hey Oh hi Hello Jump Jump Jump Jump If you’ve had enough of ’round and ’round When they’re in the library Jumping even more. Let’s slow it up and all sit down. they sing it very quietly. But we’ll stop jumping While we count to four. Toe Leg Knee Outside in a great big crowd £ they sing together very loud. Jump Jump Jump Jump Just like pogo sticks. Toe, leg, knee, arm, elbow, jaw, teeth, nose. When they’re sad and teary-eyed But let’s stop jumping Nose, teeth, jaw, elbow, arm, knee, leg, toe. they sing it even as they cry. While we count to six. Toe, leg, toe. Sure they’ll sing it when they’re sad, Jump Jump Jump Jump Toe, leg, toe. but they’ll even sing it when they’re mad. Jumping then we wait. Elbow, jaw, teeth, nose. Under water in the swimming pool We stop our jumping REPEAT it sounds very unusual. While we count to eight. Elbow, jaw, arm. Whenever there’s a big full moon Jump Jump Jump Jump REPEAT they tend to sing it out of tune. Jumping once again. Toe, leg, toe. But we’ll be finished Toe, leg, toe. Once we count to ten. Elbow, jaw, teeth, nose.

Toy Boat º ¨ INCLUDED ON JIM GILL SINGS THE SNEEZING SONG AND OTHER CONTAGIOUS TUNES (1993) Toy boat. INCLUDED ON JIM GILL MAKES IT NOISY IN BOISE, IDAHO (1996) REPEAT = These are the only lyrics for this tongue twister. £INCLUDED ON JIM GILL SINGS DO RE MI ON HIS TOE LEG KNEE (1999) º INCLUDED ON JIM GILL’S IRRATIONAL ANTHEM AND MORE SALUTES TO NONSENSE (2001) ÏINCLUDED ON JIM GILL SINGS MOVING RHYMES FOR MODERN TIMES (2005) Shakin’ Everywhere º Family Goodbyes Ï Face the Facts Ï Gallup is a town in northwest New Mexico. Tarrytown, New In my family you just stay put I must face the fact. My swimming arms are back. York is just north of New York City. Wilmington is on the ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with a foot. We must face the fact. Our swimming arms are back. southeast coast of North Carolina. Montpelier is the They are splashing, flapping, stretching, lapping one full capital of Vermont. And no one gets up from a chair ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with our hair. mile exact. I learned a little dance out west in Gallup. We must face the fact. Our swimming arms are back. It’s a dance they call shakin’ from the bottom up. And departure time hasn’t come ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with a thumb. I must face the fact. My scissor legs are back. First your toes are shakin’. We must face the fact. Our scissor legs are back. And my mother says no one goes Then your knees are shakin’. They are cutting, clipping, slicing, snipping, trimming the ’Til she’s waved goodbye with her nose. Your legs are shakin’. rick rack. Your whole body is shakin’. And in my family you never go We must face the fact. Our scissor legs are back. ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with a toe. I learned a little dance while in Tarrytown. I must face the fact. My driving hands are back. It’s a dance they call shakin’ from the top down. And no one takes any trips We must face the fact. Our driving hands are back. First your hair is shakin’. ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with our lips. They are guiding, steering, turning, veering my air Cadillac. Then your chin is shakin’. And no one can be dismissed We must face the fact. Our driving hands are back. Your head is shakin’. ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with a wrist. Your whole body is shakin’. I must face the fact. My binocular eyes are back. And still mother says no one goes We must face the fact. Our binocular eyes are back. I learned a little dance out in Wilmington. ’Til she’s waved goodbye with her nose. They are peering, peeking, scanning, seeking needles in It’s a dance they call shakin’ from the sides in. And in my family you cannot flee haystacks. Your fingers are shakin’. We must face the fact. Our binocular eyes are back. Then your wrists are shakin’. ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with a knee. Your arms are shakin’. And dismissals cannot begin I must face the fact. My jumping jacks are back. Your whole body is shakin’. ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with the chin. We must face the fact. Our jumping jacks are back. They are bounding, flapping, jumping, clapping, picking And no family member is sprung I learned a little dance up in Montpelier. up the slack. ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with the tongue. It’s a dance they call shakin’ everywhere. We must face the fact. Our jumping jacks are back. Your hips are shakin’. And no one can disappear Your shoulders are shakin’. ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with an ear. Color Game £ Your elbows are shakin’. And leaving we cannot allow Your whole body is shakin’. My daughters and I like to play this game when we are wearing ’Til we’ve all waved goodbye with a brow. very colorful clothing or sitting on a very colorful carpet. We just pretend to “pick” the colors as the game moves along. Spin Again...Again £ Poison Ivy Take red, put it on your head. (ADAPTED FROM THE TRADITIONAL MELODY BY JIM GILL) ¨ Poison ivy under bushes . . . Take blue, put it on your shoe. There was a girl named Lucy Finnegan. Poison ivy under trees . . . Take black, put it on your back. She would spin and spin and spin again. Poison ivy in the forest . . . Take yellow, put it on your elbow. When the song was over she’d beg to begin again. Poison ivy on my knees! Take white, put it on your right. Poor Lucy Finneagan. CHORUS: Take brown, put it all around. Poison ivy makes me Take the color of a rose, put it on your nose. SPIN AGAIN! Scratch scratch scratch Take the color of snow, put it on your toe. REPEAT Itch and scratch my knees Take the color of sand, put it on your hand. Children can, of course, take turns spinning and spinning while their name is inserted into the song. I enjoy spinning MORE VERSES: Take the color of cheese, put it on your knees. around and around on an office chair in this game... Poison ivy by the daisy . . . Take the color of jelly, put it on your belly. perhaps that is why I have had trouble holding onto a job. Poison ivy by the rose . . . Take the color of bubble gum, put it on your thumb. Poison ivy by the flower that I smelled with my nose! Take the color of your skin, put it on your chin. Stick to the Glue = Poison ivy on the prairie . . . Take the color of your hair, wave it in the air. (TRADITIONAL, ADAPTED BY JIM GILL) Poison ivy on the farm . . . Take the color of your eye, hold it up high. Clapping hands one and two. Poison ivy in the pasture . . . Jim Gill’s Lullaby Clapping hands one and two. Poison ivy on my arm! = But if one hand is covered with glue . . . Poison ivy over there . . . A glass of warm milk and counting sheep, you stick to the glue my darling. Poison ivy over here . . . these are some things that put me to ...sleep . . . CHORUS: Poison ivy all around where I sat upon my rear! Bedtime stories and lullabies, always make me close my. . . eyes . . . Glue, glue, stick to the glue Poison ivy’s green like grass . . . Glue, glue, stick to the glue Poison ivy looks like clover . . . When it’s late and I turn out the light, Glue, glue, stick to the glue And maybe that is why I am itching all over! then it’s time to say. . . goodnight . . . Stick to the glue my darling. May There Jump Up, Turn Around Stamping feet one and two . . . Always Be Sunshine Ï Shaking hands one and two . . . º ¨ Simple motions and a simple rhyme. (TRADITIONAL) Say it as you play it and repeat two times. Hugging friends one and two . . . May there always be sunshine Jump up Brushing teeth one and two . . . May there always be blue skies Turn around May there always be mama Clap your hands May there always be me Stamp the ground REPEAT INCLUDED ON JIM GILL SINGS THE SNEEZING SONG AND OTHER CONTAGIOUS TUNES (1993) Let’s play it again, but this time try ¨ To say it as you play and stretch your arms up high. INCLUDED ON JIM GILL MAKES IT NOISY IN BOISE, IDAHO (1996) = Let me suggest that this time you might £INCLUDED ON JIM GILL SINGS DO RE MI ON HIS TOE LEG KNEE (1999) Say it as you play it with your eyes closed tight. º INCLUDED ON JIM GILL’S IRRATIONAL ANTHEM AND MORE SALUTES TO NONSENSE (2001) Get ready my friends to take a deep breath Because I challenge you to play it as you hold your breath! ÏINCLUDED ON JIM GILL SINGS MOVING RHYMES FOR MODERN TIMES (2005) YOU CAN ORDER JIM’S CDS OR BOOK ONLINE AT WWW.JIMGILL.COM JIM GILL MUSIC / PO BOX 2263 / OAK PARK, IL 60303 / PHONE: 708.763.9864 / FAX: 708.763.9888