debbie carroll

giggle, dance and cuddle songs for the very young

1 · up and over the moon! 2 · it’s a dancing day Debbie Carroll © socan Debbie Carroll © socan ~ Wherever we live, we can put our heads on our ~ Kathy added the ideas of swinging and twirling. pillows tonight, knowing that we are cradled by the Add some of your own actions. It’s a , jumping, glittering night sky. hugging day! We walk along a country road It’s a dance, it’s a dance, it’s a dancing day After the sun goes down It’s a dance, it’s a dance, it’s a dancing day The Milky Way above our heads Follow your dreams and find your own way Up and over the moon! It’s a dance, it’s a dance, it’s a dancing day Chorus: It’s a swinging day… Up and over the moon, children It’s a twirling day… Up and over the moon ken: vocal harmony, guitar, bass guitar Count the planets, touch the stars ernie: soprano saxophone debbie: Celtic harp Up and over the moon If we’re in the city after dark 3 · can you hop like a bunny? I look at the sky at the sky with you Music: Debbie Carroll © socan The Great Big Dipper shining bright ~ Children love to make-believe with this action song, Up and over the moon! and end with a cuddle. Chorus Can you hop, hop, hop like a bunny There’s a window near your bed And run, run, run like a dog? Close the curtains soon Can you walk, walk, walk like an elephant And dream a dream of far away And jump, jump, jump like a frog? And up and over the moon! Can you swim, swim, swim like a goldfish Chorus And fly, fly, fly like a bird? kathy: vocal harmony ernie: flutes debbie: piano Can you sit right here like a quiet mouse ken: guitar, string bass ben: shaker, triangle, And not say a single word? Shhhhhhh! zarb drum debbie: piano ken: fretless banjo, harmonica, trombone, red-backed boinger, water, LP covers and bird whistle 4 · this little cow eats grass 6 · early in the morning / Music: Debbie Carroll © socan rattle on the stovepipe ~ I used to live in a house which backed onto a ~ One old English song + one traditional Canadian farmer’s field. Some cows would reach over the fence tune = walking music for two feet! Make a knocking to eat my flowers. Some cows just wanted to sleep. I sound with sticks, stamp your feet, or tap on your own had a little dog who would try to chase them all away. front door. This little cow eats grass (wiggle baby finger) Early in the morning at eight o’clock This little cow eats hay (wiggle ring finger) You can hear a “Knock, Knock, Knock” This little cow drinks water Jump up Josie, Open up the door (wiggle middle finger) One letter, two letters, three letters, four And this little cow runs away kirk: fiddle ben: bones, drum ken: guitar, (wiggle pointer finger) tenor mandolins, string bass But this little cow does nothing at all She just lies around all day (thumb lies on palm, 7 · chatter with the angels covered by a ‘blanket’ of fingers) ~ This lively spiritual makes a fun group song, with lots We’ll chase her, we’ll chase her of movement. We’ll chase her away! (tickle all over) Chatter with the angels, soon in the mornin’ ken: dobro, guitar kirk: fiddle ben: bodhran Chatter with the angels, in that land! Chatter with the angels, soon in the mornin’ 5 · little tommy tinker Chatter with the angels, join that band! ~ A clinker is a hard, pointy object remaining at the I hope to join that band bottom of a blacksmith’s pile of ashes – ouch! And chatter with the angels all day long! Little Tommy Tinker sat upon a clinker Sing with the angels … And he began to cry Dance with the angels … “Oh Ma! Oh Ma!” Fly with the angels … Poor little innocent guy eve, kathy, ken: vocal harmony debbie: Celtic harp debbie, kathy, ken: vocals, fretted dulcimers ben: tambourine ken: National slide guitar, bass guitar 8 · flying / touch the branches 10 · shortnin’ bread Lyrics: Anonymous, adapted / ~ For those who can’t sit still when they hear a bouncy Music: Debbie Carroll © socan rhythm, Ken and I added a ‘shake and dance’ verse to ~ I’ve never met a child (or happy grownup) who this familiar song. doesn’t love to be pushed in a swing; it’s best when Chorus: one’s toes can almost touch the branches. Mama’s little baby loves shortnin’, shortnin’ “Flying, flying, up in the sky Mama’s little baby loves shortnin’ bread Where are you going, flying so high?” Put on the skillet (one hand out flat, palm up) “Over the mountains, over the sea Put on the lid (other hand covers the skillet) Will you fly away with me?” Mama’s gonna make a little shortnin’ bread debbie: piano kirk: violin ken: autoharp, guitar, That ain’t all she’s a-gonna do bass guitar (wave pointer finger back and forth) Mama’s gonna make a little coffee too 9 · here’s a pot of tea (a fist for a cup) Music: Debbie Carroll © socan Chorus ~ What a lovely way to learn sharing! This will quickly Shake it to the left, shake it to the right become a child’s favourite action song. Shake it all over, gonna feel alright Here’s a cup (make a cup with one fist) Lean to the left, lean to the right And here’s a cup (make a cup with another fist) And dance that baby on a Saturday night And here’s a pot of tea Chorus (make a fist teapot with a thumb spout) arnie: fretless banjo ken: cowbell, shakers, Pour a cup and pour a cup washtub bass debbie: shakers (pour tea into each of the teacups) And drink it up with me (slurp) And drink it up with me (slurp) ken: autoharp, teacup, teapot debbie: teacup 11 · crawdad hole Tickly, tickly on your knee ~ A crawdad resembles a small lobster. It is also called If you smile you do love me a crayfish, or mudbug. Tickly, tickly on your shoe You get a line and I’ll get a pole, honey If you smile I do love you! You get a line and I’ll get a pole, baby ken: long-neck banjo You get a line and I’ll get a pole We’ll go down to the crawdad hole 13 · nelly go ’cross the ocean Honey, baby mine! Kathy Reid-Naiman © socan / Traditional, adapted (join hands and circle round) ~ My friend Kathy has written some wonderful songs Na na na na na … for both grownups and children; this is one of my (into the middle and back again – repeat) favourites. I like altering the mood of the journey by eve, ken: vocal harmony ken: banjo, 12-string guitar, changing the tempo. Children won’t want to stop harmonica, jug, washboard ben: tambourine jumping and spinning once they’ve heard the chorus! Nelly go ’cross the ocean 12 · the tickle person / tickly Nelly go ’cross the sea Debbie Carroll © socan / Traditional, adapted Nelly go ’cross the mountain top Lyrics & Music: Debbie Carroll © Socan But then come back to me ~ I wrote The Tickle Person for my son Kevin when he Nelly go ’cross the prairie was a baby. One of his earliest observations was that Nelly go ’cross the plain “Kevin is a , Daddy is a man, and Mommy is a Nelly go ’cross the desert sands person.” The Tickle Person, perhaps?! And then come back again Whatcha gonna do Chorus: when the Tickle Person comes? Nelly jump up and down now Are you going to scream Nelly jump up and down Or are you going to giggle? Nelly turn round and round and round Whatcha gonna do And round and round and round (repeat) when the Tickle Person comes? kathy: vocal harmony kirk: fiddle ken: guitar Well, you’d better decide right now! ben: bodhran (When you know this song well, add some suspense by hesitating between the words ‘right’ and ‘now’) 14 · this is the way the ladies ride So he called to his Grandma Music: Debbie Carroll © socan “Grandma! Grandma!” (bounce up each time) ~ This traditional knee-bouncer has stood the test of But Grandma was in town time. Here is one of many popular variations. So he curled himself into a ball This is the way the ladies ride – And rolled himself down! Nim, nim, nim (both of you curl into a ball and roll over) (child sits on lap facing sideways, ‘side-saddle’, ken: guitar and is bounced gently) This is the way the gentlemen ride – 16 · in a dark little town Trim, trim, trim Music: Debbie Carroll © socan (child turns forward, and is bounced firmly) ~ This is a most unusual lullaby. Try to make a big This is the way the farmers ride – difference between the two sections … first keep the Hobblety Hoy! Hobblety Hoy! beat by tapping knees or stamping feet, then switch to (child is vigorously bounced from side to side) rocking or swinging for the ‘lai, lai, lais’. Until the work is over (pause) In a dark little town there was a dark little house Then they gallop and gallop away In a dark little house there was a dark little room Gallop and gallop away… (fast bounces) In a dark little room there was a dark little bed ken: classical guitar, vintage Gibson arch-top guitar, In the dark little bed there was you 1880s 6-string banjo, knee slaps Lai lai, lai….. debbie, eve, kathy, ken: vocal harmony 15 · up the tall white candlestick debbie: piano kirk: violin ken: accordion, guitar, Music: Moyra Walker © 1987 string bass ~ This lap song makes a little boy I know giggle so loudly that all the mice in town must be giggling along too! Up the tall white candlestick Crept little Mousie Brown (child on lap, going up) Right to the top (child perched high on knees) But he couldn’t get down (drop child suddenly to ground) 17 · shoofly And then I’d have a duck pond ~ In this version, we’ve made a big contrast between A duck pond, a duck pond the pesky fly verse (shoo it away!) and the celestial (hands make wavy patterns) verse (a dance of your own interpretation). And then I’d have a duck pond Shoofly, don’t bother me For ducks and geese to swim Shoofly, don’t bother me Shoofly, don’t bother me The ducks would make their wings flap ’Cause I belong to somebody Their wings flap, their wings flap I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star (flap arms up and down) I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star The ducks would make their wings flap I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star And then they would say ‘Quack Quack’ I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star eve, kathy: vocal harmony arnie: 5-string banjo The geese would stretch their long necks debbie: piano ken: guitar, bar chimes, string bass Their long necks, their long necks (arms from elbow to wrist are goose necks) 18 · if i could have a windmill The geese would stretch their long necks ~ It starts out as pretty as a picture, but this action And then they would answer ‘Hissss!’ song ends by showing the true difference between (fingers and thumbs are the snapping beaks) ducks and geese! debbie: piano ken: vocal harmony, guitar, slide guitar, If I could have a windmill quacks A windmill, a windmill (arms move overhead from side to side) 19 · diddley diddley dumpty If I could have a windmill ~ I’ve never known any cat to enjoy plums, but I know what I would do perhaps cats had different tastes when this old nursery rhyme was written. I’d have it pump some water Diddley Diddley Dumpty (bounce) Some water, some water The cat ran up the plum tree (pump arms or legs up and down) (child goes up on your knees) I’d have it pump some water Give her a plum and down she’ll come All up from the river below (child goes down on your knees) Diddley Diddley Dumpty (bounce) ken: bell tree 20 · the cat and the drum / elephants 21 · take the seed marching © Sandy Opatow – Moving Forward Music, bmi The Cat and the Drum adapted from Tromm, Tromm, ~ Raising a child is very much like nurturing a seed, Tromm, written by Birthe Kulich, published by The Empire and when we add dreams and songs, we create a Music Co. Ltd., and used with permission / Anonymous bright and hopeful future. ~ I love the idea of a little cat playing a drum for a Take the seed that you have and plant it here herd of parading elephants. Give it water and time for a day or a year Tromm, Tromm, Tromm Take the seed that you have and plant it here The cat is playing the drum (tap the beat) Give it love, give it love The little mice are dashing around (tickle all over) Trying to find a hole in the ground (tickle feet) Take the dream that you have and dream it here Tromm, Tromm, Tromm Give it courage and time for a day or a year The cat is playing the drum (tap the beat) Take the dream that you have and dream it here Give it love, give it love Elephants marching one by one Chorus: Give it love, give it love…. (march around in a circle) Some from the moon and some from the sun Take the song that you have and sing it here Elephants marching one by one Give it strength and time for a day or a year Some from the moon and some from the sun Take the song that you have and sing it here Chorus: Give it love, give it love I–O–I–O–I–O–I–O, I–O–I–O–I–O–I–O Chorus: Give it love, give it love… I–O–I–O–I–O–I–O, I–O–I–O–I–O–I–O kathy, ken: vocal harmony ken: guitar, piano, (hold hands and march into the centre of the shakers, tambourine, bass guitar circle and then back out again … repeat) Elephants marching two by two Some for me and some for you Chorus Elephants marching three by three Some from the land and some from the sea Chorus kathy, ken: vocal harmony ernie: soprano saxophones ken: drums, fingersnaps, piano debbie: fingersnaps 22 · far in the wood And I got wet and very, very wet Music: Debbie Carroll © socan And I got wet and weary ~ This lullaby has the mystery of an ancient fairy tale. And I got wet and very, very wet Far in the wood you’ll find a well When I came home to Mary With water deep and clear Oh, I have been to the meadow-bout fields Whoever drinks by moonlight bright And through the grasses creeping Will live a thousand years Oh, I have been to the meadow-bout fields Will live a thousand years And found those horses sleeping And all around the little well And I got wet … Are seven lovely trees kathy, ken: vocal harmony kirk: fiddle ben: bodhran They rock and sway and sing a song ken: guitar And whisper in the breeze And whisper in the breeze 24 · i’m sittin’ in a boat And through the seven little trees Debbie Carroll © socan The evening wind will blow ~ Sit on the floor, facing your child, join hands and rock And down fall seven little dreams back and forth. Or stand up and walk with big gliding My baby all for you steps; then put your baby up in the air on the words My baby all for you ‘Oh, so high.’ debbie: fretted dulcimer, Celtic harp I’m sittin’ in a boat ernie: Indian flute ken: guitar ben: frame drum And the boat is rocking, rocking, rocking I’m sittin’ in a boat 23 · the meadow-bout fields And the boat is rocking, rocking, rocking Lyrics: Traditional, Ken Whiteley: verse two I’m sittin’ in a boat Music: Debbie Carroll © socan And the waves are oh, so high ~ Meadow-bout fields are wet marshy places, and Oh, so high in the mornin’ gorses are prickly bushes. Nonetheless, it is fun to Lord, Lord, Lord! dance and sing about this unpleasant circumstance. eve, kathy: vocal harmony ernie: soprano saxophone Oh, I have been to the meadow-bout fields ken: piano, string bass And I have been to the gorses Oh, I have been to the meadow-bout fields To seek my master’s horses 25 · mama bring me a china doll musicians ~ Many years ago I learned the first verse of this song, as “Mama, buy me a china doll.” I thought that “bring” Debbie Carroll was a gentler concept, and added three verses to Voice, Celtic Harp, Piano, Fretted Dulcimer include more family members, turning it into a lullaby. Kirk Elliot: Irish Flute, Fiddle Only recently I discovered that the original verse comes Eve Goldberg: Voice from a traditional American song with many versions, Ben Grossman: Percussion all of them fairly silly, and none very sleepy. Jeff Morrison: Guitar Mama bring me a china doll Arnie Naiman: Banjo Mama bring me a china doll Kathy Reid-Naiman: Voice, Fretted Dulcimer Mama bring me a china doll Ernie Tollar: Indian Flute, Saxophone Please Mama, do Ken Whiteley: Voice, Stringed Instruments, Papa bring me a starry sky Wind Instruments, Percussion Instruments, Sister bring me a blanket of wool as well as a Treasure Chest of Sound Effects Brother bring me a sailing ship jeff: guitar ken: accordion, guitar Arranger and Producer: Ken Whiteley Executive Producer: Kathy Reid-Naiman 26 · jessica’s flowers / hush little Engineer: Nik Tjelios rooster / twinkle, twinkle little star Recorded: Casa Wroxton Studio, Debbie Carroll © socan / Anonymous / Traditional Nov.–Dec. 2002 ~ I wrote the waltz Jessica’s Flowers for my friends Cover Art: Marilyn Koop Maureen and Peter. Here it is followed by two lulla- Package Design: WriteDesign byes, one for the animals and one for the starry sky. Photography: Arne Glassbourg Hush little rooster with your cock-a-doodle-doo All material on this recording, unless Hush little kitten with your mew, mew, mew otherwise noted, is traditional or Hush puppy dog with your bow, wow, wow anonymous. Every effort has been made Please don’t moo-moo, Mrs. Cow to identify and credit the authors; if an Hush, hush, hush, I am going to sleep right now omission has occurred please contact us to Hush, hush, hush, I am going to sleep right now correct it. kirk: Irish flute, violin debbie: Celtic harp ken: accordion, piano ben: triangle © 2003 Merriweather Records Ltd. Very young children are wonderful musicians! They listen, sing and dance with an intensity that knows no bounds. This collection of new and traditional songs is for babies, toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy with their grownups. You and your little one will enjoy these giggle, dance and cuddle songs in the home, under a shady tree, or in an early childhood class. debbie carroll is an early childhood music educator in Toronto, Canada. She sings and plays many different instruments, including piano, Celtic harp, fretted dulcimer, flute and guitar. Debbie and her husband Bill live with their children Kevin and Lisa, one cat, two rabbits and several tropical fish. Debbie received Bachelor of Musical Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Western Ontario, London, and the Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Music Education from the Royal Conservatory of Music and Ryerson University, Toronto. She is a member of ISME (International Society of Music Educators) and of ECMA (Early Childhood Music Association of Ontario).

Thanks go to all my family and every friend who supported me in this endeavour. Thanks to Kathy at Merriweather Records for creating this opportunity to share some of my songs, and to Ken and Nik at Casa Wroxton Studio for their creative enthusiasm. And thanks to all of the children, parents and caregivers who inspire me to learn and create songs, tunes and dances for young children. May we continue to nurture the next generation with love. Debbie Carroll · www.debbiecarroll.com · email: [email protected] – to J, K and L