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 singing, 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 album 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 boy, 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….