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In Classic Folk Songs for Kids, curator Jeff Place culls a cross-section of 26 classics from the Smithsonian Folkways vaults to tell an intriguing story of American signature sing-alongs. The songs’ origins are as fascinating as the songs are fun: centuries-old European ballads, an American Revolutionary tune, 19th-century American folksongs ...
- Shenandoah
Shenandoah - Classic Folk Songs for Kids from Smithsonian...
- Whoopie Ti-Yi-Yo, Get Along Little Dogies
Whoopie Ti-Yi-Yo, Get Along Little Dogies - Classic Folk...
- Green Grass Grows All Around
Green Grass Grows All Around - Classic Folk Songs for Kids...
- John Henry
John Henry - Classic Folk Songs for Kids from Smithsonian...
- Big Rock Candy Mountain
Big Rock Candy Mountain - Classic Folk Songs for Kids from...
- I've Been Working on The Railroad
I've Been Working on The Railroad - Classic Folk Songs for...
- Shenandoah
- What Is A Folk Song
- ‘Ring-A-Ring O’ Roses’
- Top 150 Folk Songs Every Kid Should Know
- Are There Modern Day Folk Tunes?
- Looking For Music Children Will enjoy?
- Folk Songs Every Kid Should Know – Final Thoughts
It is a song passed down by oral and cultural traditions. Passed from one singer to the next and then from one generation to the next. It tends to originate in one particular area and can sometimes exist in different versions. It is usually recognized by simple repetitive verses and words that might tell a local story or tradition from the past. Th...
A folk song sung by kids but has its origins in the Black Plague in London in 1665, which killed hundreds of thousands. The blotches on the body resembled “rings of roses.” The “pocketful of posies” was a reference to sweet-smelling flowers that were often placed on the body to get rid of the stench. Sneezing was a symptom, “tishoo, tishoo.” And “w...
1 Scarborough Fair – Malinda
Here is one to get you started; you will know. I have included a version here by Malinda, who sings it very much the way it might originally have been sung. It is an old English tale about a string of tasks impossible to complete given to a lover. The song is a variation of the tune “Elfin Knight.” It probably dates back to the 18th Century when there was a famous market in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Likewise, it was written in the Dorian mode, which was common at the time. However, it was...
2 Row, Row, Your Boat – Classical Lullabies
This goes back into the mists of time somewhere. It is a nursery rhyme sung to children. It encourages them to persevere and not give up. To tackle life easily and make it simple. It describes the nature of life as we see it and can experience it. Almost like a dream. The boat refers to you, the stream is the pathway you choose and how you live your life. Merrily is your attitude, be happy.
3 Skip To My Lou – Lisa Loeb
This is one of the most popular folk songs at square dances in America in the 1840s and after. Its derivation is unclear as the ‘Lou’ in the title is an old Scottish word, ‘loo’ meaning love. It is still popular today. It is a common song played as an icebreaker at parties and gatherings. Especially where the people do not know each other.
So, most of those are very old and what you might call traditional. But that is the nature of the folk song. A song that has been passed down through generations. A song that speaks of another time and another age. Will some songs that have been sung in the last fifty years achieve the same position in the future? The times are different now, of co...
We can help. Have a look at our handy articles on Funny Songs to Sing with Kids, the Best Sing-Along Songs, Fun Music Activities For Kids, Easy Echo Songs For Schools, the Best Songs About Ice Cream, and the Best Songs About Friendshipfor more great song options.
A list with a difference. Well, some might see it that way, but Folk tunes of the past started as songs that people sang. And they often had a meaning and some cultural and historical meaning attached to them. The songs from the more recent days are the same and will become folk tunes in their own right. If they aren’t already. So, until next time,...
Behind the Scenes: 'Mr. Greg & Cass McCombs Sing and Play New Folk Songs for Children'. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the...
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These children’s folk songs are iconic and memorable. Who doesn’t remember the words to “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain” or “Oh Susannah”? Plenty of these folk songs are not just for the kiddos, but they work well for younger listeners.
- 'Aiken Drum' (1820, Traditional Scottish Song) "Aiken Drum" is a Scottish folk song and nursery rhyme that probably comes from "Aikendrum," a Jacobite song about the Battle of Sheriffmuir.
- Lyrics. There was a man lived in the moon, lived in the moon, lived in the moon, There was a man lived in the moon, And his name was Aiken Drum. Chorus. And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle,
- 'Alouette' (1879) "Alouette" is a French-Canadian folk song about plucking the feathers from a lark after being awakened by its song (like we would threaten a rooster or chicken, before cooking and eating the bird).
- Lyrics. Alouette, gentille Alouette. Alouette je te plumerai. Je te plumerai la tete.
Children's folk music is a genre that incorporates traditional folk music with child-friendly lyrics and melodies. It often features acoustic instruments and encourages sing-alongs and participation. The songs are usually upbeat and playful, with themes of nature, animals, and everyday life.
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