Oh dear what can the matter be!

Oh dear, what can the matter be?
Dear dear, what can the matter be?
Oh dear, what can the matter be?
Johnny’s so long at the fair.

He promised he’d buy me a fairing would please me,
And then for a kiss oh he vowed he would tease me,
He promised he’d buy me a bunch of blue ribbons,
To tie up my bonnie brown hair.

This girl in a 1916 illustration by Blanche Fisher Wright has the wistfulness I get from this song. It may have originated as a Scots song, in the late 1700s. It would make a lovely pairing with ‘My bonny lies over the ocean’, which I guess also has Scots origin. According to my Oxford Book of Nursery Rhymes, there are more verses, and in fact a more nursery version – but I don’t think it fits well to the tune – or not the one I know at any rate. I like it none the less and can see myself chanting it as I try to get my kids dressed!

Jonny shall have a new bonnet,
And Jonny shall go to the fair,
And Jonny shall have a blue ribbon
To tie up his bonny brown hair.
…..
And here’s a leg for a stocking,
And here’s a leg for shoe,
And he has a kiss for his daddy,
And two for his mammy, I trow.

Singing in motion

I’m going to sing with a new nursery class tomorrow morning, where I don’t have the novelty factor of being someones mum, so I’m really interested to see how they respond. I’ve been looking back over my old song planners and wondering which will be the best for them. I think one on a theme of transport (I’ve yet to actually find out what their theme for the term is) will do..

watch 3 different people arriving by horse
1. Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross (bells)
2. Yankee doodle came to town (feather)
3. She’ll be coming round the mountain (pink pajamas)

now we can get on our horses..
4. Trot trot trot
5. Horsey horsey don’t you stop
6. Mummy and daddy and aunty con

oh dear fallen off.. get on a bus?
8. The wheels on the bus go round and round
9. Londons burning

we better get in a boat to get away from the fire
10. Row row row your boat
11. Dans la riviere

now we look up to the sky and things that are flying around
12. 5 little men in a flying saucer
13. Here is a beehive
14. Twinkle twinkle..