Songlists from Children’s Folk Song Study

By Dr. Marilyn Ward

marilyn@neflin.org

This is the list of songs representing the American children's folk heritage. I began with several hundred music books and songbooks from the 1700's to 1950. Every song listed in at least 3 books was included in the initial list (500+ songs). Then I surveyed 233 elderly people from 44 states in the nation to determine which songs they had learned as children growing up in America between 50-100 years ago. Their list was 250+ songs. Then I sent that list to the top 30 University Elementary Music Education Specialists (as determined from the college rankings put out by U.S. News and World Report). They narrowed it down to the 100 songs most representative of the American children's folk heritage.

Then I used the information from the elderly study to determine, of those 100 songs, which were most frequently taught to children growing up in America between 50-100 years ago, all across America. This created a recommended song list (84 songs). The recommended song list of 84 songs follows the song list of 100 songs. Lastly, a few good sources for words to the songs on the lists (both internet and music books) are provided for those who wish to learn the songs listed below. Hope this helps.

CHILDREN'S SONGS

A Tisket, A Tasket
All the Pretty Little Horses
Bought Me A Cat (the cat pleased me)
Bingo
Did You Ever See A Lassie
Eency, Weency Spider
Farmer in the Dell, The
Hickory, Dickory Dock
Hokey Pokey, The
Hush Little Baby (don’t say a word, papa’s ...)
Rockaby Baby (in the treetops, when the wind...)
If You’re Happy and You Know It
Looby Loo
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Muffin Man
Mulberry Bush
Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow
Oh! Dear! What Can the Matter Be?
Oh, Where Has My Little Dog Gone
Old John the Rabbit
Old MacDonald
Polly Wolly Doodle
Pop! Goes the Weasel
Ring Around the Rosies
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
There’s a Hole in the Bucket
This Little Light of Mine
This Old Man
Three Blind Mice
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Wheels on the Bus, The

FOLK SONGS

All Night, All Day
Amazing Grace
Aura Lee
Away in a Manger
Billy Boy
Camptown Races
Cindy
Clementine
Columbia, Gem of the Ocean
Cotton-Eyed Joe
Crawdad Song
Dixie
Down by the Riverside
Down in the Valley
Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill!
Erie Canal, The
Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd
Frog Went A-Courtin’, A
Go Down, Moses
Go Tell Aunt Rhody
Go Tell it on the Mountain
God of our Fathers
Goober Peas
Goodbye, Old Paint
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
Home on the Range
I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray
I’ve Been Workin’ On the Railroad
Jim Along, Josie
Blue Tail Fly, The
Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
Kum Ba Yah
Liza Jane
Michael Row the Boat Ashore
Oh, Susanna
Old Chisholm Trail
Old Folks At Home (Way down upon the Swanee River, far, far away)
Onward Christian Soldiers
Over the River and Through the Woods
Rock-A-My-Soul
Shenandoah
Shoo Fly
Shortnin’ Bread
Simple Gifts
Silent Night
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Susie, Little Susie
Sweet Betsy From Pike
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Water is Wide, The
We Gather Together
When the Saints Go Marching In
You Are My Sunshine

PATRIOTIC SONGS

America
America, the Beautiful
Battle Hymn of the Republic
God Bless America
Marines’ Hymn (From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli)
Star-Spangled Banner, The
Caissons Song
This Land is Your Land
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Yankee Doodle
You’re A Grand Old Flag

RECOMMENDED SONG LIST
1. A Tisket, A Tasket (a green and yellow basket)
2. All Night, All Day (angels watchin’ over me, my Lord)
3. All The Pretty Little Horses (Hushaby, don’t you cry, go to sleep little baby,when you wake, you shall have )
4. Amazing Grace (how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me)
5. America (my country ‘tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty)
6. America, the Beautiful (Oh beautiful for spacious skies)
7. Away in a Manger (no crib for a bed)
8. Battle Hymn of the Republic (glory, glory hallelujah, His truth is marching on)
9. Billy Boy (Oh where have you been Billy Boy, Billy Boy)
10. Bingo (there was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o)
11. Blue Tail Fly, The (Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care, my master’s gone away)
12. Caissons Go Rolling Along, The (over hill, over dale, we will hit the dusty trail, as those)
13. Camptown Races, The (camptown ladies sing this song, doo-dah, doo-dah)
14. Cindy (Get along home, Cindy Cindy, I’ll marry you some day)
15. Clementine (Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine)
16. Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean (when born by the red, white, and blue, thy banners make tyranny tremble)
17. Crawdad Song (You get a line, and I’ll get a pole honey)
18. Did You Ever See A Lassie? (a lassie, a lassie, did you ever see a lassie go this way and that)
19. Dixie (I Wish I Was in the Land of Cotton)
20. Down By the Riverside (and study war no more)
21. Down in the Valley (valley so low, hang your head over)
22. Eency, Weency Spider (went up the water spout)
23. Farmer in the Dell, The (hi-ho the dairy-o, the farmer in the dell)
24. Frog Went Courtin’, A (he did ride, with sword and pistol by his side aha, ho-ho)
25. Go Down, Moses (way down in Egypt land, tell old Pharaoh, let my people go)
26. Go Tell Aunt Rhody (the old gray goose is dead)
27. Go Tell it on the Mountain (over the hill and everywhere)
28. God Bless America (land that I love, stand beside her and guide her)
29. God of our Fathers (whose almighty hand)
30. Goober Peas (goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas)
31. Goodbye, Old Paint (I’m a-leaving Cheyenne)
32. He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands
33. Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (so early in the morning)
34. Hickory Dickory Dock (the mouse ran up the clock)
35. Hokey Pokey, The (you put your right foot in, you put your right foot out)
36. Home on the Range (where the deer and the antelope play, where seldom is heard a discouraging word)
37. Hush Little Baby (don’t say a word, papa’s going to buy you a mockingbird)
38. Rock-a-by Baby (in the treetops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock)
39. I’ve Been Workin’ On the Railroad (all the live long day)
40. If You’re Happy and You Know It (clap your hands)
41. Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho (and the walls came tumblin’ down)
42. Kum Ba Yah (my Lord, Kum Ba Yah)
43. Liza Jane (O Eliza, li’l Liza Jane, O Eliza, li’l Liza Jane)
44. Looby Loo (here we go looby loo, here we go looby light)
45. Marines Hymn (From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli)
46. Mary Had a Little Lamb (it’s fleece was white as snow)
47. Michael Row the Boat Ashore (hallelujah)
48. Muffin Man, The (oh do you know the muffin man)
49. Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow (do you or I or anyone know how oats, peas, beans, and barley grow)
50. Oh! Dear! What Can the Matter Be? (Johnny’s so long at the fair)
51. Oh, Susanna! (oh don’t you cry for me)
52. Oh, Where has My Little Dog Gone? (oh where, oh where can he be)
53. Old Chisholm Trail (well come along boys and listen to my tale, let me tell you ‘bout my troubles on the)
54. Old Folks at Home (Way down upon the Swannee River, far, far away)
55. Old MacDonald (had a farm, e-i-e-i-o)
56. Onward Christian Soldiers (marching as to war)
57. Over the River and Through the Woods (to grandmother’s house we go)
58. Polly Wolly Doodle (oh I went down south for to see my Sal, singin’ polly wolly doodle all the day)
59. Pop, Goes the Weasel! (all around the cobbler’s bench the monkey chased the weasel)
60. Ring Around the Rosies (pocket full of posies)
61. Rock-A My Soul (in the bosom of Abraham)
62. Row, Row, Row Your Boat (gently down the sea)
63. She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain (when she comes)
64. Shenandoah (oh Shenandoah, I long to see you, away, you rolling river)
65. Shoo Fly (don’t bother me, shoo-fly don’t bother me, shoo-fly don’t bother me for I belong to somebody)
66. Shortnin-Bread (mammy’s little baby loves shortnin’ shortnin’)
67. Silent Night (holy night, all is calm, all is bright)
68. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (a long way from home)
69. Star-Spangled Banner, The (Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light)
70. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (comin’ for to carry me home)
71. Take Me Out to the Ballgame (buy me some peanuts and crackerjack, I don’t care if I ever get back)
72. There’s A Hole in the Bucket (dear Liza, dear Liza)
73. This Land is Your Land (this land is my land)
74. This Little Light of Mine (I’m gonna let it shine)
75. This Old Man (he played one, he played knick-knack on my drum)
76. Three Blind Mice (see how they run)
77. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (how I wonder what you are)
78. We Gather Together (to ask the Lord’s blessing)
79. Wheels on the Bus, The (go round and round)
80. When Johnny Comes Marching Home (again, hurrah, hurrah, we’ll give him a hearty welcome then, hurrah, hurrah)
81. When the Saints Go Marching In (oh how I want to be in that number)
82. Yankee Doodle (went to town riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his cap)
83. You are my Sunshine (my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray)
84. You’re A Grand Old Flag (you’re a high flying flag)

Internet Sources

http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Glade/7438/
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/musicchild.htm
http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/allsongs.html
http://judyanddavid.com/cma.html

Sources for Songs (you may also check Appendix J and the bibliography of the study for more songbooks [you will find these in “Read Entire Study”]

Boni, M.B. (Ed.). (1952). The fireside book of favorite American songs. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Dallin, L., & Dallin, L. (1967). Folk songster. Dubuque IA: Wm. C. Brown Company.

Downes, O., & Siegmeister, E. (1943). A treasury of American song. New York: Alfred A. Knopt.

Dydo, S., & Kirshbaum, R. (Arr.). (1984). The Norman Rockwell family songbook. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Gordon, A.A. (Coll.). (1924). Everybody sing. Evanston IL: Union Publishing House.

Haufrecht, H. (Ed.). (1959). Folksing. New York: Berkley Publishing Corporation.

Hood, I., & Hood, M.A. (Eds.). (1977). The American treasury of 1004 folk songs (vol. 1). New York: Charles Hansen, Inc.

Lomax, A. (1960). Best loved American folk songs. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

Lomax, A. (Ed.). (1964). The Penguin book of American folk songs. Baltimore: Penguin Books, Inc.

Lomax, J.A., & Lomax, A. (Eds.). (1947). Folk song U.S.A. New York: Duell, Sloan, and Pearce.

Mason, M.H. (Coll.). (1973). Nursery rhymes and country songs: both tunes and words from tradition. London: Metzler & Co.

Mitchell, D., & Biss, R. (Arr.). (1970). The Gambit book of children’s songs. Boston: Gambit, Incorporated.

Seeger, R.C. (1948). American folk songs for children in home, school and nursery school. Garden City NJ: Doubleday & Company, Inc.

Seeger, R.C. (1950). Animal folk songs for children. Garden City NJ: Doubleday & Company, Inc.

Spottswood, R.K., & Ulman, R. (Eds.). (1978). Folk music in America XIII: songs of childhood. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress.