Snippets From the Mrs. Rollins Catalog
Adam Scheinberg, May 14, 2008 (16 years ago)
My elementary school music teacher was a bun-wearing, grey-haired lady named "Mrs. Rollins." As much as many perceived her to be somewhat austere, I always kind of liked her because I dug music in general. She taught us a catalog of music, much of which sticks with me to this day. Here are a few snippets of the songs, posted for posterity, but also to see if anyone else recognizes any of these songs:
While I don't recognize the verses of "The Keeper," I certainly recognize the chorus, which goes:
Another ditty was a popular Austrailian song:
I have fond memories of a stick-exchange game that went with "Tongo." I'm not sure the origin, but it was especially catchy.
There was a fantastic song about FDR and the New Deal, but unfortunately, I was unable to find any reference to such a song. The below is the best I could remember the chorus
The two-part "Old Woman" was a song we sang when we were very young. Here are a few lines:
For whatever reason, in the pre-ultra-nationalism era, before we were so xenophobic, we sang "Rule Britannia" (but I recall it as "Hail Britannia!")
Lastly, I can't leave out one of my favorites as a kid. Having just googled it, I can report for the first time in my life that it's called "Violins Sing With a Joyful Ring" It was a multi-part harmony whose verses contain this bit:
I'm sure there are dozens of songs I'm forgetting, and eventually, I may post another installment of "Songs from the Mrs. Rollins Catalog", but in the meantime, especially if you found this via Google, do any of these ring a bell? I'd realy like to know more about the FDR/New Deal song.
While I don't recognize the verses of "The Keeper," I certainly recognize the chorus, which goes:
Jackie boy! (Master!) Sing ye well! (Very well!)
Hey down (Ho down) Derry derry down
Among the leaves so green, O
To my hey down down (To my ho down down )
Hey down (Ho down) Derry derry down
Among the leaves so green, O
Another ditty was a popular Austrailian song:
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Merry, merry king of the bush is he,
Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be.
I have fond memories of a stick-exchange game that went with "Tongo." I'm not sure the origin, but it was especially catchy.
Tongo (Tongo)
Jim-nee bye bye oh!
Tongo (Tongo)
Oom-bah, de kim bye oh
Ooh a lay
Mah le ka, a lo way
There was a fantastic song about FDR and the New Deal, but unfortunately, I was unable to find any reference to such a song. The below is the best I could remember the chorus
We're getting a New Deal! A New Deal!
Everyone is going to get a new deal!
Hitch your wagon to a star, 'cause FDR
is giving us all a brand new deal!
The two-part "Old Woman" was a song we sang when we were very young. Here are a few lines:
Old woman, old woman, Will you let me court you?
Speak a little louder, sir, I just begin to hear you.
Old woman, old woman, Don't you want to marry me?
Lord have mercy on my soul, I think that now I hear you.
For whatever reason, in the pre-ultra-nationalism era, before we were so xenophobic, we sang "Rule Britannia" (but I recall it as "Hail Britannia!")
Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves:
Britons never will be slaves
Lastly, I can't leave out one of my favorites as a kid. Having just googled it, I can report for the first time in my life that it's called "Violins Sing With a Joyful Ring" It was a multi-part harmony whose verses contain this bit:
The vi-o-lin singing with lovely ringing, the violin singing with lovely song.
The clarinet, the clarinet, goes doodle, doodle, doodle, doodle-det;
the clarinet, the clarinet, goes doodle-doodle-doodle-det.
I'm sure there are dozens of songs I'm forgetting, and eventually, I may post another installment of "Songs from the Mrs. Rollins Catalog", but in the meantime, especially if you found this via Google, do any of these ring a bell? I'd realy like to know more about the FDR/New Deal song.
<br />
Bonnie
It's not from the musical Annie. I don't know who wrote it (that was one of the pieces of information I was hoping to find, actually), but it was one of the songs in a pageant-style musical about US history, clearly written for kids, which my fifth grade class performed in 1975.
The song that came right before it was, naturally, one about the '20s, but frustratingly enough, I can only remember a few verses of that one. It was pretty much a call-and-response sort of number, nearly completely composed of Bright Young Thing slang and pop culture, interspersed with a most ominous chorus:
<blockquote>"Al Jolson! Gotta go hear it!
Lucky Lindy! That's the spirit!
No kind of coat but a raccoon coat!
Stocks are going up, going up, going up....
I'm a flag-pole sitter, how about you?
I'm a dapper flapper! Boop boop bee do!
I'll be down to get you in a tin lizzie!
Stocks are going up, going up, going up...
Barny Google has googly eyes!
Stocks are going up, going up, going up! Going up, up, up, up..."</blockquote>
Of course, it ended with the big crash, which then led into the New Deal song. (I suppose you can guess why that particular number's been on my mind lately, eh?)
The only other song I remember from this pageant was one at the very beginning, about the founders of various of the thirteen colonies:
<blockquote>Roger Williams, there was a man!
Hie-ho-diddle-ie-oh
In Rhode Island he began
To make our country grow-o-o-o
Make our country grow
William Penn, there was a man!
...</blockquote>
And so forth.
The pageant ended with a song about the moon landing, so it was probably written some time in the sixties. Either that, or in the 70s, and they just didn't want to talk about Vietnam. Heh.
Anyway, that's about all I've got. If you ever uncover more details about this pageant, I'd love to hear about it. I've been feeling curious about it too, lately.
Thanks for the memories, and for reassuring me that I wasn't just *imagining* the New Deal song!
-- Elkins
There’s a battlefield at Gettysburg where swords and sabers rust. And brothers who were flesh and blood are scattered in the dust. But every night at Gettysburg when everything is still. They say a golden bugle blows on Cemetery Hill. Who was the unknown bugle boy at Gettysburg that day? And was he wearing Yankee blue or wearing Southern gray? Why did he die? What was his motive? He loved the country of his birth. And Government by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. http://www.macscouter.com/ceremony/CubScoutCeremonies.asp
"New York, New Hampshire and New Jersey, are you for the pursuit of happiness? For life and liberty and freedom?"
"The three of us vote YES!"
I was so excited to find and recall the song from the 20's! Wasn't there a song about all kinds of inventions, too? I'm also thinking that maybe American Pie was part of it? Hope more info can be found. Thanks for the memories......
I found more information, a lot more lyrics (including those to the Inventors song), *plus* a link where you can download some of the songs, here:
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/cowgirlfunk/115574326469252155/
Yay!
And look! You can even still order the thing for putting on your own classroom pageant:
http://www.michaelbrent.com/our_country.htm
Anyway, that's one years-old mystery solved! Thanks, Internet!
The pageant was "America: of Thee We sing, adapted from the historical cantata by Ruth Roberts and William Katz" also called "Our Country tis of Thee"
Here's a link to get ya'll started
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA2-Bhbk_g4
Nice to see some of the other lyrics. The song I remember most (and can still sing a lot of it) is the "Inventor's Song"
Here's the New Deal song on this Ruth Roberts site
We’re getting a New Deal! A New Deal!
Everybody's gonna get a new deal!
Hitch your wagon to a star, ’cause FDR
is giving us all a brand new deal!
To fight the ____recovery we'll pass the NRA
To help the banks we must declare a banking holiday
We have no fear but fear itself til this depression ends
----------------------------------------------
Everybody's getting a new deal.
Hitch your wagon to a star, cause FDR, is giving us all a brand new deal.
Our Mrs. Moore was a lot like your Mrs. Rollins. I just thought of that song this morning, went to Google and imagine my surprise at finding this.
I remember kookaburra, sung as a round, and lots of others. Music class is great to look back on.
"No kind of coat but a raccoon coat/Stocks are going up, going up, going up!"
5th Grade Pageant, Kohler Elementary, North Highlands, California, 1982.
That snippet of song has been stuck in my memory for over 35 years. Now I can put it to rest! No more raccoon coats for me!
There's a battlefield at Gettysburg where swords and sabers rust. And brothers who were flesh and blood are scattered in the dust. But every night at Gettysburg when everything is still. They say a golden bugle blows on Cemetery Hill. Who was the unknown bugle boy at Gettysburg that day? And was he wearing Yankee blue or wearing Southern gray? Why did he die? What was his motive? He loved the country of his birth. And Government by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. http://www.macscouter.com/ceremony/CubScoutCeremonies.asp