LL-L "Games" 2005.05.14 (09) [E/S]

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From: Tom Mc Rae <t.mcrae at uq.net.au>
Subject: LL-L "Games" 2005.05.14 (02) [E]


On 15/05/2005, at 4:02 AM, Thomas Byro <greenherring at gmail.com> wrote:
   I

  did not pay much attention to girls at the time but I suspect that

  what they were singing was some very old and traditional songs indeed.

  Does anybody have any idea of what they were singing?

Hi Tom, depends on which country or district the girls lived in.
A wonderful book and movie both titled 'The Singing Street' were produced in
the late 1940's featuring Edinburgh Working Class kids' games and songs.
When I visited Edinburgh's Museum of Childhood last June they were running a
video of the movie. It was advertised as being on sale in PAL VHS format but
there seemed to be none in the shop. Might be an idea to look at their
website.
Now what do I recall ?
A ball tossing game where they sang
 'One two three a leerie,
Ah saw Wallace Beery. (Film star of 30's and 40's)
Sittin oan 'is bum-ba-leerie,
Kissin' Shirley Temple.'
Amazing how many had naughty connotations.


One rope jumping game had them singing a doleful ditty, girl meets handsome
boy and....all I remember is the end
'First he took me to America,
Then he took me to Dundee ay ee ay ee ay ee,
Then he ran away and left me
And the bairnies one two three."


Another favourite with tragic consequences also has an American version.
"Ah merried a wife, oh aye , oh aye,
Ah merried a wife, oh aye , oh aye, (slightly higher pitch)
Ah merried a wife an she nearly tuik ma life,
So the world must be cummin tae an end.


Ah sent 'er fur butter, oh aye oh aye,
Ah sent 'er fur butter, oh aye oh aye,
Ah sent 'er fur butter but she droapped it in the gutter
So the world must be cummin tae an end.


Ah sent 'er fur breid, oh aye oh aye
h sent 'er fur breid, oh aye oh aye
Ah sent 'er fur breid an she droapped doon deid
So the world must be cummin tae an end.


Ah boat 'er a coaffin, oh aye oh aye,
Ah boat 'er a coaffin, oh aye oh aye,
Ah boaght 'er a coafiin an she fell through the boattum,
So the world must be cummin tae an end.


Ah burried er in muck, oh aye oh aye,
Ah burried er in muck, oh aye oh aye,
Ah burried er in muck an she jumped oot er shirt
So the world must be cummin tae an end.


Frankly we put the kids in South Park to shame.
Discretion prohibits me from recounting songs primary school boys, me
included, used to sing.

Regards

Tom Mc Rae

Brisbane Australia

Oh Wad Some Power the Giftie Gie Us

Tae See Oorsel's as Ithers See Us

Robert Burns

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