Yesterday may have seemed like a normal day to you, but that’s because you were likely unaware that it was, in fact, my stage debut. After rehearsing together quietly for the past few months, I was invited to embarrass myself publicly on-stage by the ever-generous local children’s musician, Mr. Gabe.
We sang six or so songs, including some of his originals from his awesome CD and other classics like Erie Canal and Froggie Went a’ Courtin. I love to sing simple, good music, and it was a wonderful feeling to think that those of us with passable — rather than great — voices still have something to give.
So I thought that in honor of my new adventures in harmony, I would write about some of my favorite children’s music, as well as my favorite music for children. There are many musical options now for young children, and I often check out the CDs for sale at yard sales and the thrift store. Of course, engaging the natural interests of children in rhythm and dance, and in music, is a wonderful way to enhance and round out their development and to relax.
We listen to music whenever we can: at home, in the car, and before bed. In the children’s music category, we like Marvelous Day, by Steve Roslonek, some of Laurie Berkner (but, sadly, some songs are irritating) and Frances England, and a few of the totally nutty songs by John Lithgow from his children’s album (like “You Gotta Have Skin,” or “At the Codfish Ball”– but beware grating ones like “Singing in the Bathtub,” which is, oddly, the title tune). Although fun, the older-kid pop stuff by groups like They Might Be Giants and Barenaked Ladies still mostly goes right over Maya’s head, and will have to wait.
The truth is, it’s hard to write music for kids that is age-appropriate, musically interesting, and strikes an emotional chord. And — most importantly for the adult listeners — is not annoying. Just as in the world of children’s “literature,” there’s a lot of dreck that poses as enrichment.
Which is why it’s often easier, instead, to think about the music that is part of the American tradition and that forms a child-friendly core of songs from the larger culture. These are famous for a reason — they combine music, story-telling and emotional truth. Some children’s music actually comes from this place — like Pete Seeger’s or Leadbelly’s — and is a joy to behold. Newer entertainers also have takes on the classics, like Elizabeth Mitchell (who’s channeling Seeger much of the time, and also has a tribute album to Woody Guthrie), Dan Zanes and Lisa Loeb.
While I was pregnant with Maya, I undertook to compile my own personal list of songs that would both appeal to young children and are part of this American folk musical tradition. This is music I grew up with, and are the songs Maya now knows and sings with me. I wanted to go beyond the obvious — “Itsy Bitsy” and “Twinkle Twinkle,” though those have their place — and find the wonderful, revealing and gritty music that is in the air, that all of us know and love.
The playlist we use is below, with suggestions on artists, and in no particular order.
American Folk Music for Toddlers: A Few Ideas
- This Little Light of Mine Sam Cooke
- Red River Valley Moe Bandy
- You Are My Sunshine Kevin Devine
- Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford
- Molly Malone The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
- This Old Man Bob Dylan
- Michael Row the Boat Ashore The Brothers Four
- Sloop John B The Beach Boys
- Circle Game Joni Mitchell
- Waltzing Matilda Burl Ives
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Mavis Staples & Lucky Peterson
- Shoo Fly – Don’t Bother Me Sweet Honey In the Rock
- Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Anthony the Banjo Man
- Streets of Laredo Moe Bandy
- Roseville Fair Misty River
- Will the Circle Be Unbroken Mavis Staples
- Scarborough Fair / Canticle Simon & Garfunkel
- Go Tell It On the Mountain Blind Boys of Alabama
- Morning Has Broken Cat Stevens
- Ol’ Man River Jeff Beck
- The Rainbow Connection Willie Nelson
- Sea of Love The Honeydrippers
- The Water Is Wide Eva Cassidy
- Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon & Garfunkel
- Motherless Chil’ Sweet Honey In The Rock
- Amazing Grace Spivey Hall Children’s Choir
- Kumbaya Peter, Paul and Mary
- Peacetrain Cat Stevens
- Father and Son Cat Stevens
- Jumbalaya (on the Bayou) Hank Williams
- Sunshine On My Shoulders John Denver
- Roseville Fair Misty River
- Forever Young Bob Dylan
- Sweet Baby James James Taylor
- One Little Light Gary Jules
- Cotton Eyed Joe Nina Simone
- You’ve Got A Friend Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
- A Change Is Gonna Come Sam Cooke
- Nobody Knows the Trouble I See The Dixie Hummingbirds
- Hey, Good Lookin’ Hank Williams
- When the Saints Go Marching In The Hit Crew
- What a Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
- We Are The Ones Sweet Honey In The Rock
- Leaving On a Jet Plane John Denver
- Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes Paul Simon
- The House That Jack Built Aretha Franklin
- A Tisket a Tasket Ella Fitzgerald
- You Make Me Feel So Young Frank Sinatra
- Is You Is or Is You Ain’t (My Baby) B.B. King
- Swinging on a Star (Single) Bing Crosby
- My Way Frank Sinatra
- Shoo Li Loo Elizabeth Mitchell
- Shoo Fly Sweet Honey in the Rock
- Rockin’ Robin Sha Na Na
- Erie Canal Dan Zanes & Suzanne Vega
- Coal Miner’s Daughter Loretta Lynn
- City of New Orleans Steve Goodman
- I’ll Fly Away Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
- My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains The Lost & Found
- Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy The Andrews Sisters
- Midnight Train to Georgia Gladys Knight & The Pips
- Coconut Harry Nilsson
- Lean On Me Bill Withers
- Moonshadow Cat Stevens
- Cat’s In the Cradle Harry Chapin
- Summertime Sam Cooke
- Children Go Where I Send You Nina Simone
- Tea for Two Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie
- At the Zoo Simon & Garufunkel
- The Battle of New Orleans Johnny Horton
- You Are My Sunshine Norman Blake
- The Banana Boat Song (Day-O) Harry Belafonte
- King Of The Road Roger Miller
- Moon River Jerry Butler
- Mr. Bojangles Jerry Jeff Walker
- You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile Dan Zanes
- I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry Hank Williams
- St. James Infirmary Chris Thomas King
- Moonshadow Cat Stevens
- We Shall Overcome Mahalia Jackson
- The Streets of Laredo Johnny Cash
- Octopus’s Garden The Beatles
- Big Rock Candy Mountain Harry McClintock
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat Schoolchildren Of Wanseko, Uganda
- She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain Pete Seeger
- (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay Glen Campbell
- This Land Is Your Land Woody Guthrie
- Dinah Bing Crosby And The Mills Bros.
- Prodigal Daughter (Cotton Eyed Joe) Michelle Shocked
- Wabash Cannonball Boxcar Willie
- Jump In the Line Harry Belafonte
- Cotton Fields Odetta
- Talkin’ Bout a Revolution Tracy Chapman
- Jambalaya (On the Bayou) Hank Williams
- Home On the Range Moe Bandy
- Down in the Valley David Grisman & Jerry Garcia
- Oh Susanna Lisa Loeb
- Fever Peggy Lee
- Yellow Submarine The Beatles
- Sippin Cider Through a Straw Susie Tallman
- Little Red Caboose Lisa Loeb
- When I’m Sixty-Four The Beatles
- Yankee Doodle Boxcar Willie
- Kookaburra Sits In the Old Gum Tree Lazy Harry
- Little Boxes Malvina Reynolds
- Keep On The Sunny Side The Whites
- It’s Not Easy Being Green Kermit the Frog
- Down to the River to Pray Allison Krause
- Battle Hymn of the Republic Boxcar Willie
- Our House Crosby, Stills and Nash
- Into the Mystic Van Morrison
- Canned Goods Greg Brown
- Keep Me in Your Heart Warren Zevon
- Circle ‘Round the Sun Woody Guthrie
- This Land Is Your Land Bob Dylan
- Redemption Song Bob Marley
- Wild World Cat Stevens
- Corinna, Corinna Bob Dylan
- He Gives Us All His Love Randy Newman
- Across the Great Divide Nanci Griffith
- Take Me Home, Country Roads John Denver
- 500 Miles Roseanne Cash
- Blackbird The Beatles
- Summertime Sam Cooke (more cheerful than Billie Holiday’s version)
While these are the “core,” I also trolled through my music generally and created a large playlist of Maya-friendly songs outside the folk tradition, including world music, Motown, jazz, and other genres. When we tire of these, that larger list is the go-to. If you’ve already gone digital, this takes an evening and solves the endless question of what to put on the player…
Please do tell: What’s on your list? What gems and touchstones am I missing?
Got this nice email from a friend:
Hi Laura,
Your music list is awesome and looks like my Ipod.
Elizabeth Mitchell, peggy lee! Krauss, Francis England and Dan Zanes and Sweet Honey are my favorite. Nora Jones of course as well!
I saw you did not have Sara Hickman – do check her out- her music was perfect when my kids were about 5 as some songs are more complicated than others. How i loved her “newborn ” album, and the songs Lily and angel. I also like Kath Reid, Circle of the sun – “put your shoes on Lucy” is a favorite. and Carol King The Really Rosie Album – so so great it has chicken soup with Rice and pierre on it, as well as the sweet honey tribute to ella jenkins and the they might be giants “no” album
do you have the elizabeth mitchell and Lisa Loeb, Catch the Moon album? beautiful
Right now we have been infiltrated with pop music (5th grade), with eyes rolling if I try other songs. sigh but just last night they were listening to Sara Hickman and reminiscing…
Great list! I stumbled upon a guy named Johnny Bregar several years ago that has recorded several albums of the great standards of the “children’s” genre that are quite fun. When I taught second grade, my students really enjoyed listening to his music. Below are a few more songs that have been popular with the 5-9 year olds I’ve played them for over the years.
Crayola Doesn’t Make A Color For Your Eyes ~ Kristin Andreassen
The Fox ~ *many great recordings including Nickel Creek, Odetta, Harry Belafonte, and Waco Brothers
Martin Luther King & Rosa Parks ~ Trout Fishing In America
Big Round World ~ Trout Fishing In America
Walk Tall ~ Ziggy Marley w/Paul Simon
Future Man/Future Lady ~ Ziggy Marley w/Laurie Berkner
Mahna Mahna ~ Cake (way funkier than the original)
Old Dan Tucker ~ Bruce Springsteen (Seeger Sessions) <— great recording of a classic!
Froggie Went A Courting ~ Bruce Springsteen (Seeger Sessions) <— ditto
Teddy Bears Picnic ~ Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
The Littlest Birds ~ The Be Good Tanyas
Three Little Birds ~ Bob Marley
Yes I Will ~ Michael Franti & Spearhead
Hey Now Now ~ Michael Franti & Spearhead
Messages ~ Xavier Rudd
Energy Song ~ Xavier Rudd
It's A Good Day ~ Belleville Outfit (they do an energetic interpretation of the classic 1940's song)
Thanks so much, Joe! Now I have other great options to investigate. Very cool– Laura
Songs that trigger many fond memories! Thanks.
Sent from my iPhone