Thursday, November 12, 2009

Songs My Father Sang to Me

I grew up in a family that sang. My dad's family always sang at get togethers. After dinner, Aunt Eileen would sit down at the upright old upright piano with her brothers gathered around her and a medley of old favorite songs would begin with the rest of us joining in. (My best memory is my cousin Karen (age 2) mooing as we sang "Won't you Wait 'Til the Cows Come Home?" I (age 10) giggled.

My dad sang to me a lot. Unfortunately, I didn't get the singing gene and can't carry a tune in a bucket and rarely embarrass myself by letting anyone hear me sing. At age three it didn't matter and I had mastered a song my daddy sang to me a lot. One of my favorite cowboys, Gene Autry, sang this rendition.



I've written at Elder Storytelling Place about my Saturday drives with my Grandpa to see the horses as a toddler and his teaching me to sing this old, old song on our excursion around central Ohio. I chose this version because it was close to the way my Grandpa taught me. Why do people mess with good stuff?



A Favorite of my Grandma was this 1945 Ames Brothers tune that she always requested at song fests.




There were many songs throughout my life that I loved and bring back memories but the ones I learned from from my family mean the most and always bring a tear.

Thanks for joining me in my memories!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

10 comments:

  1. We sang in the car, and my mother harmonized. Thanks for the reminder this morning.

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  2. Well you hit on a big one for me….. Cruising Down the River!

    That was my “first” favorite song that I can remember. Mom had the Russ Morgan version of the song on a 78-record and I use to sit in front of our old record player for hours listening to it and other songs.

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  3. What a very nice post. Great music is a wonderful way to bring in a good spirit into the soul.
    I remember You are my Sunshine. I used to sing that to my sons. But one day as I was singing it, my Andy broke out crying. I couldn't understand why he cried. He wasn't that old and I didn't realize he quite understood. But we figured out that when I said "and I held my head and I cried" made him cry.
    He was affected by music since he was born. We took him to Church the second week of his life and as we began to sing the hymns, his bottom lip came out and he began to cry. Poor little guy. But most of the time music makes us happy. I still love that song.

    And the sweet thing is, I hear my own children singing to their children. That makes me very happy.
    thanks for the great reminders of the great American classics.
    ~a

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  4. Kay, we never sang as a family when I was a kid, but I used to play the organ and sing with my children. You are My Sunshine was a favorite; my little boy always said AAAAAAAAA-way. I haven't heard or thought of Cruisin' down the River for decades!! Thanks for the memories.

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  5. Mighty fine post Kay.My parents sang those old songs and ones by Guy Lombardo,Glen Miller and the Dorsey boys... brings back great memories.

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  6. Did not think I had ever heard the song Cruising Down the River but the second it started I recognized it.

    Your Are My Sunshine is a great tune. :)

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  7. My parents listened to classical but my foster parents sang and listened to country and western.

    I have always loved music and You Are my Sunshine was one of my favorites :)

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  8. 'You Are My Sunshine' and 'I've Been Working On the Railroad' are old standbys for sing-alongs. I used to play the piano for friends who gathered to sing and those two were always included along with Shine On Harvest Moon, A Bicycle Built For Two and others.

    Thanks for the memories.

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  9. Hi, Kay. I love this post, but couldn't see or click on the songs. I'm going to try another browser.

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  10. Wonderful Post, Kay. Music can bring people together in so many wonderful ways--Family, in particular, when one is young, as you so sweetly shared....! Music played a HUGE part in my childhood, too, and continued on into adulthood and even today! I love the old songs and I adore ALL the great songs of The 30's and
    40's...!

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