Sentimental old songs and memories

[loppylugs 8,427]

I was walking Jake this morning.  The skies were a beautiful shade of blue.  Not cloud to be seen.  We had our first real frost of the season last night but now it was pleasantly warm.  All of a sudden the verses from a song I remembered in infant school in the 1950s flooded back to mind.

 

the song was called 'Out of town' perhaps some of you remember it.  It may have been American because one verse contains the word 'cute.'

 

anyway.  Here's what I remember.

 

Say what you wiil

The countryside is still

The only place that I could settle down

Troubles there are so much rarer

Out of town.                                            ( The next verse really grabbed me)

 

Up there the sun is a big yellow duster

Polishing a blue, blue sky

With white fluffy clouds in a cluster

Hanging on the breeze to dry.                               It goes on but that will do for now.

 

Here's what struck me:

 

That is over fifty years ago, but. I remember it better than what I had for supper last night.  I didn't Google it.  I didn't need to.

 

It is a sight rarely seen anymore.  As kids we used to lay down outside and laugh about what the clouds looked like.  The sky seemed a much deeper shade of blue.  The sun did seem big and yellow.  Now it seems intense white.  Maybe it's just my eyes as I age.  On many days the sky is obscured by contrails?  That stretch for miles and often spread to a milky white haze.  What happened to those puffy white clouds?  Our kids and grandkids are missing something.

 

Enough rambling, but it is Nostalgia.  Not necessarily Nottstalgia

 

What are your favorite sentimental old songs?  What events do they bring back to you?

 

I think the UK has produced some of the best Nostalgic and funny old songs ever.  Eg. The Biggest Aspidestra in the world.  Hole in the road.  Right said Fred.  I could go on.

 

Lets hear 'em.

 

[plantfit 7,577]

Always fond of "Morning has broken" especially the version sung by Cat Stevens

 

Rog

[Willow wilson 894]

I remember the song, loppy. 

Also gillygillyosenfeffercatsanelan bogum by the sea. I bet I spelled that wrong but predictive was happy with it.

And I'm a pink toothbrush.

My brother and I would sing Runaway Train, taking a verse each plus some improvised ones.

 

Mrs W and I still do the cloud picture thing.

[Jill Sparrow 10,304]

Twas on a Monday morning, the gasman came to call!

 

Not as far fetched as it sounds! 

 

Twas on a Monday morning the gas man came to call.

The gas tap wouldn't turn - I wasn't getting gas at all.

He tore out all the skirting boards to try and find the main

And I had to call a carpenter to put them back again.

 

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do.

 

'Twas on a Tuesday morning the carpenter came round. He hammered and he chiselled and he said: "Look what I've found: your joists are full of dry rot But I'll put them all to rights". Then he nailed right through a cable and out went all the lights!

 

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do.

 

'Twas on a Wednesday morning the electrician came. He called me Mr. Sanderson, which isn't quite the name. He couldn't reach the fuse box without standing on the bin And his foot went through a window so I called the glazier in.

 

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do.

 

'Twas on a Thursday morning the glazier came round With his blow torch and his putty and his merry glazier's song. He put another pane in - it took no time at all But I had to get a painter in to come and paint the wall.

 

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do.

 

'Twas on a Friday morning the painter made a start. With undercoats and overcoats he painted every part: Every nook and every cranny - but I found when he was gone He'd painted over the gas tap and I couldn't turn it on!

 

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do.

 

On Saturday and Sunday they do no work at all; So 'twas on a Monday morning that the gasman came to call...

[plantfit 7,577]

WW,was they Max Bygraves songs?

 

Rog

[benjamin1945 16,139]

Nice topic Loppy..........i'm forever singing sentimental old songs.........by myself or to the wife or anybody else........i only have to hear almost any sentence....and a song springs to mind.......Donna plays hell with me but just can't help it.......she reckons i ought to see somebody about it,,a Shrink i think she means,.....lol.

             We have lived thru a good few decades of memorable music starting in the 40s for a lot of us,.........my singing sounds great to me,but i'm assured by others that its not.........the song you started us off with is another favourite of mine..........i often just say the words as if i'm making some sort of comment........bit like Peter Sellars   ''hard days night''....the Grandkids love it.........they also think i should see a shrink..........but as you get older you don't care do you.

[loppylugs 8,427]

Good old Flanders and Swan, Jill.  I doubt if anyone will ever beat their lines and ability to set them to music.  

 

Eg. I'm a Gnu.   

 

I'm a gnother Gnu..  

[Willow wilson 894]

Yes Rog, they seem a bit cheesy now but we enjoyed the singalong. 

[MargieH 7,599]

6 minutes ago, Willow wilson said:

 

Also gillygillyosenfeffercatsanelan bogum by the sea. I bet I spelled that wrong but predictive was happy with it.

And I'm a pink toothbrush.

 

Mrs W and I still do the cloud picture thing.

That first song started with the words ''there's a tiny house, by a tiny stream... '

 

I used to do ballet and tap dancing and every year we did a display for friends and relatives in a theatre in George Street, Nottingham.   I was once a blue toothbrush and did a tap dance to this song with another girl who was (of course) a pink toothbrush

 

....and I still like to make cloud pictures, usually when Paul is driving us somewhere.  I don't lie down on the grass anymore.... it would be too difficult getting up again!!

[MargieH 7,599]

Did any of you sing songs at Junior school like 'The British Grenadiers,' Hearts of Oak' and 'Linden Lea'?  I can still remember all the words to the first two....

[benjamin1945 16,139]

Dads favourite was ''siera Sue,............he sang it at every opportunity,

 

Siera Sue, i'm sad and lonely

the rocks and rills are lonely too

oh can't you hear,my sad heart calling

calling for you.......Siera Sue,

 

Obviously one of the songs i chose for his funeral.......God Bless him......

 

[Jill Sparrow 10,304]

14 minutes ago, MargieH said:

used to do ballet and tap dancing and every year we did a display for friends and relatives in a theatre in George Street, Nottingham.

That would be the Cooperative Arts Theatre, Margie. Originally a Georgian chapel. I learned ballet there and was a member of the junior drama group. My sister and Su Pollard were in the senior group. Happy days!

[Jill Sparrow 10,304]

I remember Linden Lea, The Minstrel Boy, The Vicar of Bray, etc. At Manning we learnt much older songs...Never Weather Beaten Sail, Now Is the Month of Maying, My bonny lass she Smileth, etc. Remember them all.

[MargieH 7,599]

Jill, yes that was the name of the theatre.  I remember the corridors underneath that led to the dressing rooms where we had our 'greasepaint' put on.  It was all very exciting

[Jill Sparrow 10,304]

Indeed, Margie. I've danced, sung and acted on that stage many times. The building has a very interesting history and there are fascinating photos showing its conversion to a theatre in the late 1940s, mostly volunteers doing the work. Met some wonderful people there in the 60s and early 70s.

[Willow wilson 894]

At Ellis boys we did Glorious Devon for some reason, and The Ploughboy, the first time we sang the chorus to that (hahahahaha it went) was uncontrolled chaos. 

We went into the music room one day for single music and Mr Peart had written all the verses to Davy Crockett on the board. We sang that through fortissimo acapella twice and that was music done for that week.

[philmayfield 6,115]

Ah Margie, singing on a Friday with Mr. Turner at the piano. I remember it well - and most of the words of the songs!

[Jill Sparrow 10,304]

32 minutes ago, loppylugs said:

Good old Flanders and Swan, Jill.  I doubt if anyone will ever beat their lines and ability to set them to music.  

 

Eg. I'm a Gnu.   

 

I'm a gnother Gnu..  

Didn't the dyslexic Doris Day used to sing "You can't get a man with a gnu!" 

[Willow wilson 894]

Mud, mud,........

[benjamin1945 16,139]

You beat me to it Jill...........it was also Coop Pathfinders youth club.......in 1960.......dancing every tuesday night.........they also had a football team that i played for run by Mr Pettit from Bestwood estate,.........and his wife ran the social side........she caught me 'Snogging Sandra on the fire escape and threatened to Bar me and tell me Mam......she did'nt do either.......lol........its brought back memories mentioning this of some great old Pals,.....Colin Pettit who i still see in Bulwell,......Harry Fewkes my best friend until he died 2 years ago,..Eric Ingall great lad whose parents ran the Post Office on Andover road,school friend and Goalkeeper....also now sadly passed along with the best man at my first wedding Keith Attenborogh,......oh dear i'm straying from 'sentimental old songs''.........but we all used to sing many songs,....every time i hear ''Running bear''.........think of em all at Pathfinders George st,

                                'Running Bear.......loved little White Dove,

Young Indian maid............ running bear dove,in the water ..little white Dov did the same,

as they swam out to each other

the raging river pulled them down

now they'll always be together

in that happy hunting ground

 

what memories still got the 45...........which all my old pals signed....on my 15th birthday.................

.........

[mary1947 2,079]

1 hour ago, MargieH said:

That first song started with the words ''there's a tiny house, by a tiny stream... '

 

I used to do ballet and tap dancing and every year we did a display for friends and relatives in a theatre in George Street, Nottingham.   I was once a blue toothbrush and did a tap dance to this song with another girl who was (of course) a pink toothbrush

 

....and I still like to make cloud pictures, usually when Paul is driving us somewhere.  I don't lie down on the grass anymore.... it would be too difficult getting up again!!

MargieH  I remember this song the second line is " where a lovely lass had a lovely dream" and her dream came true quite unexpectedly  I'm sure some one else can remember the rest of the song.

[loppylugs 8,427]

1 hour ago, MargieH said:

Did any of you sing songs at Junior school like 'The British Grenadiers,' Hearts of Oak' and 'Linden Lea'?  I can still remember all the words to the first two....

 

All of those Margie.  Plus a few more that will probably come back to me now.  

[loppylugs 8,427]

Down by the Sally Gardens.  Can't remember the story now.  Some sad ditty about a guy losing his girlfriend I think.  Probably been updated by somebody like Roy Orbison by now.  Only the Lonely....know how I feel tonight...

[benjamin1945 16,139]

51 minutes ago, Willow wilson said:

Mud, mud,........

 

Nothing quite like it,for cleansing the blood.............

[loppylugs 8,427]

I remember the theatre on George street.  The company I worked for used to do the stage lighting for the Carlton amateur dramatic group.  A couple of us used to run the spotlights.  Then afterwards run down below to see if we could date any of the girls.  We were not successful.  It was fun anyway.