“Jimmy Crack Corn” is a traditional American folk song that has its roots in the 19th century. It is also known as “Blue Tail Fly” or “The Blue-Tailed Fly” and has been popularized through various recordings and adaptations over the […]
“Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me” is a famous American folk song and nursery rhyme that dates back to the mid-1800s. It is a playful and simple song that was originally played as a minstrel song, a form of racist theatrical
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Hickety Pickety Bumblebee is a folk song that is designed to help people learn the names of others when in a group setting. It is popular in schools, Guides, Scouts, and other child-focused activities. The song is short in length
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Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow is a popular rhyme with school-aged children who are taught to recite it along with a number of actions. One child is chosen as the farmer who listens to the rhyme and then acts
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The Yellow Rose of Texas is a traditional folk song from America that is much-loved as a singalong western song. Over the years, versions have been recorded by top artists including Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley, helping to keep it
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Little Liza Jane, also known as Lil Liza Jane, is a traditional folk song that was first printed in 1916 when it was credited to Countess Ada de Lauchau. However, its origins are believed to go back even further. The
And the Green Grass Grows All Around is a traditional American song that is still enjoyed by children today as one of the classics. It’s a great example of a cumulative song which means that each verse relies on the
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Old Joe Clark is a type of folk song that originated in the US. The song is believed to have been written in the 19th century but there are no printed records that predate 1900. One of the earliest published
Red River Valley is a popular Canadian folk song and like many others songs from that time,such as Alouette, it has a somber mood to it. Red River Valley tells the tale of a Metis local woman worried about her
Boom Boom Ain’t It Great To Be Crazy is an excellent example of a “patchwork” song which has gradually evolved and changed over time, taking inspiration from lots of previous songs. The first copyright registration for Boom Boom Ain’t It
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Written by Harry S. Miller in 1893, the popularity of The Cat Came Back endures to this day as it proved to stand the test of time. The song tells the story of some “Old Mr Johnson” who wants to
There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea is a folk song that is very popular with children. Just like another well known cumulative tale There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, this is an excellent tool
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Commonly known as sea shanty “Oh Shenandoah” is a Canadian-American folk song whose origins, similar with Alouette, can be traced back to fur traders on canoes down the Missouri River, in the early 1800’s. Apparently the original lyrics of the
“Oh! Susanna” is an old American folk song, dating back to 1848. It is one of Stephen Foster best known songs and, with no doubt, one of the most popular songs of all time in the USA. Oh! Susanna Lyrics
Turkey in the Straw is a popular folksong that was popular since the early 19th century, initially among fiddle players. Today the tune of the song is associated with the rural south. The song is often credited to Dan Emmett,
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Polly Wolly Doodle is a kid’s song dating back to the 19th century. It was first performed at the Bowery Amphitheatre in New York in 1843 sung by Dan Emmett. It was first published in written form in a Harvard
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On Top of Spaghetti is a popular children’s song. Although made popular by folk singer Tom Glazer, the song was recorded two years earlier by Dick Biondi. The tune of the song is similar to the tune of On Top
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“Oh Danny Boy” is a modern ballad, mainly associated with Irish folk and sharing the same tune with the traditional Londonderry Air. A 1913 composition by Frederic Weatherly, “Danny Boy” was actually made known by vocalist Elsie Griffin in 1915.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is a cumulative song that tells the story as funny as it is absurd of a woman who after swallowing a fly, and then a spider that has to catch the
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“Kumbaya”. also known as “Come By Here”. is a song that is deeply linked to African American culture. Its exact origins are disputed but it was sung in the lowland areas of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. It was first
“Daisy Bell”, also known as “Bicycle Built for Two” is a popular folksong written in 1892 by Harry Dacre. The song’s lyrics most likely refer to the Countess of Warwick, Daisy Greville, one of King Edward VII. Daisy Bell is
The origins of this American folk song are quite uncertain. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” rhyme can be tracked back to a similar old African American folk song around 1894, about working on a Mississippi River levee. The final
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Oh My Darling Clementine is one of the most popular folks songs from the 19th century. It is believed it was written by Percy Montrose in 1884 based on a song called “”Down by the River Liv’d a Maiden” by
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“Lavender’s Blue” is English folk song and lullaby song. This is a very old ditty first found in print during the late 17th century. It has been covered extensively during the years by artists such as Dinah Shore in 1949
“Girls and Boys Come Out To Play” This rhyme probably dates back to the middle of the 17th century, when all children were treated as small adults and would therefore often be found playing outside in the moonlight. The first
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“Three Little Kittens” is an American nursery rhyme and folksong having its origins in English folk. The modern version of “Three Little Kittens” rhyme was written by Eliza Lee Cabot Follen. It was first published in 1833 in the United
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“There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” is one of the oldest and more popular children’s rhymes. It was first recorded in 1794 in the Gammer Gurton’s Garland collection by Joseph Ritson but some researchers claim the
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The Wheels on the Bus is a modern American folk song from the 1930’s written by Verna Hills in Boston, MA. The rhyme is based on the traditional nursery rhyme “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush,” sharing the same
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“The Grand Old Duke of York” is one of the oldest English nursery rhymes dating back to 16 century. Its lyrics evoke an historical character which is associated with one of the Grand Dukes of York, but there are no
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“Ring a Ring o’ Roses” more commonly known in the USA as “Ring Around the Rosie” is a folksong and singing game that was first published in 1881 in England. Although first published in 1881 only, it is believed that
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“On Top of Old Smokey” or “On Top of Old Smoky” is a traditional nursery rhyme and folksong, sharing the same tune with On Top Of Spaghetti. There aren’t many evidences about the origin of this song and its author is
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“How many miles to Babylon?” is a traditional nursery rhyme and folksong original from Great Britain. The rhyme was first recorded in 1801 and in the beginning it was a singing game but it lost this purpose in the 20th
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Originally from Scotland, “Froggy Went A Courtin” is now a very popular American folk-song and nursery rhyme. The rhyme first appeared in 1548 titled “The frog came to the myl dur” (Scots language) in Wedderburn’s Complaynt of Scotland. The song
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“Bobby Shafto” is an English folk song and nursery rhyme, mostly associated with Robert Shafto, a British Member of Parliament for County Durham (elected in 1730) who used this song in his election campaign. In 1761 some lyrics have been
Original from 19th century England, “Billy Boy” is a traditional nursery rhyme and folk song, popular in America. The song is probably a version of Lord Randall, and it was first known as Willie Lad and Charming William. “Billy Boy”
