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Original poster

To remember this primary school song?

113 replies

funnytimes1 · 02/01/2024 18:34

Sorry, this is a bit random and pointless and possibly a bit of a niche memory! But it suddenly popped into my head earlier today!

im 25 and went to primary school between 2003-2010 so not even that long ago, but I remember singing songs in the assembly and one of them stuck in my mind so clearly I can still remember it word for word.

‘if you’re feeling sad and weary and you’re down in the dumps there’s something you can do…
don’t be grumpy
don’t go on and on
don’t be grumpy
don’t go and spoil the fun’

obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing and it’s not fair to put 2024 standards on something from 20 years ago but wow that hasn’t aged well very at all! The motto of the song (as i remember it anyway so maybe wrong) was that if you’re sad you shouldn’t talk about it and bring other people down, probably not the best mental health message to send to kids and I imagine it’s not sung too often anymore!

not even sure what the point of this post is sorry!

(and on a more cheerful note- does anyone else remember a song called build up?? And another about a chicken or Easter chick or something like that? That was the best assembly tune!!! 🤣)

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VeterinaryCareAssistant · 17/04/2025 10:20

Daddydog · 02/01/2024 21:43

Anyone remember 'Autumn Days'?

It was on BBC radio the other day and it unlocked so many memories of primary school!!

"Scent of gardens when the rain's been falling
And a minnow darting down a stream
Picked-up engine that's been stuttering and stalling
And a win for my home team!!!"

We'd get so excited for that last line as we would all jump around belting it like football hooligans! Such magical, simpler times!!

I still sing this sometimes

alcoholfreelife · 17/04/2025 10:15

We sang a song at my CofE primary school that mention bread, fishes and a jug of red wine ( this must have triggered the drink issues I had later on in life 😆)

Mumoftwo1312 · 17/04/2025 07:44

Maymay1980 · 17/04/2025 07:37

Yes! I’ve found it on YouTube !

Yes this is it!!! Thank you!

Maymay1980 · 17/04/2025 07:37

Yes! I’ve found it on YouTube !

Mumoftwo1312 · 17/04/2025 07:27

Maymay1980 · 17/04/2025 06:36

I remember and sing to my 3 year old only yesterday find a bin song!!

Ahhh can you remember any other verses please? There were three I think but I can only remember the sticky sweet one.

Maymay1980 · 17/04/2025 06:36

I remember and sing to my 3 year old only yesterday find a bin song!!

PoppyTheGuineaPig · 11/04/2025 10:05

BarnacleBeasley · 12/03/2025 13:31

I've always been a bit sceptical about the jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled, but just now been inspired to google it. Turns out it is a thing, but not that frequent and mainly used in military operations, so I still think it doesn't merit inclusion as the third item in a list of 'all these things I love so well' about autumn days.

My favourite was When A Knight Won His Spurs' though it used to annoy me how everyone would try and rhyme valiant with gallant. Galliant, ffs.

Considering it was a cold war era hymn I actually would find it quite scary to consider the jet planes refuelling . I was a primary school age child in the 80s and honestly never saw this happen, thank God. It doesn't seem to be anything to do with autumn.

Riverswims · 11/04/2025 08:55

butterflycr · 10/04/2025 18:25

Reminds me of 'Don't worry, be happy' - great song, but the lyrics are definitely not in line with today's attitudes!

Just bottle up all them problems and put a smile on your face eh? Stop bringing everybody down!

Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, don't worry, don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon pass, whatever it is

Edited

“not in line with todays attitudes” ? you’ve been living in a cave and not come across toxic positivity then? or seen a “keep calm and carry on sign”? or ever been exposed to religion?
It’s pretty current, and really, worry has always been and always will be a waste of energy whether you agree with it it not? 🤷🏽‍♀️

butterflycr · 10/04/2025 18:25

Reminds me of 'Don't worry, be happy' - great song, but the lyrics are definitely not in line with today's attitudes!

Just bottle up all them problems and put a smile on your face eh? Stop bringing everybody down!

Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, don't worry, don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon pass, whatever it is

SophieJo · 10/04/2025 18:20

Middleagedstriker · 12/03/2025 14:54

My favourites were
On top of spaghetti all covered in cheese I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed

My grandfathers clock was to tall for the shelf so it stood 30 years on the floor.

And

Lord of the dance

I remember these!

StripyHorse · 10/04/2025 17:32

Probablygreen · 12/03/2025 13:24

So I mustn’t forget
No I mustn’t forgeeeeeet!
To say a great big thank you,
I mustn’t forget.

😁 We did the same thing as you for that last line!

Show quote history

We didn't sing this at primary - the first time I heard it was one of DD1's assemblies. I remember DH and I looking at each other in amused confusion at the randomness of the lyrics.

Tomb124 · 10/04/2025 12:37

Does anyone know the primary song that I can recall extremely well. I’ve asked around and nobody knows, I’ve even got as far as ChatGPT. But nothing, I can remember all the lyrics but it was about a bulldog and it went something along the lines of: ‘I have a bulldog, it’s in my garden. And when I chain him.’ Or something like that but then we would go into a duet and it would be split into, ‘chain affa chain him, x2’ and that was it. Thanks

Tomb124 · 10/04/2025 12:34

Yeah I remember that chicken song. ‘My legs are not long, soooo I’ll never be tall but im a real spring chicken and im having a ball. Ima chicken, ima chicken and im having a ball.

CowboyJoanna · 18/03/2025 17:07

When DH went to primary school he was taught this stupid song and he got it in my head last week Angry
"its a ning nang ning nang ning nang nong, a ning nang ning nang nong"

Pancakeflipper · 18/03/2025 17:05

One that got us all happy at infants was:

In my little garden
You promise you won't laugh...
I haven't any flowers
I haven't any grass
But soon I'm going to dig and sow
With a bit of sun
With a bit of rain
There'll be a lovely show of........

One potato
Two potatoes
Three potatoes
Four
Five potatoes
Six potatoes
Seven potatoes more
Oh 1 potato.... 2 potatoes....etc etc.

(With actions of clenched hands going one on top of the other)

LauderSyme · 18/03/2025 16:57

@DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe Is that Transport of Delight by Flanders and Swan? I loved them growing up, especially the Gnu song 😊

LauderSyme · 18/03/2025 16:53

Oops! I liked the "I lost my poor meatball, all covered in cheese, it rolled off the table when somebody sneezed..." song.

And loved Kookaburra sung in a roundel.

LauderSyme · 18/03/2025 16:50

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 18/03/2025 09:32

Did anybody else sing Inch Worm? Inch worm, inch worm, measuring the marigolds ?

We had a school choir, which was led by the same wonderful music teacher who played the piano in assembly, and we did Inch Worm, Ascot Gavotte and Transport Of Delight.

Not that worm song but I learned somewhere as a child "Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I'm going down the garden to eat worms. Big fat juicy ones, long thin stringy ones, I'm going down the garden to eat worms..."

I sang a lot of these at Brownies and Guides as well as school. I loved the " I lost

MammaTill2Pojkar · 18/03/2025 11:52

Moopsie · 18/03/2025 05:22

I remember singing this one but it was definitely in the playground and it was definitely balls rather than ears! 😆

We used to sing some shockers too. Looking back, we had no idea what we were singing but some of it was really vulgar and totally inappropriate for 8/9 year olds.

One that I remember quite vividly was “We are [name of a neighbouring council estate] girls, we wear our hair in curls” and then a fairly graphic account of sexual assault and an unintentional pregnancy…

Show quote history

Oh yes I remember lots of primary school playground songs like the 'balls' version of this... There was the Hitler Albert Hall song, some adaptations of Fraggle Rock and Postman Pat... There was 'found a peanut', 'green and yella', 'johnny was a parachuter' and probably more (I blame my older sisters for teaching me most of theses though XD ).

MammaTill2Pojkar · 18/03/2025 11:49

burblish · 18/03/2025 00:51

Oh, the dillied and dallied one was "My old man said "Follow the van, but don't dilly dally on the way"; Off went the van with my home packed in it, I walked on with my old cock linnet; but I dillied and dallied, dallied and dillied..." I think it was originally an old music hall tune from maybe around WW1 days? Our school choir used to sing it, together with other vintage numbers, at local old people's homes.

Show quote history

Yes I think we did some shows for retirement homes too actually, Soldier Soldier and My old Man might have been for that specifically, I wasn't a member of the primary school choir I don't think, but it was a very small school so it might have just been our year group that did it at the time as I remember it not being many students participating. Skip to my loo was definitely part of a school play.

ToWhitToWhoo · 18/03/2025 11:40

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 18/03/2025 09:32

Did anybody else sing Inch Worm? Inch worm, inch worm, measuring the marigolds ?

We had a school choir, which was led by the same wonderful music teacher who played the piano in assembly, and we did Inch Worm, Ascot Gavotte and Transport Of Delight.

Yes! Learned it from a friend.

ToWhitToWhoo · 18/03/2025 11:39

rollon22now · 17/03/2025 23:10

Do your ears hang low
do they wobble to and fro?
can you tie them in a knot?
can you tie them in a bow?

can you throw them over your shoulder
like a regimental soldier?
do your ears hang low?

I've heard that one, but it wasn't at school, and the body part mentioned wasn't ears!

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 18/03/2025 09:32

Did anybody else sing Inch Worm? Inch worm, inch worm, measuring the marigolds ?

We had a school choir, which was led by the same wonderful music teacher who played the piano in assembly, and we did Inch Worm, Ascot Gavotte and Transport Of Delight.

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 18/03/2025 09:27

LauderSyme · 17/03/2025 22:22

We sang this one too at primary school and I was born in the early 70s!

... What's the use of worrying?
It never was worthwhile
So, pack up your troubles in your old kitbag
And smile, smile, smile.

We all used to love the 'Quartermaster stores behind the doors' song too.

We sang Cat Steven's Morning Has Broken in assembly as if it were a hymn, and I remember number 66 in our hymnbook was Fight The Good Fight... With all thy might, Christ is thy joy and Christ thy right. It was great, you could really put some welly into it!

My favourite hymn was always Jerusalem.

I was going to say these very two, when I saw you'd got there first: Quartermaster's Stores and Pack Up Your Troubles!

Unless my creaky memory fails me, these two were both in Ta-ra-ra-bum-de-ay, as mentioned above - along with It's A Long Way To Tipperary.

Moopsie · 18/03/2025 05:22

rollon22now · 17/03/2025 23:10

Do your ears hang low
do they wobble to and fro?
can you tie them in a knot?
can you tie them in a bow?

can you throw them over your shoulder
like a regimental soldier?
do your ears hang low?

I remember singing this one but it was definitely in the playground and it was definitely balls rather than ears! 😆

We used to sing some shockers too. Looking back, we had no idea what we were singing but some of it was really vulgar and totally inappropriate for 8/9 year olds.

One that I remember quite vividly was “We are [name of a neighbouring council estate] girls, we wear our hair in curls” and then a fairly graphic account of sexual assault and an unintentional pregnancy…