Old School songs and did they affect you in any way?

[Deathraystare]

For some reason the same bloody song from school keeps going around in my head. I hated it! Basically it quite angers me! Yes I suppose that sounds hard but it must have stirred some early feminist feelings.

Basically it went "Oh Soldier, Soldier won't you marry me with your musket, fife and drum?" "Oh no sweet maid I cannot marry you for I have no xxx of my own" "So off she goes to her Grandfather's chest and gets him a xxx of the very, very best and the Soldier puts them on".

Of course at the very end after the bastard has sponged off her he tells her he cannot marry her as he has a wife of his own. Everyone else thought this was funny. I did not, I thought it was terrible!

Another song was about "Go and tell Aunt Nancy the old grey goose is dead" this upset me cos I was (still am) soft over animals.

Does anyone remember ‘I was cold, I was naked, were you there, were you there?

We used to get into trouble for laughing.

I loved singing at primary school. Hymns were the first introduction to metaphor for most of us!

Before I ever saw the lyrics I thought it was I am the Lord of the dance settee. Always wanted one of those!

@VienneseWhirligig

Also just remembered we sang Lily the Pink at primary school assembly. Bit inappropriate really when you think of it!

Us too, circa 1979!

I have just been filling up being reminded about Puff The Magic Dragon. It reminds me of my lovely dad and also it's just so heart rending about the loss of innocence/childhood.

@HumphreyCobblers

Does anyone remember ‘I was cold, I was naked, were you there, were you there?

We used to get into trouble for laughing.

I loved singing at primary school. Hymns were the first introduction to metaphor for most of us!

Ha ha, yes, I mentioned it upthread.

@HumphreyCobblers

Does anyone remember ‘I was cold, I was naked, were you there, were you there?

We used to get into trouble for laughing.

I loved singing at primary school. Hymns were the first introduction to metaphor for most of us!

Yep. When we laughed in assembly, I was there, I was there

When we laughed in assembly I was there.

Yep. When we laughed in assembly, I was there, I was there

When we laughed in assembly I was there.

PMSL

I am positive we sang ‘I was cold, I was lonely, were you there.’ My teachers weren’t stupid.

We used to sing all kinds of odd songs. I remember one called ‘Hot Asphalt’ which I looked up recently and lyrics are awful!

There was another one about 50,000 football fans which I can’t remember anything else about apart from all the boys requesting it.

Then there was a West Indian one about fruit which I’m pretty sure must have been racist and goes something like, ‘A for ackee, wanta something sweet’ and the chorus was (cringe) ‘Ohhhh oh, de Jamaican alphabet’.

I don't remember what the song was called, or anything about it other than the lines:

"Christmas is joyful
Christmas is full of fun
Christmas is happy
Love to everyone.
Love to the poor ones
Love to the sick in bed
Love to the people
Whose families are dead."

@SixQuidGames

I remember that I think!

The ball is at my feet
I swerve and beat a man
I'm tearing down the touchline
Just catch me if you can...

That one?

I swear I didn't make it up bit google knows nothing of it!

On coach trips in Juniors, we sung a version of 'Inky Pinky Parleyvous' about an old woman of 82 who 'let a fart and off it blew'. The song followed the progress of the fart via Bristol to Ancient Rome, where it killed Julius Caesar after he accidentally ate it.

The teachers made a token gesture in the way of frowning but generally left us to to it.

@PumpkinSpiceGirl

Wow some memories here, loved Autumn Days and all the ones in the blue Songs of Praise (I think) book

@HollysBush One More Step was sung at my daughter’s leavers assembly, had me in floods and still does 😢

I remember it as being blue aswell - wish I'd kept mine - it's showing as nearly £40 on eBay

@KnottyKnitting

I was a music teacher in an Essex junior school and led a hymn practice every week for years. "Autumns Days" holds fond memories for me!

"To say a great big Fankyou I mustn't forget!" ( never did get them to pronounce the TH properly in the 25 years I was there!) I always used to let them shout on the bit about "a win for my home team! " too!

We shouted that bit in our Essex junior school! I read somewhere that the woman who wrote the song wrote it specifically for a school situated on a very specific flight path where aeroplanes refuelling in the air was a Thing, but why it was particularly autumnal I don’t know.

I found it such an evocative song, especially the picked up engine that’s been stuttering and stalling, which was basically every winter morning for us, we had a succession of old bangers.

I really like the Eton school song, "Jolly Boating Weather", though I should stress that I have never had anything to do with the school!

Early 1960s, I remember:

'Oh merrily, merrily, over the lea,
I run to the place where I most love to be.
Where birds and where beasts are so happy and free,
Far over the hills in my green wood'

I'm convinced that song turned me veggie!

And, very bizarrely:

'The Tottenham Toad
Came trotting down the road
With his feet all swimming in the sea
They've all got a wife but me!'

As others have said, Puff the Magic Dragon, still brings a tear to my eye.

Apparently the poem on which Puff the Magic Dragon was based did have an extra verse where Puff meets another little boy to play with, which makes me feel a little less sad for him.

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

The only version of Puff I can remember is one my friend sang me from his Jewish youth songbook, so as far as I am concerned he lived in Palestine/and frolicked in the synagogue and drank Israeli wine.

There isn’t a sad ending, he gets told off for eating pork but that’s about it.

That's hilarious!

I went to Jewish youth groups and I've never heard of that version. We
sang the classic version.

@Ducksurprise

I love grandfather's clock. I think it tells a love story of a long life. Also love colours of day, will also want this at my funeral.

But fuck me, Puff is heartbreaking, 'not so little boys' leaking eyes just writing that.

My mumma told me about a dolly and kissing a solider always made me sad.

Omg you mean...Jackie doesn't come any more because he DIED???!! Sitting here mouth agape, gobsmacked and gutted.

No, he grew up!

@Dilbertian I thought it meant he grew up but "not so little boys" comes just after Dragons live forever"...?

My child's school had them sing One more step along the World I Go for the infants' leavers' assembly. It nearly did me in...

[quote Andyburnhamseyelashes]@SixQuidGames

I remember that I think!

The ball is at my feet
I swerve and beat a man
I'm tearing down the touchline
Just catch me if you can...

That one?

I swear I didn't make it up bit google knows nothing of it![/quote]
Yes, that sounds familiar! I think it went ‘50,000 football fans cry shoot shoot shoot’. I couldn’t find it either.

Does anyone remember The Minstrel Boy?

The minstrel boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him
His father's sword he's girded on
And his wild harp slung behind him
"Land of Song" said the warrior bard
"Tho' all the world betrays thee
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard
One faithful harp shall praise thee"
The minstrel fell but the foeman's chains
Could not bring that proud soul under
The harp he loved never spoke again
For he tore its chords asunder
And said, "No chains shall sully thee
Thou soul of love and brav'ry
Thy songs were made for the pure and free
They shall never sound in slavery"

Tears every time (and also Puff the Magic Dragon)

@DementedPanda

I thought my grandfathers clock was sad.

Listen to George Formby Sr's version it's very funny 😄

@MrsMop1964

My child's school had them sing One more step along the World I Go for the infants' leavers' assembly. It nearly did me in...

When my son graduated, one girl doing a drama degree sang how long will I love you by Ellie Goulding. All you could hear was sniffing noises