Snippets From the Mrs. Rollins Catalog

My elementary school music teacher was a bun-wearing, grey-haired lady named “Mrs. Rollins.” As much as many perceived her to be somewhat austere, I always kind of liked her because I dug music in general. She taught us a catalog of music, much of which sticks with me to this day. Here are a few snippets of the songs, posted for posterity, but also to see if anyone else recognizes any of these songs:

While I don’t recognize the verses of “The Keeper,” I certainly recognize the chorus, which goes:

Jackie boy! (Master!) Sing ye well! (Very well!)
Hey down (Ho down) Derry derry down
Among the leaves so green, O
To my hey down down (To my ho down down )
Hey down (Ho down) Derry derry down
Among the leaves so green, O

Another ditty was a popular Austrailian song:

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Merry, merry king of the bush is he,
Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be.

I have fond memories of a stick-exchange game that went with “Tongo.” I’m not sure the origin, but it was especially catchy.

Tongo (Tongo)
Jim-nee bye bye oh!
Tongo (Tongo)
Oom-bah, de kim bye oh
Ooh a lay
Mah le ka, a lo way

There was a fantastic song about FDR and the New Deal, but unfortunately, I was unable to find any reference to such a song. The below is the best I could remember the chorus

We’re getting a New Deal! A New Deal!
Everyone is ___ about the new deal!
Hitch your wagon to a star, ’cause FDR
is giving us all a brand new deal!

The two-part “Old Woman” was a song we sang when we were very young. Here are a few lines:

Old woman, old woman, Will you let me court you?
Speak a little louder, sir, I just begin to hear you.

Old woman, old woman, Don’t you want to marry me?
Lord have mercy on my soul, I think that now I hear you.

For whatever reason, in the pre-ultra-nationalism era, before we were so xenophobic, we sang “Rule Britannia” (but I recall it as “Hail Britannia!”)

Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves:
Britons never will be slaves

Lastly, I can’t leave out one of my favorites as a kid. Having just googled it, I can report for the first time in my life that it’s called “Violins Sing With a Joyful Ring” It was a multi-part harmony whose verses contain this bit:

The vi-o-lin singing with lovely ringing, the violin singing with lovely song.

The clarinet, the clarinet, goes doodle, doodle, doodle, doodle-det;
the clarinet, the clarinet, goes doodle-doodle-doodle-det.

I’m sure there are dozens of songs I’m forgetting, and eventually, I may post another installment of “Songs from the Mrs. Rollins Catalog”, but in the meantime, especially if you found this via Google, do any of these ring a bell? I’d realy like to know more about the FDR/New Deal song.

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