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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Hi, I am a music teacher and that song is from the musical Annie!! You should be able to find it quite easily. Good luck!! AND–It is awesome that you remember your musical experiences so fondly–you are lucky to have had someone to give you such wonderful memories.
Bonnie
Hi, there! Yes! I *did* find this site through Google when looking for more information about that FDR/New Deal song!
It’s not from the musical Annie. I don’t know who wrote it (that was one of the pieces of information I was hoping to find, actually), but it was one of the songs in a pageant-style musical about US history, clearly written for kids, which my fifth grade class performed in 1975.
The song that came right before it was, naturally, one about the ’20s, but frustratingly enough, I can only remember a few verses of that one. It was pretty much a call-and-response sort of number, nearly completely composed of Bright Young Thing slang and pop culture, interspersed with a most ominous chorus:
Of course, it ended with the big crash, which then led into the New Deal song. (I suppose you can guess why that particular number’s been on my mind lately, eh?)
The only other song I remember from this pageant was one at the very beginning, about the founders of various of the thirteen colonies:
And so forth.
The pageant ended with a song about the moon landing, so it was probably written some time in the sixties. Either that, or in the 70s, and they just didn’t want to talk about Vietnam. Heh.
Anyway, that’s about all I’ve got. If you ever uncover more details about this pageant, I’d love to hear about it. I’ve been feeling curious about it too, lately.
Thanks for the memories, and for reassuring me that I wasn’t just *imagining* the New Deal song!
– Elkins
I *know* the second song about the colonies! I remember it very clearly. Damn you internet for not having more info about this collection of songs!!
I was just practicing the 13 colonies with my daughter and the song from the same pageant came to mind. The song had something about asking each colony if it wanted to persue happiness, life, liberty, etc. The only verse I remember went:
“New York, New Hampshire and New Jersey, are you for the pursuit of happiness? For life and liberty and freedom?”
“The three of us vote YES!”
I was so excited to find and recall the song from the 20’s! Wasn’t there a song about all kinds of inventions, too? I’m also thinking that maybe American Pie was part of it? Hope more info can be found. Thanks for the memories……
I remember some of that New Deal song from a 5th grade play, too. It went, something like, To aid in the recovery will pass the NRA to help the banks we must declare a banking holiday, we have no fear but fear itself til’ this depression ends, so until things get better, I promise you my friends, you’re getting a New Deal, New Deal, everyone is going to get a New Deal, hitch you’re wagon to a star, ’cause FDR is giving us all a brand New Deal.