# Old songs that you know **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308 "2019-07-19T14:56:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308/41 "2019-07-21T12:45:49Z")
I know all, or most, of the words to more than half of the songs already listed in this thread, plus many others. My family had a Magnus Chord Organ in the sixties, and we would have group singalongs. The songbooks we had were heavy on Stephen Foster and others from that era, as well as a lot of Tin Pan Alley stuff. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308/42 "2019-07-21T12:51:06Z")
> [@Bayaker](#): > > I know all, or most, of the words to more than half of the songs already listed in this thread, plus many others. My family had a Magnus Chord Organ in the sixties, and we would have group singalongs. The songbooks we had were heavy on Stephen Foster and others from that era, as well as a lot of Tin Pan Alley stuff. You had one too? We had a whole box of songbooks for ours. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308/43 "2019-07-21T22:49:48Z")
We only had the one, that I recall. But it’s the book from which I learned the lyrics to Joni Mitchell’s _Clouds_. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308/44 "2019-07-21T23:13:19Z")
I’m an admirer of folk songs, old-timey music, vaudeville songs, Irish trad folk, pop music dating back to the 19th century, blues, and jazz. I probably know more old songs by heart then anyone around here except **Eve,** who isn’t around here any more. Join me in a round of “Betty Co-ed.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VcYU3ISDEyA/hqdefault.jpg "Rudy Vallee - BETTY CO-ED") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcYU3ISDEyA) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308/45 "2019-07-21T23:43:52Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I’m an admirer of folk songs, old-timey music, vaudeville songs, Irish trad folk, pop music dating back to the 19th century, blues, and jazz. I probably know more old songs by heart then anyone around here except **Eve,** who isn’t around here any more. > > Join me in a round of “Betty Co-ed.” > > [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VcYU3ISDEyA](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VcYU3ISDEyA) Well with an instrument in your name, it fits. I should know a lot more then I do; helping with a lot of music festivals and events over the years but I don’t have the mind to retain them or the voice to sing them. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308/46 "2019-07-22T01:00:32Z")
Not just an instrument. See also my namesake. [http://www.redhotjazz.com/cliffedwards.html](http://www.redhotjazz.com/cliffedwards.html) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308/47 "2019-07-22T01:38:29Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > . . . I realized it was the first few notes of “My Grandfather’s Clock,” Henry Clay Work’s big hit from 1876 and the source of the name “grandfather clock” for tall, free-standing clocks. Then I realized I was one of the few people left who know the words to that song. Not counting hymns and classical works, what are some old songs you know? It was still being taught in public school music classes when I was tot in the 70’s. Of course, I’m not sure how many states still have public school music classes, but Virginia still does. I have studied Irish Sean nós music, so I’m betting there are about 15 songs I know that less than 500 other people in the world know by heart. There is one that I collected versions of, and I may have been the only person ever to have written it down. (Or there could be 100 other copies around, no way to know, really.) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308/48 "2019-07-22T02:39:45Z")
I remember my mom singing “My Grandfather’s Clock” when I was little. I also remember watching Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin on the moon, so that dates me. Speaking of which, [my song](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21760683&postcount=32) is still the oldest, unless anyone wants to learn to [sing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurrian_songs) in [Hurrian](https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/videos/oldest-song-melody/) (I’d like that!). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-songs-that-you-know/837308.md?page=2)