Old songs that you know

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.

We only had the one, that I recall. But it’s the book from which I learned the lyrics to Joni Mitchell’s Clouds.

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.”

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.

Not just an instrument. See also my namesake.

http://www.redhotjazz.com/cliffedwards.html

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.)

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 is still the oldest, unless anyone wants to learn to sing in Hurrian (I’d like that!).