# Recommend some appropriate songs for a 4 year old... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 4, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572 "2007-03-04T20:12:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/1 "2007-03-04T20:12:53Z")
So, last fall, my daughter’s music teacher gave everyone in the class a CD of fall-related songs to listen to. So, next road-trip, we tossed them into the cd player. They are absolutely god-awful. Patronizing, bad grammar, factually incorrect (“The wind blows the sunshine right through the town”?!? WTF is that about?), and grating as all get out. Problem was, my daughter loved the fact that this was ‘her music’ and insisted on it every chance she got. To combat this affront on all that is good, I put together my own CD to give to her. Now that we have been listening to it for a couple of months, she has picked some songs as her favourites, and rejected others. Version 2.0 of the CD is coming out for her 4th birthday in a week or two, and I need help filling it up some more. This is the feedback I received so far on her musical tastes… **Favourites…** Fish Heads - Dr. Demento Eric The Half a Bee - Monty Python My Beloved Monster - Eels Yellow Submarine - The Beatles Four of Two - TMBG TubThumper - Chumbawumba Whip It - Devo Fur Elise - Beethoven I’m Henry the 8th - Herman’s Hermits **Most Hated…** Love You 'Til Tuesday - David Bowie Why Does the Sun Shine - TMBG Octopus’s Garden - The Beatles I am making a very deliberate attempt to steer clear of typical children’s music, since most it sucks. Can anyone suggest some decent tunes to round out the next iteration? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/2 "2007-03-04T20:15:01Z")
**Free Bird** is always appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/3 "2007-03-04T20:31:34Z")
Stand by REM ---
**Author:** ![sneezy5660](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@sneezy5660](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sneezy5660)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/4 "2007-03-04T20:32:13Z")
A lot of the old pop/rock songs from the '60’s-'70’s are good. My oldest daughter liked Everyday People by Sly and the Family Stone. If you want newer, Drops of Jupiter by Train is sing alongable. (It’s a word now dangit!) 🙂 Just thought of another one Our House by CSNY. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/5 "2007-03-04T20:39:11Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] **Free Bird** is always appropriate. [/QUOTE] Right on! That or _Stormy Monday_! ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/6 "2007-03-04T20:42:01Z")
How about The Beatles’ “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da”? Bouncy tune with nonsense words thrown in, sounds like a hit to me. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/7 "2007-03-04T21:34:53Z")
I loved the Mozart tune which is apparantly called _The Birdcatcher am I_ in english. It’s from The Magic Flute. Come to think of it, I loved everything from The Magic Flute. Since the text is irrelevant to the music, try using the original german, maybe you can sneak in extra language while she’s young enough to “sponge” it. How about adding to _Eric the Half-a Bee_ with _Always Look on the Bright Side of Life_, _The Galaxy Song_, _Finland_ and _The Accountancy Shanty_? Unless musical songs drive you batty, try some of the silly songs from _Cats_, or the do-re-mi song from _Sound of Music_. I also had a recording of Luciano Pavarotti singing _La Donna e Mobile_, that I played over and over, at that age and older. Come to think of it, I miss that tape. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/8 "2007-03-04T21:38:52Z")
My kids love: - Almost all Beach Boys - Almost all Ramones (hey, if they can handle “pissing the night away” in Tubthumping, as you list, they can handle stuff like Blitzkreig Bop - right? Mine love it) - Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol - Tons of 50’s stuff, like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Eddie Cochran - My Sharona - What I Like About You by The Romantics You get the picture. I _never_ allow kiddie music in the house - eww; and besides, the kids love this stuff and so do we… ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/9 "2007-03-04T21:42:09Z")
My kids like “Country Songs for Children” by Tom T. Hall Their Grandpa would play it for them all the time. They are 8 & almost 11 (on the 18th) and they still love it! > **[Amazon.com: Country Songs For Children: CDs & Vinyl](https://www.amazon.com/Country-Songs-Children-Tom-Hall/dp/B000001DQK)** > > Amazon.com Tom T. Hall writes songs for children, he says, because they have a lot of the same interests, including the quest for simplicity. "One day I just found that we got along great. They understood me," he says. And in this... 😃😛 ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/10 "2007-03-04T22:22:59Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] - Almost all Ramones (hey, if they can handle “pissing the night away” in Tubthumping, as you list, they can handle stuff like Blitzkreig Bop - right? Mine love it) [/QUOTE] “Pissing the night away” ain’t nothin’. Eric the Half a Bee is about a man who has sex with mutilated insects. ---
**Author:** ![Fearless\_Leader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Fearless\_Leader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fearless_Leader)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/11 "2007-03-04T22:58:01Z")
My friend’s kids (4 and 2) both love Weezer, the older one sings along to the blue album frequently. There’s some fun, danceable songs with pretty clean lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/12 "2007-03-04T23:10:36Z")
They Might Be Giants, of course! Flood is mostly great for kids, and they also have a cool kids’ CD, “No!” We also have a “just for Chloe” tape in the car, but it is bona fide kids’ music. Laurie Berkner, the Muppets, Sesame Street, and yeah, some Wiggles. But I edited it down to stuff I somewhat like (hey, Capt. Feathersword is kind of cute). And honestly, it’s hard not to groove along with the classic blues style of “I Know a Chicken,” or sing along with “Doodlebugs,” which features doodlebugs named after the Seinfeld characters. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/13 "2007-03-04T23:23:46Z")
I’ve been doing mix cd’s for my kids since they were 3. We have 3 volumes now that they absolutely love. I will list the songs I’ve included on each volume for your reference. I hope this helps. Volume 1: A 1950’s recording of a reading of “Sam I Am” by Dr. Seuss. “Hamster Dance” dance remix (the song from [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76HcLEunsws)) “Mah Na Mah Na” by the Muppets Theme from the original “Batman” TV series “The Banana Boat Song” by Harry Belafonte “Tequila” by The Champs “Wipe Out” as performed by the Muppets “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” “Popcorn” by Hot Butter “Polkamon” by Weird Al Volume II: “Tubby the Tuba” as told by Danny Kaye “Roadrunner” Theme Song from the “Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show” “Joshua Giraffe” by Raffi “Your’re Bugg’n” from the “Space Jam” Soundtrack “Hawaiian War Chant” by Spike Jones “The Unicorn Song” by the Irish Rovers “Down by the Bay” by Raffi “You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch” from the “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” TV special The Loony Tunes version of “Jail House Rock” “Zip-A-Dee Do Dah” from Disney’s “Song of the South” “The Chicken Dance” polka “I Know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly” by an unknown singer “Tounge Twister Song” by Danny Kaye “Squirrels” the parody of “Girls” “The Cat Came Back” as sung by Garrison Keeler Volume III: “So Long and Thanks for All the fish” from the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” Soundtrack “All Star” by Smash Mouth “Oh Yeah” by Yello “Charlie Brown” by The Coasters “C is for Cookie” sung by Cookie Monster “I Like to Move it Move it” as sung by King Julian from the movie, “Madagascar” The title theme from “Star Wars” “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” by Rolf Harris The Sesame Street “Classic Rhyming Song” “Wallace and Gromit” Theme Song “Daffy Duck Rhapsody” by Mel Blanc Sesame Street’s “People in your Neighborhood” “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” by Tiny Tim ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/14 "2007-03-04T23:34:58Z")
I definitely support the idea of exposing kids to serious music (I was hearing Beatles, Yes and bebop jazz at about 4 or 5, which was a good musical education.) I mean, if I had little kids, I’d play them the same exact music that I listen to, obscure, edgy or not. But you should definitely not write off Raffi just because he’s kid music. His songs are fundamentally very high quality, and quite listenable for all ages. I also listened to Wee Sing and Sharon, Lois and Brom when I was little. I have fond memories of a lot of kiddie music, so there’s no reason not to play that too. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/15 "2007-03-04T23:45:21Z")
She likes Yellow Submarine but not Octopus’s Garden? :dubious: As a kid I loved most Beatles songs (O-bla-di O-bla-da and When I’m 64 were two favorites). Herman’s Hermits was also a favorite, and so were the Beach Boys, as someone has already suggested. I LOVED The Beach Boys, now that I think about it - my brother and I would put on the CD and dance around the living room like we were possessed. ---
**Author:** ![PerditaX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@PerditaX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PerditaX)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/16 "2007-03-04T23:48:11Z")
My nephews, ages 4 and 7 boys like Jimmy Buffett. In the “children’s music” genre, they like Laurie Berkner’s CDs and zillions of playings have not driven my sister nuts. I’d personally recommend “Not for Kids Only,” by Jerry Garcia (really!) and David Grisman. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/17 "2007-03-05T01:24:07Z")
Ooooh, want a podcast of suggestions? I’ve never made a mix tape for a child before, I’m curious to try. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/18 "2007-03-05T01:26:16Z")
Flanders and Swann, “The Hippopotamus”, “The Gnu”, “Ill Wind” and others. “On the Ning Nang Nong”, Spike Milligan’s short nonsense song [On The Ning Nang Nong - On The Ning Nang Nong Poem by Spike Milligan](http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/on-the-ning-nang-nong/). Should be fun to sing the sound effects. “The Marvelous Toy” by Tom Paxton. More sound effects. “Oooh, Don’t Touch That” by Laszlo & Gary (NOT Weird Al). [http://www.lyricsandsongs.com/song/727466.html](http://www.lyricsandsongs.com/song/727466.html) “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” by Noel Coward. Smothers Brothers? Alan Sherman? “Thomas Cat” by Alien Folklife. Lotsa stuff by Weird Al. “Yoda”, maybe? Check Dr. Demento’s collections. Get her to learn Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements”. How about his songs from the “Electric Company”? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/19 "2007-03-05T01:27:15Z")
Tom Chapin’s **Family Tree**. He is Harry’s brother. Best kid album I’ve found and I hate kiddie music. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/20 "2007-03-05T01:35:02Z")
The Kingston Trio and Burl Ives are probably safe bets. From my own childhood, on or about your kid’s age, I remember hearing a lot of… •The abovementioned artists •_The Music Man_ soundtrack •Marine Corps Running Cadences (Nothing funnier than a little kid joining Teddy Ruxpin in singing _My Grandaddy was a horse marine!/Ev’ry thing he wore was Marine Corps Green!_) •Soundtrack to _The Point_ •The soundtrack to _You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown_ •And misc. Sesame Street albums If you give me a little time, I can probably dig some more gems out of my iTunes collection. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572.md?page=2)