# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/41 "2007-03-05T20:57:59Z")
I used to babysit a precocious four-year-old who loved Shel Silverstein’s poems and songs. Bestest of all: “Boa Constrictor.” It’s a bit gruesome, but that’s half the fun. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/42 "2007-03-05T21:10:15Z")
Another vote for “Country Songs for Children”. My six year old has always been crazy for Johnny Cash, and currently adores a best of Hoyt Axton CD. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/43 "2007-03-05T21:16:14Z")
You can’t go wrong with the “classics” of rockers… anything by Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Nuclear Assault, or Gwar… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/44 "2007-03-06T03:22:59Z")
[QUOTE=MacTech] You can’t go wrong with the “classics” of rockers… anything by Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Nuclear Assault, or Gwar… 😉 [/QUOTE] Ah, Gwar. My beloved “America Must Be Destroyed” concert shirt finally gave up the ghost just a few short years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/45 "2007-03-06T16:32:03Z")
My kids are a bit older than yours (they’re 12 and 9) but the Crazy Frog CDs are wildly popular with them. Yeah, they’re drivel… but they’re kid-friendly, have a good beat, and actually are pretty good driving music even for the adults (they’re bouncy enough to help keep you alert). If your child likes Arthur the Aardvark, [this](http://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Friends-First-Almost-Real/dp/B00000DAH0) is lots of fun. It’s got a lot of different musical styles, including “Leftovers Goulash” which totally plagiarizes some well-known classical stuff (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, I think). My daughter loves Weird Al Yankovic. She also loves some a capella CDs - Da Vinci’s Notebook has some great stuff including “Sand in my pants” which always makes me giggle. ---
**Author:** ![Illinois\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Illinois\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illinois_Boy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/46 "2007-03-06T19:44:29Z")
I’m sure you know this, but it’s worth repeating… Any music your child likes, will be heard by you ONE MILLION TIMES A DAY! This means that if little Susie picks a song you actually like, at some point you will not like it any longer. Having said that… Justin Roberts and Ralph Covert are extremely listenable kid’s music. Laurie Berkner is pretty good (and she’s kind of a hottie if you need to watch videos). The Cars soundtrack (my 2.5 year old’s current favorite) will not make your ears bleed. Try some Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder. One of my happiest days in the last year was when my son asked for the “Boom Boom” song. The boy likes John Lee Hooker! \ I’m so proud! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/47 "2007-03-06T20:23:21Z")
[QUOTE=Illinois\_Boy] Laurie Berkner is pretty good (and she’s kind of a hottie if you need to watch videos). [/QUOTE] Okay face. Smokin’ body. We had three kids in two years. I don’t get out much. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/48 "2007-03-06T20:41:10Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] Downside is, I’m absolutely **SICK TO DEATH** of _The Rites of Spring_. [/QUOTE] From a riot at the premiere in 1913, to parents getting sick of it in 2007 because the pre-schooler loves it too much. This is a good thing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/49 "2007-03-06T21:28:16Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] The Spongebob Squarepants Movie soundtrack is pretty great: I haven’t heard the wole thing, but what I have heard is really good. “Just a Kid” by Wilco is a classic, happy and fun with a good message for kids (everyody has to do something they don’t want to do). We put it on the playlist for our wedding reception. 🙂 [/QUOTE] If you like that, you gotta check out the PowerPuff girls CD - it has great indie music by Apples in Stereo, Shonen Knife, Frank Black and a bunch of other wonderful, wonderful musicians… Amazon link [here](http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Villains-Various-Artists-Soundtracks/dp/B00004TZZO/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-5034648-4877521?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1173216429&sr=1-1) ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/50 "2007-03-06T23:45:57Z")
So far, I’ve done two compilation CDs for my daughter. Both have been huge hits. Some of the songs have already been mentioned, but here are the contents of Disc 2: - _The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane_ - _Fish Heads_ - _I Have A Song To Sing, O!_ from Gilbert & Sullivan’s opera _The Yeomen of the Guard_ (as performed by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company) - _Witch Doctor_ - _Aba Daba Honeymoon_ - _Gabriel’s Oboe_ from _The Mission_ soundtrack (Ennio Morricone) - _La donna é mobile_ from \*Rigoletto \*(as performed by Pavarotti) - _The Flower Duet_ from the opera _Lakme_ (Delibes) - _There’s No Business Like Show Business_ - _We’re Called Gondolieri_ from Gilbert & Sullivan’s opera _The Gondoliers_ (as performed by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company) - _Duel of the Fates_ - _Over the Rainbow_ - _Sigh No More Ladies_ from _Much Ado About Nothing_ - _Gitarzan_ - _The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati_ - _The Purple People Eater_ - _The Queen of All Argyll_ (Silly Wizard) - _The Trolley Song_ - _Bridge Over Troubled Water_ - _Der Fuehrer’s Face_ - _The Doll Song_ from _Tales of Hoffman_ - _Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better_ ---
**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 7, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572/51 "2007-03-07T01:27:48Z")
> [@](#): > > I second Tom Chapin’s Family Tree. That’s a great album. Huzzah! GMTA! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-appropriate-songs-for-a-4-year-old/394572.md?page=2)