If I had to pick ONE, it would be The Rattlin’ Bog. (For the littles, this might be more of a listening song, but it’s good to start them early. For my kid, it was one of those things where she couldn’t keep up AT ALL, and then one day, around age 4, she started singing it straight through with no mistakes. It was as if she never went through a middle ground. Kids are weird.)
A lot of good ones that have already been mentioned in this thread!
Some other titles that were on my playlists to make sure my daughter knew that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Froggie Went A-Courtin
Drunken Sailor
Lavender’s Blue
Buffalo Gals
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain
Rise and Shine (the Noah’s Ark song)
The Ants Go Marching
The Bear Song (the other day, I met a bear … )
Three Little Fishies
John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt
If you’re looking at kids music albums for ideas, Dan Zanes has A MILLION records. I like a lot of his songs, but they all have a very similar sound and sometimes I prefer the more traditional arrangements that I remember from when I was kid. But even if I end up going for another version of the song, his track lists are fantastic for getting ideas – he goes deep into folk music and finds a lot of gems that you don’t hear much in other places.
I was wondering if anyone would mention that one. I remember my dad smirking when his granddaughter sang the sanitized version, saying, that’s not how we sang it during the war.
My six-year-old loves the Kinks’ We are the Village Green Preservation Society. I can see why: catchy melodies, vivid place- and character-based lyrics, and a “concept album” where each song is nonetheless distinct.
My mom didn’t drive so we walked or took the bus everywhere, and car trips with my father driving were undertaken in perfect silence. I’ve heard maybe two of the songs listed above.
