Introduction
The objective of these songs is to stimulate oral language development.
They are easy to learn and fun to sing. Some of the songs appear twice, once with complete
lyrics and once with blank spaces where the children sing lyrics they have created and verbalized.
After children have sung a song and are familiar with it they are ready for the
Fill-In-The Blanks version. For instance, to do Grandmother's Farm, you might ask the children,
"What are four more animals you could find on a farm? Write the four suggestions on the board.
Then play the Fill-In-The Blanks version of Grandmother's Farm using the animals the children
have thought of (For each song that has a Fill-In-The Blanks version, you will find a sample question
for eliciting the children's responses.) Many of the songs have Instant Sing Lines.
The Instant Sing Line is a phase or sentence that repeats itself throughout the song. Because
it can be learned quickly, the children are able to participate right away.
1. Witches Brew
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
Instant Sing Line:
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo.
Lyrics:
Dead leaves, seaweed, rotten eggs, too
Stir them in my witches brew
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo
Spider web, moldy bread, mucky mud, too
Stir them in my witches' brew
I got magic! Alakazamakazoo
ooo - My witches' brew - ooo
What's it gonna do to you? Boo!
Floor wax, thumb tacks, purple paint, too
Stir them in my witches' brew
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo
Finger nails, lunch pails, apple cores, too
Stir them in my witches' brew
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo
ooo - My witches' brew - ooo
What's it gonna do to you? Boo!
Wrinkled prunes, mushrooms, motor oil, too
Stir them in my witches' brew
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo
Action:
"Dead leaves, seaweed..."
Children pretend to throw ingredients in a cauldron.
"Stir them in my witches' brew." Children do stirring motion.
"I got magic, Alakazamakazoo." Children pretend to cast spell using
any hand movements they feel are appropriate.
"Boo!" Make a sudden scary movement.
Fill-In-The-Blanks: Play selection 10.
"If you were making a witches brew, what would you put in it?"
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2. Grandmother's Farm
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
This is a very
simple and repetitive song.The very first thing the children do is to
make the sounds of the animals in the instrumental spaces following
the lines, "I saw a cow
(...horse, ...dog, ...pig) and it talked
to me."
Lyrics:
I took a trip to grandmother's farm
What do you 'spose I saw?
I saw a cow and it talked to me
La la la la la la la la la
I went to grandmother's farm
I took a trip to grandmother's farm
What do you 'spose I saw?
I saw a horse and it talked to me.
I saw a cow and it talked to me
La la la la la la la la la
I went to grandmother's farm
I took a trip to grandmother's farm
What do you 'spose I saw?
I saw a dog and it talked to me
I saw a horse and it talked to me
I saw a cow and it talked to me
La la la la la la la la la
I went to grandmother's farm
I took a trip to grandmother's farm
What do you 'spose I saw?
I saw a pig and it talked to me
I saw a dog and it talked to me
I saw a horse and it talked to me
I saw a cow and it talked to me
La la la la la la la la la
I went to grandmother's farm
Fill-In-The-Blanks: Play selection 11.
"What are four other animals you might see on a farm?"
Back
to Titles
3. Scamper
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
Instant Sing
Line: Yah yah yah.
Lyrics:
Little mouse on quiet feet
Yah yah yah
Looks for something good to eat
Yah, yah, yah
While the old Tom cat is snoring
Little mouse will be exploring
Looking for a midnight treat
Yah, yah, yah
Scoots beneath the pantry door
Yah, yah, yah
Knocks a bottle to the floor
Yah, yah, yah
Old Tom wakes and hears the clatter
Runs to see what is the matter
Mouse don't wait a second more
Yah, yah, yah
Scamper, scamper Iittle mouse
Scamper, scamper to your house
Down the hall and through the wall
Scamper, scamper Iittle mouse
Scamper, scamper to your house
Down the hall and through the wall
Scamper, scamper Iittle mouse
Scamper, scamper, scamper, scamper
Scamper, scamper, hey!
Action:
One to three children are chosen to be the cats. They lie down on the
floor in the center of the space and pretend to be asleep. Everyone
else will be mice. The mice move around quietly looking for food and
teasing the cats by singing "Yah, yah, yah." On the line "Old Tom wakes
and hears the clatter,"- the cats jump up and try to catch the mice.
When a mouse is touched it sits down and stops moving.
If you have a very large group, you might want to label the cats in
someway - a card that says-cat pinned on their clothes or a simple mask
of some kind.
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to Titles
4. Clickity Clack
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
Instant Sing Line:
Going to the city and it won't come back.
Lyrics:
Carrying lumber down the Title
Going to the city and it won't come back
Carrying coal down the Title
Going to the city and it won't come back
Carrying produce down the Title
Going to the city and it won't come back
Carrying grain down the Title
Going to the city and it won't come back
Wooo! Wooo! Clickety clack
This old train is loaded down
Wooo! Wooo! Clickety clack
This old train is city bound
Carrying sugar cane down the Title
Going to the city and it won't come back
Carrying milk down the Title
Going to the city and it won't come back
Carrying iron ore down the Title
Going to the city and it won't come back
Carrying gravel down the Title
Going to the city and it won't come back
Wooo! Wooo! Clickety clack
This old train is loaded down
Wooo! Wooo! Clickety clack
This old train is city bound
Action:
During the verses the children can do a simple rhythmic movement such
as swaying from side to side and snapping fingers.
"Wooo! Wooo!" Pretend to pull train whistle.
"Clickety clack, this old Do chugging motion train is loaded down."
with arms. "Wooo! Wooo!" Pretend to pull train whistle.
"Clickety clack, this old Do chugging motion train is city bound." with
arms.
Fill-In-The-Blanks: Play selection 12.
"Can you think of other things a train might carry from the country
to the city?"
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to Titles
5. Goodnight
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
Children sing
back each phrase they hear.
Lyrics:
The brown horse sleeps in his warm stall
The gray mouse sleeps inside the wall
Goodnight goodnight, now the sun has set
Goodnight goodnight, now it's time to rest
A small bug sleeps curled in a leaf
The blue bird sleeps safe in a tree
Goodnight goodnight, now the sun has set
Goodnight goodnight, now it's time to rest
The earthworm sleeps down in the ground
A white duckling sleeps in soft down
Goodnight goodnight, now the sun has set
Goodnight goodnight, now it's time to rest
Variation:
Children can lie down on the floor, relax and sing this song. Good for
naptime or just a brief period of relaxation. Listening and repeating
the lines can have a focusing and calming effect.
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6. Pack Up The Sleight
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
Instant Sing Lines:
Hey, hey, pack up the sleigh.
Ho, ho ready to go.
Lyrics:
Hey, hey, pack up the sleigh
Time to get ready for Christmas day
Ho, ho, ready to go
Time to go flying over the snow
Bring something red that has four wheels
Bring something soft and fuzzy and brown
Bring something that floats in puddles and tubs
Bring something blue that you can wear
Hey, hey, pack up the sleigh
Time to get ready for Christmas day
Ho, ho, ready to go
Time to go flying over the snow
Bring something that makes a lot of noise
Bring something to play on rainy days
Bring something that you would like to ride
Bring something that's good for you to eat
Hey, hey, pack up the sleigh
Time to get ready for Christmas day
Ho, ho, ready to go
Time to go flying over the snow
Action:
Children
think of gifts that fit the description of the song.
This can be done in a large group with children calling out their ideas
or in partners with the children sharing their ideas with their partners.
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to Titles
7. They Go Together
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
Lyrics:
Sand and sea, they go together naturally
Bird and tree, they go together easily
Honey and bee, they go together can't you see?
That they share their place in the world
Because they like each other's company
Shoes and socks they go together naturally
Keys and locks, they go together easily
Boats and docks, they go together can't you see?
That they share their place in the world
Because they like each other's company
Together, together
The way that they were meant to be
Eggs and ham, they go together naturally
Pot and pan, they go together easily
Toast and jam, they go together can't you see?
That they share their place in the world
Because they like each other's company
Together, together
The way that they were meant to be
List on the board the pairs of things that go together from the lyric.
Children read and sing each pair along with the recording. The singing
is simple, since the pairs are all sung on one note.
Fill-In-The Blanks: Play selection 13.
"Can you think of some other things that could go together?"
Variation:
Think of some body movements
that go together, such as swing and sway, wiggle and jiggle, etc. Then
use these to fill in the blanks.Movements are performed as they
are
sung.
Back
to Titles
8. Space Explorer
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
Instant Sing
Lines:
Space Explorer, riding in my star machine.
Space Explorer, seeing what nobody's seen.
Lyrics:
Space Explorer, riding in my star machine
Space Explorer, seeing what nobody's seen
Flashing past the planets, on which do you land
Space Explorer, riding in my star machine
Space Explorer, seeing what nobody's seen
Take a look around you, are there any living things?
Space Explorer, riding in my star machine
Space Explorer, seeing what nobody's seen
What will you take with you on your journey home
Space Explorer, riding in my star machine
Space Explorer, seeing what nobody's seen
Space Explorer, riding in my star machine
Space Explorer, seeing what nobody's seen
Action:
During
chorus children fly around the room in their space ships. Just before
each question the teacher rings a bell. Children stop moving, turn to
face a partner, and answer the question they hear. You may want to begin
the activity with children in a crouching position, doing a countdown
- 10, 9, 8, ...When 0 is reached, start the music. Children blast off
and begin to fly.
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9. The Eagle
Words and Music: Hap Palmer
Instant Sing
Line: He was free, when they let him be.
Lyrics:
Born for a western sky
Sweeping a circle as he flies
He was free, when they let him be
Brave and a hunter's son,
The land was his till he met a gun.
He was free, when they let him be
In a land without a friend,
Will there be an empty sky,
Where the Eagle used to fly in the wind?
There on a mountain high,
Wounded Eagle waits to die
He was free, when they let him be.
Dreaming of days gone by
When Indian children watched him fly
He was free, when they let him be
In a land without a friend
Will there be an empty sky
Where the Eagle used to fly in the wind?
Born for a western sky
Sweeping a circle as he flies
He was free, when they let him be
He was free, when they let him be
Action:
Children form large circle. During verses children move around
the
circle stamping lightly twice with right foot then twice with left foot.
During chorus
children fly around the circle like eagles.
Credits:
Engineer: Tom Perry
Bass: Bill Perry
Drums: John Raines
Keyboards: Dave Carr
Acoustic Guitar: Hap Palmer
Vocals: Hap Palmer
Background Vocals: Hap Palmer, Martha Cheney
Cover Design: Lianna Kelley
All Songs by Hap Palmer and Martha Cheney © Hap-Pal Music
Recorded in 1978 at Hollywood Sound Recorders
All songs published by Hap-Pal Music. ©Hap-Pal Music all rights reserved. No part of these lyrics or activities may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher.
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