July 31, 2006
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My grandparents used to sing to me, my great-grandmother, my grandmother (before she went nuts), and Granddad. I don’t remember so much what Gramma Bea (who was oh so cool, SealKitty seriously reminds me of her, I just realized) and Gramma Margaret used to sing, but I remember two things Granddad sang: You’ll Never Know (just how much I love you) and Loch Lomand.
The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond–
By yon bonnie banks, and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright, on Loch Lomond
Where me and my true love, were ever wont to gae,
On the bonnie bonnie banks, of Loch Lomond
Chorus
Oh ye’ll tak’ the high road An’ I’ll tak’ the low road
And I’ll be in scotland afore ye
For me and my true love will never meet
Again on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
We’ll meet where we parted, in yon shady glen
On the steep steep side, of Ben Lomond
Where in purple hue, the hie-lands we view
And the moon looks out, frae the gloamin’
Chorus
Still fair is the scene, but ah! how changed
Are the hopes that we fondly cherished
Like a wa-t’ry gleam, like a morning dream
On Cul-lo-dens field, they ha’e per-rished
Chorus
The wild flowers spring, and the wee birds sing
And in sun-shine the waters, are sleepin’
But the broken heart, a kens nae second spring
And re-sign’d we may be, tho’ we’re greetin’
ChorusI sing to my girls at night. They’re creatures of habit and insist on my singing them a specific song three times each. Emma’s is You Are My Sunshine and Jane’s The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Dylan stopped letting me sing to him around age 10 or 11. I used to sing
Alice Blue Gown
The Man on the Flying Trapese
I Was Born Under a Wandrin’ Star
It Had to be You
Many a New Day
Through The Heather on the Hill
Sweetheart, Sweetheart, Sweetheart (will you love me ever?)
Shenendoah
The Lord Bless You and Keep You
Abba Dabba Honeymoon
etc.
and always Let Me Call You Sweetheart, which I now remember that Gramma Bea sang.oh, and Moonlight in Vermont, and a host of other standards.
I also used to read whatever book he picked and Goodnight Moon. It was just he and I then so I cut myself some slack about what all I don’t do with the girls.
Maybe I wasn’t loved by everyone I needed as a child, but I was loved. Gramma Bea loved me. Granddad loved me. And I made it. I really made it.
*music by Ali Reid
Comments (12)
Yes, you made it.
My gramps said to me once, “Dont waste tears on the foolish. Those are the ones who should be crying, the foolish that is, for all the people that they tossed away.” in reference to my own father.
I love that you sang to your kids that much. I read as I cannot sing. My kids would probably have ripped out their eardrums if I did.
My mother used to sing “You Are My Sunshine” to me when I was little and I would cry and cry…..
The thing that just made that even funnier to me was that I originally typed that as “You Ate My Sunshine”. Maybe I wouldn’t have cried so much if she had sung it that way.
I can’t wait to have kids to sing and read to…
~ S
I was just discussing this with my grandmother: she brought up how she used to sing us songs. She was terrible with lyrics, and couldn’t remember any nursery rhymes, so she just sang us pop songs from her era. I can’t tell you how many times I fell asleep to ‘Bushel and a Peck’ or ‘I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter’.
That is pure beauty.
If I ever sing to my hypothetical children, their first words will be “please, Mommy, no more.”
And yes, you really did.
my mom didn’t sing to me, I’m not sure why. I don’t sing to the boy, either. I think it’s really awesome that you do that with your kids. it’s beautiful.
and I’m flattered
I looooove that song! I used to have the prettiest version with a woman singing… I wish I still had it.
Your kids will never forget that you sang to them either. And you’ve let them know that you love them.
Not only have you made it, my dear, your kids will too.
love this post… and the music is really nice to hear while reading the lyrics, I’d probably have skipped them if you hadn’t had it up. means much more to me now.
how nice that you share the gift of song with your kids. they’re lucky!
My kids are the only ones I sing for, it’s my favorite part of bedtime.
My mother didn’t do f* all for me (except nag) and my father had a terrible voice, but still, he liked to do his Frank Sinatra numbers. I always know when a man is in love with me because I sing when I’m stoned and everyone thinks I’m tone deaf except the men who love me who invariably say I have a sweet, little-girl voice. But I never inflicted it on my son.
You sound so lovely Lara, your kids have a great mom.
I sing, You Are My Sunshine, to my African Greys. They love it. I changed the words. Instead of, you make me happy when skies are grey, I sing, You make me happy because you’re grey. They now sing the song. Rather well too. Everybody’s got their own song around here and I sing for all of them. I’ve got a song for you too, Ms. Cigara.