Banjos, singing rocks, & mares

Banjos, singing rocks, & mares Monday, October 13, 2008 at 12:03am on FB

It was wonderful being brought up in a home with music. Thanks Mom & Dad. From Mom singing "Mares Eat Oats" (words below), to Dad singing "In them old cotton fields back home...", & "Did you ever go sailing down the river of memory..." We listened to albums & 8-tracks to cassettes. Remember the Chipmunks every Christmas? And Elvis? And Grandpa, Dad & Uncle Bob playing dueling banjos down in Grandma & Grandpa's basement/family room (in Allen Park)? (Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyKvD-4IxOY. I don't suggest watching the whole movie--it made me sick.) I used to run around the room WILD when they played that. I wasn't the ONLY wild child. I think Billy joined me, although his wild was a bit reserved compared to me.

Anybody remember watching "The Sound of Music" on TV every year?

The first real concert I ever attended was Michael Card. Diana took me (for my 15th birthday) & Wendy (Wendy, did Val come with us, too?) to a church in Trenton(?) where it was just Michael Card & his cellist. Thanks Di. Di also got me started on Amy Grant (though I don't keep up with her now.) AND praise songs....check out Diana Scott on iLike!

I think Rachel & Rhonda got me started in the choir. Actually, I used to ride home from church on Wednesday nights with Ruby Ursiny. She was in choir practice & I had to wait for her after church. Rachel was practicing, too, & invited me up to the loft to sing soprano with her. The soprano section was not easy for me! I sat by Rhonda while singing hymns in church & Rhonda "taught" me how to sing alto (learned to follow the notes.) I love singing harmony! Thanks Rhonda! I listened to you & figured it out, easy. Rhonda also got me listening to Michael W. Smith. Hey Rhonda, do you remember that Sunday that I tripped coming down from the choir loft & bumped into Rachel & almost took her out on the way down the stairs. I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants (pantyhose)! And my Uncle Lonnie (pastor) was not too happy about the distraction. 'Course, as a teenager, it was an embarrassing moment, too.

I started listening to SCC somewhere in here & Veggie Tales came out, too.

When I met Jim, he introduced me to many new artists, like Third Day, The Kry, Nouveaux, Wes King, Nichole Nordeman and so on. Cool music. Thanks Jim. ('Course Jim had a "formal" music upbringing--I'll let him tell about that in his own note.) Then Di got me listening to Chris Rice in the mid 90's. Thanks Di--Rice is my favorite so far.

I'd rather sing harmony than melody. Patti, you remember Mom & Dad driving us to church & we sang this song together..."Won't you play a simple melody, one my mother sang to me? One with good old fashioned harmony, play a simple melody..."?? I looked it up--it's on a record by Bing Crosby (I originally posted the YouTube link on FB, but it has since been removed from YouTube.)

Then there was the year I played the guitar. I learned just a few major chords--enough to play praise songs (+ the capo) at church every Sunday. When we moved to San Diego, I didn't play in church anymore & lost the skill. Priorities. You lose it if you don't use it.

Anyway, now I'm just singing lullaby's & ABC's. When Abbie was born in 2005, my love for music was put on the back burner. No time to listen to CD's. No money to buy them. I can't sing in the choir now, since I'm always in the nursery. Oh well. I'll get a music life again someday. I did buy some new CD's recently. (New to me.) I'm catching up slowly.

One song I'll never forget is about singing rocks. I was in an ensemble at Enon back in the mid 90's. We sang this song with the words, "If we keep our voices silent, all creation will RISE AND SHOUT! If we fail to praise you Father, then will the very rocks cry out!" I love that song. Thanks to Becky Kelley for inviting me to sing alto with the ensemble!

"When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." -- Luke 19:37-40 NIV

Mares eat oats & does eat oats & little lambs eat ivyAkid'lleativytoo, wouldn't you?The words sound queer & funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled & jivyOooooh, mares eat oats & does eat oats & little lambs eat ivyAkid'lleativytoo, wouldn't you?


Comments Posted on FB:

Diana Lynn Scott at 8:49am October 13
You have a great memory! YOU should write a book! I'm serious!

Pamela J Meeker at 8:57am October 13
Oh yeah...I forgot to mention....do you remember watching the Osmonds, The Sony & Cher show, Captain & Tenile, The Partridge family, The Monkeys, the cartoons Beatles & the Jackson 5???

Pamela J Meeker at 4:57pm October 13
I think that when we get to heaven, we will all be able to sing the correct notes/key/pitch at all time. (And remember all the words!) Hey, maybe I'll be able to sing melody & harmony at the same time!!! Wouldn't that be cool? It could happen. You just wait & see.

Pamela J Meeker at 7:36pm October 13
Hey Di, do you still have the 12-string, or does Dad? Does Dad have Grandpa's banjo or madolin? Can you play the banjo?

Rhonda Pennington Newton at 9:02pm October 13
very cool story!! thanks for sharing it :)

Diana Lynn Scott at 7:38am October 14
Since it was a graduation present I have my 12 string. I have never played the banjo Bryan Belvins did. Grandma gave me Grandpas Mandolin.

Dorothy B Harrison at 4:18pm October 17
The song we sang a lot when the bigger girls were little was bingo. there was a man who had a dog and bingo was his name o ; b- i- n- g-o, b- i- n- g-o, b- i- n- g-o, and bingo was his name o. Patti loved this song and sang it the most. God bless, dad

Dawn Lee Hobbins at 6:19pm October 17
I remember mom singing 'Hush little baby don't say a word' when you were born P.J. I could teach Jim the words if he wants to sing it to you sometimes. HA! Ha! Maybe just the first seven words...tee! Hee! " Hush little baby, don't say a word. Momma's gonna buy you a mocking bird. If that mocking bird don't sing, momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring. If that diamond ring turns brass, momma's gonna buy you a looking glass. If that looking glass gets broke, momma's gonna buy you a billy goat. If that billy goat rolls over,Momma's gonna buy you a doggie named Rover. If that doggie named Rover won't bark, Momma's gonna buy you a horsie and a cart. If that horsie and cart breaks down...You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town." I sang that to all my babies and I've sang it to Jack the last two times I've babysat him. I remember dad singing "Old Dan Tucker was a good old man. Washed his face in a frying pan, combed his hair with a wagon wheel and died with a toothache in his heel. Get out the way old Dan Tucker, It's too late to eat your supper. Supper's over and breakfast's cookin. Old Dan Tucker'd just stand there lookin....

Pamela J Meeker at 10:01pm October 17
Hey, what's Dad doin' typing on Mom's facebook??? Dad needs to get an account, too!

Yeah Dawn, I remember Dad singing Old Dan Tucker-but I only remembered the chorus, thanks for fillin' in the other works.

I remember BINGO, too. BINGO is the first song I ever played on the guitar. Diana held the chords on the fret & I strummed. (At least when I was little, 5-6, I thought I was playin' the guitar--thanks Di.) I remember mom singing the mocking bird song, too. (What a surprise when I first heard Carly Simon sing it & it was not the same as Mom's!) Mom also sang the Kitty Cat song & How much is that doggie in the window & Oh where Oh where has my little dog gone. (She used to sing that last one while she was towel drying my hair.)

Kitty cat, kitty cat, meow, meow, isn't she a pretty kitty. All day long she can be seen, lickin' her fur to keep real clean. Kitty cat, kitty cat, meow, meow, isn't she a pretty kitty. Her fur is as soft as silk, because she always drinks her milk. Kitty cat, kitty cat, meow, meow, isn't she a pretty kitty.

How much is that doggie in the window, the one with the waggley tail? How much is that doggie in the window, I do hope that doggie's for sale. How much is that doggie in the window, how much could that poor doggie be? How much is that doggie in the window, I want that poor doggie for me.

I made up NEW words for Rock-a-bye baby. (The original version scared me as a child.) Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree tops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks the cradle will fall & MOM CATCHES BABY, cradle & all. (Sounds better if the baby is caught, rather than just falling. Aye?)

Pamela J Meeker at 10:06pm October 17
Anyone know the words to the song "... in them old cotton fields back home"?

Pamela J Meeker at 10:08pm October 17
Did you ever go sailing down the river of memory
where a little log cabin is nestled among the sycamore trees
where the sunshine is cheery & nothin' in the world is dreary
at the end of my river
my river of memory

Pamela J Meeker at 10:09pm October 17
I think Patti liked the BINGO song so much because it was about a dog!

Diana Lynn Scott at 11:48pm October 17
In an old ram shackled shack where in dreams I wander back , back to where they sing those southern melodies. It was there where I was born on a bright october morn in the cabin at the end of my river of memories........Did you ever go sailing.....etc.. You forgot the beginning :)

Pamela J Meeker at 9:41am October 18
Thanks for the words Di. Now, do you remember the words to the cotton fields song? It's time to harvest the cotton around here, now.

April Harrison at 10:10am October 19
I only have the vaguest of memories of dad and Di playing guitar at Grandma's down south, thanks for reminding me :) Ahhhhhh...warm fuzzies...I do, however, have a virtual smorgasbord of memories of listening to Elvis! Thanks to dad. Ha! ...and I don't know the cotton field song but I know BINGO!!

Pamela J Meeker at 11:06pm October 19
April, I bet your Dad knows the cotton fields song. Ask if he still knows how to play dueling banjos.