Childhood songs and rhymes

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 12:40 am

grannysrock wrote:

My memories rubbish , I lived in Scotland till I was 21 , but I can't remember the songs..

Sally

Was thinking the same thing about my own memory, Sally. Can it be something to do with using another language for so many years?

Catriona

Lizzie · Post by **Lizzie** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 1:39 pm

What about Bobby Shaftoe and his yellow hair?

Lizzie

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:28 pm

Grannysrock - Ally Bally Bee goes something like ('scuse the spelling etc)

Ally Bally Ally Bally Bee
Sittin oan her mammy's knee
Greetin' fur a wee bawbee
Tae buy some Coulter's Candy

Oor wee Jeannie's gettin' awfu thin
A rickle o' bains covered ow'r wi skin
But she'll be gettin' a double chin
Fae sookin' Coulter's Candy

There's more I think but I was never allowed to get past the first verse - my "wee lassie" Alison (pet name Ally) thought the song was written for her

Pinkshoes

grannysrock · Post by **grannysrock** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:24 pm

Catriona

My memories rubbish

Evidently my spelling/grammar is heading the same way. Mon dieu , c'est affreux . I am close to reaching the point where my tongue has no mother just 3 distant aunts . Inderdeed . For sure....

How long have you been in exile by the way?

PinkShoes - yes that's the one . Thanks for helping me out. Although I don't think I remember ever seeing any Coulter's candy - plenty McCowans Highland toffee, Trebor BlackJacks and Fruit Salads , Tunnocks caramel wafers, snowballs , and walnut whips ...... If I hadn't left Scotland when I did , I'd have no teeth by now. Where's ma soup.

Lizzie - Bobbie Shaftoe - I do remember that i knew that one - but like the others , its words have deserted me - did he go to sea ? ( like a few of our missing relatives ?)

What about "Bobby Bingo" .

All I remember of that is
...
B.I.N.G.O.
B.I.N.G.O.
B.I.N.G.O.
and his name was Bobby Bingo.

presumably there was a bit more to the song than that. I think he may have been a dog.

Sally

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:41 pm

Grannysrock - Hah! Snowballs - the squidgy jobs covered in chocolate and coconut? Love them. What about lucky tatties? It's a wonder we made it through childhood with these dangerous wee plastic toys stuck inside them.

As for the dog, this is what I remember

There was a man who had a dog and Bingo was his name-oh
B I N G O
B I N G O
B I N G O
and Bingo was his name-oh

and Bobby did go to sea right enough

Bobby Shaftoe went to sea
Silver buckles on his knee
He'll come back and marry me
Bonnie Bobby Shaftoe

Bobby Shaftoe bright and fair
combing down his yellow hair
He's my ain for ever mair
Bonnie Bobby Shaftoe

My granny spent hours singing to me and teaching me wee rhymes and silly poems - strangely enough I remembered most of them to pass to my daughter. Can't remember what I went to Tesco for, though, or why I went up the stairs

Pinkshoes

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:54 pm

pinkshoes wrote:snipped............
My granny spent hours singing to me and teaching me wee rhymes and silly poems - strangely enough I remembered most of them to pass to my daughter. Can't remember what I went to Tesco for, though, or why I went up the stairs
Pinkshoes

I did my best yet today - reached the door of the room I was leaving and had to think in what direction I should be heading to do what I had forgotton.

The last line of the song - 'His name was Bobby Bingo'
Regards,
Annette M

Lizzie · Post by **Lizzie** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:43 pm

Yes Pinkshoes it was just as you wrote - Bobbie did go to sea etc.
My Auntie Maggie in Clydebank used to sing this all the time. Actually if I remember we used to skip rope to it!

Lizzie

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:45 pm

grannysrock wrote:

How long have you been in exile by the way?

Sally

Sally,

Since 1969. Nearly wrote 1869, but I hope you wouldn't have believed me. What about you?

Must admit that I'm enjoying being reminded of all these old songs. Keep thinking "Oh yes I used to know that one"

Catriona

grannysrock · Post by **grannysrock** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 12:26 am

Catriona - 1969 ??? - you were surely just a babe in arms ? I am amazed you can remember anything of Scotland ...

This is my 2nd stint in Belgium - In total I've lived in Belgium almost 12 years, England about 6 and now you can work out how old I am probably.

Pinkshoes - Yes to the snowballs - but I ken not the lucky tatties ? Or does I kenneth them by another name ? gotta photae ? Tesco's. I dream of Tesco's . Soon, soon I will be reunited with my beloved Tesco's - I'm coming home soon ....

Annette , the safest bet is not to leave the computer till you really have to....

Sally

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:36 am

Grannysrock - lucky tatties were round, flat hard candy things covered in powdered cinnamon (nothing like tatties really except they were brown) - when you got through to the middle (approximately) there was a tiny plastic object of neither use nor ornament - in fact usually unrecognisable as anything other than a tiny plastic object!

But they did taste nice!

Aye Tesco, indeed. Following my visit , I got snuggled up for the night at the computer. On arriving home my hubby asked if I'd like my boot and passenger door closed

Well, I was distracted ...

Thinking about the songs etc from my granny reminded me of misheard words - repeating parrot fashion what a child's ear hears. My daughter was born and raised in Yorkshire. At the age of three she'd sing that well known Christmas Carol "A Wain In A Manger". I swear it's true.

Pinkshoes