Comments on: Music Review: Gunnar Madsen

By: bombaygirl

bombaygirl — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:48:20 +0000

The Farmer in the Dell is a song kids sing while playing a game, which goes like this: the kids sit in a circle, and then they all sing the first verse. One kid who is pre-selected as the Farmer, dances around the outside of the circle and then chooses his “wife” when that verse is sung. Thus “takes a wife”. And so on. The “taking” is another way of saying choosing, selecting, picking out. The children keep making up animals along the way so that they are left with the one child, the “cheese” in the end, who stands alone. Nothing bestial about it at all. But I am sure you already knew all this, and you were just writing tongue-in-cheek, right?

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:31:52 +0000

While we’re on the topic, what about the inter-species folly of “Froggie Went a Courtin’” — one of my fav folk/kid tunes of all time?

By: PsychMamma

PsychMamma — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:39:03 +0000

In response to Felis re: They Might Be Giants, “No!” is good, but I love “Istanbul (not Constantinople)”, “Where Do They Make Balloons?” and “Ooh La, Ooh La!” :-)

By: PsychMamma

PsychMamma — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:26:19 +0000

I’m with you – - I LOVED Pumpkin Hair! How very fun. I also agree that The Farmer in the Dell is quite disturbing – - I’ve thought that for a long time now. While we’re discussing disturbing, how about Three Blind Mice? Pop Goes the Weasel? Rock a Bye Baby? Cutting off tails? Weasels popping? Babies falling out of trees? Pumpkin Hair seems much more wholesome and tame to me. :-)

By: Felis

Felis — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:40:05 +0000

I like Pumpkin hair! :-) Have you found “No!” by They might be giants yet? Me and hubby have gotten all our friends (albeit weird ones) hooked on it and we sing along to it sans kids… once we pop out our first maybe we won’t get such funny looks… but I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone. :-)