Away with the singing truck!

If I hear the jingle coming from my son's red firetruck ("Did you ever see a puppy...driving a red truck?" to the tune of "Did you ever see a lassie?") one more time, I might just throw it out the window. Sadly we're only on the second floor so I'm not sure this would accomplish anything - the truck is pretty sturdy. Rather than dream up better ways of doing in the singing truck, I decided to make a CD of children's songs I actually can stand to hear more than once.

This turned out to be alot of fun. The NIH actually has a website that lists over a hundred classic children's songs, with lyrics and tunes, in alphabetical order. This was a good place to start, but I also wanted to include some contemporary songs as well as some songs from old musicals or movies that double nicely as kid's songs. In the process I came across a few very clever websites and blogs that review recent children's music releases, most of them created by musically-inclined parents who found themselves similarly fed up with the red firetruck jingle. Zooglobble is one such site that I could spend hours purusing. Another is called Kids Music that Rocks.

I quickly realized that I couldn't possibly cover everything on one CD, but I have to start somewhere! So here's my first 'playlist.' My next mix will probably consist of foreign language songs, or maybe lullabies. I retrieved many songs from itunes, so in total the CD cost me about $10 to make - the rest I downloaded from CD's in my own collection.

Whistle While You Work - from the original Snow White recording

A Bushel and a Peck - Doris Day singing classic from "Guys and Dolls"

Put on a Happy Face - I am a sucker for the Dick Van Dyke version

Five Little Ducks - this is one of the few songs from a traditional "kids" CD

My Grandfather's Clock - version by Johnny Cash

If I Had a Hammer - Peter, Paul and Mary (who else?)

Little White Duck - Danny Kaye

Waltzing Mathilda - an Australian classic

La La La La Lemon - I fell in love with this song from the Barenaked Ladies kids album

Super Frog - another great discovery from the 'adult' band "Asylum Street Spankers"

Yellow Submarine - The Beatles

On the Sunny Side of the Street - recorded by Swing on a Star Band

Side by Side - version by Dan Zanes

Rainbow Connection - original Muppets recording (Kermit singing)

Baby Mine - I've never heard a more moving version than Bette Midler's from the Beaches soundtrack

You Are My Sunshine - Carly Simon recorded a beautiful rendition

Wiegenlied (Braham's Lullaby) - orchestral version to wrap things up

So there you have it. Just the tip of the iceberg but a good start, nonetheless. I would love to hear suggestions for my next mix! Happy singing!