Folk Programs for Schools Songs and History from Evo’s Multi-Cultural Folk Music Assembly
Follow-up Suggestions for Evo’s Assembly Program
Demonstrate the multi-cultural nature of our society. Use ethnic heritage as a focal point for book reports or history assignments. Research and write about:
What country you or your ancestors ancestors came from.
- How many generations have lived here?
- What were the conditions of immigration?
- Trace the history of a musical instrument.
Describe or demonstrate a folk tradition from your heritage or background, such as a traditional song, story, dance, clothing style, recipe, craft or instrument.
Use world maps to locate countries of origin and the places of settlement in the United States.
Inquire about residencies or classroom workshops for sessions on clogging, playing spoons, hambone, and other American folk music and dance activities.
Books that can be used in conjunction with Evo’s songs and dances:
This Land is Your Land (book by Kathy Jakobsen)
Barn Dance! By Bill Martin and John Archanbault
Songs
Oh Susanna
I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee;
I’m goin’ to Lou’siana my true love for to see.
It rained all night the day I left,
the weather it was dry;
The sun so hot I froze to death,
Susanna don’t you cry.
Oh! Susanna, don’t you cry for me;
I come from Alabama,
with my banjo on my knee.
——-
I came from Massachusetts with a washpan on my knee,
Going to California the gold dust for to see.
I soon shall be in Frisco
and there I’ll look around.
And when I see the gold lumps there,
I’ll pick them off the ground.
(new chorus) Ho for California, that’s the land for me.
I’m off to Sacramento with a washpan on my knee.
———
La Susana se paseaba en unbuque de vapor
Y lloraba por su amante, y lloraba por su amor
Poco tiempo San Francisco, poco tiempo Mazatlan
Y volvere muy rico, con dinero pa’ gastar
———-
(new chorus) Ay, Susana!
No llores por mi,
Porque voy a California
A traer oro para ti.
Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the “father of American music,” was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century. His songs, such as “Oh! Susanna“, “Camptown Races“, “My Old Kentucky Home“, “Old Black Joe“, “Beautiful Dreamer” and “Old Folks at Home” (“Swanee River”) remain popular over 150 years after their composition.
Sioux Flute Song
This melody was played by young men in the Sioux tribe as a courting song. It includes imitations of birds. Activity: Locate regions of Sioux tribes. Identify native tribes of the region you live in.
De Colores (traditional)
De colores, de colores se visten los campos en la primavera.
De colores, de colores son los pajaritos que vienen de afuera.
De colores, de colores es el arco iris que vemos lucir, y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mi. Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mi.
Canta el gallo, canta el gallo con el quiri-quiri-quiri-quiri-quiri. La gallina, la gallina con el cara-cara-cara-cara-cara.
Los polluelos, los polluelos con el pio-pio-pio-pio-pio, y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan mi. Y por . . .
English translation:
In colors, in colors, the fields in the spring dress up. In colors, in colors, the little birds come from far off. In colors, in colors, we see the rainbow glistening. And that’s why all these colors please me so.)
The rooster the rooster sings with his cock-a-doodle-doo, the hen with his cackle a-cackle-a-cack, the chicks with their cheepy-cheepy-cheep. And that’s why all these colors please me so.
many colors are all of the the gardens and fields in the springtime, many colors are all of the birds flying in wingtime, many colors we see in the rainbow shining above us and that’s why the love that embraces all colors, all races is greatest for me.
Hambone
Hambone was created by enslaved Africans in North America. forbidden to use their drums, slaves found ways to make rhythms with tambourines, bones and body music such as hand clapping and thigh slapping, also called “Pattin’ Juba.”
The name “hambone ” refers to the daily activities of the early African American slave communities. In the days of slavery, families had to stretch the little food they were given, relying on their resourcefulness and creativity to survive under adverse conditions. The hambone (the bone of a ham) was used to make a big pot of soup which, with lots of water, and little scraps of vegetables and spices was stretched to ffeed many families. That same hambone would be passed around and used repeatedly in different pots of soup, making something from nothing as a way of survival.
Old Molly Hare (traditional)
“Old Molly Hare” is directly evolved from the Scottish melody “Largo’s Fairy Dance,” claimed by Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831). It is known as “The Fisher Laddie” in northern England (where it appears in a collection of Northern English sword dance tunes by Cecil Sharp). The “Old Molly Hare” song and title appears to be strictly American in origin—Charles Wolfe (1991) thinks it a minstrel piece that went into oral tradition among both blacks and whites—and various ditties or rhymes have been sung to it.
Old Molly Hare what you doing there?
Running Down the road just as hard as I can tear.
Run down one, run down two,
Run down one and I give it to you.
Step back step back Daddy shot bear,
Shot him in the eye and he never touched a hair.
Old Molly Hare what you doing there?
Sitting by the roadside eating on a bear.
Step back, step back yonder comes a bear
Coming down the hillside as hard as he can tear.
Look back, look back Daddy shot a bear
Shot him in the eye and he never touched a hair.
Old Molly hare, if you don’t care,
Leave my cider jug sitting right there.
Old Molly Hare she took a spell, knocked my cider jug all to —-.
Old Molly Hare, whatcha doing there?
Running through the briar patch as hard as I can tear.
Step back step back Daddy shot bear,
Shot him in the eye and he never touched a hair.
Rather be here than to be back there,
A big ball of cuckleberries, tangled in my hair
Step back step back Daddy shot a bear,
Shot him in the eye and he never touched a bear
Les Maringouins On Tout Mange Ma Belle (The Mosquitoes Have Eaten Up My Sweetheart) Louisiana Cajun French
The history of the Cajun people starts in 17th century Canada. A group of French settlers colonized land in the area now known as the Maritime Provinces of Canada. The main area of settlement is now known as Nova Scotia, but was referred to as Acadia for almost 2 centuries. For more information on the Acadians, please go to the Acadian History or Acadian Genealogy web pages. After the English exiled them from their land, the Acadians were scattered about. From 1765 to 1785, over 3,000 of them made their way to Louisiana. Louisiana was to become their New Acadia.
more Cajun history
Les maringouins ont tout mange ma belles, Ils n’ont laissee que les grosse orteilles. C’est pour faire des bouchons de lieges, C’est pour bouche mes demi bouteilles. Ton papa semble un elephant, ta maman semble un automobile, ton petit frere semble un ouourons, Ta petite soeur semble le coins de banquette.
translation:
The mosquitoes have eaten up my sweetheart. All they left me was her big toes to use as corks for my little bottles. Your father looks like an elephant. Your mother looks like an automoblie. Your brother looks like a frog and your sister looks like the corner of the sidewalk.
This song was sung by American songster and bluesman musician Huddie Ledbetter, also known as Lead Belly. (more info on Leadbelly)
Cho: Good morning blues, blues how do you do?
Good morning blues, blues how do you do?
I’m doing alright, tell me how are you?1. I lay down last night I was turning from side to side
I lay down last night I was turning from side to side
I was not sick I was just dissatisfied2. I got up this morning, with the blues walking ‘round my bed
I got up this morning, with the blues walking ‘round my bed
I went to eat my breakfast and the blues was all in my bread
I said: chorus3. I sent for you yesterday, here you come walking today
I sent for you yesterday, here you come walking today
You got your mouth wide open and you don’t know what to say
This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)
“This Land Is Your Land” is one of the United States’ most famous folk songs, written by Woody Guthrie in 1940. It was originally written in response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.” Guthrie considered that song unrealistic and complacent, and was tired of hearing Kate Smith sing it on the radio, so he wrote a different song, originally called “God Blessed America for Me”. Guthrie varied the lyrics over time, sometimes including more overtly political verses that often do not appear in recordings or publications. (more on This Land, more on Woody Guthrie)
This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California
To the New York Island,
From the redwood forest,
To the Gulf stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.
As I was walking,
That ribbon of highway,
I saw above me
That endless skyway,
I saw below me
That golden valley.
This land was made for you and me.
I’ve roamed and rambled
And I’ve followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me.
The sun comes shining
As I was strolling
The wheat fields waving
And the dust clouds rolling
The fog was lifting a voice come chanting
This land was made for you and me
As I was walkin’
I saw a sign there
And that sign said no trespassin’
But on the other side
It didn’t say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!
In the squares of the city
In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office
I see my people
And some are grumblin’
And some are wonderin’
If this land’s still made for you and me.
Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking
That freedom highway
Nobody living can make me turn back
This land was made for you and me
Turkey In the Straw (traditional American fiddle tune)
Another version is called “Natchez Under the Hill”. The lyrics are thought to have been added to an earlier tune by Bob Farrell who first performed them in a blackface act on August 11, 1834. more about this song
Chorus:
Turkey in the straw, Turkey in the straw,
Turkey in the hay, Turkey in the hay,
Well the old folks danced with their mother-in-law,
Sing a little song called turkey in the straw
1. I had a little chicken and it wouldn’t lay an egg,
So I poured hot water up and down its leg,
The little chicken hollered and the little chicken begged,
And the little chicken laid a hard boiled egg.
2. Did you ever go fishing on a bright summer day?
And you’re standing on a log and the log rolls away.
With your hands in your pockets and your pockets in your pants,
You watch the little fishes do the hoochie-koochie dance.
3. I went to Cincinnati and I walked around the block
And I walked right into a doughnut shop
I handed the lady a five cent piece
And I pulled two doughnuts right out of the grease.
3B.She looked at the nickel and she looked at me.
She said that nickel’s no good to me.
There’s a hole in the middle and it’s all the way through.
Says I, “There’s a hole in the doughnut too.”
more verses:
Went out to milk, and I didn’t know how,
I milked the goat instead of the cow.
A monkey sittin’ on a pile of straw,
A-winkin’ at his mother-in-law.
Met Mr. Catfish comin’ down stream.
Says Mr. Catfish, “What does you mean?”
Caught Mr. Catfish by the snout,
And turned Mr. Catfish wrong side out.
Came to a river and I couldn’t get across,
Paid five dollars for a blind old hoss;
Wouldn’t go ahead, nor he wouldn’t stand still,
So he went up and down like an old saw mill.
As I came down the new cut road,
Met Mr. Bullfrog, met Miss Toad
And every time Miss Toad would sing,
Old Bullfrog cut a pigeon wing.
alternate chorus:
Turkey in the straw, turkey in the hay,
Roll ’em up and twist ’em up a high tuckahaw
And twist ’em up a tune called Turkey in the Straw.
John Henry (traditional)
Researchers believe that John Henry was born a slave in the
1840’s or 1850’s. It is important to remember that no one
knows for sure if John Henry existed. That is one of the things
that makes the legend so intriguing.(more info on John Henry)
John Henry was a little baby, Sittin’ on his papa’s knee, He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel, Said “This Hammer’s gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord! Hammer’s gonna be the death of me.”
The captain said to John Henry, “Gonna bring that steam drill ‘round, Gonna bring that steam drill out on the job, Gonna whop that still on down Lord Lord/ repeat
John Henry told his captain, “A man ain’t nothin’ but a man, But before I let your steam drill beat me down, I’ll die with my hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord/repeat
John Henry said to his shaker, “Shaker, wht don’t you sing? I’m throwin thirty pounds from my hips on down, Just listen to that cold steel ring/ repeat
John Henry said to his shaker “Shaker you better pray, ‘Cause if I miss that little piece of steel, Tomorrow be your burying day!”
The shaker said to John Henry, “I think this mountain’s cavin’ in!” John Henry said to his shaker, “Man that ain’t nothin’ but my hammer suckin’ wind/repeat
The man that invented the steam drill, thought it was mighty fine, But John Henry made fifteen feet, The steam drill only made nine/repeat
John Henry hammered on the mountain, His hammer was striking fire, But he worked so hard, he broke his poor heart, He laid down his hammer and he died/repeat
For More Activities Go To: Student Preparation