50 year olds, or thereabouts.....anyone remember........

[betty swollocks]

.......a book of folk songs used in Primary School?
I can still remember many of the songs after all these years and would love to be able to track the book down. It was used in my school in the UK and in BFES (British Forces Education Service) schools in Germany.
The book had a stiffened woven cover - some sort of fabric, and had a picture on the front of children playing drums, cymbals and triangles.
Some of the songs:-

Bobby Shaftoe's gone to sea
Is she fit to be your wife Billy boy Billy Boy
Oh soldier soldier won't you marry me with your musket fife and drum
I've been to Haarlem, I've been to Dover, I've travelled this wide world all over over over

Ring any bells anyone?

 

[ChrisKH]

Not fifty for five or so yet but we certainly sang some long forgotten songs at school; the usual religious collection (Morning has broken, Jerusalem, Lord of the Dance, etc.) but also Commonwealth songs such as Botany Bay, Wild Rover (no nae never, no nae never no more) and Waltzing Matilda. I recall the soldier soldier song also.

 

[Aperitif]

No recall for this at all... the only printed thing that springs to mind were the 'Craft Cards' with how to cut and fold card and make a buttress or some military type of thing - masses of dotted lines, arrows and imperial measurements all over the place.
I tinkled the triangle once or twice...who didn't?

 

[frog]

Bobby Shaftoe's gone to sea
Is she fit to be your wife Billy boy Billy Boy
Oh soldier soldier won't you marry me with your musket fife and drum
I've been to Haarlem, I've been to Dover, I've travelled this wide world all over over over

Sounds like they were trying to raise an interest in Service life from a very early age . I wonder if your parents used to wrap your lunch in old maps as well.

I do remember all the songs mentioned. Wouldn't mind laying my hands on a copy of the book as well

 

[rich p]

Down in Demerera
and
Blow, blow, blow the man down

were also in the mix. We had a book but the songs were also piped through giant prehistoric wooden clad wirelesses.

 

[betty swollocks]

Remember the wirelesses!
Another song:-

There was a wee Cooper wa lived in Fife
Nickety nackety noo noo noo
And he had gotten a gentle wife etc. etc

Just Googled the above first line and found this: it's not quite as I remember it:-

The Wee Cooper O' Fife

There was a wee cooper lived in Fife
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And he has tae'n a gentle wife
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

2. She wouldna card and she wouldna spin
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
For shamin' o'her gentle kin
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

3. She wouldna bake and she wouldna brew
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
For spoilin' of her gentle hue
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

4. She called him a dirty Hieland whelp
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
If you want yer dinner go get it yourself
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

5. The cooper's awa tae his wool-pack
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And lain a sheepskin across her back
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

6. I'll no thrash you for your gentle kin
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
But I will thrash my ain sheep-skin
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

7. He's laid the sheepskin across her back
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And with a good stick he went whickety-whack
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

8. Oh I will card and I will spin
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And think nae mair of my gentle kin!
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

9. She drew the table and spread the board
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And "My dear husband" was every word
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

10. All you who have gotten a gentle wife
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
Just send ye for the cooper of Fife!
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

WHAT THE HELL?!

In my world it was:

Hey willy-wallachy hoo, john dougal alone
Qua rushity noo noo noo

I'm 18 years shy of 50 but I know all these songs. I particularly didn't like soldier soldier. "oh no fair maid I shall not marry thee..."

 

[betty swollocks]

Tete: that's how I recall it.
Further googling found me this:-


There was a wee cooper wha' lived in Fife,
Nickety nackety, noo, noo, noo
And he hae gotten a gentle wife,
Hey Willie Wallacky, Ho, John Dougal,
Alane quo' rushety roo, roo, roo.

She wouldnae card, she wouldnae spin
For the shaming o' her gentle kin.

She wouldnae wash, she wouldnae wring
For the spoiling o' her gaulden ring.

She wouldnae bake, she wouldnae brew
For the spoiling o' her family hue.

She called him a dirty Hieland whelp
If you want yer dinner go get it yourself

The cooper hae gane tae his woolpack,
He's laid a sheepskin across his wife's back.

I wouldnae thrash ye for your gentle kin,
But I would thrash my ain sheepskin!

Oh I will card and I will spin
And think nae mair of my gentle kin!

Oh, I will wash and I will wring
And think nae mair o' my gowden ring

Oh, I will bake and I will brew
And think nae mair o' my comely hue

She drew the table and spread the board
And "My dear husband" was every word

A' ye wha hae gotten a gentle wife,
Send ye for the wee cooper o' Fife.



A moral tale!

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Flamin eck! I had no idea!

 

[Elmer Fudd]

I remember Janet and John books but not that song book

 

[beanzontoast]

.......a book of folk songs used in Primary School?
I can still remember many of the songs after all these years and would love to be able to track the book down. It was used in my school in the UK and in BFES (British Forces Education Service) schools in Germany.
The book had a stiffened woven cover - some sort of fabric, and had a picture on the front of children playing drums, cymbals and triangles.
Some of the songs:-

Bobby Shaftoe's gone to sea
Is she fit to be your wife Billy boy Billy Boy
Oh soldier soldier won't you marry me with your musket fife and drum
I've been to Haarlem, I've been to Dover, I've travelled this wide world all over over over

Ring any bells anyone?

"Singing Together" had many of these and is about that time (late 50's - 60's)

 

[Arch]

We had song books, but I think they were all songs that illustrated a story. I remember a South American story which involved a song bird and two children. We put it on as an end of term show, and I was second maracas at the back, in a big cardboard sombrero...

 

[betty swollocks]

Thankyou beanz, but if this is what you're referring to, it's not it.
The book I mean had a different cover (as in my original post - I'm certain of this) and had more songs in.
Maybe later editions did have a different cover and more songs were added?

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

We had song books, but I think they were all songs that illustrated a story. I remember a South American story which involved a song bird and two children. We put it on as an end of term show...

Which university term was this?

 

[ChrisKH]

Janet and John books - I thought my first ones in Infant School were Peter & Jane books by Ladybird graded 1a to 12b. I particularly liked the one where they built a rocket in the garden. I went through them (and re-read them) in about two weeks (as my mother had taught me to read) and the school wouldn't allow me to progress beyond the syllabus. Same in primary school.