Tag Archives: song

Camp Song

Age: 22

Text:
(Call and response) “You can’t ride in my little red wagon.” “You can’t ride in my little red wagon.” “The front seat’s broken, and the axle’s dragging.” “The front seat’s broken, and the axle’s dragging.” “Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga.” “Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga

Context:
A girl who grew up in LA and learned this song at summer camp. She also heard it at other camps beyond that one.

Analysis:
This is a classic camp song that hardly get’s varied with the words, at least from any of the times I’ve heard it. I also learned this in summer camp, but at mine, we had a slight variation by repeating the song multiple times at different volumes. The first time was normal, the second was loud, the third was whispering, and the fourth was loud again. Through this call and response activity, everyone can engage and sing together.

Moon Song

Song:

“I see the moon and the moon sees me,

The moon sees somebody I wanna see

God bless the moon, and God bless me:

And God bless that somebody I wanna see.”

Context: The informant’s mother sang this song to them as children. The informant is from the East Coast and their mother is from the Southern United States. Informant’s mother was taught this song by their mother growing up as a lullaby to put her to sleep.  


Analysis: This is a children’s lullaby passed through oral tradition across generations. From mother to child, it passes down, connecting generations through song. While the child does not necessarily understand the words being sung to it, the song itself is a family tradition. The purpose of the song (putting a child to bed) holds greater meaning than the actual lyrics of the song. Because it is passed down through song, it is an important oral tradition for this family.

George Washington Bridge Song

Text: The George Washington Bridge song is a song that repreats the words “George Washington Bridge” over and over again in rising and falling tunes. 

Context: The informant recalls that this song would be sung by their father whenever they passed over any bridge, not necessarily the George Washington Bridge specifically. The informant originally thought this was a song that their father made up, but the informant’s father notes that he believes he learned it from his father at some point in his childhood. The informant is from Connecticut, but their father is from New York State. 

Analysis: It is performed specifically when crossing bridges, turning an ordinary activity into a ritual. Interestingly, the song is used for any bridge, not just the George Washington Bridge, which shows variation and flexibility. Geography adds another layer. The reference to the George Washington Bridge (a well-known New York landmark) reflects a kind of regional influence, even when performed elsewhere (like Connecticut). This suggests how folklore can carry place-based identity, even when removed from its original setting.

Bangun Pagi

Age: 48

Text
Malay lyrics:
Bangun pagi, gosok gigi,
cuci muka, pakai baju,
makan roti, minum susu,
pergi sekolah, senang hati.

English translation:
Wake up, brush your teeth,
Wash your face, put on clothes,
Eat bread, drink milk,
Go to school, be happy.

*Translated from Mandarin Chinese
“I learned this song from my kindergarten teacher in Malaysia and it was a song for kids to remember their morning routines to start the day. Years later with my kids, when they were young, I would sing this song to them while waking them up before school. And they’re so hard to wake up, so I would use water on my hands to splash on their faces too, while singing the song.”

Context
This is a song that KL (who is my mom) learned 40 plus years ago as a young girl growing up in Malaysia. Even after moving to America and raising a family 40 years later, KL still remembered this song and used it as part of the routine of waking us up as that’s how the song was used when she was young.

Analysis
This is an example of verbal folklore / a folk song that my mom learned orally from her teacher in school. Functionally, it outlines a morning routine, but the value of the song is moreso found in its rhythm and memories/association with the song as a way for kids in Malaysia to wake up in the morning. It’s interesting how she turned a song that she learned from her hometown (rather than her family) into a piece of family folklore that my brothers and I still remember to this day. Bangun Pagi also represents the oral spread of folklore and folk songs, as outside of singing it, my mom never explicitly taught us the meaning of the song but my brothers and I still understand the song and its meaning from waking up to it over and over again. Sims and Stephens make a point that folklore should be understood through its context rather than purely its text, which in this case is especially interesting because even before I ever understood the actual meaning of the Malay lyrics, I knew that hearing this song meant that it was time to wake up and get ready for school. Even though my parents didn’t instill any Malay traditions in our family once they moved to America, this Malay song (which is the only Malay I know) became a core part of our family’s lore and connects us to the Malay folk.



Making Whoopi

Text: My mom said they used to hold large family reunions, 30-40 people, every year at the family house. Each year her papa, uncle, and others would rewrite the lyrics to the song “Making Whoopi” to speak to each of the family members that had an age with a zero on the end. They would rewrite the verses then have the chorus. There were always multiple people so they’d rewrite multiple verses. Then they, in a small group, would sing it at the family reunion and the whole group would gather around to listen. 

Context: My mothers extended family lives in Idaho, which she moved away from when she was young but went back to visit every summer. According to my mom, everyone in her immediate extended family, grandparents to aunt and uncles, sang. They would stand around the piano and sing song after song so this tradition makes sense with who they were. My parents also mentioned that these family reunions don’t happen much anymore, since we can keep track of everyone through social media. 

Analysis: This is folk music, specifically parody, that is meant to build community among the family and honor people through performance. By picking only people with an age that ends in zero they get to honor people, make them feel seen, without having the song get repetitive and loose the fun it is trying to create. I believe the big part that makes this song meaningful is the work and care that goes into writing it, it’s not the same thing every reunion thus giving it more meaning but repetitive enough with the same tune that it feels traditional. They also performed this song as a group, meaning no one person is singled out for too long making a performance meant to build community and bond rather than one to show off one’s own talent.