Counting Songs
I got the song "Green Grow the Rushes O" stuck in my head the other day. You know the one:
"I'll sing you one, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is your one, O?
One is one and all alone
And evermore shall be so. "
A bit depressing really. Felt somewhat more cheered by thinking of a counting book I had when I was younger, as far as I can remember one was for one who was just for fun, which is a much better sentiment. Plus that book had increasingly smaller books inside it, it was like a baboushka doll of books. But then I realised that I didn't know the rest of the lyrics, and it drove me crazy, I could only get to "two, two, the lily white boys". Thanks to the miracle of the internet, and wikipedia, I found the rest of it (the second half of two is "clothed all in green, o") here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_grow_the_rushes,_O, along with some explanation of its meaning, which apparently has medieval hebrew origins. Intreresting. Not much explanation as to why one is all alone and ever more shall be so though.
But after being stuck on 'Green grow the rushes' I started thinking of other counting songs, and realised I couldn't remember much of any of them. For example, I know this old man, he plays one, he plays nick-nack on my thumb, but what does he play five on? The best I could come up with was hive, which might be right, but I liked the idea of it being jive instead. He could be some kind of jazz musician.
Also 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', I get up to five gold rings and then get everything else mixed up afterwards. But the one that really got to me was 'One, Two, Buckle My Shoe'. I could only remember up to "five, six, pick up sticks", and then "eleven, twelve, dig and delve."
But the more I got to thinking about it, the more counting songs I could remember. I forgot they existed at all. Also it reminded me of folk tales/rhymes/songs, which have always fascinated me for some reason. It's as if they have some kind of hidden meaning that we can now try to decipher somehow. And many cultures have similar themes. It's all Campbell and Frazer -like.
Well, that was a long-ish digression for your entertainment/ my self-gratification. Now back to the vodka and singing "all alone and evermore shall be so" (so Bridget Jones).
"I'll sing you one, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is your one, O?
One is one and all alone
And evermore shall be so. "
A bit depressing really. Felt somewhat more cheered by thinking of a counting book I had when I was younger, as far as I can remember one was for one who was just for fun, which is a much better sentiment. Plus that book had increasingly smaller books inside it, it was like a baboushka doll of books. But then I realised that I didn't know the rest of the lyrics, and it drove me crazy, I could only get to "two, two, the lily white boys". Thanks to the miracle of the internet, and wikipedia, I found the rest of it (the second half of two is "clothed all in green, o") here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_grow_the_rushes,_O, along with some explanation of its meaning, which apparently has medieval hebrew origins. Intreresting. Not much explanation as to why one is all alone and ever more shall be so though.
But after being stuck on 'Green grow the rushes' I started thinking of other counting songs, and realised I couldn't remember much of any of them. For example, I know this old man, he plays one, he plays nick-nack on my thumb, but what does he play five on? The best I could come up with was hive, which might be right, but I liked the idea of it being jive instead. He could be some kind of jazz musician.
Also 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', I get up to five gold rings and then get everything else mixed up afterwards. But the one that really got to me was 'One, Two, Buckle My Shoe'. I could only remember up to "five, six, pick up sticks", and then "eleven, twelve, dig and delve."
But the more I got to thinking about it, the more counting songs I could remember. I forgot they existed at all. Also it reminded me of folk tales/rhymes/songs, which have always fascinated me for some reason. It's as if they have some kind of hidden meaning that we can now try to decipher somehow. And many cultures have similar themes. It's all Campbell and Frazer -like.
Well, that was a long-ish digression for your entertainment/ my self-gratification. Now back to the vodka and singing "all alone and evermore shall be so" (so Bridget Jones).
posted by Catie at 7:28 pm
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