I was driving this morning in the beautiful Springtime in the South--the dogwoods and azeleas and everything in bloom, sunshine and not a cloud in the sky and a song that I hadn't thought of in years came to me..."I am happy today for the sunshine, for the sky of grey or blue, for within my heart is a song of life, I'll live, I'll work, I'll do."

Anyone remember it? It's from the old green Primary songbook--the one that gave us Give Said the Little Stream and In the Leafy Treetops and all those songs they never sing anymore becuase there is no indoctrinational value in them.

Is it just me, or did we used to sing songs and do things that were just for fun and pure happiness without always having to have a Mo gospel spin on them?

But I haven't heard them sing it for years because of the reason that it doesn't indoctrinate anything. It's just a fun song.

"La longe nas verdes campinas" (Far away, in green fields") was a really cute song in the 1950s children's songbook in Brazil.

It was all about nature, green fields, stars, planets. Nothing to do with paying tithing or following the Profit.

It has obviously been suppressed since. Today it's all about worshiping Smith and Monson. "Follow the Prophet, don't go stray. Follow the prophet, he knows the way"...

At least I think it was him. It was really funny and I thought I had it in my archives but can't find it.

Didn't you do the alternate version of:

E're you left your room this morning,
Did you pray to think?

I'd love to have the rest of those words again. Mind posting?

And this is far away from Utah and I didn't think she had any connection to Mormonism, so I wondered how she knew it. She said that her kids had a little Roseanne Barr kids video and she sings it on the video. She even says that it's a song she learned growing up in Utah around the Mormons. I still teach it to my grandkids.

The morman religion is wrong. I can't believe anyone would ever believe in it.

I liked "Give, Said the Little Stream."

I was always fond of Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree.

I didn't know they stopped singing the good songs in Primary.
My two favorites are Give said the little stream and popcorn.

I loved In the leafy treetops too. I was just humming that to myself yesterday.

Those are the only church inspired songs that I have taught to my kids. We don't sing about God in my house since they are free thinkers but they know and love those songs too (it's nearly the only good things I brought from my upbringing, that and bread making skills. heh). If my kids expressed an interest in singing about God , I'd not say no though.

Oh, I remember the leafy treetops song.

In the leafy treetops the birds sing good morning.
They're first to see the sun. They must tell everyone.
In the leafy treetops the birds sing good morning.

At least, that's how I remember it.

There's a second verse:

In my pretty garden, the flowers are nodding
They're first to see the sun, they must tell everyone
In my pretty garden, the flowers are nodding

no, sorry the 2nd line of the 2nd verse goes:

How do you do, they say. How do you do today

in my pretty garden the flowers are nodding.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2013 09:04PM by karin.

Do as I'm doing, follow, follow me.

All of the above.

But I hated "Hinges"

I'm all made of hinges cause everything bends
From the top of my head all down to my ends
I've hinges in front and I've hinges in back
If I didn't have hinges, then I'd go crack.

I was the Primary music chair for years, and the kids in my ward had a clear favorite - "Once There Was a Snowman". We sang it year-round.

Popcorn popping! I only went to primary a couple of times, but it's the only song I remember. I always liked it.

"Popcorn popping on the apricot tree"

Give said the little stream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5rzIkaJKJg
Leafy Treetops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hq_0i-iAM8

And I can't find a good vid for my favorite. One of you that can sing should make one!

Little Purple Pansies
1. Little purple pansies, touched with yellow gold,
Growing in one corner of the garden old;
We are very tiny but must try, try, try
Just one spot to gladden, you and I.

2. In whatever corner we may chance to grow,
Whether cold or warm the wind may ever blow,
Dark the day or sunny, we must try, try, try
Just one spot to gladden, you and I.

Oh, what do you do in the summer time. My birthday was in the summer so I always liked that song.

I was the chorister before I left. There was a song, I don't remember it from childhood so I think it may be newer. When I told the kids that it reminded me of a sitcom intro all the adults nearly fell off their chairs. It was cute and catchy!

I like you and you like me,
We're as different as the sand and the sea.
I like you and you like me
And that's the way it's suppose to be.

@ Susan I/S:

It was, "nodding in the corner of the garden old". I know because I could never figure out why we were singing about naughty pansies sent to the corner.

I wonder if anyone has the original old book.

We'll play we're giants tall
As tall as tall can be
And when we reach clear up to the sky
The sun, moon, and stars we'll see

We'll bump our heads 'gainst the clouds
Our hands will stretch so high
That we'll feel the tiny points on the stars
That shine -- UP in the sky!

Not a favorite, but just now suddenly remember this...

Don't know the title but we sang:

"A year has passed and you have brought
Your birthday pennies here.
For crippled children you have given
2 for every year

we know that you're unselfish as
Your pennies you now bring
We thank you and give our love
Happy birthday now we sing"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2013 08:42PM by thinker.

Five pennies make a nickel
Two nickels make a dime
Ten dimes will make a dollar
How we'll make it shine

It's for the crippled children
Who cannot walk or run
Who have to stay in bed all day
And cannot join our fun

Not very PC ... it was the 1960s. There was a cardboard bank that looked like Primary Children's Hospital, and we all brought pennies to put in it.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2013 11:26PM by munchybotaz.

My brother used to sing "Little Purple Panties" instead of pansies to my sister. It made her crazy.

popcorn popping,

in the leafy treetops

once there was a snowman. There may be a bunch of non mormons singing that one as i used to sing it to kindergarten classes as it has great actions.

the wise man built his house upon a rock.

i guess when they had to fill up a couple of hours for evening primary they needed lots of songs for the singing time. Stuff just for fun and to keep kids active and on task.

But then the whole church was more fun in the 70's. If i had to be a mormon, i'm glad i started in those days instead of joining in the 90s or later.

let it shine--" I've never seen it in one of the books, but imagine my surprise when they sang it on "Corinna, Corinna." I know they haven't sang it since the 1960s any place I have been, but I liked that one even if it is about "the gospel."

I also liked, "Whenever I hear the song of a bird or look at the blue, blue sky . . . " Even if it talks about Heavenly Father.

It was totally indoctrination... But I loved Brett Raymond's stuff... and the song in the OLD primary hymn book... "Stairway to lasting joy" one of the only songs in a minor mode... that made this musician happy.

Or "If you could High (hi?)(Heigh?) to Kolob" because I heard it in a babershop arrangement, and I was a total barbershopper.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2013 11:32PM by intjsegry.

Was that the one that was quite difficult to play? I was the primary organist in high school and I never did master the song that was rather difficult (but then I didn't try very hard at it). Not exactly the job you want in high school--hurry out of class to rush home to play for the primary! I hated it. (And I live in Utah, not like they couldn't find someone else to play.)

Yep, I think so... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8glAW9Ypwnw

Not that I am prmoting that stairway...