I don’t have much of a singing voice…some have said I can’t carry a tune at all…but I love to sing. Of course, the songs I love best are the ones I know all the words to, but there are others that are special just for the memories that they hold. Some of my favorite songs:
- There’s a little tune that goes, “Mares eat oats and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy. A kid’ll eat ivy, too, wouldn’t you?” When my mom sang it, it sounded – as it was meant to – like “Marezee doats and do-see-doats and little lamzee-divy. Akiddle-dee-divy too, wouldn’t you?” I was almost grown, and very surprised, when I learned the real words. It always brings back memories of my mom as a young woman.
- All the lullabies. Or at least all that I know. And I have a pretty good repertoire of them. I rocked and sang many little ones to sleep: my younger siblings, children I babysat for, my own children, my grandchildren…
- All the Christmas songs. As children we listened to Christmas songs recorded by Burl Ives, Perry Como, and Mitch (of Sing Along with Mitch fame), so learned all the classics.
- All the songs from the original Mary Poppins movie. We had that record, too. At one time, I knew all the words to all the songs. Now, fifty years later, I can still sing “Chim-Chiminy,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialadocious.” I have forgotten “Dearest Nanny,” “Feed the Birds,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” and any others.
- All the songs from The Wizard of Oz. Again, I used to know them all; now I don’t.
- Roger Miller songs. Mom loved his music, so it was often playing in our house. “King of the Road” still makes me grin whenever I hear it.
- Johnny Cash. Another of Mom’s favorites. The children’s pick was always “A Boy Named Sue.” We sang along with it whenever it came on.
- “Harper Valley P.T.A.” by Jeannie C. Riley. Because when it came on the car radio just as Dad was parking the station wagon so that we could go to church, he became intrigued by the lyrics. He waved a hand to tell us to wait, and to be quiet. He turned up the volume and, with a slight grin, listened to the entire song before leading us in to mass.
- Everything by the Beatles.
- Many songs by Paul McCartney and Wings.
- John Denver music, especially “Annie’s Song.”
- “You’re in My Heart,” by Rod Stewart.
- Almost all the songs Kenny Rogers did, but especially the sad, twangy ones: “Lucille,” and “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town.”
- All of Harry Chapin’s songs.
- Louis Armstrong’s songs. That voice!
- Many Helen Reddy songs, especially “I Am Woman.”
- “Hello” by Lionel Richie.
- “Just Called to Say I Love You,” by Stevie Wonder.
- Many songs by Pat Benatar.
- The songs of Fleetwood Mac.
- “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits. Also “Sultans of Swing.”
- Almost everything by Elton John.
- Many songs by Claudia Schmidt.
- “Lovely Agnes,” by Sally Rogers.
There it is, a mish-mash of my favorites. Which makes clear, it seems, that I don’t have a particular style, genre, or even type of musician in mind. But I do like music!
cindyricksgers 