tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.comments2024-03-01T23:41:44.958-05:00When We SingJoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10155265926876994952noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-18788037807673223682024-03-01T23:41:44.958-05:002024-03-01T23:41:44.958-05:00Camp Manito-Wish's website sells a songbook wh...Camp Manito-Wish's website sells a songbook which includes "Life of a Voyageur."Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10155265926876994952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-65713651095211309482024-02-24T22:59:21.199-05:002024-02-24T22:59:21.199-05:00This is the version I was taught in 5th or 6th gra...This is the version I was taught in 5th or 6th grade in the late 60’s in West Virginia. I had always assumed it was about a shotgun wedding but as an adult, I wondered if it was actually about an escaped slave.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-85130736138156465932024-01-29T04:22:21.195-05:002024-01-29T04:22:21.195-05:00I too have a Scottish background (McCandless) ... ...I too have a Scottish background (McCandless) ... my mother learned from her father, who learned from his grandfather who emigrated during the 1800's (perhaps after the Crimean War.) While I heard it at home, the first time I ever heard it in a round was at a Catholic summer camp in San Diego. My definite understanding was the "Zooms" were always about imitating the sound of a bagpipe ... including the camp version of "Zoom-diddy-addah" which was supposed to be including the trill of the pipes in the marching tune. It was all about "we all saw" soldiers marching (gone to war) marching either thru "brambles raw" or to a place name (as my grandfather insisted)... plus boots and stockings, and sung in as broad a brogue as you could manage. My Mom had this interesting recording that was laid down on a kind of flimsy plastic (not vinyl) 45rpm, with images of the Black Watch marching; which sadly eventually fell apart after years of use. Love all the insights here, for some reason this song has been on my mind lately. Sooo glad to find you Joe, and everyone else as well!Charlenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12714069692039558122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-19852893466250135642023-12-23T15:17:52.330-05:002023-12-23T15:17:52.330-05:00Thank you for posting both the original lyrics and...Thank you for posting both the original lyrics and two recordings. I'm surprised there haven't been modern renditions and adaptations of this archetypal story.Maurahttp://maurahigh.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-15294475669090822022023-11-01T14:34:37.588-04:002023-11-01T14:34:37.588-04:00My dad was born in 1922 Uniontown PA and used to s...My dad was born in 1922 Uniontown PA and used to sing it to me and I'm trying to track down the publishing songwriter credits because I have a hidden track of him and his brother onn my CD I released 25 years ago and now need it for digital rerelease.... <br /><br />Pepper mcgowan Cleveland Ohio Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-59215269492809440012023-10-31T12:23:21.230-04:002023-10-31T12:23:21.230-04:00I sang this song when I went trick or treating in ...I sang this song when I went trick or treating in NE PA when I was little:<br /><br />Granny's in the cellar<br />Lordy can't you smell her<br />She's mixin' up a batch of cookies on her greasy stove<br />Her eyes are full of matter<br />That keeps running in the batter<br />And the (big sniff her) keeps running from her nose<br />From her nose, from her nose<br />And the (big sniff her) keeps running from her noseCJGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03297843670501770392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-22960611227476647902023-08-31T20:59:31.895-04:002023-08-31T20:59:31.895-04:00Parents and grandparents are from TX. My siblings ...Parents and grandparents are from TX. My siblings and I were raised in CA's Central Valley and we grew up with this song. No recollection of who taught it to me, but suppose it was my mom and sisters. Our version goes like this:<br /><br />Mr Moon, Moon, bright and shiny moon, <br />Won't you please shine down on me? <br />Mr Moon, Moon, bright and shiny moon, <br />Won't you please shine down on me? <br />Right over there is a man with a gun, da-da-da-dum<br />He's gonna shoot you if you try to run, <br />Mr Moon, Moon, bright and shiny moon, <br />Won't you please shine down, <br />Talk about you shinin'<br />Won't you please shine down on me?<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-60284789917931641552023-08-31T00:51:27.111-04:002023-08-31T00:51:27.111-04:00My grandpa used to sing this - Mr. Moon, moon, bri...My grandpa used to sing this - Mr. Moon, moon, bright & shiny moon. Shining down on me…I love my honey but I got to run there’s a man behind me with a big shot gun! From northern lower MI but he spent a bit of time in the Pacific Theatre. It seems he may have edited the original(?) a bit for our ears. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-59752686853333332332023-07-16T19:14:33.193-04:002023-07-16T19:14:33.193-04:00for reference, I'm 23 at the time of posting t...for reference, I'm 23 at the time of posting this 2023. I didn't learn it from a grandparent who would sing it but instead picked it up from my cousins who would sing it to my sickly grandmother who would beam when she heard it. I assume they learned it from her when she was healthier. the lyrics I learned are a bit different though <br /><br />"here comes a buckra with a big shotgun" is what I learned Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-26805961799082052862023-05-20T01:48:08.931-04:002023-05-20T01:48:08.931-04:00https://youtu.be/VanUP_VtijQ in case anyone's ...https://youtu.be/VanUP_VtijQ in case anyone's still looking!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-88034420897169351482023-05-12T11:23:11.876-04:002023-05-12T11:23:11.876-04:00My grandma taught me this as a round. She grew up ...My grandma taught me this as a round. She grew up in Wisconsin during WWII.<br />I learned the lyrics as:<br /><br />Wha saw the forty second<br />wha saw gone to wa<br />wha saw the forty second<br />marching through the brambled raw<br /><br />Zoombadember boots and stockings<br />Zoombadember nae no wa<br />Zoombadember boots and stockings<br />mairching through the brambled raw<br /><br />I was thinking that maybe Zoombadember (if it isn't a secret month that comes after December) was a a corruption of "Some of them wore", instead of "some of them got".<br />Also maybe "nae no wa" was a corruption of "nane tae wear", instead of "nane at all".<br /><br />It is really interesting to see all the ways the lyrics have been reanalyzed, in this big branching game of telephone.<br /><br />I don't know if my grandmother learned this at camp or from her family. I know there were scots-irish on her side of the family--Duff was her grandmother's maiden name I believe. Probably from camp, because, being scots-irish, the Duff family was probably away from Scotland before the boer war or crimean war or whichever war this song came from.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15323315779050981250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-65555770217400422482023-02-12T20:25:05.746-05:002023-02-12T20:25:05.746-05:00I'm 68 and we sang it in the 5th/6th grade at ...I'm 68 and we sang it in the 5th/6th grade at Brandon Elementary School in Columbus Ms around 1965 along with songs from The Sound of Music! For us, it was "bright and shiny moon" and "my life's in danger and I'm scared to run...there's a man behind me with a big shotgun". The tune was fun but I always wondered why on earth someone was chasing them with a shotgun!!!!Judyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02412449748786381404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-89904155947934707302023-02-06T17:55:33.381-05:002023-02-06T17:55:33.381-05:00Thank you for posting this! I was driving home and...Thank you for posting this! I was driving home and that song popped into my head. I couldn't remember all the words. I learned the song at girls camp back when i was a kid. Kinda funny..i was listening to your recording and I thought to myself how much it sounded like our mess hall or our lodge..it was then I noticed you said what Camp. It is no wonder it sounded familiar, It was Ajawah! What a coincidence! All 6 of us kids went to Ajawah. Some of us went on to be counselors as well. My mom was the camp nursie during boys camp for many many years. You gave me a bit of my childhood to reminisce about. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-72720720695885931442023-01-04T18:51:24.046-05:002023-01-04T18:51:24.046-05:00I am 78 years old and from Louisiana. We sang this...I am 78 years old and from Louisiana. We sang this song when I was a child, often when we were riding on the school bus to ball games. There was one difference in the lyrics though. We sang, “ I’m gonna shoot that possum with my big shotgun; I’m gonna shoot that possum before he starts to run; Oh Mister Moon, Moon, bright and silvery moon, won’t you please shine down on, please shine down on, please shine down on me…..Shine down on me!” It was a fun song for a child to sing and nothing scary about it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-42173804209665087852022-12-17T09:34:17.896-05:002022-12-17T09:34:17.896-05:00That is closer to the version my grandfather and m...That is closer to the version my grandfather and mom sang to me. It was always a Gatlin gun. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-2231840966721534542022-11-21T14:28:42.127-05:002022-11-21T14:28:42.127-05:00I learned this song in 5th grade music class, it w...I learned this song in 5th grade music class, it was in a songbook. That would have been around 1973Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-20677006637137202032022-07-17T21:52:09.910-04:002022-07-17T21:52:09.910-04:00My mom would sing "Oh, Mister Moon" to u...My mom would sing "Oh, Mister Moon" to us over 60 years ago, but with very different words. I can't remember them, but am sure there was no mention of a gun. Can anyone remember a version with an owl?Judy Stallonsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-49056115158074401292022-07-10T01:39:53.452-04:002022-07-10T01:39:53.452-04:00That’s a version you heard, I heard it how it’s wr...That’s a version you heard, I heard it how it’s written.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-20851527586588209182022-06-12T01:40:59.745-04:002022-06-12T01:40:59.745-04:00What a mysterious song! I learned it at a Girl Sco...What a mysterious song! I learned it at a Girl Scout camp in New Mexico in the 1950s and always wondered what it meant. The version I learned was<br /><br />Mr. Moon, Moon, bright and shiny moon,<br />Hidin' behind that tree<br />If you're in trouble and you're startin' to run<br />And there's a man behind you with a gatling gun<br />Mr. Moon, Moon, bright and shiny moon,<br />Please shine down on, talk about your shine on,<br />Please shine down on me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-68348245496214899562022-06-09T16:53:55.254-04:002022-06-09T16:53:55.254-04:00We sing this at my Girl Scout camp in NJ. Our vers...We sing this at my Girl Scout camp in NJ. Our version has the whole group singing the words until the zooms, then half keep the zooms going while the others repeat the words, then the groups switch, pretty much like has already been shared. <br />Our lyrics are:<br />Warsaw the forty-second<br />Warsaw them gone to war<br />Warsaw the forty-second<br />fighting for the men before<br /><br />zoom- the men wore shoes and stockings<br />zoom- the men wore none at all<br />zoom- the men wore shoes and stockings<br />fighting for the men before<br /><br />zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-83507091497953346862022-04-23T04:48:07.453-04:002022-04-23T04:48:07.453-04:00Natso are you behind posting these songs?Natso are you behind posting these songs?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-57246043592824980162022-04-17T08:59:16.218-04:002022-04-17T08:59:16.218-04:00My father was born in 1906 in Newark Ohio. He sang...My father was born in 1906 in Newark Ohio. He sang it to me like this:<br /><br />Oh, Mr. Moon, Moon, pretty silvery moon, oh won't you please shine down on me. Oh, Mr. Moon, Moon, pretty silvery moon, I'm as sad as I can be. Here comes a man with a big shot-gun. If he sees you, you'd better run. Oh, Mr. Moon, Moon, pretty silvery moon, oh won't you please shine down on me.<br /><br />I always saw the shot-gun as a threat to the moon! My dad graduated from Kenyon College in 1929, which is in central Ohio. I also associated this song with the book "Good night, Moon" which was probably read to me at the same time. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06942043376197799794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-49536390452490960072022-03-08T12:27:27.260-05:002022-03-08T12:27:27.260-05:00Is there any sheet music with guitar chords and no...Is there any sheet music with guitar chords and notes for someone to learn from?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-64301243417261180622021-12-12T20:53:42.106-05:002021-12-12T20:53:42.106-05:00Seems like a runaway slave songSeems like a runaway slave songAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06659159553723281068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7990780005354636648.post-85345856902452355172021-11-03T16:36:26.123-04:002021-11-03T16:36:26.123-04:00This is a wonderful site! I find it a great comfo...This is a wonderful site! I find it a great comfort to know there are so many people besides myself who have "wha saw the 42nd" stuck in their heads. At the Girl Scout camps I attended in Oregon and Washington, it was a two part round. One group sang the two verses and then sang "zoom, zoom, zoom" over and over while the other group sang the verses at the same time - back and forth, with always the "zooming" like a bagpipe drone.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06176544880343500674noreply@blogger.com