Nancy Raven’s

The House We Live In, Vol. II

Lyrics

SAMBALELÉ (Brazil)

Here is a song about a show-off. Do you know what a show-off is? (Be sure to try the dance!) Maracas, guiro, charango.

Sambalelé is a show-off
Threw a stone at a mango
The mango stayed up, the stone fell on his head (ouch!)
Sambalelé is home in bed.

Chorus:

Oh, step and stamp and twirl, oh menina^*
Hold your skirt and twirl, oh menina
Step and stamp and twirl, oh menina
You are the prettiest one, oh menina
Oh, step and stamp and twirl, oh menino*
Hold your shirt and twirl, oh menino
Step and stamp and twirl, oh menino
You are the prettiest one, oh menino

Sambalelé is a show-off
Built a snare to catch a Rabbit
He didn’t know how, he caught himself instead (snap!)
Sambalelé is home in bed.

(chorus)

Sambalelé is a show-off
Built him stilts to be a tall man
Took a tumble on his great big head (crash!)
Sambalelé is home in bed.

(chorus)

Sambalelé is a show-off
Tried to eat more than papá did
Ended up with a big tummy ache (oh!)
Sambalelé is home in bed.

(chorus)

^*Menina = girl
 Menino = boy

HAWAIIAN COWBOY SONG (Charles King, Hawaii)

Follow this cowboy from the ocean to the volcano pastures where the cattle are. Hawaiian bamboo drums (ohe-ka-èke), temple blocks, conch, rain stick (satare).

To the top of Haleakala
My steed is raring to go
With my good old lariat a-swinging
I’ll sing my Hawaiian cowboy song.

The road is winding, the birds are singing
The fog is lifting, the view revealing
The sun is rising and my spurs are softly jingling.
Oh, hear me sing my cowboy song.

BELLA HORTELANA (Latin America)

Good for acting out. At the end of each verse, fold your arms as the pretty farmer does. Caxixi.

Cuando siembra, the bella hortelana
Cuando siembra, siembra asi.
Asi siembra, poco a poco
Luego pone las manos asi.

Siembra asi
Luego pone las manos asi.

Cuando riega, la bella hortelana
Cuando riega, riego asi.
Asi riega, poco a poco
Luego pone las manos asi.

Siembra asi, riega asi,
Luego pone las manos asi.

Cuando corta, la bella hortelana
Cuando corta, corta asi.
Asi corta, poco a poco
Luego pone las manos asi.

Siembra asi, riega asi, corta asi,
Luego pone las manos asi.

Cuando muele, la bella hortelana
Cuando muele, muele asi.
Asi muele, poco a poco
Luego pone las manos asi.

Siembra asi, riega asi, corta asi, muele asi,
Luego pone las manos asi.

Cuando tortea, la bella hortelana
Cuando tortea, tortea asi.
Asi tortea, poco a poco
Luego pone las manos asi.

Siembra asi, riega asi, corta asi, muele asi, tortea asi,
Luego pone las manos asi.
Cuando cocina, la bella hortelana
Cuando cocina, cocina asi.
Asi cocina, poco a poco
Luego pone las manos asi.

Siembra asi, riega asi, corta asi, muele asi, tortea asi, cocina asi,
Luego pone las manos asi.

Cuando come, la bella hortelana
Cuando come, come asi.
Asi come, poco a poco
Luego pone las manos asi.

Siembra asi, riega asi, corta asi, muele asi, tortea asi, cocina asi, come asi,
Luego pone las manos asi.

When she plants, the pretty farmer,
When she plants, she plants like this.
Thus she plants, little by little,
Then she puts her hands like this.

She plants like this,
Then she puts her hands like this.

(She waters, cuts, grinds, makes tortillas, cooks, and eats)

AL TAMBOR (Latin America)

In this carnival song from Latin America, we dance to the beat of the tambourine. Can you fill in the names of your friends? In Spanish, a boyfriend is amigo mio and a girlfriend is amiga mia. Tambourine, maracas, charango.

Al tambor, al tambor, al tambor de alegria
Yo queiro que tu me llueves
Al tambor de alegria.

Nathan, oh Nathan, (Gretchen, Mira, etc.)
Nathan, amigo mio,
Yo quiero que tu me llueves
Al tambor de alegria.

To the drum, to the drum, to the cheerful drum
I want you to take me
To the cheerful drum.

Nathan, oh Nathan,
Nathan, my friend,
I want you to take me
To the cheerful drum.
GOLDFISH Japan
Try the hand drawings to make the fish.
Earth gongs.

Here is a mountain
Here is a valley
In between them is a wide field of wheat
Then a sweet potato
And a little bean
Look, look, now you have a goldfish, too.

Yama ga atte
Tani ga atte
Dan dan batake ni mugi batake
Imo ga atte
Mame ga atte
Ara, ara, sakana ni nachatta.

ARKANSAS TRAVELER (United States)

Maybe you’ve heard some of the many jokes that go along with this old song. Harmonica, spoons.

Once upon a time in Arkansas
An old man sat in his little cabin door
And fiddled at a tune that he liked to hear
A jolly old tune that he played by ear.

It was raining hard, but the fiddler didn’t care
He sawed away at the popular air
Tho’ his roof it leaked like a waterfall
That didn’t seem to bother the man at all.

A traveler was riding by that day
And stopped to hear him practicing away
The cabin was afloat and his feet were wet
But still the old man didn’t seem to fret.

So the stranger said, Now the way it seems to me,
You’d better mend your roof, said he.
But the old man said, as he played away,
I couldn’t mend it now, it’s a rainy day.

The traveler replied, That’s all quite true,
But this, I think is the thing for you do do;
Get busy on a day that is fair and bright
Then patch the old roof ’til it’s good and tight.

But the old man kept on a playing at his reel
And tapped the ground with his leathery heel.
Get along, said he, For you give me a pain.
My cabin never leaks when doesn’t rain.

GUP! (India)

After hearing this song from India, you can make up a tall tale of your own. Gong, tongue-drum, Indian shaker.

Chorus:

I’ll tell a tall tale, gup!
I’ll tell a tall tale, gup!
I’ll tell a tall tale, donkey climbed up a palm tree.
There she did sit and eat pomegranates
Happy as she could be.

Out on the hill a poor ant died
Bold cobblers skinned him at once
Bold cobblers skinned him at once
They made shoes, two hundred full pairs,
And five thousand skin bags, too.

(chorus)

Chicken would visit her relatives
Painted and powdered well
Painted and powdered well.
Comb and brush she held in her hand
She primped as she walked along.

(chorus)

This is the tallest tale of all
Our well it caught on fire
Our well it caught on fire
Mud and water in flames they vanished
Fishes all flew away.

(chorus)

I’M A LITTLE COOKIE (United States)

© 1987, Larry Penn. This song helps us remember that people of all shapes and sizes, like cookies and candy, need to be loved. Snare drum, slide whistle, popgun, flexitone.

I’m a little cookie, yes I am
And I was made by the cookie man
But on my way to cookie land
A little piece broke off of me.

A little piece broke off of me, uh huh,
A little piece broke off of me, uh huh,
But I can taste just as good, uh huh,
As a regular cookie can.

I’m a little Tootsie Roll, yes I am
And I was made by the Tootsie Roll man
But on my way to Tootsie Roll land
I got a little twist in me.

I got a little twist in me, uh huh,
I got a little twist in me, uh huh,
But I can taste just as good, uh huh,
As a regular Tootsie Roll can.

I’m a little chocolate bar, yes I am
And I was made by the chocolate bar man
But on my way to chocolate bar land
I got a little bend in me.

I got a little bend in me, uh huh,
I got a little bend in me, uh huh,
But I can taste just as good, uh huh,
As a regular chocolate bar can.

I’m a little gummy bear, yes I am
And I was made by the gummy bear man.
But on my way to gummy bear land
I got a little dent in me.

I got a little dent in me, uh huh
I got a little dent in me, uh huh.
But I can taste just as good, uh huh
As a regular gummy bear can.So I’m a little cookie, yes I am
And I was made by the cookie man.
But on my way to cookie land
A little piece broke off of me.

Now I’m not as round as I might be
But I need your love, so give it to me.
And I can love back, just wait and see
Like a regular cookie can!

CLAM FISHING (France, Arabia)

Arabic and French words sung by Nadine Ghammache. Let’s go to the beach and dig for clams and mussels. But hang on to your basket! Clam shells, rain stick (satare)

A la peche moules moules moules
Je ne veux plus aller, maman
Les gens de la ville ville ville
Ont pris mon panier, maman.

Aalas saidees samaki saaamaki
Ma beddee rooh ya, mama
Ah led daiaa daiaa daiaa
Akhadooles salleh ya, mama

To go fishing for clams and mussels
I no longer want to go, mama.
People in the village village village
Take my basket from me, mama.

SKIP TO MY LOU (United States)

You can easily make up your own verses for this early American folk song. Appalachian dulcimer, guiro, jaw harp, dancing dolls.

Chorus:

Skip skip skip to my Lou
Skip skip skip to my Lou
Skip skip skip to my Lou
Skip to my Lou my darling.

Little red wagon painted blue
Little red wagon painted blue
Little red wagon painted blue
Skip to my Lou my darling.

(chorus)

Lost my partner what’ll I do?
Lost my partner what’ll I do?
Lost my partner what’ll I do?
Skip to my Lou my darling.

I’ll find another one quicker than you
I’ll find another one quicker than you
I’ll find another one quicker than you
Skip to my Lou my darling

Cat’s in the cream jar what’ll I do?
Cat’s in the cream jar what’ll I do?
Cat’s in the cream jar what’ll I do?
Skip to my Lou my darling.

Flies in the buttermilk shoo fly shoo
Flies in the buttermilk shoo fly shoo
Flies in the buttermilk shoo fly shoo
Skip to my Lou my darling.

MAY THERE ALWAYS BE SUNSHINE (Ostrovsky, Botting, and Oshanin, Russia)

A wonderful song about peace. Snare drum, kazoos, tambourine.

May there always be sunshine
May there always be blue skies
May there always be mama
May there always be me.
May there always be sunshine
May there always be blue skies
May there always be mama (papa)
May there always be me.

Poose vsegdá bóodyet sontse
Poose vsegdá bóodyet nyebah
Poose vsegdá bóodyet mama
Poose vsegdá bóodoo yah.
Poose vsegdá bóodyet sontse
Poose vsegdá bóodyet nyebah
Poose vsegdá bóodyet papa
Poose vsegdá bóodoo yah.

Que siempre haya el sol
Que siempre haya el cielo
Que siempre haya mamá
Que siempre haya yo.
Que siempre haya el sol
Que siempre haya el cielo
Que siempre haya papá
Que siempre haya yo.