Cool Kidsongs: Shortnin' Bread, This Old Man, My Grandfather's Clock

The Tractors: Shortnin' Bread

[purchase]

This week's theme is somewhat out of my area of expertise. Not being a parent I only have my own childhood to draw from. But from my earliest days there always was music in our house. If there wasn't something playing on their old Packard-Bell, our folks would make up for it by singing songs to us. Shortnin' Bread was one of those songs. I remember even then that I thought it was a silly song and even sillier was the idea of my mom singing it to me. But years later I heard a version of the song and all the memories of her singing that song came back like it was yesterday. I'd give anything to hear her sing that to me now. But I'll have to settle for the few versions of this I have, including this great one by the Oklahoma based band The Tractors.

Yellowman: This Old Man

[purchase]

Another one I remember from those wonderful days of innocent youth was This Old Man.. I should mention here that the Tractors have a great version of this but I've chosen to post the Yellowman version. There's just something about reggae that can make even the most mundane song sound great.

Sam Cooke: My Grandfather's Clock

[Out of print]

Years later, during music class in about the fourth grade,I got in trouble for acting off during our singing of Grandfather's Clock. The trouble was I was innocent! But it didn't matter...I was in trouble and that was all there was to it. My teacher made me stand up in front of the class and sing the song solo. Needless to say it made me hate the song for years.. or so I thought. The truth is I've always loved the song and no fourth grade teacher was going to spoil that for me! My first choice was to post the Johnny Cash version but I've chosen the Sam Cooke's because Johnny Cash has already been posted this week.