Dreadful sorry, Clementine.

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How did this song, about a girl drowning, ever become a children's classic:

In a cavern, in a canyon
Excavating for a mine
Lived a miner forty-niner
And his daughter, Clementine

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

Light she was and like a fairy
And her shoes were number nine
Herring boxes without topses
Sandals were for Clementine

Refrain

Drove her ducklings to the water
Every morning just at nine
Hit her foot against a splinter
Fell into the foaming brine

Refrain

Ruby lips above the water
Blowing bubbles soft and fine
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine

Refrain

Then the miner, forty-niner
Soon began to peak and pine
Thought he oughta join his daughter
Now he’s with his Clementine

Refrain

There’s a churchyard on the hillside
Where the flowers grow and twine
There grow roses, ‘mongst the posies
Fertilized by Clementine

Refrain

In my dreams she still doth haunt me
Robed in garments soaked in brine
Though in life I used to hug her
Now she’s dead, I draw the line

Refrain

Or how about this one:

The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried.

Refrain

I'll always love you and make you happy,
If you will only say the same.
But if you leave me and love another,
You'll regret it all some day:

Refrain

You told me once, dear, you really loved me
And no one else could come between.
But not you've left me and love another;
You have shattered all of my dreams:

Refrain

In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me
When I awake my poor heart pains.
So when you come back and make me happy
I'll forgive you dear, I'll take all the blame.

Refrain

We had a thread not long ago about how unsettling many nursery rhymes really were and there was a thread about how grim some Grimm's Fairy Tales are and now I'm thinking that a lot of the classic songs you associate with childhood are pretty gruesome too.

Can you think of any others?

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Another drowning one:

Go tell Aunt Rhody, go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody, the old gray goose is dead
The one she's been saving
The one she's been saving
The one she's been saving
To make a feather bed

Go tell Aunt Rhody, go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody, the old gray goose is dead
She died in the mill pond
She died in the mill pond
She died in the mill pond
From standing on her head

Go tell Aunt Rhody, go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody, the old gray goose is dead
The goslings are crying
The goslings are crying
The goslings are crying
Because their mother's dead

Go tell Aunt Rhody, go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody, the old gray goose is dead
The old gander's weeping
The old gander's weeping
The old gander's weeping
Because his mate is dead

I remember singing that one in elementary school, and how it would seem just too sad to even sing, and I'd get myself all choked up (especially with "the goslings are crying"), but then I'd get through it! I could handle it!

I think that's the overriding point of most of these, to help kids come to terms with things they think about but which don't often come up in day-to-day discussions.

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The hamburger's were taught Clementine in their ESL class some 48 years ago. Sang it to me a lot as a toddler. I always loved it. I don't think I 'got' what it was about til I was in my 20's and really listened to what the words were. Til then it was just 'memory work' to me.

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Oh that's a good one soz!

I remember the tune and the first verse but I didn't retain much after that. Reading through, it is a very sad song.

And I think you're suspicions are probably correct. I hadn't really thought of that. I need to think on it some more.

I flashed on this when hearing a kid's music tape that had the Clementine song. I remember the song but I don't remember the sadness of it, the story of it.

And they all have that "dirge-like" pacing. Hmmm....

When you think about it, "Rock A Bye Baby" is dreadful too. Poor little thing being placed so dangerously up in a tree.

That one at least, doesn't sound like a dirge!

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Hi eBeth. We were posting at the same time but it appears that we were on the same track of not getting it until later on in life.

Subliminal songs of loss.

Hmmm.

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Thinking further, that little prayer they teach kids is pretty morbid:

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take

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"The Streets of Laredo" was another song we sang in music class. (This might have been a Texas thing.)As I walked out on the streets of Laredo.
As I walked out on Laredo one day,
I spied a poor cowboy wrapped in white linen,
Wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay.

"I can see by your outfit that you are a cowboy."
These words he did say as I boldly walked by.
" Come an' sit down beside me an' hear my sad story.
" I'm shot in the breast an' I know I must die."

"It was once in the saddle, I used to go dashing.
" Once in the saddle, I used to go gay.
" First to the card-house and then down to Rose's.
" But I'm shot in the breast and I'm dying today."

"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin.
" Six dance-hall maidens to bear up my pall.
" Throw bunches of roses all over my coffin.
" Roses to deaden the clods as they fall."

"Then beat the drum slowly, play the Fife lowly.
" Play the dead march as you carry me along.
" Take me to the green valley, lay the sod o'er me,
" I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong."

"Then go write a letter to my grey-haired mother,
" An' tell her the cowboy that she loved has gone.
" But please not one word of the man who had killed me.
" Don't mention his name and his name will pass on."

When thus he had spoken, the hot sun was setting.
The streets of Laredo grew cold as the clay.
We took the young cowboy down to the green valley,
And there stands his marker, we made, to this day.

We beat the drum slowly and played the Fife lowly,
Played the dead march as we carried him along.
Down in the green valley, laid the sod o'er him.
He was a young cowboy and he said he'd done wrong.

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This was a favorite of mine as a kid and Mo and I sing it all the time:Oh Senor Don Gato was a cat
On a high red roof Don Gato sat
He went there to read a letter,
Meow, meow, meow
Where the reading light was better,
Meow, meow, meow
'Twas a love note for Don Gato

I adore you wrote the lady cat
Who was fluffy, white and nice and fat
There was not a sweeter kitty,
Meow, meow, meow
In the country or the city,
Meow, meow, meow
And she said she'd wed Don Gato

Oh, Don Gato jumped so happily
He fell off the roof and broke his knee
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, meow, meow
And his little solar plexus,
Meow, meow, meow
Ay Caramba cried Don Gato

Then the doctors all came on the run
Just to see if something could be done
And they held a consultation,
Meow, meow, meow
About how to save their patient,
Meow, meow, meow
How to save Senor Don Gato

But in spite of everything they tried
Poor Senor Don Gato up and died
And it wasn't very merry,
Meow, meow, meow
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, meow, meow
For the ending of Don Gato

When the funeral passed the market square
Such a smell of fish was in the air
Though his burial was slated,
Meow, meow, meow
He became reanimated,
Meow, meow, meow
He came back to life, Don Gato

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This is kind of interesting. While looking up the complete lyrics to these songs I've found that each of the one's I've posted, with the exception of Don Gato, were recorded at some time by Johnny Cash.

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Knoxvill Girl is hard to beat for murderous lyrics.

"Knoxville Girl"

I met a little girl in Knoxville
A town we all know well
And every sunday evening
In her home I'd dwell
We went to take an evening walk
About a mile from town
I picked a stick up off the ground
And I knocked that fair girl down
She fell down on her bended knees
For mercy she did cry
"Oh Willy, dear, don't kill me yet
I'm unprepared to die"
She never spoke another word
I only beat her more
Until the ground around me
With her blood did flow
I took her by her golden curls
And I dragged her 'round and 'round
Throwing her into the river
That flows from Knoxville town
Go down, go down, you Knoxville girl
With your dark and roving eyes
Go down, go down, you Knoxville girl
You can never be my bride
I started back to Knoxville
Got there about midnight
My mother, she was worried
She woke up in a fright
Saying, "Dear son, what have you done
To bloody up your clothes?"
I told my anxious mother
That I was bleeding in my nose
I called for me a candle
And I called for me a bed
And I called for me a handkerchief
To bind my aching head
I rolled and thrashed the whole night through
All horrors I did see
The devil stood at the foot of my bed
Pointing his finger at me
They carried me down to Knoxville
And put me in a cell
My friends all tried to get me out
But none could go my bail
I'm here to waste my life away
Down in this dirty old jail
Because I murdered that Knoxville girl
The girl I loved so well

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edgar! You must have gone to some completely freaky elementary school if you learned to sing that there!

Leopold and Loeb Primary?
Lindbergh Baby Prep?

Jeez. That song is wicked.

I've never heard of it. Who sang it? Do you recall?

And here all this time I thought "Holiday In Cambodia" and "Slap Your Bi+ch Up" were pretty far out there.....

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Sorry. I didn't learn it in school, but when in high school heard it over and over on the radio. I don't remember the artist.

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Found a peanut, found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now,
Just now I found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now.

Cracked it open, cracked it open,
Cracked it open just now,
Just now I cracked it open,
Cracked it open just now.

It was rotten, it was rotten,
It was rotten just now,
Just now it was rotten,
It was rotten just now.

Ate it anyway, ate it anyway,
Ate it anyway just now,
Just now I ate it anyway,
Ate it anyway just now.

Got a stomach ache, got a stomach ache,
Got a stomach ache just now,
Just now I got a stomach ache,
Got a stomach ache just now.

Called the doctor, called the doctor,
Called the doctor just now,
Just now I called the doctor,
Called the doctor just now.

Penicillin, Penicillin,
Penicillin just now,
Just now I took Penicillin,
Penicillin just now.

Operation, operation,
Operation just now,
Just now an operation,
An operation just now.

Died anyway, died anyway,
Died anyway just now,
Just now I died anyway,
Died anyway just now.

Went to heaven, went to heaven,
Went to heaven just now,
Just now I went to heaven,
Went to heaven just now.

Wouldn't take me, wouldn't take me,
Wouldn't take me just now,
Just now Heaven wouldn't take me,
Wouldn't take me just now.

Went the other way, went the other way,
Went the other way just now,
Just now I went the other way,
Went the other way just now.

Didn't want me, didn't want me,
Didn't want me just now,
Just now they didn't want me,
Didn't want me just now.

Was a dream, was a dream,
Was a dream just now,
Just now it was a dream,
Was a dream, just now.

Then I woke up, then I woke up,
Then I woke up just now,
Just now I woke up,
I woke up just now.

Found a peanut, found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now,
Just now I found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now.

By the time I was singing this one it didn't affect me much... but those goslings, man, those goslings... *sniff*

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Oh I went and found the lyrics, only remembered the first few stanzas, but reading through now I'm quite sure it didn't end with it being a dream -- smacks if latter-day adult cop-out. The one I learned ended up with the singer dying, end of story.

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Whew! edgar! You had me worried for a minute there friend.

It is so funny when you hear people complain about "those crazy kids" and "the music today". Honestly, the music today has been sanitized for your protection!

They might slap that bi+ch up but they aren't beating the girl they love to death with a stick and telling their moms they had a nosebleed.

I'm just glad to know that you didn't go to Leopold and Loeb Academy, my friend.

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"Found a Peanut"! Too funny. How did I ever forget about that one?

Yeah, the whole heaven/hell/dream thing had to have been added later on.

When we were kids people died in our songs and we liked it.

We were a bunch of little kids walking around singing songs about dead and dying people. Or, at least, beating girls to death with sticks.

That's the way it should be.

Now they have all those little pansy dinosaurs sing about "I love you and you love me" where they have to steal old music about giving dogs a bone because they aren't creative enough to kill people off with peanuts.

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AW, I learned some mild stuff in school, mostly, aside from Clementine and Found a Peanut. We used to link arms and march on people singing, "Hey hey
Outta my way
I just came from the USA."
Its origin is a mystery to me.

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Another good drowning-girl classic

It was early one morning in the month of May
Oh the wind and the rain
Two lovers went walking on a hot summer's day
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He said to the lady "won't you marry me"
Oh the wind and the rain
"And my little wife you'll always be"
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

Then he knocked her down and he kicked her around
Oh the wind and the rain
Then he knocked her down and he kicked her around
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He hit her in the head with a battering ram
Oh the wind and the rain
He hit her in the head with a battering ram
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He threw her in the river to drown
Oh the wind and the rain
He threw her in the river to drown
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He watched her as she floated down
Oh the wind and the rain
He watched her as she floated down
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

She floated on down to the miller's millstream
Oh the wind and the rain
He watched her as she floated down
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

The miller fished her out with a long fishing pole
Oh the wind and the rain
The miller fished her out with a long fishing pole
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He made fiddle pegs of her long finger bones
Oh the wind and the rain
He made fiddle pegs of her long finger bones
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He made a fiddle bow of her long curly hair
Oh the wind and the rain
He made a fiddle bow of her long curly hair
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

The only tune that fiddle would play, was
Oh the wind and the rain
The only tune that fiddle would play, was
A crying the dreadful wind and rain

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Dreadful sorry, Clementine.

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