i’m sure all of you have silly songs you sing or make up around your house and with your kids. i happen to just think we’re particularly gifted at this. well, go ahead and try to prove me wrong.
for four years now i’ve been singing this original wonder:
you are my son clyde (to the tune of you are my sunshine)
you are my son clyde
my only son clyde
you make me happy
when skies are gray
you’ll never know dear
how much love you
please don’t take my son clyde away
and then leo came and immediately triggered this household hit:
leo (to the tune of duran duran’s rio)
his name is leo
and he dances on the sand
just like that river dances through the dusty land
and when he shines
he really shows you all he can
oh leo, leo, dance across the rio grande
and since the release of the new catchy target ad with the beatles tune and me and ed’s amazing ability to boldly take on two children (in a musical fashion), we’ve been singing this one:
leo and clyde (to the tune of the beatles’ hello goodbye)
you take clyde and i’ll take leo
leo, leo
i don’t know why you take clyde
please take leo
leo, leo
i don’t know why you say clyde
i say leo
leo, leo
but then again, i felt particularly down on my songwriting game today while standing and bouncing leo in the sling and this slipped out:
baby (to the tune of the pussycat dolls’ don’t cha):
don’t you wish your baby was cute like mine
don’t cha
don’t cha
and for that one and that one only, i will apologize.
what you got?
I am laughing SO hard right noe re: I don’t know why you take Clyde I take Leo, Leo Leo!
So good. Thank you so much for that! I dont’ have a kid, but I do make up such songs for my cat when she stalks around the house, like:
“She’s a super creep, super creep, she’s super creepy – ME-OW!”
The first one is for my older daughter and is to the tune of a Christmas Carol that starts “See him lying on a bed of straw…”. The words in quote marks are in French…
See her lying on her brand new “lit”,
With Teddy, Rabbit and “petite” Froggy,
A little girl called Carla Noémie,
Carla Noémie “est née”
Oh, now carry me to Montpellier
To see Carla on this special day,
She’s the one to whom I’d like to say
Never, ever go away! (I’ll spare you the other verse!)
This one’s for my younger daughter and is to the tune of Barry Manilow’s Copacabana (and yes, I know how flaky this must make me seem!)
Her name is Lydie, Lydie Rebecca,
She was born in Montpellier
On a beautiful spring day
And now her parents,
And her big sister,
Are glad to have her in their home
And she’ll never feel alone
She sits there oh, so sweet,
So cute and so petite,
And she’s just the kind of girl
That you’d love to meet
Cos she’s Lydie,
Lydie Rebecca
The cutest girl this side of Mecca,
Yes she’s Lydie,
Lydie Rebecca,
Mama and Papa and big sister Carla
They all love her…
Cos she’s the best
Sorry, forgot to say your songs are great and had me giggling, much needed after a Wednesday in France (which means no school for the two munchkins, but me still trying – and failing – to work full time from home ;-))
that is so funny!
this is typical, but the length of my song-adjusting ability extends to singing “Push It (push it real good)” by Salt N’ Pepper. to my kids as they, uhm, poop. Which now I think on it, is probably really really wrong on lots of levels.
I also like to sing “Pump Up the Jam” by technotronic when I am, well, pumping.
I guess I am a bit of a literalist. And an old school hip hop fan.
I have a son, Max. I sing “Maxy Poo” (to the tune and words of “Peggy Sue”) At first my hubby was appalled (didnt like the nickname Maxy for a boy), but he sings it now too!! Funny how you make up songs like that without a thought.
we do this with the cats. for flynn, it’s “oh flynnie you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind. hey flynnie! hey flynnie!” and for moxie it’s (of course) “mox anne. you don’t have to put on the red light. mox anne/put on the red light. mox anne/put on the red light.” we don’t have one for greta yet…any suggestions?
Coming out of lurkerdom to comment on your hilarious songs — I love them! Your kids are lucky to be serenaded in such a fun way! I don’t have kids, but I have a tendency to sing everything in a very random way. My husband and I have unofficial contests to come up with very funny lyrics to songs.
This morning I was singing a song to the dog that oscillated between “Louie Louie” (Phoebe, Phoebe — oh, pug — we gotta go! — Out for a walk right now yeah!) and the theme from Sanford & Son (just repeaing “Phoebe” over and over again to the tune.)
I think your interpretation of “Hello Goodbye” is particularly brilliant.
Long live random singing!
We don’t have any remodelled songs for our daughter yet– prolly should wait till she arrives! But am excited for the many “Songs about Ja(y)ne” out there.
Meanwhile, we sing to the cat:
Here comes Purrcy cotton tail,
hopping down the kitty cat trail,
hippity hoppity Purrcy’s on his way.
He’s so cute, and he’s so sweet
He has white paws on his feet,
Hippity hoppity Purrcy’s on his WAY!
The cat? Perfectly willing to be bounced along to the song. This bodes well for Jayne-Purrcy interactions, methinks.
Your post has lots of potential as a meme! I’ll have to remember this in a few months. :)
My baby is 3 days old and we have the following:
Sound of Music-
How do you solve a problem like Camelia?
with apologies to Simon & Garfunkel-
Oh Camelia
you’re breaking my heart
you’re shaking my confidence daily
Oh Camelia
I’m down on my knees, I’m begging you please to come home
Come on home
West Side Story-
Camelia
I just met a girl named Camelia
and because I’m a child of the 80’s-
Karma Karma Karma Karma Camelia
she comes & goes
she comes & goes
Every day is like an hour (an hour)
Her diaper, smells like a flower
I just found your blog but had to comment on the songs! I thought I was one of the few people in the world who did this (and look, my “few” has greatly expanded!).. Sean, almost 9, gets “You are my sunshine”.. Cary, 5, gets “C is for Cary, that’s good enuf for me, C is for Cary, that’s good enuf for me, C is for Cary that’s good enuf for me, oh Cary, Cary Cary starts w/C” (yes, that’s the cookie monster song)..
Kayleigh’s was harder.. She gets “Hush, my darling, don’t cry, my darling, Kayleigh sleep tonight, (repeat).
ooooooh, oooooh (etc)
In the household, the Bonnett household, Kayleigh sleep tonight” etc.. (yes, The Lion Sleeps tonight).. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to help much (and she’s ONE, ONE! ack)..
Thanks for the smile tonight!
This is so funny, because I, like so many of you guys, thought that I was the only one that did this. I have made up songs with original tunes but there are only two that we still sing 4yrs later. Reading all of yours makes mine seem “just wrong” Ha ha.
The one I’ll share is to the tune of “I’m a Little Tea Pot” here goes…
Mama’s little Pookie, short and fat
He’s got a tooshie round in the back
When his diapers saggin’ you can see his crack
Just be careful of his gas attack