The Department of Folk Song

The Best Folk Songs Come From Folks Like You

Here are some songs that other folks have submitted:

The Minnesota Farmer’s Lullaby

An old farm wife recalls her life
way back when she got married,
How her new husband built up their farm
and house upon the prairie;
And after chores, on the front porch
while they sat and watched the sky,
She’d sing
The Minnesota Farmer’s Lullaby.

Hard work, good food, faith, solitude,
and love would keep them going,
They’d keep each other warm
those winter nights
when it was snowing.
No matter what conditions were,
their dreams never went dry;
She’d sing
The Minnesota Farmer’s Lullaby.
She’d sing so high like the cry
of the loons on the lake nearby,
It seems to echo out across the state
To Sleepy Eye;
Then they’d go to bed while overhead
The Canada Geese fly
To The Minnesota Farmer’s Lullaby.

Now he’s retired, he’s hired
a younger manto work the lands,
But they still desire to rock
on that front porch, holding hands;
And gazing at the Northern Lights
a-flashing way up high,
She’d sing
The Minnesota Farmer’s Lullaby.
She’d sing so high like the cry
of the loons on the lake nearby,
It seems to echo out across the state
to Sleepy Eye.
And while the cows out in their stalls
breathe a collective sigh,
She sing
The Minnesota Farmer’s Lullaby...
How I love her
Minnesota Farmer’s Lullaby.

Submitted by Tommy Orrico, Sparta, WI

I’ve Been Thinking

Reuben, Reuben, I’ve been thinking,
What a grand world it would be
If the men were all transported
Far beyond the Northern Sea.

Rachel, Rachel, I’ve been thinking,
What a grand world it would be
If the girls were all transported
Far beyond the Northern Sea.

Reuben, Reuben, I’ve been thinking
Life would be so easy then.
What a lovely world it would be
If there were no irksome men!

Rachel, Rachel, I’ve been thinking
Life would be so easy then.
What a lovely world it would be
If you’d leave it to the men!

Reuben, Reuben, I’ve been thinking
If we went beyond the seas,
All the men would follow after
Like a swarm of bumble-bees!

Rachel, Rachel, I’ve been thinking
If we went beyond the seas,
All the girls would follow after
Like a swarm of honey-bees!

I'm Looking Over My Dead Dog Rover
(Sung to the tune of I'm Looking Over A Four-Leaf Clover.)

I'm looking over my dead dog Rover
Lying on the bathroom floor
One leg is busted, another is sprained
The third got run over by my CocoPuff train
No use explaining the part remaining
You've seen them all before
That's why I'm looking over my dead dog Rover
Lying on the bathroom floor.

I'm looking over my dead dog Rover
That I overran with the mower
One leg is mangled, another is gone
The third leg is scattered all over the lawn
No use explaining the one remaining
It's stuck to the kitchen door
I'm looking over my dead dog Rover
That I overran with the mower.

The Old Family Toothbrush

Chorus
The old family toothbrush
The dirty old toothbrush
That slimy old toothbrush
That hangs on the wall

Verses
First it was Mother's
Next it was father's
Then it was Sister's
and now it is Mine!

Mother she used it
Father abused it
Sister refused it
so now it is mine

Submitted by Jay Mittler, Gananoque, Ontario

I Love To Go A-Gorging
(Sung to the tune of The Happy Wanderer [I Love To Go A-Wandering!].)

I love to go a-gorging
Amid great gobs of food
And as I do my abdomen
Continues to protrude.

CHORUS:
Calorie, calorah
Calorie, calorah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Calorie, calorah
My body is obese.

Italian food with all its cheese
And thick tomato paste
It never seems to pass on through
But hangs around my waste.

CHORUS

French cuisine inspires me
To even greater heights
An eight-course meal is quickly done
In seven standard bites.

CHORUS

A German meal is all I need
To make my day complete
It's hard to keep account of all
The strudel that I eat.

CHORUS

At hot dog stands and burger joints
To make my power play
They bring it in a wheelbarrow
Instead of on a tray.

CHORUS

We’re Sand Hill Cranes
(loosely based on Buddy Holly’s ”Everyday” )

We’re sandhill cranes, with half-filled brains;
I’m a flighty kind of guy, and she’s a ditsy dame.
We refused to study and our moms were peeved;
When we found each other we were so relieved.

We’re two birds of a feather; we’re identical types.
On our heads in red are identical stripes.
Yes, we’re sandhill cranes with half-filled brains.
And we don’t mind a bit if we’re called half-wit.

Like all cranes worldwide, on our wings we glide;
Our brains we depend just as little as we can.
And our diet is strange; through the fields we range,
Caterpillar is preferred, though we will eat grain.

Though we mate for life, there’s considerable strife;
You’ll have ruffled pin feathers with a crane for a wife.
We are sandhill cranes, with half-filled brains;
Anything we learn dribbles down the drain.

We are four feet high, with bright yellow eyes;
We could peck your neck if you happened by.
But we’re not that sort; we’re just good sports,
Though we don’t like coot ’cause they’re too darn short.

In our mating dance, we will jump and prance,
Then we’ll bow to each other; what a sound we will utter.

We are sandhill cranes, with half-filled brains,
And we stay outdoors even when it rains.

Submitted by Dan Gribbin, Daytona Beach, FL

Oo-ey, Oo-ey, Oo-ey

Ev’ry mornin’ at half past eight
I go ”oo-ey, oo-ey, oo-ey” to Georgia.
And ev’ry mornin’ at half past eight
She goes ”oo-ey, oo-ey, oo-ey” to me.

No need to knock. No need to ring.
As I rub my eyes.
I just throw up the window,
pop out my head and go
”oo-ey, oo-ey, oo-ey” to Georgia.

Ev’ry mornin’ at half past eight
I go ”oo-ey, oo-ey, oo-ey” to Georgia.
And ev’ry mornin’ at half past eight
She goes ”oo-ey, oo-ey, oo-ey” to me.

No need to knock. No need to ring.
As I rub my eyes.
I just throw up the window,
pop out my head, down comes the window,
off rolls my head...
”OO-EY, OO-EY, OO-EY!”

Submitted by Charlie Hochmuth, Lowell, IN

Two Little Orphans

Two little orphans a boy and a girl
sat by the old church door
Their little bare feet
were as brown as the curls
that fell upon the dress that she wore.

Their clothes were all ragged
all tattered and torn
tears shown beneath their blue eyes
Why don’t you go home to your mother
I said and this was the maiden’s reply

Mama got sick angels took her away
left Jim and I all alone
We came here to sleep
till the close of the day
for we have no Mama or home

Papa got lost out at sea long ago.
We waited all night on the shore
for he was a life-saving Captain
you know but he never came home any more.

The Preacher came early
to ring the church bell
found them beneath the snow white
The angels found room
for the Orphans to dwell
in heaven with their mother that night
In heaven with their mother that night.

Submitted by Lea Billingsley, Pine Mountain, GA