Wondering about wild grapes

Friday, September 17, 2010

Really Old Songs

When I was a young child, every weekend my Mother, Father, and I would go to my Grandma’s home in a little railroad town along the Allegheny River. Some of the first memories I have of those trips is getting the big old 78 rpm records out and playing them on the Victrola. It wasn’t the kind with the big horn where the sound came out, but a larger upright unit where the top opened up to put the record on and the crank was on the side. Later, they got a large floor model radio that had a 78 rpm turn table on the top that would play one record at a time.

One of those songs that I listened to was “Chickery Chick”. This version was done by a big band with what sounded like a girl’s quartet or trio. The words to that song’s chorus keep running through my mind. I can even remember the tune. Here are the words:

“Oh! - Chickery chick, cha-la, cha-la
Check-a-la romery in a banaika
Bollika, wollika, can’t you see

Chickery chick is me?”

I don’t know when that song was recorded, but those records were old then and I was only around 4 to 6 years old at the time and now I am 67.

Back in those days, everyone liked music and played an instrument or sang or both. Another song that keeps going through my head was one that I heard my Mother’s family singing a lot back at the same time I heard the above song. This song (I looked it up on the internet) was a World War 1 song.

Its name is “K-K-K Katy” and the only part of it I remember is the chorus which went like this:

K-K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy,
You're the only g-g-g-girl that I adore;
When the m-m-m-moon shines,
Over the c-cowshed,
I'll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door.

These two songs are still in my memory after all those years. Maybe it is because there was a happy feeling that went along with the songs and the experiences at the time I heard them.

Does any one else remember these two songs?

Do you have any really old songs that stick in your head?

15 comments:

  1. DD, think I remember the second one. For me I hate it when songs stick in my head though because it gets like a broken record and lingers all day. I hate it when that happens (Especially if its a song I don't like) Yep... that happens to.

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  2. Made me think of Phil Harris an his song (The Thing)

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  3. Hey David, Yea I have had a lot of songs going around in my head, some for years and years. Guess I am not the only one, feel better now. Maybe you got (The Thing).

    Yep Ted, that was a good old song too. Wonder what the thing was. Dang drum beats always got in the way.

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  4. Good Grief DD, ya got me on that first one. I grew up ( like you ) listening to all my folks records. And in fact ended up with all of them AND a bunch from a friend when he cleaned out his house. Tried to sell them.. Finally just sold the whole lot to a local guy for a lump sum. However, I did keep all my 33's albums. ( should git rid of them I guess)

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  5. Good morning Ben, you mean you heard of the second one? I used to have a bunch of old 78 rpm records but don't know what happened to them. Anyway, got nothing to play them on.

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  6. Boy, does that bring up a lot of memories! Playing my folks old records when I was young !

    I do hate it when ANY song gets stuck in my head! Usually, if I just find it on YouTube or some where and play it...it goes away!

    Hey, you have a great day!

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  7. was all old country around when i was small, n the 1 song i think of is,,does the chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight...lol,,,THEN,,,that RnR hit the sceen, n that was it for me. rock around the clock!!!

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  9. Howdy Hermit, glad it brought you some pleasant memories. So, you say, listening to a song stops it from playing over and over in your head? I will have to try that but I don't mind the music :)

    Trouble, you mean like Bob Wills and the Texas Payboys? Yep, love that Texas swing. But I grew up listening to Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans sing cowboy songs and Gene Autry. Both had some really good songs, like Roys "Happy Trails to You" and Gene's "Back in the Sadle Again".

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  10. Hi Dick,
    I remember both songs well, sang them too, another one was the Hut hut Song:
    Hut Sut Ralson on the Rilla Rah
    and a Bralla Bralla suit
    Hutsut Ralson on the
    Rilla Rah and a Bralla Su-it
    And
    Down by the meadow in a little bitty pool
    Fwam 3 little fishies and a mama fishie too
    Fwim said the Mama Fishy
    Fwim if you can
    And they swam and they swam
    Right Over the Dam
    Do you remember those?
    Think we're aging ourselves!
    Kathie

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  11. Hut Sut Song, my spell checked is going nuts!

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  12. I cant seem to remember those songs , but had a thought that the songs of yesteryear were politically incorrect but fun.

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  13. Howdy Kathie, No, I can't remember those two songs. Maybe if I heard the music? I don't mind if I show my age, I am proud to have been a small part of the "days gone by". Back when there wasn't a TV in every house and people enjoyed each other.

    Good morning Nick, Yes a lot of the old songs were politically incorrect, but so am I.

    I thank both of you for commenting.

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  14. My aunt, who was only 8 yrs older than I was at the time, played piano and got the sheet music to Chickery Chick, so yes, I'm familiar with it. I always thought it was about the dumbest song ever, but it had a catchy tune.

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  15. I'm trying to remember all the words to a song that starts out A your adorable, B your so beautiful, C you're a cutie full of charm.............can anyone help me?

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