School assembly songs? (Nostalgia)

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 246
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    My favourite was Bread and Fishes:

    As I was a walking one morning in spring
    I met with some travellers on an old country lane
    One was an old man the second a maid
    The third was a young boy who smiled as he said

    CHORUS
    With the wind in the willows and the birds in the sky
    There's a bright sun to warm us wherever we lie
    We have bread and fishes and a jug of red wine
    To share on our journey with all of mankind

    So I asked them to tell me their names and their race
    That I might remember their kindness and grace
    My name it is Joseph this is Mary my wife
    And this is our young son who is our dear life

    CHORUS

    So I sat down beside them with the gay flowers around
    We ate from our mantle spread out on the ground
    They told me of people of prophets and kings
    And all of the one god who knew everything

    CHORUS

    We are travelling to Glaston down Englands green lanes
    To hear of mens troubles to hear of mens pains
    We travel the wide world over land over sea
    To tell all the people how they can be free

    CHORUS

    So sadly I left them on that old country lane
    I know that I never shall see them again
    One was an old man the second a maid
    The third was a young boy who smiled as he said

    CHORUS


    If we all behaved ourselves, we were allowed to sing it at the end - it was the school favourite!

    Wow memories on that thread! This was my favourite along with I vow to thee my country!

    Callie
  • cathrincathrin Posts: 4,968
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    Everyone,


    I have now found the lyrics (believe it or not they came from a similar thread in some other forum)…


    Funny though. I remember the tune pretty well, but I can't remember the tune to the main "Everybody's building" bit. Can anyone somehow describe it? Notes would do (I'm a musician). Or just tell me where the rests were.


    I
    And when the Savior came that way,
    he looked up in the tree,
    And said 'Now Zaccheus you come down
    cos I'm going to your house for tea!'"

    As a child, I always had the image of Jesus Christ sitting in a dining room with a cup of tea in his hand eating sandwiches. :D

    Ah, that was a lovely Alan Bennett-ish image! :)
    Here's an idea of the chorus of the building song: Hope this makes sense....

    C C C C D / F /

    F F F F G / A /

    A A A A Bflat A G F G / G / C.../ / /
    D D D D C / A /

    B flat A G F D / C /

    Can't remember the last bit, but I hope that gives the gist!:)
  • TonayBoyTonayBoy Posts: 1,439
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    Always Bright and Beautiful is the 'Smells like teen spirit' of the school assembly. A downright classic.
  • Grand DizzyGrand Dizzy Posts: 7,369
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    cathrin wrote: »
    Here's an idea of the chorus of the building song: Hope this makes sense....

    C C C C D / F /

    F F F F G / A /

    A A A A Bflat A G F G / G / C.../ / /
    D D D D C / A /

    B flat A G F D / C /

    Can't remember the last bit, but I hope that gives the gist!:)
    Hmmm. That doesn't ring any bells, strangely. Sounds very rock 'n' roll-ey. Reminds me of Meatloaf or somthing! Thanks very much anyway :D
  • GinaGoldGinaGold Posts: 14,058
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    On my way to work this morning, I was humming these songs. :o:D

    The Rainbow Song

    The Magic Penny

    If You're Happy And You Know it, Clap Your Hands. This version is a little different that the one we sang at school.
  • ClientFanClientFan Posts: 3,213
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    I don't suppose it was "Come Ye Thankful People, Come"? That's quite a sombre autumn song, although I don't remember singing it in school much.

    No, after a little googling I've managed to confirm that the song might actually be called "Look for signs that summer's done". It starts off something like

    Look for signs that's summer's done
    Winter's drawing near
    See the fields all bare and brown
    Turning of the year

    I don't think it is actually a bleak or depressing song, it's just that it evokes those type of images and memories for me. If anyone knows where I can find the complete lyrics it would be great.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,141
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    Court of king caracterus? :P
    I also remember a song about someone finding a peanut.
  • ClientFanClientFan Posts: 3,213
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    Chris.. wrote: »
    Court of king caracterus? :P
    I also remember a song about someone finding a peanut.

    Oh that peanut song was torture - just made up of successive one-line verses repeated over and over. Didn't really think it was an assembly song though, more the kind of thing the kids used to sing to kill time on long, boring coach trips back from days out.

    Same goes for King Caractacus - I like the song, but it reminds me too much of 'cool' college student gays (read: fat, overcompensatory dress-sense/hairstyle, ****-hag in tow) having their moment of glory at the end of the night in bars and clubs, by being the only ones able to do the whole bloody routine (same goes for the Blockbusters theme tune).
  • Grand DizzyGrand Dizzy Posts: 7,369
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    ClientFan wrote: »
    No, after a little googling I've managed to confirm that the song might actually be called "Look for signs that summer's done".

    Can't find the lyrics, but it features in the song book "Someone's Singing, Lord" ( here or here.) This book had loads of "classics"! And you can buy it (with CD) for £16.99! :D

    Full listing of the book…

    "Someone's Singing, Lord" song book:
    5, 4, 3, 2, 1 And Zero
    A Little Tiny Bird
    All The Flowers Are Waking
    All Things Which Live Below The Sky
    At Half Past Three We Go Home To Tea
    Can You Count The Stars?
    Come, Let Us Remember The Joys Of The Town
    Father, We Thank You For The Night
    For All The Strength We Have
    Give To Us Eyes
    God Bless The Grass That Grows Through The Crack
    God Who Put The Stars In Space
    Hands To Work And Feet To Run
    He Gave Me Eyes So I Could See — Ah, I remember that one ("I've got to tell it to the world… he… made… me!")
    Hurray For Jesus
    I Danced In The Morning
    I Have Seen The Golden Sunshine
    I Love God's Tiny Creatures
    I Love The Sun
    If I Had A Hammer
    I'm Very Glad Of God
    In The Early Morning
    It Fell Upon A Summer Day
    Jesus' Hands Were Kind Hands
    Kum Ba Yah
    Little Birds In Winter Time
    Look For Signs That Summer's Done
    Look Out For Loneliness
    Lord, I Love To Stamp And Shout
    Milk Bottle Tops And Paper Bags
    Morning Has Broken
    Now Jesus One Day
    O Jesus, We Are Well And Strong
    O Lord! Shout For Joy!
    Over The Earth Is A Mat Of Green
    Praise To God For Things We See
    See How The Snowflakes Are Falling
    Stand Up, Clap Hands, Shout Thank You, Lord
    The Farmer Comes To Scatter The Seed
    The Flowers That Grow In The Garden
    The Golden Cockerel
    The Ink Is Black, The Page Is White
    The Journey Of Life
    The Sun That Shines Across The Sea
    Think Of A World Without Any Flowers
    Think, Think On These Things
    This Is A Lovely World
    To God Who Makes All Lovely Things
    Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
    We Have A King Who Rides A Donkey
    We Praise You For The Sun
    We're Going Home
    When A Knight Won His Spurs
    When I Needed A Neighbour
    When Lamps Are Lighted
    When The Corn Is Planted
    Who Built The Ark?
    Who Can See The Great Wind Blow?
    Who's That Sitting In The Sycamore Tree?
    GinaGold wrote: »
    On my way to work this morning, I was humming these songs. :o:D

    The Rainbow Song

    The Magic Penny

    If You're Happy And You Know it, Clap Your Hands. This version is a little different that the one we sang at school.
    I sang all these in school. I'm surprised I'd forgotten "The Magic Penny" (Love is Something If You Give It Away). we sang that one all the time.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 572
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    Mainly hymns:

    All Things Bright and Beautiful
    Morning Has Broken
    etc

    Plus we had to learn carols off by heart in the junior school. In the seniors we got hymn sheets. :rolleyes: But that's the Grange School in Hartford for you perhaps!
  • Grand DizzyGrand Dizzy Posts: 7,369
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    alexm1985 wrote: »
    But that's the Grange School in Hartford for you perhaps!
    Altogether now…

    "Weh-weh—wa—Waaaaaah!"

    Mr Bronston: "DANNY KENDAAALL!"

    [cue flying sausage on a fork]

    :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 572
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    Altogether now…

    "Weh-weh—wa—Waaaaaah!"

    Mr Bronston: "DANNY KENDAAALL!"

    [cue flying sausage on a fork]

    :D

    lol

    You're talking one of the top independent schools in the country, with a tough record on discipline and standards so high that they expect a good few people to get to Oxbridge, and that the former head of Business Studies and Economics lost his job because ONE person failed A level Business Studies.
  • Ruby94Ruby94 Posts: 186
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    ValLambert wrote: »
    Does anyone remember getting a little pamphlet and singing along to a radio programme? (and I'm not THAT old)

    There were two of these - 'Time and Tune' and Singing Together'.

    Every Easter without fail, we used to sing songs from a musical (I think) called Jerusalem Joy. Anyone heard of that? The first song began:


    Jesus rode a donkey into town
    Many folk turned out from miles around
    What a sight to see
    A man to set men free
    Riding on a donkey into town


    Great thread, btw. The memories!
  • Grand DizzyGrand Dizzy Posts: 7,369
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    alexm1985 wrote: »
    lol

    You're talking one of the top independent schools in the country, with a tough record on discipline and standards so high that they expect a good few people to get to Oxbridge, and that the former head of Business Studies and Economics lost his job because ONE person failed A level Business Studies.
    Ah. So no flying sausages, then. :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,846
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    If I had a hammer...
    I'd hammer in the morin',
    I'd hammer in the evenin',
    All over this land.
    I'd hammer out danger!
    I'd hammer out warning!
    I'd hammer our love, between, my brothers and my sisters,
    All over this land!

    Do-do-doo-doo...Do-do-doo-doo....
  • ollybelleollybelle Posts: 638
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    Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing
    Onward, the sailors cry
    Carry the lad that's born to be king
    Over the sea to Skye.

    2. Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar
    Thunder clouds rend the air
    Baffled our foe's stand on the shore
    Follow they will not dare.

    3. Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep
    Ocean's a royal bed
    Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
    Watch by your weary head.

    4. Many's the lad fought on that day
    Well the claymore could wield
    When the night came, silently lay
    Dead on Culloden's field.

    5. Burned are our homes, exile and death
    Scatter the loyal men
    Yet, e'er the sword cool in the sheath
    Charlie will come again

    BTW I grew up in West London :o
  • big brother 9big brother 9 Posts: 18,152
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    what about this one i cant remember it all but here goes


    what shall we do today to keep our bedroom tidy
    come along surprize me whatll we do today
    we will pick the pens and paper and will put them in a box that is what we will do today


    or something like that
  • Smithy1204Smithy1204 Posts: 4,352
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    Mutinta wrote: »
    Does anyone remember the one about the man who built his house on the hill and the other on the sand and then the floods came and the man whose house was on the sand was washed away? It was something like that and I can barely remember it.

    The Wise Man built his house upon the rock
    The Wise Man built his house upon the rock
    The Wise Man built his house upon the rock
    And the rain came tumbling down.

    The rain came down and the floods came up
    The rain came down and the floods came up
    The rain came down and the floods came up
    And the house upon the rock stood firm.

    The foolish man built his house upon the sand
    The foolish man built his house upon the sand
    The foolish man built his house upon the sand
    And the rain came tumbling down.

    The rain came down and the floods came up
    The rain came down and the floods came up
    The rain came down and the floods came up
    And the house upon the sand fell flat!

    We sang that!

    I loved the Autumn Days song (just looked it up on YouTube, and I couldn't stop smiling!)

    I used to like singing Lord of the Dance, Keep Me Travelling Along With You, and He's Got The Whole World In His Hands too.

    We sang 'When I'm 64' too. :D
  • grimtales1grimtales1 Posts: 46,685
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    I remember we sang hymns in assembly (Morning Has Broken, Spirit of God etc) - incidentally Spirit of God is the same tune as the Skye Boat Song isnt it?

    Try singing:
    Spirit of God as strong as the wind
    Gentle as is the dove
    Give us your joy and give us your peace
    Show to us Jesus' love

    I remember "When a Knight Won His Spurs" too but have forgotten the proper words - damn you Alan Ahlberg! ;)

    But also folk tunes (Streets of London, Jamaica Farewell), perhaps even Morningtown Ride by The Seekers :)
    I remember singing The Orinoco Kid by Mike Batt (I think!) at some Wild West show we put on and some American ballad about a dying cowboy.
    I dont believe in God though so it felt odd at times having to sing stuff I didnt believe in.

    And looking back I do think one had quite a sinister image -
    I was cold I was naked
    Were you there? Were you there?

    :eek: Maybe we didnt sing those words, can't remember.

    Sorry for bringing this thread up! ;)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 661
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    ...• He's Got the Whole World In His Hands

    Please share your memories of assembly, or songs you loved/hated. And in particular please let me know if you sung any of the songs on my list, or have any more! I am becoming obsessed now! :D

    This was banned from my school as everybody started singing 'He's got the whole world in his pants':o.
  • parsleyisfunparsleyisfun Posts: 4,164
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    I went to a Welsh primary school so wondering if any other Welshies had to sing these -

    Ffrindiau, Ffrindiau
    Diolch
    Diolch Wnawn O Dduw I Ti
    Molwch
    Nadolig Llawen Iawn I Ti
    Braf Yw Bwyta
    Calon Lan

    And the favourite, Pe Bawn I

    Pe bawn i, yn iar fach yr haf,
    Diolchwn i ti am gael hedfan yn iaf,
    etc
    And then the chorus with the hand gestures!

    "Wel fe roddest ti wen, ac fe roddest ti gan,
    Fe roddest ti Iesu, a calon lan,
    Ond diolch, diolch o Dduw am gwneud fi yn fi!".

    Nowadays in our secondary school assemblies, we don't have any songs, Welsh or English :( but whenever we're going anywhere on a bus, we always sing -

    "Everywhere we go-o (everywhere we go-o)
    People wanna know (people wanna know)
    Where we come from (where do you come from?)
    Who the f**k we are (who the f**k you are)
    So we tell them! (so we tell them)"

    and then we just shout the school name repeatedly until we get told off by the teachers, who were secretly joining in ;)
  • grimtales1grimtales1 Posts: 46,685
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    ollybelle wrote: »
    Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing
    Onward, the sailors cry
    Carry the lad that's born to be king
    Over the sea to Skye.

    2. Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar
    Thunder clouds rend the air
    Baffled our foe's stand on the shore
    Follow they will not dare.

    3. Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep
    Ocean's a royal bed
    Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
    Watch by your weary head.

    4. Many's the lad fought on that day
    Well the claymore could wield
    When the night came, silently lay
    Dead on Culloden's field.

    5. Burned are our homes, exile and death
    Scatter the loyal men
    Yet, e'er the sword cool in the sheath
    Charlie will come again

    BTW I grew up in West London :o

    That's the tune I sang too! :o Only the words were
    Spirit of God as strong as the wind
    (or something like that).

    I remember the Going To The Zoo song sung by Julie Felix (well actually when I was little I didnt know it was Julie Felix on tape!) and the Sing a Rainbow song.

    But IMO our school sang the wrong words - it should be:

    Listen with your eyes
    Listen with your eyes
    And sing everything you see
    You can sing a rainbow
    Sing a rainbow
    Sing along with me

    But our school sang "Sing a rainbow too" in place of that line, so it didnt rhyme :( I always wanted to say "You're doing it wrong! :mad:
  • Grand DizzyGrand Dizzy Posts: 7,369
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    grimtales1 wrote: »
    I remember we sang hymns in assembly (Morning Has Broken, Spirit of God etc) - incidentally Spirit of God is the same tune as the Skye Boat Song isnt it?

    Try singing:
    Spirit of God as strong as the wind
    Gentle as is the dove
    Give us your joy and give us your peace
    Show to us Jesus' love
    I had completely forgotten about this one. Only after reading the lyrics to the tune of the Skye Boat Song did it come back to me! Another one for my list, thanks! :)
    grimtales1 wrote: »
    Sorry for bringing this thread up! ;)
    The thread hasn’t been replied to in over two years! There are probably teenagers on here who are nostalgic about this thread from their “childhood”! :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 68,508
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    ludovica wrote: »
    We used to sing all the traditional old hymns (which I love) and never did "happy clappy" worship songs (which I don't).

    I have very early (1808) Children's Hymn book. It is full of stirring stuff like,

    Lord! What a sordid worm am I,
    So wicked and unlean!
    Here grovelling at thy feet I lie,
    A filthy heap of sin!


    For some unaccountable reason this hymn seems to have fallen by the wayside.
  • grimtales1grimtales1 Posts: 46,685
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    I saw a YouTube comment about school songs so typed it in Google and this thread came up! :D
    I remember "Children Go Where I Send You" or something like that (The Seekers recorded that one as I found out much later).
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