Rant #2,836: Sing a Simple Song

Good morning.
 
It’s Thursday, February 17, and it is time to get up in the morning.
 
“Rise and shine and get out that glory, glory
 
Rise and shine and get out that glory, glory
 
Rise and shine and get out that glory, glory
 
Kingdom of the Lord.”
 
Those are the lyrics to the children’s song “Rise and Shine,” or at least part of the lyrics of the song, which we were taught when I was a young kid at the then-brand-new P.S. 30 in the then-brand-new neighborhood that I grew up in, Rochdale Village, South Jamaica, Queens, New York,
 
When I got up from bed today, I started to sing those scant lyrics in my mind, and when my wife got out of bed, I sang them to her … and she probably thought I was nuts.
 
So with hopes of finding the song on the Internet, yes, I located the song, but I found that they kind of played around with the lyrics to this song way back when, only teaching us the “hook” of the song and changing the lyrics a bit.
 
According to the Child Song Lyrics site (https://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/childsongslyrics/riseandshinelyrics.html) the actual lyrics to the part of the song that we were taught are as follows:
 
“Rise and shine
 
And give God the glory, glory
 
Rise and shine
 
And give God the glory, glory
 
Rise and shine
 
And give God the glory, glory
 
Children of the Lord."
 
No, I have no idea why they changed the lyrics a bit or why they didn’t have us learn the rest of the song—which talks about Noah and the Lord—but at least I know I am not crazy in remembering this song, and remembering that they taught us this song, or at least part of it, in school.
 
I also remember other songs that we were taught. I find it hard to believe that I do remember these songs, because in music class, the teacher I had, who went by the name of Miss Rampey, didn’t like me.
 
Oh, it wasn’t just me. She had her favorites—kids who actually had some musical talent—but kids like me, who had a tin ear … well, we were in the class, but according to her, we just took up space there, so I never learned anything in the class at all.
 
And then I lost—or had stolen—my recorder, that flute-like instrument that kids use to learn to read and play music with, and I was a goner in that class.
 
I have since learned that Miss Rampey lasted in that school for several generations, and that I wasn’t the only one to claim that she definitely had her favorites, so I know that I am not wrong about that memory.
 
Anyway, there were other songs that we had to sing in those days, Thinking back, I think we sang them at assemblies that our parents attended, just to show them that we were getting a well-rounded education there, but whatever the case, I find it hard to believe that we sang these songs and that I actually remember them.
 
“Will you buy my tortillas
 
“Wiill you buy my tortillas.”
 
I don’t remember the rest of the song, but looking around the Internet, we were evidently taught a Chilean folk song called “Buy My Tortillas."
 
I cannot find the lyrics, but again, my memory astounds me!
 
And there was another one about an Indian chief, a Zulu warrior, that we also sung about, but that is about all I can remember about that song.
 
I think the song was called “Zulu Warrior,” and when we sung the song, the emphasis was on the word “chief,” so when we sung it, it went something like this:
 
“Indian CHIEF, CHIEF, CHIEF” with us kids putting that emphasis on “chief” by yelling the word out those three times.
 
It is just so funny what I can remember from all those years ago.
 
I see those commercials for memory lose pills for people in my age bracket, and I tell you, I don’t need them!
 
Just remembering those bits and pieces of songs that I had to sing with my classmates all of those years ago tell me that my memory is just fine at the ripe old age of nearly 65, and I don’t need those things at all.
 
Couple that with all the clearer memories I have from those days and even earlier in my life, and I know that the old brain still works!
 
But what did I have for dinner yesterday?
 
I just don’t remember.
 
Maybe I need those pills after all … .
 
And before I forget, I have one of those confounded early appointments tomorrow, so I am going to have to take a day off from writing the blog.
 
So have a good Friday, have a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on … what day will it be? …
 
Oh yes, I remember ...

I will be back here on Monday!