# Hang Down Your Head Tom Doolly



## Ina (Jan 26, 2014)

Ok gals and guys, reach back as far as you can, and tell us the first song you can remember. Mine was the Tom Coolly song. I was seven, and could sing it all the way through. It was sad, and I now remember, so was I. Hmmmmmm


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## Ina (Jan 26, 2014)

Doolly- not Coolly. I wish this thing would quit spelling for me. I do badly enough on my own.


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## That Guy (Jan 26, 2014)

There was a song something about "beautiful beautiful brown eyes I'll never love blue eyes again" that my grandmother used to sing and I would get sad because I have blue eyes.  
She was so sweet in consoling me.

Earliest song I recall singing was Onward Christian Soldiers.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 26, 2014)

Ina said:


> Ok gals and guys, reach back as far as you can, and tell us the first song you can remember. Mine was the Tom Coolly song. I was seven, and could sing it all the way through. It was sad, and I now remember, so was I. Hmmmmmm


I remember singing that too and Johnny Horton's Battle of New Orleans.

But the first song I vividly remember knowing and singing was The Rock Island Line and Hot Diggity Dog Diggity. I had little red and bright yellow records.

anybody else remember these?


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## Ina (Jan 26, 2014)

45's right? When did albums start?


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## GeorgiaXplant (Jan 26, 2014)

You Are My Sunshine. My dad used to sing it to me.


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## Ozarkgal (Jan 26, 2014)

Ina, that's funny, because that's the first pop song I can remember knowing all the words to also.  Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley.

The second one that sticks in my head is Conway Twitty's "It's Only Make Believe.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 26, 2014)

No wonder we all remember it it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Dooley_(song)

Holy CRap! this is messed up! I forgot what a rotter Tom was and here some of us kiddies were singing this song. LOL


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## Ina (Jan 26, 2014)

Ah HA!!!  Another Texas gal, or at least close. That was 1959 for me.


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## Ina (Jan 26, 2014)

Wow OH, In my ignorance I never realized that song had such a history. Good thing I was ignorant though, I was already sad.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 26, 2014)

Ina said:


> Ah HA!!!  Another Texas gal, or at least close. That was 1959 for me.


Washington State, but I sure do remember that song. Tom sure deserved to hang. Poor boy my ass.

Yeah Ina I didn't remember that at all.


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## Anne (Jan 26, 2014)

My Dad used to play Red Wing and Red River Valley on his fiddle and harmonica; so I remember those, and then, Over The Rainbow was a favorite too, when I was little.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 26, 2014)

Hey here's another light hearted cheery song from our childhoods. LOL


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## Pappy (Jan 26, 2014)

Pistol Packin Mama

Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer

Yes, we have no bananas

You are my sunshine

Red sails in the sunset


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 26, 2014)

I can't remember the very first song really, but one that comes to mind is Catch A Falling Star by Perry Como.


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## Ozarkgal (Jan 26, 2014)

Okay, I just had a brain fart going back even further to, "How Much is That Doggie in the Window" and "Playmate, Come Out and Play With Me". I must have been about four or five then.


Hey, hey, oh playmate,
Come out and play with me.
You'll bring your dollies three,
Climb up my apple tree.
Cry down my rain barrel,
Slide down my cellar door.
And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more.

How Much is That Doggie in the Window: (Patti Page)

How much is that doggie in the 
window
 (arf, arf)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the 
window
 (arf, arf)
I do hope that doggie's for sale​


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## Ozarkgal (Jan 26, 2014)

OH, I don't know why, but Mack the Knife has always been one of my favorite songs..I loved Bobby Darin. He and Sandra Dee were the a very romantic couple when I was pre-teen.  So sad he died so early.  I know they had a bumpy ride in their relationship, but I think they were the loves of each other's lives.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 26, 2014)

Ozarkgal said:


> OH, I don't know why, but Mack the Knife has always been one of my favorite songs..I loved Bobby Darin. He and Sandra Dee were the a very romantic couple when I was pre-teen.  So sad he died so early.  I know they had a bumpy ride in their relationship, but I think they were the loves of each other's lives.


i loved that song too.

Did you see the movie about Bobby Darin, Kevin Spacey played him and did a bang up job!


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## Katybug (Jan 26, 2014)

Old Hipster said:


> Hey here's another light hearted cheery song from our childhoods. LOL



Absolutely loved that man!!!


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## Katybug (Jan 26, 2014)

I remember all the kids songs...London Bridge, etc., but I remember my mom buying Dean Martin's, That's Amore.  She played it a lot, along with his other hits.


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## Pappy (Jan 26, 2014)

I know you are all chomping at the bit to ask me about Yes we have no bananas.  It was sung by Louie Prima and was one of my favorite songs when I was a little guy. 

Ladies and gentlemen I give you, Yes we have no bananas.:sentimental:


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2014)

I would have to say that "_Happy Birthday To You_" is the earliest song memory I have. 

... followed immediately by "_Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick_".


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## drifter (Jan 26, 2014)

I remember those mentioned but I grew up in Texas and in my part of the world hill billy, then later country was what was happening and the first song I remember and could sing all by myself, was Ernest Tubbs singing, "Walking The Floor Over You." Ernest Tubbs grew up not far from my town. He used to hitch hike to WF where his aunt and uncle ran a cafe. He'd bring his guitar and sit on a end stool and sing and play and entertain customers during the lunch run. The Grand Ole Opry and the Louisiana Hayride provided our entertainment over radio.


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## Diwundrin (Jan 26, 2014)

That Guy said:


> There was a song something about* "beautiful beautiful brown eyes I'll never love blue eyes again" *that my grandmother used to sing and I would get sad because I have blue eyes.
> She was so sweet in consoling me.......................



Blast from the Past TG!  That got a frequent airing in our house, loved it.  Sure it was a wrist slitter but it was kinda beautiful to me, it was to the Uncle who played it often as he could too apparently.  I was the only one in the whole family who had brown eyes and I thought it must have been written for me. 



It is now an earworm in my head, thanks a lot for that, I remember the tune and now the damned words are coming back!

No idea what the earliest one would have been, too many around the same era,  but you can bet it was C&W, yours or ours.  Actually Ghost Riders in the Sky was probably one that impressed me particularly so I'll go with that.

Though Dad used to whistle Streets of Laredo in the loo if that counts. 




Here's Brown Eyes, sure it was a bloke singing the version I remember but do remember this one too.


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## Katybug (Jan 26, 2014)

Old Hipster said:


> No wonder we all remember it it.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Dooley_(song)
> 
> Holy CRap! this is messed up! I forgot what a rotter Tom was and here some of us kiddies were singing this song. LOL



Oh yes, it was a very negative & sad song, but we probably weren't paying attention to the lyrics.  Hope not anyway, cuz it is a major downer.


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## Diwundrin (Jan 26, 2014)

An awful lot of the most memorable ones were a tad weird or wrist slitters if we really listened to the lyrics and not just the overall sound.
Loved Tom Dooley.  
And what about  Banks of the Ohio??  aaaagh.  
It didn't matter much about lyrics to me usually, I was just a sound of it kinda person.

I was playing a tape of Enigma singing something in French that I  was plain addicted to in the car on a long trip.  My Canadian friend  glanced at me a couple of times then asked " You don't speak French do  you?"   No.  "Thought not."



Posting the link to ONJ's version not just because of the voice but for the incongruity of that sweet young thing singing that song so cheerfully.
(Plus to ponder what a bastard time has been to us all. 

)


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## SifuPhil (Jan 26, 2014)

Diwundrin said:


> I was playing a tape of Enigma singing something in French that I  was plain addicted to in the car on a long trip.  My Canadian friend  glanced at me a couple of times then asked " You don't speak French do  you?"   No.  "Thought not."



Enigma is highly addictive, even if you don't speak French. I used to fill in for the DJ on various occasions at the club and whenever I would put on Enigma the dancers would go crazy - in a good way. It's very sensual music, in addition to having that medieval flavor with the chants.


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## Katybug (Jan 26, 2014)

Old Hipster said:


> No wonder we all remember it it.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Dooley_(song)
> 
> Holy CRap! this is messed up! I forgot what a rotter Tom was and here some of us kiddies were singing this song. LOL






Oh my gosh, I was singing this song early in my life,  WAY before I had the concept of it in my head.  Good entertainment, but very dark!


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## Diwundrin (Jan 26, 2014)

SifuPhil said:


> Enigma is highly addictive, even if you don't speak French. I used to fill in for the DJ on various occasions at the club and whenever I would put on Enigma the dancers would go crazy - in a good way. It's very sensual music, in addition to having that medieval flavor with the chants.



I carry the guilty secret of an atheist who is enthralled by Gregorian chants.  No accounting for it except that I don't speak Latin either.


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## Casper (Jan 26, 2014)

_*My nana had a piano and I learned to play. We had most of the latest sheet music and my cousin and I would sit down at the old piano and sing along to so many songs, I can't remember them all.
There was Slim Whitman's "China Doll", True Love" from the movie High Society, "Forever & Ever" Perry Como.....
so many more....aahhh, memories.ld:*_


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## Diwundrin (Jan 26, 2014)

I hunted down a CD of Slim W's China Doll on eBay when I was on a nostalgia jag about a year ago.  Loved that song, still do.


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## Pappy (Jan 27, 2014)

Grandma played a mean Stars and Stripes on the piano. Does anyone remember the old piano stools that turned to adjust the height? I remember swinging around like crazy on that thing.

And the first song I learned to play.....good old chopsticks.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 27, 2014)

Pappy said:


> Grandma played a mean Stars and Stripes on the piano. Does anyone remember the old piano stools that turned to adjust the height? I remember swinging around like crazy on that thing.
> 
> And the first song I learned to play.....good old chopsticks.


I remember playing on those piano stools too. They were fun, until somebody told you to stop.


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## Jillaroo (Jan 27, 2014)

_I must have driven my aunty insane, i always stayed with her during the school holidays and all i played on the piano was Chopsticks_


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## i_am_Lois (Jan 27, 2014)

I guess I was a Lone Ranger fan. I remember the William Tell Overture.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 27, 2014)

i_am_Lois said:


> I guess I was a Lone Ranger fan. I remember the William Tell Overture.


I owe my love of classical music to The Lone Ranger and Looney Tunes.


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## Davey Jones (Jan 27, 2014)

*I WANT YOU I NEED YOU I LOVE YOU* is still stuck in my mind along with *DONT BE CRUEL.*


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## Pappy (Jan 27, 2014)

I was a Glenn Miller fan and use to drum along with his music on my practice pad.


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## Casper (Jan 27, 2014)

Jillaroo said:


> _I must have driven my aunty insane, i always stayed with her during the school holidays and all i played on the piano was Chopsticks_



_*Hey Jilly, sounds familiar.....my cuz and I used to play that too and a couple of other ones, I think they were called vamps....
she'd be down one end of the piano with me at the other.....we probably drove our nan and the neighbours crazy when I think back.
:daz:
*_


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## Diwundrin (Jan 27, 2014)

No musical talent whatever. Can't raise a beat on a tin can.  Nana had a piano but I couldn't even master Chopsticks.  I was a bitter disappointment to my father's family,they were all quite musical. But they still spoke to me, grudgingly.  Can't sing either. Have a range of 3 notes, all flat.
I was asked quietly by a teacher not to sing with the class, but just to lip synch.  Wow, just how bad must I have been?! 



My other Nana had a wonderful voice, she could sing One Fine Day from M.Butterfly, her favourite!  Never trained and never used it except at home singing mostly old Scottish songs. What a waste.  (ummmm, let me rephrase that.  No aspersions on Scottish songs, just a fine voice seldom heard never even sang in a church choir.)
I didn't score any of her genes obviously.


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