I have a list of complaints about children's music. Buying a CD seems simple enough. I suppose I'm looking for the nursey rhymes I heard as a kid. Yet, take it home, pop it in…Hickory Dickery Dock's done rap style…Old MacDonald plays like a Southern rock song from the 70's, complete with guitar solo in the middle. My personal least favorite is Baa, Baa, Black Sheep done in quarter time with the chanteuse crooning as if she's Whitney Houston. A sheep just isn't that emotional, nor is the song itself.
These classics contain creative license, are full of artistic spin. Do they think they're appealing to parents' tastes or are they just frustrated rock stars sublimating their ambitions by producing children's music? I have a feeling it's the latter. Either way, the songs aren't as remarkable as the singers seem to think.
Genres reinterpreted. Classical music done on a recorder, Jazz-lite. Mozart and Coltraine are rolling over in their graves. Why not listen to the originals? Well, except for the classic Irish music that you maybe want to listen to on St. Patrick's Day (sorry Irish readers).
Then, there are the lyrics that I didn't notice as a child. Three blind mice is just plain sadistic. And Skip to My Lou? Who is Lou? Why are we skipping to her?…him? Who knows.
Forgive me, I clearly spend too much time for my own good listening to this music.
Of course, it's really for my daughter's benefit, and Claire doesn't seem to mind. She's blissfully oblivious to my pet peeves. Although, her favorites are Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star -- done as they should be with simple melodies and straightforward lyrics.
Perhaps, my daughter isn't buying the artistic flourish either.
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I feel your pain! I'm not a big fan of remakes either, especially when it's some rap version! However, if you're looking for some of what I call "non-annoying" children's music, I highly recommend checking out The Laurie Berkner Band. Fun, folksy, and pretty much the only music my kids had that didn't annoy the pee out of me. This is coming from a former music teacher...
ReplyDeleteGah! I hear you! I get SO annoyed when I buy a song thinking it'll be a simple children's tune and then they totally mess it up. And children's shoes? A pain in the you-know-what. My son has "tall" feet, as in they are fat from arch to top and so many shoes don't even work for him. And why boots can't all have zippers when they're made for little people is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, as always! :D
My kids are older and my pet peeve is how inappropriate lyrics to popular songs have become. The worst part about it is that preteens seem to have this uncanny ability to memorise all the lyrics after hearing a song one time. I seem to miss what the song is saying until later when my 9 and 11 year old are singing it, without a clue as to what they are saying. Needless to say, we no longer turn the radio on in the car. :)
ReplyDeleteMy all-time worst parental pet peeve is still the price of ANY product marketed at kids. If its for kids, you can bet the price is going to be double or triple what its worth. And heaven forbid if it has their favorite character on it! Of course all of these products are placed at children's eye level on the shelves. Sigh, I guess that's why I shop online so much.
ReplyDeleteI'm just finding that out about the weird remakes on children's songs these days. I remember an awesome kids tape about animals that I had when I was little and I'd love to find a nice one like that for my daughter.
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Jessica
Luckily I have found cds that have plain and simple nursery rhymes on them. Izzy loves to sing them, I sometimes get told off if I chime in because she wants to sing them by herself! Most of them are so catchy I can't help myself to sing them. YouTube has been good too, to find nursery rhymes she can watch and sing along to.
ReplyDeleteSome nursery rhymes are pretty harsh with their lyrics aren't they!
Try the Music Together CDs. Mostly good songs with inoffensive lyrics.
ReplyDeletewe have a personalized CD of rhymes that we love (simple and just like I remember from a kid). There is one adaptation of classical music I like that I probably shouldn't and that's "Beethoven's Wig is Big." lol
ReplyDeleteSorry... ;)
I do feel you on the Three Blind Mice thing... and a lot of the nursery rhymes are terrible concepts too (Hansel and Gretel?!?!).
They make some kids' music today that seem more directed at the parents. Our parents suffered through it, why not us? Once in awhile, that is. ;) I like Dan Zanes and Friends because it's good folk music everyone can enjoy. No contemporary gimmickry, nothing annoying. Just good music.
ReplyDeleteAnother pet peeve - gave my kid the iPad so I could talk with his teacher on the phone. Searched "airplanes for kids" in YouTube. Not very far down the page are crashes. Seriously? UGH. Now I have to learn how to filter that stuff out. Bah.
ReplyDeleteOMG I HATE that version of Baa Baa Black sheep!!! Annndddd now it's stuck in my head :)
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http://rationalmindofacrazywoman.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-new-gig.html
Lol, I totally agree, I love the simple versions of the classics too. And those two songs are my sons favourite too! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with the Tuesday Baby Link-Up, be sure to check out this week!
Rachel, I am so with you on this - and you know what, I refused to play kiddie music in the car when I was driving!! As a result Grace has a rather eclectic taste in music! :)
ReplyDeleteLots of nursery rhymes have dark and adult meanings to them I found a few years back.Thankfully I managed to get my 3 into my kind of music from an early age so I don't have to listen to it too often.
ReplyDeleteSo much becomes totally wrong and rant-worthy once we have kids :)
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