Tangled Tunes—She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain

When working on my adaptation of “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain,” I wanted to do something similar to my version of “On Top of Old Smoky.” I wanted to turn it into a fun, silly, and hopefully rememberable song. One kids will have fun singing. Now sometimes I don’t know where my inspiration comes.… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain

Tangled Tunes—On Top of Old Smoky

Growing up, and given the choice, I’d sing “On Top of Spaghetti” before the traditional “On Top of Old Smoky.” The made-up lyrics were funny and silly and all about my favorite food—I could eat spaghetti and meatballs for every meal, including breakfast. Plus, the original version was all about courtin’ and losing a true… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—On Top of Old Smoky

Tangled Tunes—Oh, My Darling, Clementine

So the song Oh, My Darling, Clementine is about a miner who’s daughter drowns, and he sings about the tragedy. It’s a pretty morbid tale. In a cavern, In a canyon, Excavating for a mine, Dwelt a miner forty-niner, And his daughter Clementine. Oh my darling, Oh my darling, Oh my darling Clementine, You are… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—Oh, My Darling, Clementine

Friendship Poems

Since graduate school, I haven’t worked on a lot of poetry, other than dabbling here and there with cinquains. But earlier in the year I was asked to compose children’s poems to be included in several anthologies due out next spring. The first batch was for Trust, Truth, and Ridiculous Goofs—all poems about friendship. Below… Continue reading Friendship Poems