to Drama Drive

Making Shoes for Clementine

(Tune: You guessed it! “Oh, My Darling, Clementine”)
Lyrics: Lucy Jensen

On a shelfie, by himselfie,
Sat an elf at Christmas time,
Making shoes of the finest leather,
For his Darling Clementine.

   Chorus
    Oh, my Darlin’; oh, my Darlin’,
    Though you wear size forty-nine,
    And your toes-ies,
        Don’t smell like rose-ies,
    You’re my Darling Clementine.

Won’t wear Nikes, for her hike-ies,
Designer fashions will be fine,
Forget the boxes, without the tops-es,
You’re my Darling Clementine.

Took forever, sewing leather,
Lacing it with purple twine,
Odor-eaters will make them sweeter,
You’re my Darling Clementine.

Pointed toes-ies; Rhinestone bows-ies,
How those fancy slippers shine,
No rhyme or reason; it’s just the season,
Let’s go dancing, Clementine.

‘Cause you’re taller, and I’m much smaller,
Though your dancing is divine,
Tootsie-Wootsie, please watch my footsies,
You’re my Darling Clementine.

Happy New Year
(Tune: Small World)
Lyrics: Lucy Jensen

There's a new year coming soon,
There's a new year coming soon,
There's a new year coming soon,
It will soon be here.

May it bring much laughter, a world of cheer;
May it bring new hope, take away the fear.
May the sun shine above,
On a world full of love,
There's a new year coming soon.
(Now the new, new year is here!) Sing this line in January.

There's a new year coming soon,
There's a new year coming soon,
There's a new year coming soon,
It will soon be here.

Happy New Year to you all,
Happy New Year to you all,
Happy New Year to you all,
Happy New, New Year!

Variation:

Sing the first verse in December and substitute the last verse at the bottom if you sing it in January. In the second verse, substitute the last line as shown above.

Ring Those Bells
(Tune: Jimmy Crack Corn)

Ring those bells and turn around,
Ring those bells and turn around,
Ring those bells and turn around,
For Christmas time has come.

Ring those bells and stomp your feet,
Ring those bells and stomp your feet,
Ring those bells and stomp your feet,
For Christmas time has come.

Ring those bells and jump up high,
Ring those bells and jump up high,
Ring those bells and jump up high,
For Christmas time has come.

Ring those bells and tap your drum, (slap thighs for drum sound)
Ring those bells and tap your drum,
Ring those bells and tap your drum,
For Christmas time has come.

Ring those bells and touch your toes,
Ring those bells and touch your toes,
Ring those bells and touch your toes,
For Christmas time has come!

Note: children may have bells in their hands or on their wrists

Must Be Santa!
(Tune: Skip to My Lou)

(Sing) Who's got a beard that's long and white?
Who's got a beard that's long and white?

(Chant) Santa's got a beard that's long and white!
He's getting ready for that special night!

Chorus (Everyone sings)
               S-A-N-T-A, S-A-N-T-A,
               You spell "Santa" just that way,
               He's bring goodies in his sleigh!

(Sing) Who's got boots and a suit of red?
Who's got boots and a suit of red?

(Chant) Santa's got boots and a suit of red.
He won't come until you're in bed! (chorus)

(Sing) Who's got a great big cherry nose?
Who's got a great big cherry nose?

(Chant) Santa's got a great big cherry nose,
And when he laughs he says, "Ho, Ho!" (chorus)

(Sing) Who very soon will come our way?
Who very soon will come our way?

(Chant) Santa very soon will come our way.
Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh.

First half of the class "question" half say:
But where's Rudolph?

Chanting half of the class say:
NINE little reindeer pull his sleigh!! (chorus)

The Toyshop Revolt

(a Christmas musical written by Cherry Carl)

This is the script for a school wide play/musical that I wrote and had performed in 1982. Someone on www.teachers.net requested something different for a school play. It's a bit complex for younger students to take on for themselves, but intermediate students can handle it. When my school performed it, the kindergarteners were the baby dolls, the first graders were the teddy bears, the second graders were the toy soldiers and the third graders were the stuffed animals. I don't remember the roles of the other grade levels. (Must be a senior moment!) I wrote the lyrics for several of the songs and my cousin (who was the musician in residence in his hometown); wrote the tunes to go with them. He sent me the sheet music and a tape of himself singing the songs and playing his 12 string guitar! I was overwhelmed! The song for the stuffed animals was a simple rewrite of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music and it soon became "My Favorite Stuffed Things." The third graders wore footed pajamas and we applied whiskers and whatever else was needed to make them look like stuffed animals. I think that they wore socks on their hands to make them look like paws. If you're interested and need more information, please let me know at carl1404@msn.com

The Toyshop Revolt Song Lyrics

My Favorite Stuffed Things
(To the tune of My Favorite Things)
Cherry Carl

Black and white pandas with fuzzy round tummies,
Soft, fluffy lambs and brown baby bunnies,
Pudgy pink pigs and Pegasus wings . . .
These are a few of my favorite stuffed things.

Brown teddy bears and Winnie the Pooh,
Whiskery kittens and Mickey Mouse, too.
Wild are my monkey, my lions are king . . .
These are a few of my favorite stuffed things.

Cute, cuddly duckling and Kermit the frog,
Garfield the cat and Snoopy the dog,
Elegant elephants, kangaroo springs . . .
These are a few of my favorite stuffed things.

When I'm yelled at, when the tears sting,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply hug tightly my favorite stuffed things . . .
And then I don't feel so bad.

(For the musical, I changed the last line of each verse to: We are a few of her favorite stuffed things. The kids were dressed as stuffed animals. Most wore soft pajamas along with ears and blackened noses and whiskers. They looked and sounded great!)

Christmas Doll
Cherry Carl
Christmas comes just once a year,
Bringing toys we love so dear . . .
Boats and balls and baseball bats,
Skates and kites and kitty cats.
But all I want is just one thing,
Dear Santa, please bring
The toy I love the most of all . . .
A brand new special Christmas Doll.
I'll sing to her this lullaby:
"Mother's near, so don't you cry.
Go to sleep, now hushaby."

Toy Soldiers
Cherry Carl

        Toy Soldiers! Toy Soldiers! Toy Soldiers!

Refrain: Here they come, here they come,
             Marching tall to the sounds of drum.

          Ever faithful, ever true,
        Soldiers dressed in red and blue,
        Facing battles without fear,
        Every man a musketeer.

Refrain

          Oh, these tiny wooden toys
        Bring such joy to little boys,
        Ever marching in a line . . .
        Oh, I wish that they were mine!

Refrain

        Toy Soldiers! Toy Soldiers! Toy Soldiers!

In the musical, Polly asks for one thing . . . the repair of her precious dolly. Her letter to Santa reads:

Dear Santa,
    Christmas is coming and I've been very good,
    But not as careful as I think I should.
    For I left my dolly outside in the rain,
   And I thought I'd never see her again.
   But I looked and looked all over the place
   And finally found her with mud on her face.
   Her dress is torn and she's lost her shoe.
   That's why, dear Santa, I'm writing to you.
   Her legs won't work, so she cannot walk.
   But worst of all yet, she doesn't talk!

. . . which leads to the following song

                  There once was a dolly who could not talk.
               She'd lost her shoes and her legs would not walk.
               For she had been left outside in a storm
               And her pretty dress was tattered and torn.

                 Dear Santa, please don't bring me anything
               Just fix my dolly so she can talk,
              And give her some shoes that can make her walk.

(There's more to this song . . .)

My Teddy Bear

Sometimes I'm all alone and don't know what to do,
So I look for my friend who's old, not new.
He's missing an eye and one ear is gone,
And his leg looks like it's been chewed upon.

His tummy's in stitches and his smile is worn.
His red bow tie is ragged and torn,
But he'll dress for parties and eat mud pie,
And never say a word when I want to cry.

He'll always be there, even sleeping with me.
Sharing and caring, he's my company!
And sometimes, at night, when we're ready for bed,
He pulls up the covers to hide his head!

Chorus:

But I would know him anywhere.
He's my very best friend!.
I would know him anywhere . . .
My teddy bear!

Sheet music for My Teddy Bear is available.
It's an original, lively tune that my cousin, Mark Williams,
wrote and recorded to go with my lyrics!

More sheet music to follow. After all, it's been over twenty years since I've looked at this! I'll have to dig through my boxes in storage to find the rest of the sheet music! Be patient with me!

Three Bear Operetta Songs

"Ev'ry Morning Porridge Yummy"
(Tune: "Comin' 'Round the Mountain")
Lucy Jensen

Ev'ry morning I make porridge,
Yes, Siree! Yes, Siree!
Ev'ry morning I make porridge,
Yes, Siree! Yes, Siree!

Ev'ry morning
Porridge yummy
Fill up all the empty tummies.
Ev'ry morning she makes porridge,
Yes, Siree! Yes, Siree!

"Ev'ry Morning Porridge Yummy"
(Tune: "Ten Little Indians")
Lucy Jensen

Too, too, too, too, too hot porridge,
Curling up toe-zies; steaming up nose-zies.
See the bubbles in the bowl-zies.
Too, too, too hot porridge!

"Goldilocks! Goldilocks!"
(Tune: "Three Blind Mice")
Lucy Jensen

Goldilocks! Goldilocks!
Walking in the woods,
Walking in the woods,
Her hair was bright like a golden flame,
And that's how she got such a pretty name,
Along to the house of the bears she came,
Goldilocks! Goldilocks!

Goldilocks! Goldilocks!
Don't go in;
Don't go in!
"Never go to the house of a stranger!
When you're alone there can be such danger!"
Goldilocks! Goldilocks!

"Count the Bears"
(Tune: "Farmer in the Dell")
Lucy Jensen

Oh, three brown bears are we,
Oh, three brown bears are we,
We're a brown bear family,
Now count us 1, 2, 3!

Count Papa Bear as 1,
Count Mama Bear as 2,
Baby Bear is number 3,
They are a family!

"Meet the Three Bears"
(Tune: "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush")
Lucy Jensen

If you listen carefully,
You will a bear story.
About a brown bear family
Who lived together happily.

We are three bears; three bears are we,
We're as happy as can be!
Papa, Mama, and Baby, me!
Together, we're a family!

They are three bears as you can see.
They're as happy as can be.
You can count them: 1, 2, 3.
Together, they're a family!

"Three Brown Bears A-Walking Go"
(Tune: "Oats, Peas, Beans")
Lucy Jensen

Three brown bears a-walking go,
Three brown bears a-walking go,
In the forest, to and fro,
Three brown bears a-walking go.

Following the baby bear,
Following the baby bear,
In the forest, here and there,
Following the baby bear.

"Goldilocks! Better Beware!"
(Tune: "Three Blind Mice")
Lucy Jensen

Goldilocks!
Goldilocks!
Better beware!
Better beware!
You've eaten the porridge and broken the chair,
You've taken the bed of the wee baby bear,
You'd better hurry and get out of there!
Goldilocks! Goldilocks!

"Bowls, Chairs and Beds"
(Tune: "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush")
Lucy Jensen

Bowls on the table before me I see.
Bowls on the table before her she sees.
Bowls on the table with porridge so yummy,
To fill up an empty tummy!

Chairs to sit in before me I see.
Chairs to sit in before her she sees.
Chairs to sit in; which one is for me?
She will try them and see.

Beds in a row before me I see.
Beds in a row before her she sees.
Beds in a row; which one is for me?
She will try them and see.

The Peter Rabbit Scrunch
(Under the Gate, That is . . .)
Lyrics: Cherry Carl and Lucy Jensen
(To the tune of: "Down in the Meadow in an Itty Bitty Pool")

Down in the garden where the veggies are so green,
Was Little Peter Rabbit munching on a lima bean,
Run, Peter Rabbit, don't you know it's getting late?
But he ate, and he ate,
'Til he had a tummyache!

Hop, hop, nibble, nibble, hear that bunny crunch,
Little Peter Rabbit wants a carrot for his lunch,
Run, Peter Rabbit, don't you know it's getting late?
So he ran, and he ran,
"Til he reached the garden gate!

Stop, stop, wiggle, wiggle, do the bunny squeeze,
Little Peter Rabbit knows he ate too many peas,
Run, Peter Rabbit, don't you know it's getting late?
So he scrunched, and he scrunched,
Right under the gate!

Where is Peter?
Lyrics: Cherry Carl and Lucy Jensen
(Sung to the tune of "Skip to My Lou")

Flopsy - Mopsy - Cottontail,
Putting berries in a pail,
Being good, just like they should,
Flopsy - Mopsy - Cottontail.

    Where is Peter? Do you know?
    Eating lettuce in a row,
    Chant: Ohhhhh, Nooooo! Ohhhhh, Nooooo! (no music)
   To the garden he did go!

Flopsy - Mopsy - Cottontail,
Took the berries in their pail,
Home to make a pie to bake,
Flopsy - Mopsy - Cottontail.


    Where is Peter? Do tell me.
    Home in bed where he should be!
    Chant: Ohhhhh, Nooooo! Ohhhhh, Nooooo! (no music)
    All he gets is camomile* tea!

After the last verse, everyone can say together sorrowfully:

Poooooooor Peter Rabbit . . .

Note: camomile* tea comes from a plant with a daisy-like flower and it is brewed as a medicine, in this case for Peter Rabbit's upset tummy!

Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?
Lyrics: Jensen
(Sung to the tune of "Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?)

Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Oh, dear, see Mrs. Rabbit, she's
making some camomile tea.

Who's that, eating those blackberries?
Who's that, eating those blackberries?
Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail,
won't need some camomile tea.

Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Oh, dear, poor Peter Rabbit, he's
taking some camomile tea.

The Escape
Lyrics: Lucy Jensen
(Sung to the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm")

Old McGregor had a hoe! E - I - E - I - O!
Planting onions in a row! E - I - E - I - O!
With a scritch-scratch here, and a scritch-scratch there,
Here , scritch, there, scratch, everywhere a scritch-scratch,
Old McGregor had a hoe! E - I - E - I - O!

Peter Rabbit saw the hoe! E - I - Oh, No, No!
Said he from the wheelbarrow! E - I - Oh, No, No!
With an Oh, No, here, and an Oh, No, there,
Here, Oh, there, No, everywhere an Oh, No!
Peter Rabbit saw the hoe! E - I - Oh, No, No!

Hasten, Peter, don't be slow! E - I - E - I - Go!
The gate's beyond McGregor's hoe! E - I - E - I - Go!
With a hip-hop here, and a hip-hop there,
Here a hip, there a hop, everywhere a hip-hop,
Hasten, Peter, don't be slow! E - I - E - I - Go!

If you wiggle to and fro, E - I - E - I - O!
Underneath the gate you'll go! E - I - E - I - O!
With a wiggle-waggle here, and a wiggle-waggle there,
Here wiggle, there waggle, everywhere a wiggle-waggle,
Now you're free to safely go! E - I - E - I - O!

The Sparrow Song
Lyrics: Lucy Jensen
(Sung to the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

In the garden we were flying,
Were flying, were flying,
When we heard a bunny crying,
It must have been you.
Don't worry; just hurry!
Don't worry; just scurry!
You must leave your little jacket,
Your jacket of blue.

Bunny, dear, you must keep trying,
keep trying, keep trying,
From your jacket you'll be sliding,
And soon you'll be loose.
Don't worry; just hurry!
Don't worry; just scurry!
You must leave your little jacket,
Your jacket of blue.

Mrs. Rabbit's Warning
Lyrics: Lucy Jensen
(Sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

Mrs. Rabbit:

To the baker's I must run,
To buy bread and currant buns.
While I'm gone, have bunny fun,
Picking berries one by one.
Don't go near that garden gate.
McGregor's hoe will be your fate!

Mrs. Rabbit and Animal Chorus:

Stay away from garden beans,
Cabbages and parsley greens.
Through the flowers you may hop,
Near the garden you must stop.
Listen to this warning, do.
Don't become McGregor's stew!

Flopsy:        Don't you worry, Mother dear.
Mopsy:        Have no worry; have no fear.
Cottontail:   We'll pick berries on by one.
Peter:          Then come home when day is done.
All bunnies: Listen to our promise true.
                    We won't be McGregor's stew!

The Peter Rabbit Operetta
by Lucy Jensen

The following poem was written in 1998 at the request of our kindergarten team for their promotion exercises. They have one of their kindergarten children read the poem to the parents during the promotion. I'm told that there's not a dry eye among the parents. I sat down with some of the kindergarten kids to get their thoughts and feelings, so that's why this is called . . .

Kindergarten Comments

Cherry Carl

Dear Mom and Dad,
We started school so long ago . . .
It's already been nine months, you know.
Some of us came to school in tears,
But then the teachers erased our fears.
We learned how to listen and sit on the rug,
To rhyme lots of words like hug, bug and dug!
We used to count like this: one . . . seven . . . four.
But now we can count to a million or more!
We used to come with books in hand . . .
"One more story!" was our demand.
But now we can read those books ourselves.
Hey, Mom and Dad, can we fill up those shelves?!
We used to mix up red, yellow and blue,
But now we know them all, it's true!
We used to scribble. Our pencils had races
Across the paper, without any spaces!
But now we spell words like "mom" and "dad,"
And "you" and "the." Now, aren't you glad?
We used to draw on the floor, on the wall.
We'd cut our hair and our moms would bawl.
But now we make stuff with scissors and glue.
We're almost first graders . . . we know what to do!
So, why did you and the teachers say
That we were babies, just yesterday?
We're still your babies, we're not gone at all . . .
But say . . . how did we get to be so tall?
  Love,
                          Your Kindergarten Kid

Beginning readers need to develop strategies for dealing with unknown words. The following song is dedicated to all of those who have persevered! Among other poems and song, our first graders performed this at a spring assembly that was just for their parents and families.

Perseverance!

Chant softly:
Perseverance, perseverance, perseverance

(Tune: "Down by the Station")
Down in the first grade,
Early in the morning,
See the ready readers
All in a row.
When we come to new words,
We know how to read them.
Chunk! Chunk! Sound them out!
Off we go!

Chant softly:
Perseverance, perseverance, perseverance

(Tune: "Oh, Where Has My Little Dog Gone?")
Oh, what do you do when you come to a word?
A word that is new to you?
Do you cry and pout, stomp your feet and shout?
Oh, what, oh, what do you do?

Well, we don't give up on those really hard words.
We know all the things we can do.
We work really hard 'til we figure them out.
'Cause that's what good readers do!

Perseverance!