If you went to public elementary school in the early 1980’s and had music class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember our class sang “Bless the Beasts and the Children” during one of our choir performances as a tribute to Karen Carpenter shortly after she died. That one really sticks out in my memory.

My DH who is 58 can sing this one by heart!

[Anonymous]

Sang a racist song about an Asian washer woman and her sumo wrestler boyfriend around the campfire in girls scouts...in a fake Asian accent. Still cringing about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In middle school, we sang Jethro Tull’s Aqualung. I’m not kidding. We had a teacher who was into being very modern.

This is wild, given the lyrics!
Huge Tull fanatic here so I love this response but, wow!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sang a racist song about an Asian washer woman and her sumo wrestler boyfriend around the campfire in girls scouts...in a fake Asian accent. Still cringing about that.

"Ruffles on a petticoat, ten cents more"

I chose to break the cycle and not teach that to my Girl Scouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same as everyone. But in 3rd grade, we sang a Whitney Houston song. Shoot, I forgot the name. “The greatest gift of all is happening to me..” or something like that…

The Greatest Love of All..it came out in the mid-80s. I also remember singing Whitney's One Moment in Time, which came out in 1988.

[Anonymous]

I remember singing Broadway Songs from the big hits of the 1980s--Cats and Les Mis.

[Anonymous]

Mid to late 1960's Elementary school
Jesus Christ Superstar as a Musical
Joseph & his tehnicolor coat Musical
Elton John & The Who Tommy as a Musical Pin Ball Wizzard at holiday Christmas concert
Drift Away
Lets spend the night together
Good morning little Girl
Back to the USSR
Light my Fire

And many many more.

In 7th grade Jr high we dissected many songs as well in our english classes that some parents thought should be banned.

Oh and our public school shared land with the local Catholic Church. The priests used to come to all our musical endevors. LOL

[Anonymous]

I’m 60-something and learned all these songs in overseas DOD elementary school. Our teachers could play piano and sing, and it was awesome. Does anyone remember “My Gay Cavalier”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We sang a lot of patriotic songs and “Americana” songs

Oh beautiful for spacious skies
Yankee doodle
Old John Henry was a mighty man
Something about the Erie Canal
Darlin’ Clementine
Streets of Laredo (not USA but a tearjerker!)
The stars at night are big and bright
Oh Susannah
Cape cod girls
Something about a cat on a roof?

My school district was pretty poor and filled with immigrants but we had a decent music program. A lot of kids I grew up became professional or semi-pro musicians. I joined a jazz ensemble in fifth grade and composed songs with my little group. We won state competitions.

OMG the cat on the roof song!

Oh Senor Don Gatto was a cat,
On a high red roof Don Gato sat,
He was there to read a letter (meow meow meow),
Where the reading light was better (meow meow meow)
Twas a love note for Don Gato.

I adore you wrote the lady cat
Who was fluffy white and nice and fat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t do any of this. We did Peter and the wolf, though. Prokofiev.

Ohhhh I remember Peter and the Wolf ... that was not in music class, though, but in I think my 6th grade classroom with a special guest star teacher. I still remember it all, though. That one hour made a huge difference in my appreciation of classical music.

Also the art person who came in and started to point things out about Rennaissance Art. Have never been able to look at Pieter Bruegel pieces ever again the same way. They come up often on Reddit.

That was a great program. Also the guy who came in and taught us about Satire and had us reading pieces by Art Buchwald

[Anonymous]

I remember lots of Broadway stuff--Andrew Lloyd Webber type Broadway, specifically.