Rainbow Sign

A cross-cultural collection of children's songs, performed by an impressive roster of artists. The purpose of this recording is to foster understanding and improve relations between the diverse peoples of the world. The musicians, songwriters and arrangers have donated their profits to benefit Grassroots Leadership, a non-profit organization that, since 1980, has worked to help people and communities in the South learn how to work together. Contributing artists include Beausoleil, Flor de Caña, Ronnie Gilbert, John McCutcheon, Holly Near, Pete Seeger, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Arlo Guthrie, Yellowman, and the Horseflies. 1993 Gold Award: NAPPA (National Parenting Publication Awards) 1993 Notable Children's Recording: American Library Association Oppenheim Toy Award: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio

"The variety of voices, musical styles and languages will keep both children and adults entertained for hours. . . . A bountiful recording perfect for home or school."—Chicago Parent

"Rainbow Sign is billed as a collection for children, but is a delight and a wonder for all ages."—Victory Review

"A rich variety of music about joy and freedom . . . diverse . . . sure to inspire children with new ideas about music and dancing."—Scholastic Early Childhood Today

"As eclectic as the population of the U.S., this collection of 18 songs ranges from traditional folk songs of many cultures to streetwise rap . . . certainly the message of unity is joyfully reproduced here in this moving compilation."—Booklist

"Introduce your child to the colorful world of cultural understanding with this diverse and beautiful collection."—Childsplay

". . . a world of music unto itself"—Washington Post

Formats

Compact Disk: Rounder CD:8025 Cassette: Rounder CS:8025

Produced by John McCutcheon
Year Released: 1992

Banana
Traditional, East Coast of Nicaragua, new lyrics by Flor de Caña
from Muevete! by Flor De Caña (Flying Fish 70463)

Jorge Santiago Arce: bombo
Kenny Bruno: piano, synthesizer
Laura Burns: bass, vocals
Héctor Cancel: congas
Brian Folkins-Amador: guitars & vocal
Sue Kalt: charango & vocals
Willie Sordillo: saxophone & vocals
Rosemarie Straijer-Amador: percussion & vocals
Dean Stevens: vocals

Chorus:

Banana, banana banana!
All the nations like banana
All the races like banana.

Mexico like it, Namibia like it
Thailand like it, Uruguay like it
Russia like it, Middle East like it
Italia like it, Australia like it.

Banana milkshake, banana cream pie
Rumba banana, flamenco banana.
Jazz banana, calypso banana
Anytime like it, everytime like it.

Green banana, yellow banana
Red banana, ripe banana
Cool banana, banana "wata"
What is a "wata"? Special banana
Full banana, oh banana
My mama like it, my papa like it
My baby like it, I don't have a baby!
Everybody like it, everybody like it.

Coro:

Banana, banana banana!
A todas las naciones les gusta la banana
A todas las razas les gusta les gusta la banana.

Le gusta a Méjico y a Namibia
a Tailandia y al Uruguay
A Rusia y al Medio Oriente
A Italia y a Australia

Batido de banana, pastel de banana
banana rumba, banana flamenca
banana jazz, banana calypso
a cualquier hora gust, a todas horas gusta.

Banana verde, banana amarilla,
banana roja, banana madura
banana fresca, banana "wata"
Qué quiere decir "wata"? banana especial
banana llena o banana
A mi mamá le gusta y a mi papá;
a mi nene le gusta - pero si no tengo nene!
A todos les gusta

Oh Mary, Don't You Weep
traditional
from HARP by Holly Near, Arlo Guthrie, Ronnie Gilbert, Pete Seeger (Redwood 409)

Holly Near: vocals
Arlo Guthrie: guitar & vocals
Ronnie Gilbert: vocals
Pete Seeger: banjo & vocals
Jeff Langley: piano

If I could, I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
Pharaoh's army got drowned
Oh Mary, don't you weep.

Chorus:

Oh Mary, don't you weep, don't you moan,
Oh Mary, don't you weep, don't you moan.
Pharaoh's army got drowned
Oh Mary, don't you weep.

Mary wore three links of chain
On every link was Freedom's name
Pharaoh's army got drowned
Oh Mary, don't you weep.

It was Noah first proved the notion
The world is safer with the armies in the ocean
Pharaoh's army got drowned
Oh Mary, don't you weep.

God gave Noah the rainbow sign:
No more water, fire next time
Pharaoh's army got drowned
Oh Mary, don't you weep.

P'tit Galop Pour Mamou
traditional
arranged by Michael Doucet
from Le Hoogie Boogie: Louisiana French Music for Children
by Michael "Beausoleil" Doucet with Family and Friends (Rounder 8022)

Michael Doucet: fiddle & vocals
Mitchell Reed: bass
David Doucet: guitar & vocals
Tommy A.: drums
Billy Ware: percussion
Jimmy Breaux: accordion

P'tit galop, p'tit galop pou Mamou,
J'ai vendu mon p'tit mulet pour quinze sous,
J'ai acheté des candies rouges pour les petits
Et du sucre et du café pour les vieux.

P'tit galop, p'tit galop pour Mamou,
J'ai vendu mon p'tit wagon pour quinze sous,
J'ai acheté des candies rouges pour les petits
Et une yard de rugan pour la vieille.

Giddy-up, giddy-up to Mamou,
I sold my little mule for fifteen cents,
I bought some red candies for the little ones
And some sugar and some coffee for the old folks.

Giddy-up, giddy-up to Mamou,
I sold my little wagon for fifteen cents,
I bought some red candies for the little ones
And a yard of ribbon for my wife.

©arr. Michael Doucet. Flat Town Music (BMI)

Mirror, Mirror
The Kids of Widney High
from The Kids of Widney High (Rounder 8014)

The Kids of Widney High is a group of special education high school students from the Los Angeles school system who meet during their period 5 each day to write songs with their teacher, Michael Monagan.

Michael Monagan: keyboards, guitars, drum machine, & sequencing
The Kids: David Aronin, Carl Brown, Jerron Crook, Keisha Dotson, Brenda Garcia, John Insinna, Nancy Preston, Diane Reyes, Robert Ross, Phomma Vannaseng, Norman Williams, Tommy Yates

Do I look cute, am I ugly?
Does someone think I'm pretty?
What color makeup should I put on my face?

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who's the fairest of us all?

What kind of clothes should I wear
To make me look so lovely?
I cannot find the right dress to match my hair.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who's the fairest of us all?

Maybe I should go away to some very different places
To see new things and meet some brand new friends.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who's the fairest of us all?

©1988 The Kids of Widney High/Sossity Music (BMI)

Family Tree
Tom Chapin and John Forster
from Family Tree by Tom Chapin (Sony Kids' Music LT48990)

Tom Chapin: guitar, banjo, vocal
Jon Cobert: piano
Don Payne: bass
Richard Crooks: drums
Ken Kosek: fiddle
Abigail & Lily Chapin: vocals

Before the days of Jell-O
Lived a prehistoric fellow
Who loved a maid and courted her beneath the Banyan tree,
and they had lots of children,
and their children all had children,
and they kept on having children until one of them had me.

Chorus:

We're a family and we're a tree.
Our roots go deep down in history
From my great, great Granddaddy reaching up to me
We're a green and growing Family Tree.

My Grandpa came from Russia,
my Grandma came from Prussia.
They met in Nova Scotia, had my Dad in Tennessee.
Her Dad's from Alabama and her Mom's part Cherokee.

One fine day I may go
to Tierra Del Fuego.
Perhaps I'll meet my wife there and we'll move to Timbuktu.
And our kid will be bilingual
and though she may stay single,
She could of course commingle with the King of Kathmandu.

The folks in Madagascar
aren't the same as in Alaskar,
They've got different foods, different moods and different colored skin.
You may have a different name
but underneath we're much the same,
You're probably my cousin and the whole world is our kin.

©1988 Tom Chapin and John Forster.
The Last Music Music Co.(ASCAP) and Limousine Music Co.(ASCAP)

Blessing of the Little Ones
traditional, arrangement by A. Paul Ortega
from Loving Ways by A. Paul Ortega and Joanne Shenandoah (Canyon CR-546)

Unite Children
Words and Music by Rose Sanders
from Who Will Speak for the Children? by The Children of Selma (Rounder 8008)

Jane Sapp: piano
Mike Steel: bass
Paul White: percussion
Don Jones: drums
Soloist: Marcus Fuller
The Children of Selma: Eddie Blue, James Anderson, Robbie Fuller, Frank Carter, Ife Majors, Sarah Jones, Malika Sanders, Crystal Lee, Stephanie Baker, Timothy Baker, Kiisa Kennedy, Anthony Jones, Sharon Kennedy, Ainika Sanders, Kindocka Sanders, Gerald Banks, Delta Hardy, Eric Banks, Tim Baker, MaLaka Tatu, Darryl Minter, Toshima Kennedy, Anueke Kennedy.

Unite children, unite!
We can save the world!
Unite children, unite!
We can save the world!
Unite children, unite!

You take my hand and I'll take yours
Let us make a circle of love

Poverty get out! Poverty get out!

Get out greed and avarice
I guarantee we will not rest
'Til every child is blessed with food, clothes, and happiness.
Adults if you really care
You will share with glee
To rid the world of poverty.

Poverty get out! Poverty get out!

Unite, children, unite!
Racism be on your way!
Unite, children, unite!
Racism be on your way!

God made us one; God made us all
Some are made short and others tall.
Some with pink skin, yellow, red and brown
But the wolf tried to keep the shades of color down
Yes the wolf tried to keep
the shades of color down.

How silly and treacherous and gruesome it sounds
To say that one is inferior because his skin is brown.

Unite, children, unite!
Injustice must be banned!
Unite, children, unite!
Injustice must be banned!

There are some things that can't be explained
Or perhaps I don't understand-
Why justice politely removes her blinds
When men of color take the witness stand.

Unite, children, unite!
Sexism be on your way!
Unite, children, unite!
Sexism be on your way!

Just because you are a boy that doesn't make you better
I can do what you can do and sometimes even better.

Can you dig ditches, lift heavy machines,
Climb telephone poles and such manly things?
Can you wash dishes, do a little girl's hair!
I could if I wanted to - so let's not compare!

There is no place for sexism in our fair land.
So let's agree, my friends, that sexism must be banned!

Unite, children, unite!
War must be no more!
Unite, children, unite!
War must be no more!

Adultom apparently likes to kill for reasons quite sublime
The reason for war was surely conjured, long before our time.
But with all the violence he's made a part of our nursery rhyme
I suspect that war is just a part of the wolf's recreational past time.

God gave Noah the rainbow sign
No more water, but the fire next time!
God gave Noah the rainbow sign
No more water, but the fire next time!

Unite, children, unite!
We can save the world!
Unite, children, unite!
We can save the world!
Unite, children, unite!

You take my hand and I'll take your
Let us make a circle of love -Unite!

©1988 Rose Sanders. Happy Valley Music (BMI)

Three Wishes
Patricia Shih
from Big Ideas! by Patricia Shih (Glass Records 0010)

Patrician Shih: guitars, toy xylophone, & vocals
Barry Kornhauser: bass
Bill Forte: crickets
Michael Fellcian and Cheryl Thole: vocals

Chorus:

Starlight, starbright
I have three wishes to make tonight
One for me and one for thee
And one to make the whole world bright

May the world have peace and plenty
To last a million years and twenty
May you have friends and to last forever
For me, I'd like a grand piano

May the world have joy and plenty
To last a million years and twenty
May you have love to last forever
For me, I'd like more money!

May the world have joy and plenty
To last a million years and twenty
May you have love to last forever
For me, I'd like a baby sister!

One for me and one for thee
And one to make the whole world bright

©1988 Patricia Shih. Fragile Glass Music (BMI)

Somos el Barco
Lorre Wyatt
from Mail Myself to You by John McCutcheon (Rounder 8016)

John McCutcheon: hammer dulcimer & vocals
John Previti: bass
Pete Kennedy: guitar
Bob Read: synthesizer
Tom Jones: percussion
Howard Levy: harmonica
Anne Louise White & Elizabeth Sanders: vocals

The stream sings it to the river
The river sings it to the sea
The sea sings it to the boat
That carries you and me

Chorus:

Somos el barco, somos el mar
Yo navego en ti, tœ navegas en m’
We are the boat, we are the sea
I sail in you, you sail in me

Now, the boat we are sailing in
Was built by many hands
And the sea we are sailing on
Touches every land

So with our hopes we raise the sails
To face the winds once more
And with our hearts we chart the waters
Never sailed before

©Lorre Wyatt. Roots and Branches Music (BMI)

Hush Little Baby
traditional, new words by Rich Stearns
from Human Fly by the Horseflies

Judy Hyman: fiddle & vocals
Rich Stearns: banjo & vocals
Jeff Claus: guitar & vocals
John Hayward: bass
Brent Barkman: synthesizer
Bill Usher: percussion

Hush little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
If that mockingbird don't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
If that diamond ring turns to brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.
If that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billygoat.

If that billygoat don't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
It that cart and bull turns over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
If that dog named Rover don't bark,
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
It that horse and cart fall down,
You're still the only rich baby in town!

1492
Nancy Schimmel
from What Can One Little Person Do? by Sally Rogers (Round River 302)

Sally Rogers: guitar & vocal
Kids Chorus: Marshall Pahl, Myriah Pahl, Vanessa, Micaela, and Daniel
Boland, Alicia Dattner, Becky Graseck, and Emily Weedon
Molly Mason: bass
Marcie Marxer: mandolins

In Fourteen Hundred and Ninety two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue
It was a courageous thing to do
But someone was already here

Chorus:

The Inuit and Cherokee
The Aztec and Menomenie
Onandaga and the Cree
Columbus sailed across the sea
But someone was already here

Columbus knew the world was round
So he looked for the East while westward bound
But he didn't find what he thought he found
For someone was already here

It wasn't like 'twas empty space
The Caribs met him face to face
Could anyone discover the place
When someone was already here

So tell me who discovered what
Thought he was in a different spot
Columbus was lost, the Caribs were not
They were already here

©Nancy Schimmel. Schroder Music (ASCAP)

Paz y Libertad
José-Luis Orozco
from L’rica Infantil Con José-Luis Orozco, Vol. 3 (Arcorois JL-15)

Chorus:

Paz, queremos paz
Y libertad en este mundo. (2x)

Para los ninos de todo el mundo
Queremos paz y libertad. (2x)

Ya no mas hambre, ya no mas guerra
Queremos paz en esta tierra. (2x)

Para los pobres y los ancianos
Queremos pas y libertad. (2x)

Ya no mas bombas con radiacion
No mas ideas de exterminacion. (2x)

Peace, we want peace
And liberty in this world (2x)

For all the children
In the world
We want peace and liberty (2x)

No more hunger, no more war
We want peace on this Earth (2x)

For the poor and the elderly
We want peace and liberty (2x)

No more radiation bombs
No more extermination ideas. (2x)

©1982, José-Luis Orozco

Who Built the Ark: Noah, Noah
Traditional
from American Folksongs for Children
by Mike & Peggy Seeger (Rounder 11543/11544)

Peggy Seeger: lead vocal & guitar
Mike Seeger: harmony vocal & low guitar

Now, didn't old Noah build the Ark
Build it out of hickory bark.
He build it long, both wide and tall.
Plenty of room for the large and small.
He found him an ax and a hammer too
Began to cut and he began to hew
And every time that hammer ring
Noah shout and Noah sing.

Chorus:

Who built the Ark?
Noah, Noah.
Who built the Ark?
Brother Noah built the Ark.

Now in come the animals two by two
Hippopotamus and kangaroo.
Now in come the animals three by three
Two big cats and a bumble bee
In come the animals four by four
Two through the window and two through the door.
In come the animals five by five
Four little sparrows with their red breasts white

Well, here come the animals six by six
The elephant laughin' at the monkey's tricks
In come the animals seven by seven
Four from home and the rest from heaven.
In come the animals eight by eight
Some was on time but the others was late
Now in come the animals nine by nine
Some was a'shoutin' and some was a'cryin'.

In come the animals ten by ten
Five black roosters, five black hens
Now Noah says, "Go shut that door
The rain's started droppin' and we can't take more."

Denko
Traditional, Bambara song from Mali, West Africa.
Arranged by Nitanju Bolade-Casel
from Sweet Honey in the Rock, Live at Carnegie Hall (Flying Fish 70106)

"Denko" is a Bambara expression which means "to have a child". The lyrics address the sacrifices a woman goes through to have an maintain the welfare of her children.

Sweet Honey in the Rock:
Bernice Johnson Reagon
Evelyn Maria Harris
Ysaye Maria Barnwell
Shirley Childress Johnson
Aisha Kahlil
Nitanju Bolade-Casel

Denko et denko ye
Mousoo lou ye ne na koun ye
Denko ye
Tieba ikan son dola

Tieba y ma no sa domina
Tieba koro doun ka sa nou fa
Ka son be mon nyenema
Tieba y ma na sa domina
Tieba koro doun ka so nou fa
Mine be mou ye ne maa

©arr. 1986 Nitanju Bolade-Casel. Clear Ice Music

This Old Man
traditional, new words by Yellowman
from Reggae for Kids (RAS 3095)

Yellowman: vocals
Roots Radics: backing instrumentation
Tony "Asher" Brissett: keyboard overdubs

Now dedicate this one to all the children in Jamaica
And all over the world
Coming from King Yellowman

Yellowman, he played one
He played knick-knack on my drum
With a knick-knack, paddywhack, give a dog a bone
Yellowman came rolling home

Yellowman, he played two
Me tell you no lie, man, Me me tell you the truth
Me favorite color is yellow and blue
You love me and I love you

Yellowman, he played three
All of the girls, them say they love me
So me left from Jamaica and go a Miami
Me live innna the town and not the country

Yellowman, he played four
Me left from Jamaica and me go'pon tour
Me sing for the rich and sing for the poor
Yellowman, him a go tell you the score

Yellowman, he played five
Me love reggae music, me keep it alive
And me want for me honey, me go a bee hive
That's why Yellowman he haffe strive

Me climb from the bottom and me reach the top
Tell you, Yellowman, him the king of the crop
Them a talk how me slim, but me know me no fat
Right a now man me hot on the spot
One o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock rock
Four o'clock, 5 o'clock, me rock non-stop
Tell you Yellowman he just a work round the clock
Everybody know me hot 'pon the spot

Yellowman, he play six
Me's a teacher with a lot of apprentice
And everybody says that me full of lyrics
Some a talk about that so listen to dis

Yellowman, he played seven
No one wanna die, but they want to go heaven
And you step on me foot and I beg your pardon
Sometimes things happen for a reason

Yellowman, he played eight
Great is great, Great shouldn't underrate
Me love for me cassette, me love for me tape
Excuse me, now me going on a date

Yellowman, he played nine
Me look pon me watch and me tell you the time
You want to know it's quarter to nine
All the girls make me feel so fine

Yellowman, he played ten
Pass me the paper, pass me the pen
I gonna write a letter to me girlfriend
And tell her fe come back again

Me under me roots and just me culture
Open the Bible and read up the scripture
All the children down in Africa
All the children down in America
All the children over in Canada
What happen to the place what they call Cuba?
Na forget the place named Jamaica
Saint Lucia and down in a Africa

This Little Light
Traditional
from I'm Gonna Let It Shine by (Round River 401)

Lead by Betty Fikes
Singers: John Belcher, Debbie Block, Howie Bursen, Candie Carawan, Guy Carawan, Sarah Ferrera, Cathy Fink, Danitza Garcia, Martin Grosswendt, Bill Harley, Kim Harris, Reggie Harris, Lashunda Johnson, Emma Katzberg, Kate Katzberg, Joyce Katzberg, Lourdes Lopez, Marcy Marxer, Misty Monteiro, Hilary Moser, Chuck Neblett, Wazir Peacock, Cordell Reagon, Sally Rogers, Stephen Snyder, Kathy Townsend-Hurk, Zuleika Vidal, and Hollis Watkins

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Down in my heart, I'm gonna let it shine,
Down in my heart, I'm gonna let it shine,
Down in my heart, I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Down in South America, I'm gonna let it shine
Down in South America, I'm gonna let it shine
Down in South America, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Ain't gonna make it shine, I'm just gonna let it shine
Ain't gonna make it shine, I'm just gonna let it shine
Ain't gonna make it shine, I'm just gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

The Rain Song
Sharon Burch
from Yazzie Girl by Sharon Burch (Canyon CR-534)

In this song, written during the drought of 1988, the crickets, Mother Earth and diné (Navajo for "the people" and their name for themselves) pray for rain.

Sharon Burch: guitar, percussion & vocals
Margarita Kleinman: guitar & vocals

Anilt'ánii áni, anilta'ánii ání,
Tó k'ad ásdiid, tó k'ad ásdiid.
Tó yee' nízin. K'ad sodílzin.
Léíló, léíló, léíló, léi.

Nahasdzáán yee' ání. Nahasdzáán yee' ání.
Tó k'ad ásdiid, tó k'ad ásdiid.
Tó yee' nízin. K'ad sodílzin.

Diné yee' án’, diné yee' án’,
Tó k'ad ásdiid, tó k'ad ásdiid.
Tó yee' nízin. T'so dadilzin.
Léíló, léíló, léíló, léi.

The cricket says, the cricket says,
Water is scarce now, water is scarce now.
He yearns for water. He will pray for water.
Léíló, léíló, léíló, léi.

Mother Earth says, Mother Earth says,
Water is scarce now, water is scarce now.
She yearns for water. She will pray for water.
The people say, the people say,
Water is scarce now, water is scarce now.
They yearn for water. They will pray for water.

©1989 Sharon Burch

Ride Away
The Kids of Widney High
from The Kids of Widney High (Rounder 8014)

Michael Monagan: keyboards, guitars, drum machine, & sequencing
Gaili Schoen: piano
Jerry Jumonville: saxophone
The Kids: David Aronin, Carl Brown, Jerron Crook, Keisha Dotson, Brenda Garcia, John Insinna, Nancy Preston, Diane Reyes, Robert Ross, Phomma Vannaseng, Norman Williams, Tommy Yates

Why do people fight,
Why are people angry?
Why is she so mad, why am I so sad?

Ride away, ride away to freedom
Ride away, ride away to freedom
I want to find a secret place, far, far away

I can see myself, floating down a river
Free as a bird, I don't hear a word
Floating out to sea

Ride away, ride away to freedom
Ride away, ride away to freedom
I want to find a secret place, far, far away

©1988 The Kids of Widney High/Sossity Music (BMI)