Songs that count ! (or otherwise accumulate)
 

As children, counting songs are some of the first songs we learn, so, as is natural with growing children, we become rather scornful of them as we get older. But these songs often have a charm and an irresistible logic that quickly draws you in. Here are two examples in English:

.....

The structure of "repeat-and add, repeat-and-add" is strong enough to be evident even if you don't understand the words, and so these songs make great international ambassadors of music. Here are two songs (one French, one Turkish) in which the language defeats me, but the accumulating structure is still clear:-

.....

The Turkish song I came across thanks to misspoptart, and if you think I´ve posted the French one before, you're probably right - but that only goes to strengthen my request: Please post me some fresh international accumulating songs!!

These segments from Sesame Street have been favorites of mine since they originally aired. Psychedelic visuals combined with the music and featuring vocals by some of my all-time favorite female vocalists...


Sesame Street Jazzy Spies Numbers (Grace Slick - Vocals)



Sesame Street Pinball Number Count (The Pointer Sisters - Vocals)

HaHa! Thanks. Gotta luv those performing elephants, lilja!

That Grace Slick song was a real surprise, Psy-Fi - first that she' d be involved in such a project, and second, that the music is not trying to "talk down" to children by staying sweet and simple as so many children's songs do.

Here's a darker take on this concept from Bjork—counting 107 steps to the gallows (originally sung by her in the movie Dancer in the Dark, reinterpreted here for her quasi soundtrack album Selmasongs):




And a lighter take from Eddie Cochran, climbing 20 flights for a booty call:

The YT video is crap, so here's one on Vim:

(Click at your own risk)
https://vimeo.com/83734191

^ Thanks! Those are all good counting songs:-

- I like the way Bjork rather randomly skips numbers and thus avoids making a long long long predictable song.
- Really funny lyrics on the Eddie Cochran; it's a nice change to listen to a rocker who is prepared to laugh at himself.
- That's an interesting performance, Plankton, though I have to admit that I only got as far as cat #312 - the cat with the ordinary life, here's my mistress, here's my wife...

I would've posted earlier, but I've been trying to improve on this contribution, which isn't as interesting as the above and which neither counts nor accumulates :( :-

I guess I haven't made enough posts to be allowed to post a link yet, but you can find this song on Youtube if you go and do a search.

"The Spanish Lady" by Donal Lunny. It's a lovely Celtic folksong that skip counts backwards. Make sure you find the version by Donal Lunny, though, many other version have a different chorus that doesn't include the counting.

Hi MystiqueDeep, welcome to MB ! :wave:

I followed your advice and found this nice song; is it the right version? Is Donal Lunny the Singer? The fast backward counting is a lot more of a challenge than the song where this thread began, "One man went to mow" !

And some of those songs
 

stick in your head, for the rest of your life. They come to mind at odd times, for no apparent reason and then play over and over and......

Thanks for the welcome, Lisnaholic. Yes that is precisely the song I meant.

Thanks for the Twelve Days of Christmas, Lilja.

Here's a lesser-know song that also counts days:-

Verka Serduchka - Dancing Lasha Tumbai (Ukraine) 2007 Eurovision Song Contest :D

Batlord and Lilja; thanks for your two lively songs, which certainly bring some fresh energy to the music in this thread, and are both outside the scope of what I usually listen to!

Not sure why, but Manfred Mann has twice used lists of numbers in his lyrics, once in 1964, and then again in 1979. Both songs still sound surprisingly fresh, IMhumbleO.
And please notice the record cover that turns up forty-five seconds into 5-4-3-2-1 ; I was once the proud, ten-year-old owner of that EP. (Ah me, how hard it is to connect to that individual today. :( )

....

Bumping this to add an exquisite song:-



"Children, go were I send thee; how shall I send thee?
.... four for the four that stood at the door.....
...one for the little bitty baby was born born born in Bethlehem."

Something about this song - the voice? the melody? the lyrics, which walk a fine line between meaning and nonsense? - well, there's something that makes this song exceptionally beautiful imo.

And if you haven't already, you can read Neapolitan's review of the album here :- http://www.musicbanter.com/1899839-post218.html