Listen to the children while they play
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Henson Cargill had been a deputy sheriff in his native Oklahoma before establishing himself as an entertainer in Las Vegas. From there, he made some trips to Nashville, but without much success. But a third trip proved to be the charm. He ran into a fellow that he had known back in Oklahoma City. The other former Oklahoman, Tom Hartman, had been a disc jockey back in the Sooner state. In Nashville, Hartman was pitching songs to singing artists for Tree Publishing. He introduced Cargill to “Skip a Rope.” And despite some industry doubts about the song, Henson Cargill recorded it, and he promptly became an “overnight sensation.” |
Skip a RopeListen to the children while they play.
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Henson Cargill’s “Skip a Rope” is currently available on the cd “A Very Well Traveled Man“. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country chart for five weeks in 1968. |
A playground in my mind
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“Playground In My Mind” is his only charted hit, making it a “One-Hit Wonder.”
Playground In My Mind · Clint Holmes · 1973
Play the song. Lyrics (Read the lyrics while you listen to the track.)
Download MP3: Playground In My Mind
On CD: Playground In My Mind · Clint Holmes CDs
| More One-Hit Wonders Various Artists Those one hit wonders! |
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Listen to:
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Ring around the rosie.
Pocket full of dreams and posies.
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Whereas “Skip a Rope” presented children spreading ideas of bigotry and dishonesty on the playground, “Rebecca Lynn” does quite the opposite. The lesson here is one of love and life-long commitment. The song, written by Skip Ewing and Don Sampson, and recorded by Bryan White, peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in early 1996. |
Rebecca Lynn · Bryan White · 1996 Play the song. 
Play the song. Lyrics (Read the lyrics while you listen to the track.)
Download MP3: Rebecca Lynn
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| SKIP A ROPE Lyrics Henson Cargill (Listen to “Skip a Rope” by Henson Cargill.) |
Skip a rope,
skip a rope.
Oh, listen to the children while they play.
Now, ain’t it kinda funny what the children say?
Skip a rope.
“Daddy hates mommy, mommy hates dad.
(Last night you should’ve heard the fight they had.)
It gave little sister another bad dream.
She woke us all up with a terrible scream.”
Skip a rope,
skip a rope.
Oh, listen to the children while they play.
Now, ain’t it kinda funny what the children say?
Skip a rope.
“Cheat on your taxes, don’t be a fool!
Now what was that they said about a golden rule?
Well, never mind the rule. Just play to win.
And hate your neighbor for the shade of his skin.”
Skip a rope,
skip a rope.
Oh, listen to the children while they play.
Now, ain’t it kinda funny what the children say?
Skip a rope.
Stab ‘em in the back that’s the name of the game.
(And mommy and daddy are who’s to blame.)
Skip a rope,
skip a rope.
Just listen to your children while they play.
(It’s really not very funny what your children say.)
Skip a rope,
skip a rope.
Skip a rope.
| Go back to the story. |
| PLAYGROUND IN MY MIND Lyrics Clint Holmes (Listen to “Playground In My Mind” by Clint Holmes.) |
When this old world gets me down,
and there’s no love to be found,
I close my eyes. And soon I find
I’m in a playground in my mind,
where the children laugh. And the children play.
And we sing a song all day.
“My name is Michael.
I’ve got a nickel.
I’ve got a nickel, shiny and new.
I’m gonna buy me all kinds of candy!
That’s what I’m gonna do.”
Oh, the wonders that I find
in the playground in my mind.
In a world that used to be,
close your eyes and follow me–
where the children laugh, and the children play.
And we sing a song all day.
“My girl is Cindy.
When we get married, we’re gonna
have a baby or two.
We’re gonna let them visit their grandma.
That’s what we’re gonna do.”
See the little children
living in a world that I left behind.
Happy little children
in the playground in my mind.
See the little children.
See how they play, so happy, in the playground in my mind.
La la la la la la la la la…
| Go back to the story. |
| REBECCA LYNN Lyrics Bryan White (Listen to “Rebecca Lynn” by Bryan White.) |
Rebecca Lynn grew up in Carolina
half a mile from Tucker Cherry’s farm.
(A quiet girl, with green eyes full of fire,
her daddy’s pride, and all her mama’s charm.)
Rebecca Lynn became my heart’s desire
‘long about the start of second grade.
Mrs. Rosenbloom let me sit beside her.
So we passed notes, and after school we played.
Singing,
“Ring around the rosie.
Pocket full of dreams and posies.
Patty cake, a bakers man.
Tag you’re it, kick the can.”
And I think I hear my mama callin’.
Gotta go.
(Man, I loved her so.)
High school days, me and Becky learning
what it really means to be in love:
(Give and take. Holding back, for heaven’s sake.
And fightin’ for a week, then makin’ up.)
I said please, “Becky, won’t you marry me?”
(Prom night in my car out by the curb.)
She was so surprised! First she laughed, and then she cried.
And somewhere in my heart I’m sure I heard:
“Ring around the rosie.
Pocket full of dreams and posies.
Patty cake, a bakers man.
Tag you’re it, kick the can.”
Mama flashed the porch light for me.
Gotta go.
(Man I loved her so.)
| When love is wrong is dies, and that’s the way it goes. (But when it’s right, you know, love grows!) |
Laura Jean was born in Tennessee.
Now that’s a common little miracle I know.
But for me and Becky Lynn she’s the dream that started
when we fell in love so many years ago.
Singing,
“Ring around the rosie.
Pocket full of dreams and posies.
Patty cake, a bakers man.
Tag you’re it, kick the can.”
And I think I hear your mama callin’.
Gotta go.
(Oh, man I loved her so.)
| Go back to the story. |
