Sudden realization

[astra_nomer]

"Down by the Station" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" have the same melody. I just figured this out this morning.

I pointed out this profundity to DS1, who simply shrugged and said, "well, you know, the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle have the same tune, too."

Six and a half, and already jaded.

Comments

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Hmm. The Down By The Station of my childhood memories isn't the same, though it starts similarly. But I'm now totally dubious of my childhood memories, because singing the song to try to remember, I seem to think it goes "Down by the station, early in the morning, see the little puffer fish, all in a row." And that can't be right, can it?

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

It's, "see the little puffer-bellies all in a row."

Of course, I never knew what a puffer-belly was until after DS1 came along and became obsessed with trains. Apparently, it refers to steam engines, not fish or birds or flowers or any of the other things I thought of as a child.

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Yay, I wasn't *totally* making puffer-fish up. That's reassuring. :)

[(Anonymous)]

I have a recording of Down By the Stations, and I think it doesn't match. (but my ability to sing two songs at the same time in my head is limited (My ability to sing two songs out loud at the same time is even more limited.))

-E

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

They start out similarly, but I think in the first phrase, "Down by the station, early in the morning" - "ning" is on a note lower than the starting note. In "Eensy Weensy Spider", the opening phrase ends on the opening note. Then, in the second phrase, "See the little puffer bellies" is the same range as the first phrase, but in Eensy Weensy Spider, the second phrase ("Down came the rain...") is up a third from the first phrase.

[(Anonymous)]

Sigh - I didn't even know that. You know that I'm going to be going through a lot of children's songs today and tomorrow trying to see if there are other melodies that have been shared...so much for work! -Alexandra