<p>My Polish Grandmother is turning 90 in July. She still drives and loves to argue politics (she’s a NY Dem). It’s going to be a great party.</p>
<p>My three kids (13, 16, and 19) all sing – two low sopranos and and a tenor.</p>
<p>They are willing to perform, but we are having trouble finding a song. Any ideas?</p>
<p>does she like traditional polish songs?</p>
<p>I posted some suggestions for you in the MT Forum.</p>
<p>
I’m sure she would enjoy one in theory but I doubt the lyric/accent strangling done by my kids would make for a very nice song. :)</p>
<p>Maybe a medley of songs from different decades of her life? (OK, you can ignore the mid 80’s or later unless there are songs you know she will recognize.) Or just concentrate on a Sinatra collection. How nice that your kids will sing for her - I"m sure she’ll be thrilled no matter what.</p>
<p>Some 90 year olds I know are diggin Rod Stewart singing Sinatra. Doesn’t make sense, does it?</p>
<p>My Polish grandmother would have turned 92 this July. In the 70"s there was a popular Polish American singer named Bobby Vinton. My grandmother loved him and actually purchased his albums. (The grandchildren all thought this was quite funny.) His song “My Melody of Love” was a top hit in 1974. Part of it was in Polish. A quick google search showed it was on youtube, and I did find the words online. </p>
<p>Perhaps the kids could pick it up from youtube and just sing the chorus?</p>
<p>Does she have a good sense of humor? “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees.</p>
<p>Can you take liberties with the Frank Sinatra song, “When I was l7” to make it sound as if written for a girl, "When she was l7, it was a very good year…</p>
<p>How about the Beatles, “You say it’s your birthday, you’re gonna have a good time”</p>
<p>There’s a very sentimental birthday song that used to be sung on a children’s tv show in Canada by Eric Nagler.</p>
<p>It’s just perfect. <a href=“sung%20to%20the%20melody%20of%20the%20Merry%20Widow%20Waltz”>quote</a></p>
<p>Happy birthday, happy birthday
We love you.</p>
<p>Happy birthday, and may all your
Dreams come true.</p>
<p>When you blow out the candles
One light stays aglow</p>
<p>It’s the love light in your eyes
Where e’er you go.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It sounds like a lullabye and a good way to end any raucous set of birthday tunes.
Everyone will cry. If she can dance, she can even waltz to it. Or have the younger people waltz in front of her, while others sing.</p>
<p>Washdad-
LOL!
I heard on TV today that someone is doing a remake of Burt Bachrach songs. Maybe one of his songs might be appropriate?
(I was thinking something like “The look of love”, not “What’s new, pussycat”!)</p>
<p>Pete Seeger,
Chorus:
How do I know my youth is all spent
My get up and go has got up and went
But in spite of it all
I’m able to grin
And think of the places
My get-up has been.</p>
<p>There are many verses. It’s a hoot. One is about waking up, reading the obituaries, seeing you’re not dead, so you eat a good breakfast and go back to bed.</p>
<p>‘Seasons of Love’ from Rent would be lovely, except there are a of couple references to ‘the way that she lived, and the way that she died…’ Can anyone think of anything similar to that one? The melody is beautiful.</p>
<p>I’m trying to brainstorm on this, the only thing else that is coming to mind are songs from Disney films. </p>
<p>What about ‘What a wonderful world’.? by Louis Armstrong. </p>
<p>Thanks P3T, now I need to go listen to the Pete Seeger song.</p>
<p>Paul Van Dyke - For an Angel</p>
<p>Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young.</p>
<p>We used this at my son’s Bar Mitzvah candelighting ceremony for my grandmother – she was 92 at the time – and the DJ said it was the best choice he’d ever seen for a great-grandma candle!</p>
<p>From her youth-my mom loves this song, and would be fun worked up in harmony. </p>
<p>[Mairzy</a> Doats - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mairzy_Doats]Mairzy”>Mairzy Doats - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>how about " play that funky music white boy "</p>
<p>or a james brown song</p>
<p>Look at the song list from the musical “Tintypes”.</p>
<p>How about “Forever Young”?</p>
<p>Here’s the Joan Baez version: [Joan</a> Baez - Forever Young LYRICS](<a href=“http://www.lyricsdownload.com/joan-baez-forever-young-lyrics.html]Joan”>http://www.lyricsdownload.com/joan-baez-forever-young-lyrics.html)</p>
<p>It’s probably better known as a Bob Dylan song, though I like Joan’s version.</p>
<p>And if you want to see a killer video, check out the Young @ Heart Chorus singing it at the Hampshire County (MA) jail on YouTube.</p>
<p>(Shameless plug: My mother-in-law is in the group. She’s the one getting a kiss from an inmate in the very last second as the video ends.)</p>
<p>^^that’s amazing, Sally!</p>
<p>MY MIL, who’s just 5 years younger than the OP’s elder, as well as my mom who’s l0 years younger, both ADORE Judy Garland and the TV shows that came right into their living room during the early 1960’s. </p>
<p>So, Judy singing “Somewhere over the rainbow” might float her boat, unless she’d find it too sicky-sweet. In that case, something vampier from Judy Garland.</p>
<p>What a blessing for your family to celebrate this way!</p>
<p>IMHO, if your kids can get their heads around it to learn the old songs she recognizes, she’ll enjoy it a lot. Yet I know most kids sing the songs they know with greater confidence and joie de vivre. Remind them to pronounce the words (sing with extra-clear diction) to any new songs since she won’t know them as well. Or give her the song-sheet words! </p>
<p>So, it sounds like you’re in for a wonderful long medley. Remember you don’t have to do every verse to conjure up her memories!!</p>
<p>Other women popular when your grandma was in her midyears would have been:
Ella Fitzgerald (A tisket, a tasket, a green-and-yellow basket), Lena Horne (slightly younger), and maybe Billie Holiday if your g’ma was really progressive back-in-her-day. They sang a lot in New York, where you say she’s from, before their careers went national. </p>
<p>Lucky lady to have you as a son.</p>