My i-pod doesn't keep a charge so i have put it in the car connected to a power source and an fm transmitter and it is the official soundtrack source for my driving around.
99% of the time i am driving around I have my three year old twins as traveling companions. There are three songs that they insist on hearing over and over again:
1. Look What They've Done To My Song Ma: Melanie
2. Joy: Lucinda Williams
3. Irreplaceable: Beyonce
I listen to the Melanie song easily about 10X/day. There is something a bit eery about hearing your three year olds sing, "Look what they've done to brain ma/ look what they've done to my brain/ they've picked it like a chicken bone/ and I think i'm have insane ma."
Everytime we listen to joy i end up having to answer questions like: what is joy? who took her joy? did her friend take her joy?
I have taught them a cute little hand move for Irreplaceable. When Beyonce says 'to the left, to the left" i have them move their arms to the left. My daughter has them perform this for her high school friends. it gets the big ahhhhhhhs. (although this might not be the most manly thing. ) They don't call the song Irreplaceable either--they call it "You Must Not Know Bout Me."
If I try to put on another song they lose it. One of the twins will announce shortly into any other song--this is crappy.
My Trusted MOGs
I'm just guessing here, but maybe your twins like the Melanie song so much is that it has the words "my" and "ma" in it.
My Trusted MOGs
I am lucky right now, a 17 month old doesnt have much to say about what is being played. I do look forward to the days when he will be requesting music however, the sound of children singing is just such a great thing
My Trusted MOGs
My 18 mo old makes his sign language for music every morning after breakfast. He really likes "Nursery Days" by Woodie Gutherie, which is funny because to my audiophile ears, it has the poorest recording quality. But the simplicity is brilliant and there are a lot of songs he can interact to. I am constantly getting songs from They Might Be Giants "No" in my head while I am sleeping. I like the band, but I am getting a little tired of a couple of the songs.
My Trusted MOGs
emscee--that is nice reading of why they would like the melanie song but they had to ask me what ma was. hopefully i am not just reaching and flipping the switch on some inborn melancholia.
i just couldn't stand the idea of listening to barney or a lot of the 'for kids' music. things have gotten a lot better since my last kid who is now nearly 12. There are a lot more people like dan zanes, lauri berkner, elizabeth mitchell, justin roberts, etc. that make kid music that doesn't make adults want to plunge sharp objects in their ears.
I bought Woody Guthrie "Songs to Grown On For Mother and Child" and although I must admit that Guthrie's voice is a bit much for me often i found the album and songs addictive. I heard that he tried to write them from the view of a child and i think itworks
Kevin if you want me to post it on multiply or if you want some other 'cool' kid music....let me know.
I like NO but yeah, anything over and over again can drive ya nuts.
May i recommend the Candy Band...check out their website.
My Trusted MOGs
Love Dan Zanes. We got most of his albums from the library, and they are a lot of fun. Sometimes I just even put on songs that have real obvious things like prominent drums or catchy piano. My son acutually loves rocking out to AC/DC and the White Stripes. Both of those bands have pretty distinct drums and guitar in them. Reggae is a pretty positive and infectious type of music to play for kids, and even if they are saying something you might not want your kids repeating, sometimes it's really hard to understand. My son seems to like Matisyahu (an orthodox Jewish reggae singer). But good old Marley, or Desmond Dekker will do too.