Baseball Songs for Kids (Once More with Feeling)

I'm sorry, baseball doesn't begin under the lights on Sunday night. It begins in the full bloom of the sun on a Monday (or Tuesday). Today is the first full day of Major League Baseball, no matter what the standings say. As is my yearly tradition, I've provided this slightly updated list of baseball songs. (Read last year's list here.) Enjoy, and may all your teams have a great season. Except if you're in the National League West, because, the Diamondbacks rule.

If any of you have more suggestions, leave me a comment.
-- "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (well, duh) -- try Wiggleworms Love You, from the Old Town School of Folk Music (nicely bipartisan, cheering for both the Cubs and White Sox), or also the Hold Steady's version.
-- "Baseball Dreams" -- off At the Bottom of the Sea, by Ralph's World (Cubs all the way in this one)
-- "I'm Gonna Catch You" -- off Under a Shady Tree, by Laurie Berkner (it has one relevant line -- "So I jumped into Saturday / And I had a baseball batter-day" -- yeah, I'm really reachin' here)
-- "Pop Fly" -- off Justin Roberts' album by the same name, about a daydreaming boy playing the outfield...
-- "Centerfield" -- off Centerfield, by John Fogerty (not kids' music, but a great song anyway). See also Visqueen's rendition on the Desoto Records kidscomp Play!
-- "Talkin' Baseball -- off countless albums by Terry Cashman, who just re-records and updates his song -- baseball history lesson in 3 minutes
-- "Big Train" -- off the RTT's Turn It Up Mommy!. About Walter "Big Train" Johnson. I'd probably disagree that he's the best pitcher ever, but that's another blog. Good song.
-- "Right Field" -- Peter, Paul and Mary.
-- "Cryin' in the Dugout" -- off Daddy-A-Go-Go's Eat Every Bean and Pea on Your Plate album. A humorous song -- "Baseball Dreams" played for laughs instead of nostalgia.
-- "The Greatest" -- Kenny Rogers.
-- "Roll Around" -- Peter Himmelman, off of his My Lemonade Stand CD. A fun, rollicking song about a baseball who retires, then comes back to his calling.
-- "Baseball Tips with Professor Buckley -- Peter Himmelman, My Green Kite, an amusing little spoken-word piece.
-- "Baseball" -- Milkshake, off Play!. Guest-starring Cal Ripkin, Jr.
-- "The Challenger Baseball Song" -- Ben Rudnick and Friends. All about the Challenger Division of Little League, for kids with mental and physical disabilities.
-- "Baseball, Baseball" -- Stephen Cohen, off Here Comes the Band.
-- "Hey! Batter!" -- Hank Cooper, from Playground Fortune Teller -- all about the language of baseball...
-- "High Five" -- They Might Be Giants (at least in part anyway, and the video features some baseball players -- and c'mon, the team sponsored a Little League baseball team...)
-- "Bruce Springstone's" version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
-- Kathy Kallick's "brilliant refashioning" of Count Basie's "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball"
-- "Bring 'Em In" -- the Deedle Deedle Dees (off their American History + Rock 'n' Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees album)
-- "I Love Baseball" -- Jim Cosgrove (off Ooey Gooey)
-- "Home Run Ronnie" -- Debbie and Friends (off More Story Songs and Sing-Alongs)
-- "Lullabye with Baseball and Trains" - Peter Himmelman (off My Trampoline)

And finally, an artist reviewed here on this very site wrote me a while back to suggest four more songs, including at least one I'm miffed I forgot... the comments in quotes are the artist's, not mine.
-- "Catfish" -- off Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series. I am unfamiliar with this one. But it's Dylan.
-- "Joe DiMaggio’s Done it Again" -– Wilco and Billy Bragg, from their Mermaid Ave Vol. 2
-- "A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request" –- Steve Goodman – "Classic, and very funny." See "Talkin' Baseball," above.
-- "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" -- Brave Combo - "two very cool versions... wacky and fun." It's Brave Combo, how could it not be fun?

Down Here in the States, We Call It Spring Break

While I'm on the whole Canada tip, I thought I'd draw your attention to a couple of notable playlists put together for the Bunch Family website originating out of Canada. They're for "March Break" (which we call "Spring Break" and must come a week or two before ours) and come courtesy of Dan Zanes and Broken Social Scene's Jason Collett. They're both kinda cool lists -- the easiest way to distinguish between the two lists is Marley-wise -- Dan votes for kid-friendly Ziggy, Jason for Bob. Oh, and Collett picks not one, but two Flaming Lips songs.

Also, Canada's a big country -- those lists are barely long enough to get you out of the Toronto suburbs, no?

Songs For Halloween (Updated Yet Again)

Like a zombie, you just can't stop my continually-updated and rattily compiled collection of Halloween kids music. I've taken last year's list and updated it further with help from last year's comments and Bill's Halloween show.

As always, please add stuff I've missed in the comments...

First, Ira Marlowe's put out an album called The Chills, which is chock-full of Halloween tunes that are a little scary (but not too much so) for elementary-aged kids. The music's OK, but if your kids are looking to be tested a bit in their courage, you could do a lot worse than this disk.

Other newer(-ish) songs:
-- The Hipwaders - Bonobo Joe and the Voodoo Queen (see here)
-- Baze and His Silly Friends - Scare Me Scare You!
-- Mighty Weaklings - The Monster Under My Bed
-- Laura Freeman - My Brother's a Monster
-- Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - Boogieman
-- Keith Munslow - Boogieman
-- The Sippy Cups - Day After Halloween

Other albums from past years...
-- Eban Schletter's Witching Hour
-- Wee Hairy Beasties' Creepy Lullabies
-- Sue Schnitzer's Boo, Cackle, Trick or Treat
-- Katherine Dines' Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Spooky!
-- Magic Maestro Music's The Sorcerer's Apprentice
-- Thirteen For Halloween by M. Ryan Taylor.
-- Big Pumpkin - Mr. Billy

A list of other songs:
-- "Skin and Bones" -- countless recordings (Raffi, Sam Hinton, the Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Spooky disk above)
-- "Dia de los Muertos," Uncle Rock -- off his Plays Well With Others disk
-- "A Skeleton Bang," Rasputina -- off the Colours Are Brighter
-- "Harry's Haunted Halloween Circus," from At the Bottom of the Sea by Ralph's World
-- "The Edison Museum" - They Might Be Giants (No!)
-- "The Day After Halloween" - The Sippy Cups (One Day Soon EP)
-- "The Winchester Festival" - Mr. David

Bill from Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child also published his playlists from his '08, '05 and '06 shows...

Our semi-Halloween playlist from last week's show (which you can stream from our page at WRSI.com):

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Whistling in the Dark
Steve Weeks - 4 Little Girls (Alphabet Songs Vol 1)
Kimya Dawson - Little Monster Babies (Alphabutt)
Deedle Deedle Dees - Scared By My Own Costume (Let It Dee)
ID

Segment 2
Wee Scary Beasties - Pumpkinhead (Creepy Lullabies)
Telephone Company - Baby Halloween (The King's Surprise?)
Roger Day - Monster Face (Ready to Fly)
Ralph's World - Harry's Halloween Circus)
Dr. Strangeblood & the New Zombies - Monster Mash (EP)
Salteens - All My Friends (Yo Gabba Gabba)
ID

Segment 3
Los Straitjackets - Munsters theme
Soccer Team - I'll Never Fear Ghosts Again
Baze & His Silly Friends - Scare Me, Scare You!
Egg - Night Time Party
Jimmies - Soaper the Scaredy-Bot (Make Your Own Someday)
Mike Doughty - Firetruck (Smofe + Smang)

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
Justin Roberts - Maybe the Monster (Meltdown!)
Hank Hooper - Human Fly (Playground Fortune Teller)
B-52s - Planet Claire (Anthology)
ID/book time with Ella

Segment 5
Lamar Holley - Digestion (Classroom Pop Vol. 1)
Aric Bieganek & Recess Rock - Bright Lights, Big Kitty! (Bright Lights, Big Kitty)
Monty Harper - Trick or Treat Smell My Feet (Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD)
Louis Armstrong - Jeepers Creepers (Back Through the Years)
Telephone Company - Lumberjack (Panda Brain)

Segment 6
Mates of State - Starman
Mighty Weaklings - Monster Under My Bed
Rechov Sumsum with Ronnie Rock - En Den Dino (Sesame Street Playground)
TMBG - The Guitar
TMBG - Spare the Rock

Themed songs from 2006 show:

Ralph's World - Harry's Haunted Halloween Circus (At the Bottom of the Sea)
Roger Day - Monster Face (Ready to Fly)
ScribbleMonster & Friends - A Monster Goes Rrraargh! (Chocolate Milk)
Deedle Deedle Dees - Scared By My Own Costume (Live at Flywheel)
Monty Harper - Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet (Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD)
Elizabeth Street - Really Gross (Different)
Telephone Company - Baby Halloween (The King's Surprse?)
Milkshake - Scared (Happy Songs)
Steve Weeks - 4 Little Girls (Aaron and his Aeroplane)
TMBG - Something Grabbed Ahold of My Hand (Apollo 18)
Mary Kaye - Skeleton Song (Spin Your Web)
Rebecca Frezza - Monster in My Room (Music in My Heart)
TMBG - Fingertips (Apollo 18)
Laurie Berkner - Monster Boogie (Buzz Buzz)
Andy Glockenspiel - Monster in Pink Underwear
Muppets - Wild Thing
They Might Be Giants - Hovering Sombrero '05 (Here Come the ABCs)

2005's list, where we were much more Halloween-themed throughout:

They Might Be Giants - Hovering Sombrero '05 (Here Come the ABCs) (telling you, that floating hat is scary)
Splash 'n' Boots - Spooky-Doo (Getting Our Feet Wet)
Josh Greenberg & the Mother Goose Jazz Band - Boogie Woogie Ghost (Rhythm and Rhymes)
Trout Fishing in America - The Goops (It's a Puzzle)
Jennie Avila - Gargoyles (For Kids)
Troubador - There's a Werewolf Under My Bed (All About Animals)
Laurie Berkner - Monster Boogie (Buzz Buzz)
Two of a Kind - This Holiday Is Halloween (Friends)
Kevin Kameraad - Pumpkin Belly (Tomato Collection)
Monty Harper - Trick or Treat Smell My Feet (The Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD)
Babaloo - Gorilla in the Middle of My Bedroom (Bean Bag Bop)
Ben Kweller with Ben Folds and Ben Lee - Wicked Little Town (Wig in a Box)
They Might Be Giants - Something Grabbed A Hold of My Hand (Apollo 18)
Ralph's World - Harry's Haunted Halloween Circus (At the Bottom of the Sea)
Nerf Herder - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme
Daddy A Go-Go - Scaredy Cat Cowboy Part 2 (Mojo A Go Go)
Roger Day - Monster Face (Ready To Fly)
ScribbleMonster & His Pals - A Monster Goes Rrraargh! (Best of Friends)
They Might Be Giants - Someone Keeps Moving My Chair (Flood)
Too Much Joy - Pride of Frankenstein (Cereal Killers)
Kevin Kammeraad - Moogie Monster Man (The Tomato Collection)
CandyBand - Monsters (More Candy)
Jack Sheldon - Them Not-So-Dry Bones (Schoolhouse Rock! Science Rock)
They Might Be Giants - Fingertips (Reprise) (Apollo 18)
Monster Mash (Music for Little People)
Telephone Company - Baby Halloween (The King's Surprise?)
Gunnar Madsen - Mayonnaise & Pumpernickel Bread (Ants in My Pants)
They Might Be Giants - Exquisite Dead Guy (Factory Showroom)
Peter Alsop - What If? (Pluggin' Away)
Bill Harley - Monsters in the Bathroom (Play It Again)
Babaloo - Monsters in the Bathroom (Room for Everyone)
Wolf Party (Sun, Sun Shine: Songs for Curious Children)
Belly - Witch (Star)
Daddy A Go-Go - Scaredy Cat Cowboy Part 1 (Mojo A Go Go)
Rockapella - Zombie Jamboree
David Roth - Halloween
Deedle Deedle Dees - Scared of My Own Costume (Let It Dee)
Justin Roberts - Thought It Was A Monster (Yellow Bus)
Milkshake - Scared (Happy Songs)
Steve Weeks - 4 Little Girls (Alphabet Songs Vol. 1)
They Might Be Giants - Skullivan (The Spine Surfs Alone EP)

Gwyneth's Halloween set from 2007:
Lager Rhythms - Zombie Jamboree - Aftermath
Steve Weeks - 4 Little Girls - Alphabet Songs Vol. I
Ralph's World - Harry's Haunted Halloween Circus - At The Bottom Of The Sea
ScribbleMonster & His Pals - A Monster Goes Rrraargh! - Best Of Friends
Karl Williams - Merry Halloween - Big Fish Little Fish
Sue Schnitzer - Black Cats, Spiders, and Bats Blues - Boo, Cackle, Trick or Treat
Wendy Rochman and Sue Schnitzer - Your Bones - Boo, Cackle, Trick or Treat
Laurie Berkner - Monster Boogie - Buzz Buzz
C. Shells - Halloween Ghosts - C. Shells
Dan Zanes & Friends - Moonlit Town - Catch That Train!
GeereMusic - Halloween is Magic Time - Celebrate! Vol 1
Family Circus Kids - The Spider - The Complete Lyric Language
Janet Sirett - Another Halloween Night - Creepy Crawly Slimy Things
Brady Rymer - Full Moon Walk - Every Day Is A Birthday
John McCutcheon - Halloween - Four Seasons-Autumn Songs
Carole Peterson - Black Bat Farm (Oct) - H.U.M
DJ Spook A Lot - Skeleton Dance - Halloween For All
The Hipwaders - Howling At The Moon - The Hipwaders
John Bindel, Nashville Chamber Orchestra And Kid Pan Alley - Scary Things - Kid Pan Alley- Nashville
String Bean Jones (With The Lefty Jones Band) - Good Ghosts Here - Live From The Bathtub
Justin Roberts - Maybe The Monster - Meltdown!
Pam Blanchard & the Sunny-Side Up Band - Halloween Waltz - Music Makes Me Happy
Bruce, Troy, and Margaret - Thirty-Six Witches - Now For My Next Number
Steve Songs - One Halloween Night... - On A Flying Guitar
Monty Harper - Trick or Treat Smell My Feet - The Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD
Steve Blunt and Friends - Pumpkins, Beware! - Outta School!
Sesame Street - The Monster in the Mirror (Grover) - Sesame Street Platinum All-Time Favorites
Brent & Woofy - On Halloween - Shine Shine Shine
Eric Herman And The Invisible Band - Hide And Go Seek With The Moon - Snow Day
Erin Lee & Marci - The Moonlight Wolfbite Batjuice Jamboree - Snowdance
Mary Kaye - The Skeleton Song - Spin Your Web
Thaddeus Rex - The Moon Is Rising - We Wanna Rock
Wee Sing - The Ghosts Go Flying - Wee Sing For Halloween
Danny Adlerman - Pump the Pumpkin -
Imagination Movers - Knocking on Your Door 2 -

Dan Zanes Plays Wedding Music

OK, that's a totally misleading title, or at least a 90% misleading title. But I thought the typical Zooglobble reader would probably enjoy this clip of Dan Zanes' brother-in-law Donald Saaf playing with his Little Hope String Band. The notes on the video below indicate that the band is working on a CD of wedding music, and if you just watch the video, I think you'll find Saaf's band is probably as close as you'd get to having DZ play your wedding.

Little Hope String Band - "Exekiel Saw De Wheel" [YouTube]

Oh, what the hey, here's a Dan Zanes wedding mix...
Wonder Wheel
Shining Star
Let's Shake
Hello
Smile Smile Smile
Bushel and a Peck
Loch Lomond
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Surrounded By Friendship
While the Music Is Playing
The Good Night Waltz

(OK, it's a little weak, but add the "Electric Slide" and you're good to go, right?)

Songs For Dads (Slightly Updated)

Father's Day is coming up and while fathers don't seem to inspire quite as much kids music as mothers do, there are still a few entries if you're looking to put together a kid-friendly list.

You can read last year's list, but there's always new stuff to add. (Along with stuff I've forgotten, overlooked, or cruelly dismissed. Let me know what falls in those categories in the comments.) I'd note, though, that I'm trying hard to limit myself to songs about dads, specifically. Those are tough to find...

The list, after the jump:

-- "Daddy-O," off Frances England's Fascinating Creatures
-- "My Dad!," off Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band's Kaleidoscope Songs, Vol 1
-- "Cat's in the Cradle," Harry Chapin (just kidding!)
-- "I'm So Glad To Be A Dad," off Dennis Caraher's Bow Wow Baby
-- "My Daddy Is Scratchy," off Jamie Broza's My Daddy Is Scratchy
-- "My Daddy (Flies a Ship in the Sky)," off the Daddy-O! Daddy Woody Guthrie tribute
-- "Courtship of Eddie's Father"
-- "Dad" by Father Goose
-- "The Coffee Song," by Ralph's World, off At The Bottom of the Sea. (Yeah, I used it for the mom's list, but it mentions D...A...D.D.Y.)
-- "Father and Daughter," by Paul Simon (off a number of CDs, but including The Wild Thornberrys soundtrack)
-- "Don't Wipe Your Face On Your Shirt," by the Cornell Hurd Band, off the fabulous The Bottle Let Me Down comp.
-- "Me and My Dad," by David Weinstone, from his Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals #7.
-- "Stay-At-Home Dad," by Justin Roberts (off Pop Fly).
-- "My Father Was An Accountant," by Peter Himmelman (from My Green Kite)
-- "Things," by Barenaked Ladies (from Snacktime) -- I suppose this is gender-free, but considering it's being sung by an all-guy band, I took it as a Dad-centric song
-- "Have You Looked?" and "Swingin' in Daddyland," from Lewis Franco off his Swingin' in Daddyland CD)
-- "Dad Threw the TV Out the Window," from Bill Harley (on Play It Again, among other places) -- more about TV, but still...
-- "In Belgian Rain" by Hot Peas N Butter
-- "My Dad," by Rick Charette, off of a cd titled Kids Tunes
-- "My Dad Caught Stars" by Justin Roberts (off Not Naptime)
-- "The Lawnmower Song" by John Upchurch and Mark Greenberg (off John and Mark's Children's Record -- yes, it's about mowing the lawn, but about Dad mowing the lawn. Which I do. Constantly.)

A reader also recommended Daddies Sing GoodNight: A Fathers' Collection of Sleepytime Songs, which isn't really a collection of songs about dads, but close enough...

And, a few for the adults (from commenters and e-mailers)...

-- "My Dad (My Pa)" by Nancy Sinatra
-- "Bein' a Dad" by Loudon Wainwright III
-- "The Kids Are Alright" by The Who
-- "Slow Turnin," "Your Dad Did," and "Stolen Moments" - John Hiatt
-- "Still Fighting It," Ben Folds ("You're so much like me / I'm sorry.")
-- "My Old Man" by the Smothers Brothers. ("It's a touch blue, but it was recorded in 1963 so it's pretty harmless - funny if you're "in the know". My favorite Dad song!")
-- "Hold Me My Daddy" by XTC ("A great take on the sometimes complicated father/son bond.")

A couple entries with tongues planted firmly in cheek from readers:
-- "Oh, Daddy" by Adrian Belew (though I think that's probably safe for a playlist
-- "Big Daddy" by Dewey Cox (um, way not safe for the playlist)