The Classics

Four year old Sophie came to playschool wearing a beautiful white sundress completely covered with little images of the sun and a phrase printed repeatedly as well. My two year old son and I had just arrived in time to see her twirl around.

As I placed my son’s sweater and hat in his cubby, Sophia walked over to me, “Hi Jonas’ mom!” (yes that is my playschool name) “Do you like my dress?” she asked.

I give it a thorough look and tell her it’s beautiful. She then asks me to read the text printed all over, “You are my sunshine.” By this time, Jonas (my son) gives me a hug and a kiss goodbye and heads for his teacher signaling him to come over to say good morning while Sophie continues with me, determined with her important issue.

“Do you know the song?” she asks. How could I not know the song?! I got excited (yes, it does not take much to get me doing cartwheels) “Do I know the song?? I love the song!” I happily started singing and Sophie joined in after the first line. As we belted out the last please-don’t-take-my-sunshine-away, in comes Sydney (teacher’s assistant) who asks, “Just how many people are you trying to get to sing that song today?”

Ahhh, I was baited by a four year old… hook, line, and sinker using a classic – You Are My Sunshine.

After that day at playschool, the song stuck with me. I found the version by Elizabeth Mitchell on YouTube as soon as we got home, which Jonas and I have come to adore. We played it over and over again that evening. When Elizabeth would sing “You make me happy when skies are gray”, Jonas would wrap his arms around me, look up at me and smile, and would lean his head against me as I hugged him back.

And as I looked at my son, who at the tender age of two was just beaming with love and exuding all the warmth brought on by the song, I was filled with gratitude to its authors, Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell (who, back in 1939, wrote the song that was not meant as a children’s song at all AND was number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart – much to my surprise – not on it hitting number 7 on the chart but of it not being a children’s song at all). An amazing song, indeed, understood and affectionately appreciated at varying ages, a timeless piece of music… a classic.

Old MacDonald Had A Farm, The Wheels On The Bus, Eensy Weensy Spider, Happy And You Know It, You Are My Sunshine… the classics. Handed down from one generation to the next, everyone knows the lyrics and the melody to these songs by heart and if you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere and didn’t know any of them, they all still hold that quality to it (that most children’s music does) that make them easy to learn and memorize.

Singing the classics is like having a concert stage open to everyone and it brings so much enjoyment. We should hold on to them as much as we can, welcome the new music, but not ignore the classics because when I’m a grandma, I would like all generations of my family be able to sing a song that we all know and love be it in the car on the way to some faraway land or at a playschool while being showcased an adorable gown (that’s “sundress” to all you non female toddlers).

So here’s to the classics, we raise a well deserved toasted chocolate waffle to all of you. Thank you for bridging generations and for making family and playtime oodles of fun.