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Songs for Growing

by Ruth Gordon

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    7
    releases

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    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Lullabies, Songs for Growing, We are Turned, Folk Songs, Swallows/Belly of the Beast (split single), It Sails, and Thirty Birds. , and , .

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1.
Os Sementes 01:11
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Planta-me na terra Com agua e luz do sol Planta-me na terra E assim vou crescer Translation: Plant me in the ground With water and light from the sun Plant me in the ground And so I'll grow
2.
Seeds 01:15
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Put me in the ground Give me water and bright bright sunlight Put me in the ground And I’ll grow grow grow
3.
Vem Flor 01:15
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Vem flor podes crescer, abre-te num novo ser. Translation: Come flower, you can grow open yourself into a new being.
4.
Flower Come Flower Grow 01:14
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Flower come, flower grow petals out and up we go.
5.
Olha Lagarta 02:32
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Olha a lagarta Olha a lagarta Come pera pera pera Come morango Come uva uva uva Come folhas folhas folhas Come figos figos figos Come laranja Come bananananana Come folhas folhas folhas. Translation: Look at the caterpillar It eats pears pears pears, It eats strawberries It eats grapes, grapes, grapes It eats leaves leaves leaves It eats figs figs figs It eats orange It eats bananananana It eats leaves leaves leaves.
6.
Spring Spring Caterpillar 02:34
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Spring spring caterpillar Spring spring caterpillar Eat an apple apple apple Eat an apricot Eat a leaf eat a leaf eat a leafy leafy leaf. Eat a plum eat a pear eat a bana na na na na Eat a leaf eat a leaf eat a leafy leafy leaf.
7.
Borboleta No Ar 02:27
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Borboleta no ar no ar no ar Venho do casulo (No ar no ar) E o meu embrulho (No ar no ar) Visito as flores E os sabores E por la deixo os meus ovos --- Butterfly in the air, in the air I come from cocoon It's my wrapping I visit the flowers and the flavours and there I leave my eggs.
8.
Butterfly Flap Flap 03:14
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Butterfly flap flap (Flap flap, flap flap) I come from cocoon (Flap flap flap flap) It’s my growing room (Flap flap flap flap) I visit the flowers For hours and hours There I lay eggs They will be caterpillars soon.
9.
Dragão Dragão 02:14
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Dragão Dragão Abre as asas vai voar Vai abrir e voar Longe, longe além do mar Fogo e terra Vale e serra Procura o teu lugar. Translation: Dragon dragon open your wings, you're going to fly You will open and fly far far across the sea Fire and earth Valley and mountain Search for your place.
10.
Dragon Dragon 02:17
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Dragon dragon dragon dragon Spread your wings and fly away Spread your wings stretch your claws Fly up high beyond the stars Fire and flame sing your name Fly back home to where you came from.
11.
A Senhora Abelha 01:29
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A Senhora Abelha vive na cova no chão A Senhora Abelha transforma pólen em pão Para dar á sua bebé numa cama feita de folhas e lama e cera. Translation: Mrs Bee lives in a hole in the ground Mrs Bee transforms pollen into bread To give to her baby in a bed made of leaves and mud and wax.
12.
Mrs Bee 01:48
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Mrs Bee likes to live in a hole in the ground Mrs Bee likes to burrow where she can’t be found She visits all the flowers and she visits all the trees And she takes the pollen home on her furry knees. She makes bread with the pollen for her baby bee Who grows in a nest of mud and leaves Then she visits all the flowers and she visits all the trees And she takes the pollen home on her furry knees.
13.
Time for Lunch 01:10
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It's time for lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch It's time to munch munch munch munch munch I have a hunch hunch hunch hunch hunch It's time for lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch
14.
Hora do Almoço 01:14
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É a hora do almoço-ço-ço-ço Sentar no rabo-bo-bo-bo Comer do tudo-do-do-do Hora do almoço-ço-ço-ço Translation: It's time for lunch Sit on your bum Eat a bit of everything Time for lunch

about

These songs were written for the children in the kindergarten at Tamera, the community where I live in Portugal. There, the children have names for their different stages of development, rather than being separated in classes: from seeds, to flowers, to caterpillars, to butterflies, to dragons. They go from stage to stage in a special growing ritual, for which the teachers there asked me to write the songs. There's a song for each stage, plus one about a bee written for when they were studying bees and wanted a vegan song about bees that didn't involve honey, and another about lunchtime, because that's an important part of the day!

They are all in both English and Portuguese, as the school operates in both languages. The songs are designed to be easy for children aged 4–8+ to sing along with and also good for parents and carers learning Portuguese or English.

If you have an idea for a children's song you'd like me to write, let me know, it's fun!

credits

released October 3, 2021

Lyrics & Music: Ruth Gordon, with original inspiration from Adele Baillie Bandini (aged 6) on "Spring Spring Caterpillar", and Lua Funk Ayalon Kovo (aged 6) on "Dragon Dragon".

Tune of "Butterfly Flap Flap" and "Borboleta No Ar" - The Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss

Help with translation into Portuguese from Mafalda Carinha and Mena Vieira

Musicians:
Ruth Gordon: guitar, banjo, harp, flute and vocals.

Magdalena Anderle: violin on "Borboleta No Ar", "Butterfly Flap Flap", "Time for Lunch" and "Hora do Almoço"; vocals on "Vem Flor" and "Flower Come Flower Grow".

Cover photo by Yuval Kovo

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Ruth Gordon UK

Ruth Gordon is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from England.

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