Music

Compact Discs

Both of the CDs I have recorded are available online from CDbaby. Click on the icon and go directly there. Digital downloads are also available from Itunes, Napster, and Amazon. Have a listen…

“Mister Cooper”

“Mister Cooper” is the name of my first CD recorded for kids and their families. I had a great time making music with my friends. We sang songs about food, fish, rainbows, gardens, and washing your hands. Some of the songs are ones I made up and some are great, old favorites. We mixed together guitars, accordion, fiddle, trumpet, banjo, tuba, and lots of other instruments, for a variety of sounds and styles. Included in the package are the lyrics to all of the songs. They are also available below. Each CD cover was colored by one of my 2nd grade friends making it a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of art. If you’d like to order one or simply listen to a sample of each track (free), please go to https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mistercooper. Thanks and I hope you enjoy the music. Be sure to sing along…

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Here is a picture of the recording session for “This World” in the Sutterville Pre-school classroom. From left to right: Mister Cooper, Victoria, Guillemma, Leeza, Michael, and Colin. My friend, Richie Lawrence, took the picture on his phone.

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“This World”

Mister Cooper has done it again. I’ve recorded a brand new CD called “This World” and it’s available now. Filled with good-time acoustic folk music, these 19 original songs are geared towards slightly older children (age 7-12) and their grown-ups. Just like my debut CD, “Mister Cooper,” the new tunes feature guitars, accordions, kazoos, a tuba, and some of Sutterville School’s finest kid singers. Some songs even have drums! This time, the songs are about bugs, fossils, conservation, Elvis, and the Statue of Liberty. If you’d like to order one or simply listen to a sample of each track (free), please go to https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mistercooper2. All of the lyrics are listed below. Please read along and sing along with Mister Cooper…

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Videos

This video was recorded one morning at Sutterville Elementary School with the A.M. kindergarten class. “3 Little Fishies” is still a favorite everywhere I go.

Another video recorded the same day. “Words To Live By” is a song I made up – there’s even a coloring book for this song.

Here’s one of the songs performed during the Winter Concert ’08 at Sutterville Elementary School.

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The Lyrics

“Mister Cooper” CD

1. Good Morning To You

Good morning to you
Good morning to you
Good morning everybody
Good morning to you

Venus and Mars
The moon and the stars
Have all gone to bed now
So good morning to you

The trees and the flowers
All wait for the hours
Of blue sky and sunshine
Good morning to you

Wherever you are
Whatever you do
We sing you this greeting
Good morning to you

2. 7 Colors In A Rainbow

There are seven colors in a rainbow
Red, Orange, Yellow
Green, Blue, Indigo
And Violet
Now I know
There are seven colors in a rainbow

The rain stopped falling today
The sky began to clear
The sun came shining through the clouds
And a rainbow did appear

3. Broccoli

I like burgers and I like fries
Yesterday I got a big surprise
Mama served me something like I never ate
I’m hear to tell you that I cleaned my plate

It was broccoli
Yeah, broccoli
I love broccoli
And now I eat it all the time

I like pizza, I like pie
Vegetables would make me cry
Now those tears are in the past
And everybody is happy at last

Anytime you’re in the mood
For some good, green healthy food
Take a tip from Mr. C
And eat broccoli

Now if you cook it, make mine steamed
And if it’s soup, make it creamed
Sprinkle on a little bit of cheddar cheese
Mama, won’t you make some if you please

4. 3 Little Fishies by Saxie Dowell & Lucy Bender Sokole

Down in the meadow in an itty bitty pool
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
“Swim!” said the mama fishie, “Swim if you can.”
And they swam and they swam right over the dam.
Boop boop dittem dattem whattem chu (3x)
And they swam and they swam right over the dam.

“Stop!” said the mama fishie, “You’ll get lost.”
But the three little fishies didn’t want to be bossed.
The three little fishies went off on a spree
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea.
Boop boop dittem dattem whattem chu (3x)
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea.

“Whee!” yelled the fishies, “Here’s a lot of fun.
We’ll swim in the sea till the day is done.”
They swam and they swam and it was a lark,
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!
Boop boop dittem dattem whattem chu (3x)
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!

“Help!” cried the little fishies, “Look at the whales!”
Quick as they could, they turned on their tails.
And back to the pool in the meadow they swam,
And they swam and they swam back over the dam.
Boop boop dittem dattem whattem chu (3x)
And they swam and they swam back over the dam.

5. I’m Going To A Party

I’m going to a party
My friends will all be there
I’m going to a party
I got new clothes to wear
I hope there’s cake and ice cream
And lots of big balloons
I’m going to a party
And I hope I get there soon

My birthday is today
Today is my birthday
I’ve waited all year
Now I can say
My birthday is today

I’m going to a party
With presents to unwrap
I’m going to a party
No time to take a nap
I’ll blow out every candle
And if my wish comes true
I’ll be at my party
Sitting next to you

6. One Man Band

He sits on the corner of a busy street
People passing by stop for a treat
Of good time music with a jug band beat
Straight out of Dixieland
He sings with smile across his face
Picks the blues for a change of pace
Throw a couple bucks in the guitar case
Of the One Man Band

One Man Band
One Man Band
One Man Band
He’s the One Man Band

He can play the banjo and the mandolin
Bass drum, tuba and accordion
A high hat cymbal taped to each shin
Harmonica close at hand
The One Man Band is quite a show
But you won’t hear him on the radio
Making his music from head to toe
He’s the One Man Band

One Man Band
One Man Band
One Man Band
He’s the One Man Band

7. Dig A Little

Dig a little
Plant a little seed
Pour a little water
Pull a little weed
Chase those little bugs
See how they go
Add a little sunshine
And watch our garden grow

Purple eggplant
Green beans and peas
Tall yellow corn
And red strawberries
Our garden is a rainbow
Colors rise above
Everything’s delicious
Our garden’s filled with love

8. Dancearound

Get on up and shake it

9. One Meat Ball by Louis Singer & Hy Zaret

The little man walked up and down
To find an eating place in town
He read the menu through and through
To see what 15 cents would do
One meat ball, one meat ball
He could afford but one meat ball

He told the waiter close at hand
The simple dinner he had planned
The guests were startled one and all
To hear the waiter loudly call
One meat ball, one meat ball
This here gent wants one meat ball

The little man felt ill at ease
He said, some bread sir, if you please
The waiter hollered down the hall
You get no bread with one meat ball
One meat ball, one meat ball
You get no bread with one meat ball

The little man felt very bad
Cause one meat ball was all he had
And in his dreams he hears that call
You get no bread with one meat ball
One meat ball, one meat ball
You get no bread with one meat ball

10. Wash Your Hands

Wash your hands
Scrub with soap and water
To stay healthy you’ve got to understand
Germs are everywhere
So let’s take extra care
Put your hands together
And wash your hands

Before you sit and eat
Your vegetables and meat
Wash your hands, wash your hands
After a bathroom break
There’s one more step to take
Wash your hands, wash your hands

Every time you sneeze
Help to stop disease
Wash your hands, wash you hands
Please cover when you cough
Then rinse those cooties off
Wash your hands, wash your hands

11. Words To Live By

Share
Help people
Don’t step on bugs
Clean up
Be a friend
Take turns
Ask questions
Don’t yell
Wash your hands
Look
Listen
And learn

12. I Love Mother Goose

ABCDEFG
HIJKLMN
OPQRST
UVWXYZ

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool
Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full
One for the master, one for the dame
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane

Georgie Porgie, puddin’ and pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
When the boys came out to play
Georgie Porgie ran away

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he
He called for his pipe
And he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers one, two, three

13. Chicken

Chicken, chicken
You can’t roost too high for me
Chicken, chicken Come on out of that tree
Chicken, chicken, chicken
You can’t roost too high for me

“C” is the way to begin
“H” the next letter in
“I” am the third
“C” for to season the bird
“K” is to fill him in
“E” I’m near the end
C-H-I-C-K-E-N That’s the way to spell chicken

14. Thanks

Thanks
Thanks
Thanks
Thanks
Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks
Thanksgiving
Thanks for the leaves
Thanks for the trees
Thanks for the turkey
Thanks for the peas
Thanks for the sun up in the sky
Thanks for my piece of pumpkin pie

15. 30 Days

30 days hath September
April, June and November
All the rest have 31
Except February

February has 28
Except in a leap year
Then the days count 29
Won’t you please remember

“This World” CD

1. This World

Everybody says she’s pretty as a picture
Everybody knows she’s one of a kind
Everywhere I go, I see more of her
Everywhere I look, she’s looking fine

North Pole, South Pole, East or West
She’s the planet I love the best
Mother Earth
So I say
Hey, this world
This world is the most beautiful world in the world

She can shine like a rainbow when she’s happy
Or cry like a waterfall when she’s sad
If she’s scared she’s gonna shake like an earthquake
Or howl like a hurricane when she’s mad

Oh, from the highest mountain top
Oh, to the bottom of the deep blue sea

2. Honeybees

Honeybees, please come home
We need you here at the honeycomb
That Colony Collapse Disorder
Is crossing every border
So, Honeybees, please come home

Why are the adult bees disappearing?
Is it from climate change or pesticides?
Are you feeling stress from malnutrition?
We need you and our crops to stay alive

We want you to continue pollinating
And we’ll do our best to solve this mystery
Until then we’ll eat organic honey
And build a hive where you’ll be safe and free

3. Tiny Tim

I have a little turtle
His name is Tiny Tim
I put him in the bathtub
And taught him how to swim
He drank up all the water
He ate up all the soap
And when he tried to talk
There was a brr brr in his throat

Tiny Tim kept talking
And bubbles filled the air
High and low, from head to toe
Bubbles everywhere
I said, “Stop blowing bubbles
Please, dear Tiny Tim”
But with that brr brr in his throat
There was no stopping him

So Mama called the doctor
The doctor called the nurse
The nurse called the lady
With the alligator purse
It was the biggest bubble bath
That anyone had seen
And when our tub time ended
We all were very clean

4. Don’t Go Together

Screen doors and submarines, matches and gasoline
Mud pies and keeping clean
Don’t go together
Diets and chocolate cake, bus rides and bellyaches
Bare feet and rattlesnakes
Don’t go together

Some things do, some things don’t
Some things will and others won’t
But you and me, we’ll always be
Like peanut butter and jelly

Crocodiles and swimming pools, heat waves and keeping cool
Good grades and skipping school
Don’t go together
Sunshine and rainy days, ice cream and mayonnaise
Banjos and “Purple Haze”
Don’t go together

Picnics and hungry ants, punk rock and disco dance
Grass stains and brand new pants
Don’t go together
“Smells good” and garbage cans, sno-cones and frying pans
Kryptonite and Superman
Don’t go together

5. Use Less Gasoline

Use less gasoline
It’s gonna be gone someday
Use less gasoline
The price is too high to pay

Our world is choking on air pollution
Too many Hummers and SUVs
Traffic jams are filled with road rage
No one cares about the gas gauge
The future looks dim for you and me

You can ride the bus or form a carpool
You can drive a car using vegetable oil
Do what my mom and dad did
Go out and buy a hybrid
Let’s not depend on foreign soil

6. Bugs

Bugs – creepy crawlers
Bugs – small and smaller
Bugs – so let’s beware
Bugs – don’t step on them
Bugs – walk around them
Bugs – they’re everywhere

Insects all have 6 legs
And beady, little eyes
Each has 2 antennae
And most of them can fly

Insects have 3 body parts
In an exoskeleton
First, the head Next, the thorax
Then the abdomen

Insects don’t have noses
Or lungs like people do
They have holes in there sides
That they can breathe through

7. Friend Of Mine

There’s an alligator in the elevator
He’s looking at me carefully
There’s an alligator in the elevator
I hope he’s a friend of mine
I hope he’s a friend of m

There’s a crocodile with a great big smile
In the elevator with the alligator
There’s a crocodile with a great big smile
I hope he’s a friend of mine
I hope he’s a friend of mine

There’s a giant snake with a bellyache
He ate the alligator in the elevator
He ate the crocodile with a great big smile
I hope he’s a friend of mine, yeah
I hope he’s a friend of mine I hope he’s a… GULP!

8. Popcorn Popping

I looked out my window and what did I see?
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree
Spring had brought me such a nice surprise
Blossoms popping right before my eyes
Now, I can take an armload and make a treat
A popcorn ball that would smell so sweet
It wasn’t really so, but it seemed to me
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree

9. Vegetables

Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables, vegetables
I love veggies A to Z
Asparagus to zucchini
They’re so healthy
Vegetables

Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables, vegetables
Make some chili, soup, or stew
Throw some on the barbeque
They’re good for you
Vegetables

Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables, vegetables
Fresh or frozen, canned or dry
Put some on a pizza pie
Me, oh my
Vegetables

Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables, vegetables

10. Farmers Market

Come on, come on, come on everybody
Come to the Farmers Market
Get your fruit and veggie
Come on, come one, come on everybody
Come to the Farmers Market
It’s time to eat more healthy

Everyday a burger, french fries, and a shake
Made my wallet thinner and my stomach ache
I had to change my diet, I had to follow through
Now I feel like a million bucks and you can do it too

I like Romaine lettuce, carrots, and green peas
Celery and broccoli and spinach, if you please
Apples, grapes, and melons, all taste mighty good
I got them from a grower in my neighborhood

It’s ok to eat like a rabbit
Make a salad today for lunch
Get some exercise while you’re at it
And beat that heart attack to the punch
To the punch

Come to the California Certified Farmers Market

11. Train From Memphis

Well, there’s a train a-comin’, sixteen coaches long
Rockin’ more than 50 years and going strong
Elvis is the engineer, conductor’s name is Cash
And every song’s a million-dollar smash

That train from Memphis, will carry on
That train from Memphis, it’s good and gone
That train from Memphis, bless my soul
You don’t need a ticket
Just get on board for Rock and Roll

Take a little country music and mix it with the blues
Add that slap back echo and blue suede shoes
Listen to that drivin’ wheel, hear those guitar strums
Comin’ ‘round the mountain when she comes

Oh, can’t you hear that whistle blow
Oh, from Sun Studio?
Oh, it’ll set your spirit free
Once you dig that rockabilly on that train from Memphis

Pull your record player down off that dusty shelf
Get your Grandpa’s 45s and listen for yourself
First, your feet start dancing, soon you’ll sing along
There’s a whole lotta shakin’ going on

12. Big Bad Bob

Way out west in Sacramento lives the baddest man alive
Weighing 300 pounds from his head to the ground
He stands a full 6 foot 5
He’s got muscles on his muscles and tattoos everywhere
And with the beard on his face and hair all over the place
He looks like a grizzly bear

There goes Big Bad Bob
Strutting his stuff ‘round the neighborhood
There goes Big Bad Bob
That dude ain’t no good

Half of his teeth are missing, his nose has been broken twice
And the smell of his breath will scare you to death
His heart, it’s cold as ice
He eats when he gets hungry and sleeps when he gets tired
And when he’s looking to fight, you better get out of sight
Man, run like your feet’s on fire

He used to be the sweetest baby boy
Now he’s lost his inner child
Unemployed and running wild

He rides a Harley Davidson motorcycle as fast as it can go
And if you get in his way, you’ll have plenty to say
When you’re telling your tale of woe

13. Stinky Moon

Stinky Moon, oh, Stinky Moon
Why are you so stinky?
Is it the Swiss cheese that you eat?
You smell a lot like dirty feet
Stinky Moon, oh, Stinky Moon
Why don’t you use the bathroom?
We won’t be missing you some time soon
You stinky moon, oh, Stinky Moon

14. Sharing Stories

Sharing stories, singing songs
Telling jokes, all day long
These are some of my favorite things to do
With you

Eating ice cream, keeping cool
Marco Polo at the pool
These are some of my favorite things to do
With you

Let’s take a walk
To the library
So many books there
For you and me
With a new adventure in each one
That’s why reading books is so much fun

Sharing stories, playing games
Riding bikes, it’s all the same
These are some of my favorite things to do
With you
I like spending time with you

15. Cool To Be Kind

Every time you help a friend in need
You become a friend indeed
It’s cool to be kind, it’s cool to be kind
Kindness shows and everybody knows
It’s cool to be kind

Kindness is as kindness does
Volunteers feel good because
It’s cool to be kind, it’s cool to be kind
Kindness shows and everybody knows
It’s cool to be kind

Robin Hood was all about
Helping his friends and neighbors out
If you do a favor for someone else
You’re doing a favor for yourself
It’s cool to be kind

So when you help an old lady across the street
Or share a smile with everyone you meet
It’s cool to be kind, it’s cool to be kind
Kindness shows and everybody knows
It’s cool to be kind
Kindness shows and everybody knows
It’s cool to
Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody’s mother
You may think that this is the end
Well, it is!

16. Camouflage

Camouflage, camouflage
Can’t you see I’m hiding
Camouflage, camouflage
You better look again

My name is The Chameleon
I can change the color of my skin
If I stand still, I blend in
There’s more than meets the eye

When you think you’re looking at a tree
You might be looking right at me
So don’t believe everything you see
There’s more than meets the eye

My disguise conceals me all day long
And if you turn your head, I’ll be gone

17. Fossils

How do we know
How do we know
Dinosaurs lived so long ago?

This is a song about fossils
“What are fossils?” you may ask
Fossils can be found in rocks or in the ground
Fossils are clues from the past

No one’s ever seen a dinosaur
So how can we be sure they were real?
Scientists found their bones in mud that turned to stone
Their history was revealed

Fossils can be fish, plants or shells
Skeletons or footprints in the sand
Or insects that were trapped in hardened sticky sap
Fossils have helped us understand

That’s how we know
That’s how we know
Dinosaurs lived so long ago

18. Listen To Your Spirit

No one ever said life would be easy
Choices must be made everyday
The best that you can do
Is to do the best you can
Everyone has help along the way

Shadows on the wall
Noises down the hall
The world’s a scary place
Do you fear it?
But you can still be brave
Even when you feel afraid
A hero’s in your heart
Can you hear it?
Listen to your spirit

Sometimes your imagination haunts you
Sometimes it’s all too much to bear
Find a quiet place
Be as silent as the moon
The courage that you seek is waiting there

19. Statue of Liberty

Give me your tired, your poor, she says
Those yearning to be free
Take a light from my burning torch
The light of Liberty

Give me your huddled masses
Lost on another shore
Tempest tossed and weary
These I will take and more

Give me your thirsty, your hungry
Who come from another place
You who would dream of freedom
Look into my face

Repeat 1st verse
The Statue of Liberty