"Molly Songs" are very important in my house. As a self prophesed music snob, I have started from the beginning exposing my young daughter to various music. We started with songs that would calm her down, while she was colicky. The instant winner, and savior of ours, was 'Boy With A Coin
' from IRON & WINE, which instantly soothed her with it's lovely rhythm and vocals. As soon as she could coordinate her tiny little legs, she would have dance party, shaking her booty in front of the entertainment center, watching herself in the glass doors. Medeski Martin & Wood's kid album Let's Go Everywhere selection 'Where's the Music
' was a frequent and repeated choice. As she ages and more becomes more self-importatnt, music has helped give her some identity. "NooooOOOOOO, I need Molly songs", is frequently yelled in the car on trips, and I would die if forced to listen to commercial kid crap, like Barney. Instead, we're extremely lucky, as she loves Sam Beam, Pokey LaFarge, and Lisa Loeb. The best convergence happens, when she gets attached to songs that I also love. Her current playlist includes amongst others: classics 'Johnny Be Good
', 'Yellow Submarine', fun songs from Erin McKeown's traditionals album Sing You Sinners: 'Rhode Island Is Famous For You
' and 'Melody', and new gems from Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three's latest Riverboat Soul: 'La La Blues' and 'Claude Jones'. Best of all, is I have snuck in three tracks from the Muppet Show
: 'Cottleston Pie', 'Mississippi Mud' and 'Lydia the Tattoo Lady'. Seriously, if you have to listen to a track over and over, 
it is way better for it to be one of your own favorites as well. 
The Muppets tracks are the pinnacle of this intersection of great music that pleases young and old. These are tracks that I have loved for years, a love shared with my mom, sister, niece and nephews, and now Molly. Even better is that these seemingly silly songs are re-wrapped and and completely overhauled versions of classics. 'Cottleston Pie', a poem from A.A. Milne, 'Mississippi Mud' from approx 50 years prior, and finally my feature 'Tenderly'. 'Tenderly' written in 1946, by Walter Gross, has been recorded by many traditional & traditional jazz artist through the years. My favorites being Billie Holliday, and the duet of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong. The Muppet version, is done by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. This interpretation, is a fast paced, bluesy, rocked out jam featuring Jim Henson doing the vocals Dr. Teeth style, organ, sax, drums, guitar & bass. Recently, scouring my iTunes player for covers, I came across a few versions of Tenderly. Even looking at the standard version, exactly named and all I still did a quadruple take to realize some 30 years later that this was the same song. I absolutely love this song and always will.
for more info check out:
wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenderly
muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Episode_116:_Avery_Schreiber
amazon.com/MUPPET-SHOW-VINYL-Jim-Henson
Enjoy!
my son seems to be relaxed when he listens to the Metallica song "The Unforgiven III" he even starts to sing it. I hope he grows up to love music as much as I do.
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