Willoughby Wallaby Woo

April is poetry month, so let me gush about Canadian poet Dennis Lee. As the author of Alligator Pie and Lizzy’s Lion, and lyricist for Fraggle Rock, he wrote the words to my childhood.

As a children’s librarian, I learned to love him even more. He wrote some of my favourite bounces and tickles with Pizza Pickle Pumpernickel, Dickery Dean, and The Bear and the Bees (aka Wiggle Waggle Went the Bear), as well as the sweet lullaby Rock Me Easy.

His name-play rhyme Willoughby Wallaby Woo is featured in his iconic poetry collection Alligator Pie. In 1976 Raffi included a version he and Larry Miyata adapted on the record Singable Songs for the Very Young, and they’ve been kind enough to share their chords and lyrics on Raffi’s website. My ending is slightly different than Raffis; I must have picked up the alternate version from another storytimer over the years.

Raffi’s chords are G/A/D. I’ve transposed to C/D/G7, but if your voice goes a little higher than mine, you can play with our favourite easy storytime chords, F/G7/C.

Willoughby Wallaby Woo
C                           D
Willoughby wallaby wee, an elephant sat on me
G7                                         C
Willoughby wallaby woo, an elephant sat on you

C                            D
Willoughby wallaby wames, an elephant sat on James
G7                                           C
Willoughby wallaby wemma, an elephant sat on Emma

C                            D
Willoughby wallaby winn, an elephant sat on Quinn
G7                                                            C
Oh willoughby wallaby, willoughby wallaby, willoughby wallaby woo

Love Me Tender (and variations)

Love Me Tender isn’t one of my usual storytime songs, but it would be a fun one to try. And I do have two sweet variations on the tune. Dennis Lee‘s Rock Me Easy is one of my favourite lullabies for babytime. When I sing it, it soothes me too.

I’ve only recently learned You’re My Rainbow from my colleague Kelly, and I patterned most of my felt story on hers (which she in turn received from another children’s librarian [thanks Tess!]). The pie and rainbow are the exceptions, based on Open Clipart images.

Love Me Tender is by Elvis Presley and Ken Darby (who is sometimes credited as Vera Matson), and I’ve found the chords in a number of different keys. C was the easiest for me this time, and although I’ve simplified it slightly it’s still a little trickier than most of the songs I post here due to the key change in the middle. If you don’t like that E7, you might want to try playing in F (as posted on Doctor Uke).


Love Me Tender
C                D7
Love me tender, love me sweet
G7           C
Never let me go
C                 D7
You have made my life complete
G7             C
and I love you so

E7              C
Love me tender love me true
F              C
All my dreams fulfilled
            D7
For my darling I love you
G7           C
And I always will


Rock Me Easy
C             D7
Rock me easy, rock me slow
G7                 C
Rock me where the robins go
                    D7
Rock the branch and rock the bough
G7             C
Rock the baby robins now
E7              C
Rock me up and rock me down
F               C
Rock me off to sleepy town
               D7
Rock me gently up the stairs
   G7              C
To snuggle with my teddy bears
               D7
Rock me easy, rock me slow
G7                C
Rock me where the robins go

You’re My Rainbow
C                  D7
You’re my rainbow, you’re my star
G7                    C
You’re my bright red cookie jar
                     D7
You’re my goldfish, you’re my pie
G7                C
You’re the apple of my eye

E7                  C
You’re my rainbow, you’re my star
F                     C
You’re my bright red cookie jar
                  D7
You’re my daisy, you’re my vine
G7                  C
You’re my own true Valentine



This is the third in a series of love-the-littles songs.