Sing Thing Top Tens

Each year, the Sing Thing groups vote on their favorite songs learned during that season (October–May). Each location votes on its favorite songs, and the preferences vary quite a bit as the groups are different in character — some groups have more girls, some groups have more boys, and groups have different mixes of kids to adults. Also, the groups don't necessarily learn all the same songs, although 80 percent are the same. These differences affect the preferences that make for a very lively mix of favorites.

2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

2004 Tuesday San Francisco Group Top Ten

1. Tie 13 votes, 3 stars:
   — South Australia
   — Dark Brown Is The River each
2. Follow the Drinking Gourd 12 votes, 2 stars
3. Great Historical Bum 9 votes, 2 stars
4. Tie 7 votes, no stars:
   — Swinging Along the Open Road
   — Bird's Courting Song
   — Jubilee
   — In Bahia Town
5. Haida, Haida 6 votes, 2 stars
6. Tie 6 votes, 1 star:
   — Baby Owlet
   — Buckeye Jim
7. Sail Away Ladies 6 votes, no stars
8. Shinada (The Dine Corn Honor Song)
   5 votes, 2 stars
9. Tie 5 votes, 1 star:
   — Canoe Round (My Paddles)
   — Don't Throw Your Trash
10. Tie 5 votes, no stars:
    — To Stop The Train
    — French Cathedrals
    — Czec Composers
    — To Portsmouth
    — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
    — At the Gates of Heaven

It was amazing how many songs we learned this year. Of the 21 songs that actually made the top ten, 8 were rounds.

2004 Wednesday Albany Group Top Ten

1. Green, Green Rocky Road 17 votes, 2 stars
2. Matthew Mark Luke and John 13 votes and 4 stars (4 stars got this one 2nd place over #3)
3. Drill Ye Tarriers 14 votes, no stars
4. Ghost Riders In the Sky 11 votes, 2 stars
5. Tumbalalaika 10 votes, 6 stars (same as #2 & #3 - stars pull rank when there are a lot of them.)
6. Bargemen 11 votes, no stars
7. Shinada (The Dine corn honor song) 9 votes, 2 stars
8. Dark Brown is the river 9 votes, no stars
9. Tie 8 votes, no stars:
   — Traveling Candyman
   — Back of the Bus
   — Follow the Drinking Gourd
10. Margery, the Black Sow 7 votes, 1 star

Only 2 rounds made it onto this year's Albany list. Green Green Rocky Road is a beautiful Southern song I learned from Utah Phillips, who learned it from Blind Lemon Jefferson. There are lots of "Maverick Stanzas" which show up in other songs from the Southern part of the U.S.

2004 Thursday Oakland Group Top Ten

1. Dona, Dona, Dona 10 votes, 4 stars - from the Warsaw Ghetto
2. Three Jolly Rogues of Lynn 10 votes, 1 star
3. Lonesome Traveler 9 votes, 1 star
4. Tie 8 votes, 1 star:
   — Wake Up, Jacob
   — Drill Ye Tarriers
5. To Portsmouth 7 votes, no stars
6. Follow the Drinking Gourd 6 votes, 1 star
7. Tie 6 votes, no stars:
   — The Keeper
   — Sail Away Ladies
   — Bargemen
   — Matthew Mark Luke and John
8. Swinging Along the Open Road 5 votes, 1 star
9. Tie 5 votes, no stars:
   — Don't Throw Your Trash
   — Zing Zing Zing
   — Dreamland
   — Buck-eye Jim
10. Tie 4 votes and 1 star:
    — C-O-F-F-E-E
    — The Cuckoo

There you have it, folks. We didn't all learn all the same songs, but there are some songs that made it onto all 3 lists. Particularly fun was Matthew Mark Luke and John which was brought in by a family in the Wednesday group and everyone liked it enough that it wound up on all three lists. Also, Follow the Drinking Gourd. Can you find any more? Come back next year and learn some of the songs that were taught in the other groups. Thanks for a great year. Have a wonderful Summer and I look forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary year together.

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