Old Blue: Ramblin Jack Elliott

So the students in my workshop this week are singing the song "Old Blue," which was one of my favorites as a kid. You know the tune:

I had a dog and his name was Blue
I had a dog and his name was Blue
I had a dog and his name was Blue
Betcha' five dollars he's a good dog too

My students (5-8 years old) are now calling it the "happy happy sad" song. You think it's happy because the person singing had such a great dog. But the last verse (where poor Old Blue dies) is a real heartbreaker. We spent a fair amount of class time talking about all the great animals that have gone in and out of our lives, and how glad we are that we were able to spend some time with them.

Here's a great version of Old Blue sung by Ramblin Jack Elliott. It goes out to Trixie and Trout and Scooter and all the good dogs that have gone on to greener pastures. You can also check out a link to a rather nice YouTube version of the song (including a sleepy dog) in last month's Songwriting for Kids Club newsletter.