Clementine

All my years from childhood until adult, The children song Clementine has never came across as such a tragic story. I have just tormented the day of the 7 year old classes today after explaining the story of the Clementine song. There was a moment of silent and all eyes were looking at me. I laughed a bit and changed the topic to clear off the solemn mist.

The only line that most people will know best is 'Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine, You are lost and gone forever, something something... Clementine. Mostly partial memory.

Melodically it sounded sweet but lyrically speaks of a tragic story. It even describe how poor clementine is gasping for air underwater.

In a cavern, in a canyon,
Excavating for a mine
Dwelt a miner forty niner,
And his darling Clementine.

Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
Thou art lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine,
Herring boxes, without topses,
Sandals were for Clementine.

chorus **

Drove she ducklings to the water
Ev'ry morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter,
Fell into the foaming brine.

chorus**

Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles, soft and fine,
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.

Well, luckily these few verses only stopped there in that music sheet. I have found another more version online for scouts/children which continues the tragic story (as below)

Then the miner, forty-niner
Soon began to peak and pine
Thought he oughta join his daughter
Now he's with his Clementine

Chorus**

There's a churchyard on the hillside
Where the flowers grow and twine
There grow roses, mongst the posies
Fertilized by Clementine

Chorus **

In my dreams she still doth haunt me
Robed in garments soaked in brine
Though in life I used to hug her
Now she's dead, I draw the line

Now you kids [or Scouts] may learn the moral
Of this little tale of mine,
Artifical respiration
Would have saved my Clementine

Hahaha, first the father commit suicide, then flower beds fertilized by Clementine body, then the ghostly appearance of Clementine. My my.... @,@''' *sweats*

That's the highlight of the day :) The moral of the story is, read the lyrics of your lesson first before teaching, even if the genre is children song. It could be more tragic than your regular pop song. LOL!