Oh, Belinda
U.S.A.
HISTORY AND SONG NOTES
Oh, Belinda, also known as Bow, Belinda, is an American folk tune. Oh, Belinda is a sea shanty; sea shanties are traditional work songs that were sung on sailing ships. Oh, Belinda shares a tune with another well known shanty, What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor, which was first recorded in writing in a history of a whaling voyage in Connecticut in 1839. There is some historical evidence that the tune is even older, and perhaps originated from Maine; similar tunes are also present in Irish folk music dating as far back as the 1700s.
AUDIO RECORDING FOR LISTENING, SINGING ALONG, AND LEARNING:
You’ll notice that in the recording the movements change, and the feeling of the music changes along with them; this is an opportunity for the children to move expressively to the music in different ways. Once the children are familiar with the song, they can choose their own movements.
PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT:
This accompaniment is arranged to fit the words and movements “walk, Belinda,” “tiptoe, Belinda,” and “march, Belinda.”