Home, Home On Range
December 1st, 2008
For about two years now, part of our bedtime routine for Jacob is that I read him a book, sing to him, and then put him down for the night. I’d been singing “Jesus Loves Me” because that’s what Terah had been singing when she used to do that part of the bedtime routine.
One day a week or two ago, I got tired of singing the same song, so I sang a bit of “Home On The Range” for him. The next night, I asked him which song he wanted me to sing, and he said “Home Range.” Pretty soon, he stopped saying “ready sing” and started saying “home range” when he was ready for me to start singing.
Yesterday, we were on the train and Terah happened to be singing Home On The Range to him. She was congested, and started coughing when she got to the chorus, which goes like this:
Home, home on the range,
Where the deer and the antelope play;
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
Since Terah was coughing, Jacob surprised us both by “singing” the chorus himself. Just imagine this in a 2-year-old voice:
Home, home on. . . range,
There is deer here.
Skies not cloudy all daaaaaaaayyy!
He didn’t get it all, but we were both stunned that he knew it that well.
Categories: Music




Awww. My dad used to sing that for me when I was a kid.
Why doesn’t he know “seldom” or “discouraging” yet? Those are like 1 year old material. =P
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He is a pretty smart kid.
Ralph
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John Goerzen Reply:
December 5th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Thanks Ralph. Fun, too!
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I’ve been Googling, looking for the words to “Nun Ist Sie Erschienen”, and one of the hits turned up your blog. Do you have the lyrics, and if so, could you PLEASE send them to me??? I remember the song very fondly from my childhood, and I’ve found the English lyrics, but I’d so love to have them in German, as well.
Thanks in advance, and a Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!
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John Goerzen Reply:
December 6th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Hi Jan,
You can find them here:
http://changelog.complete.org/files_changelog/erschienen.pdf
There is also a recording of the tune here: http://changelog.complete.org/files_changelog/erschienen.mp3
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John Goerzen Reply:
December 6th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I’m also interested where you grew up that had this tradition. I thought this song was pretty localized.
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Jan Reply:
December 9th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Thank you SOOO much!!! I grew up near Morden, Manitoba…I’m not sure where you are, so I’ll add that that’s in Canada, and about an hour from the MB/ND border. LOL…I hope I haven’t insulted your geographical abilities!!!
I remember singing this song at Christmas gatherings when I was a kid…some of the very few times other than church services that I ever heard my Dad sing. I’ve always loved it, and I’m so happy to rekindle those old memories…thanks again!!!
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John Goerzen Reply:
December 10th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Interesting. I’m in central Kansas, and the church here is in Goessel. I suspect that our ancestors may have come from the same region of Ukraine perhaps?
Thanks for the reply.
It’s quite possible that we may have had neighbouring ancestors…to be quite honest, I don’t know where exactly mine came from. It wasn’t something that was spoken about in my family, but perhaps, with my Dad’s parents having passed on, and his elder siblings getting quite elderly, it’s time to start asking some questions before the stories of the past are lost altogether. LOL…who knew that a search for a song could turn into such a project?!?!
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Smart kid for sure.
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