My Aunt Came Back
"'My Aunt Came Back' is a traditional American folk song. It is loved and used by music teachers, not only because it is silly fun, but because it is an echo song that allows us to assess pitch matching. When the song is sung, the students add a movement to each verse, cumulatively, until they are looking like goof balls. The students love this song! (Even my surly 6th graders)." -Holly Gilster
My Aunt Came Back
Echo Song
1. Oh, my aunt came back,
From Timbuktu,
And she brought with her
A wooden shoe.
2. Oh, my aunt came back
From old Japan,
And she brought with her
A waving fan.
3. Oh, my aunt came back,
From old Algiers,
And she brought with her,
A pair of shears.
4. Oh, my aunt came back,
From Guadeloupe,
And she brought with her
A hula-hoop.
5. Oh, my aunt came back,
From county fair*,
And she brought with her
A rocking chair.
6. Oh, my aunt came back
From the city zoo,
And she brought with her
A nut like you!**
Notes
*Or "From the New York fair"
**Or "A monkey like you."
Game Instructions
Here are the movements:
1. Timbuktu (or Honolu)/Wooden shoe - Stomp one foot.
2. Old Japan/Waving fan - Wave one hand, while stomping one foot.
3. Old Algiers/Pair of Shears - One hand is cutting, the other is waving AND the foot is stomping.
4. Guadalupe/Hula Hoop - Add a hula hoop movement.
5. New York Fair/rocking chair - Add rocking forward and back to ALL the other movements.
6. City Zoo/Monkey like you (sometimes sung as "Nut like you) - Obviously exactly what they look like.
"I am submitting a recording of my 2nd grade TEWA Native American students singing 'Oh, My Aunt Came Back'. We had a different leader for each verse." -Holly Gilster
Many thanks to Holly Gilster and her students for sharing the recording!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Holly Gilster for sharing this song with us, for her commentary and for explaining the actions!
