More Creepiness....

To be clear, these series of posts are not about the dangers of fairy tales and nursery rhymes. I have no problem with the most of them, even if they do portray unrealistic expectations about love, good vs. bad, and the dangers of fruit....that's what fantasy is all about. These are stories of fantasy and imagination, one of the best parts of childhood. Am I going to show O the original Little Mermaid where Ariel considers killing the prince before she dies, becoming one with the foam of the sea....umm, not yet. But I have no problem with happily ever after, the traditional gender roles, yadda yadda yadda.

Instead, these posts are just about the stuff that creeps me out. The nursery rhyme "Clementine" is a perfect example of that. One of the songs on one of our kids CDs, I was happily singing along until I realized Clementine was drowing....and then he kissed the dead girl's sister.

Huh?

All together now: "I don't remember that....."

"Clementine"

In a cavern, in a canyon
Excavating for a mine
Lived a miner, forty-niner
And his daughter, Clementine

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are 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

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

Drove she ducklings to the water
Every morning just at nine
Hit her foot against a splinter
Fell into the foaming brine

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

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

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

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

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

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

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

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

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

Now you scouts may learn the moral
Of this little tale of mine
Artificial respiration
Would have saved my Clementine

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

How I missed her, how I missed her
How I missed my Clementine
Till I kissed her little sister
And forgot my Clementine

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine