Get all 26 Jeni Hankins releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of String Unraveller Demo May 2021, The American Dream (Harlis and Freda), Voice Memo Demo, I'm Letting Go of You – Kitchen Single, The Wondarium: Songs For Kids, A Body is a Delicate House, I Fell Into the Fire, The Loneliest Snowman, I Fell Into The Fire – Limited Edition Handprinted, and 18 more.
1. |
Hippo In The Wondarium
03:23
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HIppo’s Wondarium
“Fill your horn with plenty,” said Hippo in the sun.
“I need your pearls of wisdom to fill my Wondarium.
Comb the dunes for jug band tunes and dive beneath the waves
for precious shells and sliver bells – the treasures that I crave.”
Down in her cool Wondarium, beneath the steaming mud,
Hippopotamus turns her periscope to spy the veldt above.
She seeks the red-billed oxpecker who makes a sprockety talk.
Perhaps she’ll rise to meet him and they’ll pay rhinoceros a call.
Remember the two of us turning stones by the sea
’til hippopotamus made three.
Down in her cool Wondarium, Hippopotamus dreams of whales –
her cousins of the salty seas with their slippery flippery tails.
Perhaps she’ll leave Great Limpopo and journey through Mozambique
to invite her cousin cetaceans for a cup of gamgee tea.
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2. |
Tea And Bear And Me
03:31
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Tea and Bear and Me
A fox and a raccoon were having tea
in the belly of a bear, you see.
A nicer setting would be better’
but you can’t always change the weather
or where you take your tea, you see.
I once lived high up on a mountain
eating berries from off the tree.
Honey came from bees for free
and a bear slept on my knee.
This is what that small bear said to me.
Tea is very wet, but with pie it’s better yet.
And that’s the plan for bear and me
and tea, you’ll see.
There’s a pie left on the shelf
cooling down by its own self.
But even pies with good disguise
can’t escape from prying eyes
of hungry bears and honey bees. Trust me.
At times I wish that there
were somewhere better
to take our tea.
I think this drink
could not get any wetter
for bear and me.
A fox and raccoon were having tea
’til bear said wait for me.
A nicer setting would be better.
Together we can change the weather
then you can all have tea with me.
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3. |
Ballad Of Owl And Rabbit
04:29
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Ballad of Owl and Rabbit
When Owl first met Rabbit at an old county fair,
he said: “Rabbit, we’ve got what it takes:
I have round eyes and you’ve got big ears,
so just think of the team we could make.
You may be a puppet, but boy don’tcha love it,
‘cause I’m just a glove puppet too.
And if there were someone to lend us a hand,
just think of the things we could do.”
Rabbit said, “Owl, you ingenious fowl,
you know it has long been my wish
to play country music and travel the world,
so how can a poor Rabbit resist?
We’ll both go to Nashville, earn huge pots of cash –
we’ll prove just what big stars we’ve become.
With my ears and your eyes we’ll soon be certified
the first puppets to go platinum."
So Rabbit and Owl went to Studio B –
Music Row’s most fabled room.
The head of the label said: “Boys if you’re able,
Impress me with your finest tune."
“We’d love to sing for ya, and don’t want to ignore ya,”
said Rabbit, “but this microphone
ain’t no earthly use to a puppet who’s mute
though perhaps we could play... xylophone?”
Rabbit and Owl packed their bags and left town
having learned with a sorrowful heart
the unvarnished truth that there’s no country tune
that has room for a xylophone part.
But Rabbit and Owl were determined somehow
to prove the whole industry wrong.
The first country hit with a tinkly bit
is coming up next in this song...
Rabbit and Owl were back at the fair
side by side on the old puppet booth.
Their dreams had been crushed they could barely stand up
left to wondering what else they could do.
’Til a blonde country singer, who was happening by,
was struck by those ears and those eyes.
She said: “Look who I’ve found to round out my sound.
Will you two be my xylophone guys?”
So if you care put your hands in the air.
Make some noise for the xylophone guys!
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4. |
Bring Your String
03:46
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Bring Your String (And You’ll Never Go Wrong)
I invite you to think of the string
though it seems quite the humblest thing –
Some cotton or wool in a hank or a spool.
Hard to know where it begins.
Wind that string up into a rope,
it can pull your old sail boat.
You can rig up the sails and a string never fails
to keep it all safely afloat.
String! String!
What a wonderful thing.
Knit it up, tie it up – it’s ever so strong.
It’s the answer to a question
when you don’t know how long.
You can plait it, you can weave it, but you better believe it.
Bring your string and you’ll never go wrong.
You can tie yourself up as a gift.
Mail yourself to darkest Peru.
They’ll untie your string and dye it with beans –
weave it into a carpet for you.
Then you can fly on your magic rug,
visit Kubla Khan’s pleasure dome.
Then unravel your mat on your doorstep and that’s
how string always leads you back home.
When you’re twisting and you’re turning –
tied yourself up in knots.
Let’s be tethered together – all stringing along.
With a ball of string and a hook
you can crochet a brand new look;
a hat and some socks that might seem rather odd
though some string would be all that it took.
I’ll end my song on a note of advice:
Wind your string in a ball real tight
or you may have to wrangle some string in a tangle
and lasso yourself once or twice.
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5. |
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Have You Ever Tied A Knot
In Your Handkerchief?
Have you ever tied a knot in your handkerchief
to remind you of the things you have to do?
Have you ever felt your memory is like a sieve
and everything you need has fallen though?
Have you ever blown your nose the next day
(and thought):
I wonder what this knot in my hanky’s for?
It’s crazy but it’s true;
these things remind me most of you.
It’s not that I don’t miss you.
It’s not that I don’t care.
I’m sure I meant to kiss you.
I must have made a note somewhere.
Did you ever watch a goldfish going round his bowl
swimming past the castle every day.
Though he really isn’t going any place at all
there’s lots of lovely castles on the way.
They say that an elephant won’t forget,
but I haven’t met an elephant yet.
So I can’t be sure you see
if the elephant remembers me.
I gathered you a bouquet
of pretty blue forget-me-nots,
but somehow in my own way
I managed to forget what I forgot.
Although my thoughts will wander –
they must from time to time –
if it makes the heart grow fonder,
forgive the absence of my mind.
Did you ever find you locked your keys inside
and only have yourself to blame?
Did you ever write a number on your hand some time
and found that it had washed out in the rain?
But there’s one thing that I know for sure,
though my memory may be poor,
the one thing I won’t do
is forget that I’m in love with you.
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6. |
Bateau Bateau
03:17
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Bateau, Bateau
Bateau, Bateau
mon petit cadeau
Roi de l’eau
Bateau, bateau
j’aime mon petit bateau
Bateau, Bateau
sur le mer
mon petit frère
Bateau, bateau
j’aime mon petit bateau
Bateau, bateau
le roi naval
dans les étoiles
Bateau, bateau
j’aime mon petit bateau
Bateau, bateau
bonne chance
mon petit bateau
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7. |
Sister Rosie
02:42
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Sister Rosie
Sister Rosie born much too small –
much to small and that is all.
A sack of sugar weighed more than Rose –
more than Rose in her winter clothes.
One flake of soap and a cup of water
made a bath for baby daughter.
Her nose no bigger than a black-eyed pea.
Ro-oh-ose, hurry up and grow.
Daddy’s hankie made Rose a dress –
made a dress for our princess.
Pinned her dress to a pillow soft –
a pillow soft, in case Rose rolled off.
Rosie slept in a bureau drawer –
in a bureau drawer.
where Daddy’s hankies were
A thimble of sugar will help her grow.
Won’t you grow, Sister Rose?
Rosie’s tears just dewdrop sized.
Dewdrop cries from button eyes.
Sister Rosie born much too small –
much to small and that is all.
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8. |
Trampoline Girl
03:22
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Trampoline Girl
There’s a girl who wants to know
just how high a girl can go –
saw the moon
and thought she would fly there.
Prettiest thing I’ve ever seen,
springs just like a trampoline.
Baby can you jump any higher.
But every time I look at you
then my heart starts leaping too.
Haven’t you heard ‘bout the
Trampoline Girl?
Trampoline Girl.
Trampoline Girl.
There’s a girl who broke my heart –
put the horse before the cart.
And Here we are another year older.
Still I won’t abandon hope
even if the axle broke cause
she turns cartwheels over and over.
And even if I’ve fallen flat,
you can bring me bouncing back.
You tumble and twirl,
Trampoline Girl.
Saw her twirling her baton
then I knew my heart was gone.
She’s helium rising inside me.
So, I leapt up to join her there –
twisting, shouting through the air.
Trampoline girl jumping beside me.
Every year I won’t forget
you put the spring back in my step.
You rock my world,
Trampoline Girl.
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9. |
Garbanzo Song
03:11
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Garbanzo Song
I’m just a simple gal
who likes to eat her greens –
keep myself much to myself
while counting up my beans.
Ain’t read no fancy books,
no lessons have I learned.
But I got my finger on the pulse
where pulses is concerned.
How can a girl be so wrong?
I hardly had a bean
‘til you came along.
Cause there’s soya, pinto,
kidney, haricot,
black-eyed peas and mung.
Some of ‘em are broad.
Some of ‘em are green.
Boy, you should have seen
how some of ‘em run.
Dried beans, fried beans
coulda beans, shoulda beans.
Sometimes even swallow ‘em raw.
‘Til I met you I ain’t never done heard
of no garbanzo bean before.
I’m just the kind of girl
who likes to stay at home,
knitting fancy cushions
and eating what I’ve grown.
Couldn’t build a hill of beans
until you showed me how.
Won’t you tell me where has
my garbanzo been till now.
I guess it’s just my lesson learned.
You make this tin of beans
a whole new can of worms.
So this is what I’m gonna do:
overdose on cellulose
‘til all my beans come true.
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10. |
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It’s a Happening (for Socks)
It’s a happening for socks –
to hear them talk,
appreciate the colors,
walk that walk.
Daddy used to wear them
with his Harvard tie.
Watched them from the rug
when he smoked his pipe.
Aunt Elsie wore hers
up to her knee
’til her socks succumbed
to gravity.
It’s a happening for socks –
to hear them talk,
appreciate the colors,
walk that walk.
If it’s happening for socks,
it’s happening for you.
So, sock it to me honey
the way you do.
Had a purple sock
looking for a speech.
Stack of old playbills
ain’t gonna sing.
Tigers and elephants
to my knee –
jungle sock
menagerie.
Who took all the socks?
Who moved all the chairs?
Was it all a dream?
Or were we all there?
I got socks
right up my leg.
Tried to remember
what the argyle said.
Some wore red
and some wore green.
People kept flocking
to the stocking scene.
Hose in yellow.
Hose in blue.
If the socks ain’t happening,
is the happening through?
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11. |
Top Of The Scale
04:23
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Top Of The Scale
Owl said we’ve got a problem.
We want to play xylophone –
with just two beaters between us,
can’t do it alone.
So if I take the low notes,
and you play above,
we can beat this together,
hand in glove.
If we play just a note at a time
we’ll get there in the end.
Play with me key by key,
won’t you please,
‘cause I’m glad you’re my friend.
Is our song just as wee as a bee
or as wide as whale?
Well, we’ll know that we’re done
when we come to the top of the scale.
We jumped through the Wondarium.
What strange folk have we met?
A friendly Hippo and Bear
who found his tea rather wet.
We spelled out a rainbow,
bathed poor Rose in a cup,
farmed our dreams until Roscoe
woke us all up.
It’s time to go home now.
Owl and Rabbit must sleep.
Can’t keep time with their beaters,
these creatures are beat.
You’ve been such a great audience.
We’d like to take you all home
with Hippo, Bear, Owl, and Rabbit
and their xylophone.
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12. |
'Til Tomorrow
02:54
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’Til Tomorrow
’Til tomorrow, ’til tomorrow.
From tomorrow we can borrow
a little hello we could use for today.
We won’t say goodbye
‘cause there’s no reason why.
’Til tomorrow, ’til tomorrow, let’s say.
Some books state “the end,"
but you can always start again
if you turn back to the very first page.
So, we won’t say goodbye
‘cause there’s no reason why.
’Til tomorrow, ’til tomorrow, let’s say.
Later Alligator, after while crocodile,
sayōnara, auf wiedersehen,
a bientôt, set your sail,
arrivederci, farewell,
until we all meet again.
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Jeni Hankins London, UK
Jeni Hankins grew up in the coalfields of Appalachian in Southwest Virginia among a family of miners, moonshiners, and
journalists. Her writing pulls the grit, gumption, and keen sense of observation out of that heritage like drawing water from her grandmother’s well.
In every song, Jeni’s “true sense of place shines through – old as the hills, but brand new at the same time.”
... more
Jeni Hankins recommends:
For me, this is the best of folk music, what it's all meant to be. After years of listening to Rebecca & Ken, I still get shivers up my spine when I hear them together.
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