I went hunting for some of the ones I bought (I only found two, but after I also came across $12 stuck between War of the Worlds and Great Expectations I decided IвЂ™d asked for and received enough luck for one hour). But after reading a grad school thesis about Primary music, I felt compelled to go buy a bunch on eBay. I, too love the old songbooks, which makes very little sense as IвЂ™m too young to remember anything being used besides our current set.

Repetitive, simple slogans with unstated assumptions? Check, check, checkвЂ¦ Ahem. Propaganda techniques include: patriotic flag-waving, glittering generalities, intentional vagueness, oversimplification of complex issues, rationalization, introducing unrelated red herring issues, using appealing, simple slogans, stereotyping, testimonials from authority figures or celebrities, unstated assumptions, and encouraging readers or viewers to вЂњjump on the bandwagonвЂќ of a particular point of view. I mean, if you donвЂ™t call that propaganda, how on earth does the Tooth Bug song count? At least the Tooth Bug song tells a story with a moral - many of our current songs are slogans, repeated again and again. Then again, IвЂ™m not sure what you can call songs (found in our present ChildrenвЂ™s Songbook) with chorus lyrics like: Songs that border on propaganda are amongst my favorites from when I was a kid. I should really just start blogging again my fingers are now rather firmly affixed to the keyboard.) (I had no idea this post would be so long. That part of me is rather glad to see some of these songs laid to rest. What holds me back is the part of me that feels uncomfortable teaching and singing songs that border on being propaganda (even though I agree with what is being taught). The part of me that enjoys variety (and songs about Tooth Bugs) would love to resurrect some of these songs. There are instructional songs about doing chores and obeying parents, (вЂњScrubbing SongвЂќ вЂњSetting the TableвЂќ вЂњWashing DishesвЂќ ) songs about health and hygiene, (вЂњCome to HealthlandвЂќ вЂњEarly to Bed and Early to RiseвЂќ вЂњLittle Brother VegetableвЂќ) songs specific to abandoned or updated programs and classes, (вЂњPrimary Penny SongвЂќ вЂњBuilder BoysвЂќ вЂњThe BluebirdsвЂќ), songs far too secular or pagan to be permitted in todayвЂ™s Sunday meetings (вЂњJack Frost and IвЂќ вЂњHalloweвЂ™en SurpriseвЂќ вЂњFairy FiddlesвЂќ), yet surprisingly few songs that teach scripture stories or gospel principles like вЂњIвЂ™m Trying to Be Like Jesus.вЂќ The general tone of the whole book is drastically different than the current book. He grabbed his brush and scrubbed and scrubbed вЂTill every tooth bug died. The small boy heard their shout of glee, вЂњGet out of there,вЂќ he cried His teeth are filled with bits of food, WeвЂ™ll eat with all our might!вЂќ вЂњThis boy has such a nice warm mouth, WeвЂ™ll linger here all night

вЂњAt last weвЂ™ve found a home,вЂќ they cried, вЂњWe do not have to flee!вЂќ Some tooth bugs hiding in his mouth, Began to dance in glee вЂњIвЂ™ve washed my face and combed my hair, Thats quite enough,вЂќ he sighed вЂњI do not want to clean my teeth, a little boy once cried, My personal favorite among these songs is #148 Tooth Bugs, by Ivy W. LetвЂ™s just say that itвЂ™s really old.ДЄmong the very few songs that have survived from this edition to the current one are, вЂњGive said the little StreamвЂќ, вЂњI Thank Thee Dear FatherвЂќ, вЂњCan a Little Child Like MeвЂќ, and вЂњTell Me Dear Lord.вЂќ The most interesting songs, though, are the ones that didnвЂ™t make the cut. The edition is missing the title page and so IвЂ™m not sure when it was published (and am at a loss as to how I would find out). As my wardвЂ™s primary chorister my favorite was The Primary Song Book: Including Marches and Voluntaries. Recently my husband and I came across a set of rather old LDS song books.

Lds primary songbook lyrics