Do You Wanna Sing Open the Morning

Song Notes

I first heard this melody on an old Folkways album I had in the late ’50’s or early ’60’s when I was still in my late teens and just falling in love with African music. As I recall, it was a recording of an 11 year old Ugandan shepherd boy, accompanying himself on the mbira (thumb piano). I’ve since tried to find it again, and haven’t been successful. It’s been a melody of such joy and beauty for me, and I’ve sung and enjoyed it ever since. A few years ago, I set these words to it, and then added the “good morning to me..” part so I could teach the two parts at an outdoor gathering, and have the folks walk around bouncing the parts off each other as they greet and smile and hug at the start of a new day. This version has multiple harmonies if you’ve got the singers and time to add in all that texture, which is really fun. But it also works just fine with the tenors and first sopranos holding the melody on the “Do You Wanna..” part, and all other voices singing the “Good Morning to Me..” part. Of course, anybody’s free to sing any part they like, and drum and shake a shaker and hug and dance about the landscape!