Not Scared

While being pushed on the swing today by his Auntie, Elliot wrote his first song. By first song, I don't mean this is the first time he's made up a song. In fact, he makes them up probably daily, but most don't have a definitive melody, never repeat the same thing, and end up being long and wild adventure stories with lots of blood and gore, and which don't always make much sense. Today was different.

When they came in from a long and "rocky" round of swinging (which means they were close to the limit of how high he could be pushed without falling off), my sister suggested he sing me the song. Not only did it have a graspable melody, it also kind of rhymed, and made sense to me in a very 5-year-old sort of way. If you know how Elliot talks, you will be able to imagine him singing this. Hopefully I'll get it recorded some time soon before he gets shy about it. He titled his song, "Not Scared", and here are the words:

I'm not really scared of swinging

I'm not really scared of swinging so high

That's all I really needed

That's all I needed to be a brave boy

And if it's not rocky, if it's not scary

Then I'll be in bed reading a book

The swing will be resting alone on it's hook

In it's little hole

(repeat the chorus - this time slow and quiet)

I'm not really scared of swinging

I'm not really scared of swinging so high

That's all I really needed

That's all I needed to be a brave boy

Love, Elliot..... 3, 2, 1, LIFTOFF! (we say this really loud at the end)

I used the melody he made up and figured out guitar to match it. Auntie played his new "piano horn", and he played along with a shaker. Gotta say, we were pretty jammin', all things considered. I also love that it was about swinging, his fave pastime and the activity he asks to do several times daily - he asks anyone and everyone at our house to push him. It was great fun, and hopefully the first of many Elliot-made songs.