Info
Cairo (pronounced CARE-o) is the southernmost city in Illinois (USA). It lies on the junction of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
Lyrics
(Folk song)
Goin’ down to Cairo, Goodbye and a goodbye
Goin’ down to Cairo, Goodbye Liza Jane.
Mop that deck and make it shine (echo)
Mop that deck and make it shine (echo)
Recorder Notes D, E, G, A, B, D’
See also
- Country: Midwestern states (U.S.) / American West
- Subject: goodbye
- Form: call & response / AB
- Harmony: Orff arrangements / chords I V
- Melody: D,E,G,A,B,D’ / C,D,F,G,A,C’ / composing melodies
- Meter: 4
- Rhythm:
- Scale: pentatonic
- Tones: drmsl
- Source: Handy Play Party Book, Lynn Rohrbough, Co-operative Recreational Service, 1940
- article about this mostly-abandoned town
YouTube
or purchase here (printables only)
- Composition Handout
- PDF of song with chords + Lesson ideas + Orff arrangement
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
3 thoughts on “Goin’ Down to Cairo”
I wish to thank my music teacher, mr. Carroll hart, at Lawton elementary school in 1982, for teaching me this special song
Currently using this lesson and created little audio clips for our online pentatonic lesson. Here’s a link to the google folder with the mp3’s. Thank you so much for sharing your hard work! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1u56L-LnJKnBinskRqkgz65T1EDSEf4WY?usp=sharing
Thanks Amy! – Beth