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
- songs from the American West
- songs from the Midwestern states (U.S.)
- goodbye songs
- recorder DEGABD’ songs
- recorder CDFGAC’ songs
- call & response songs
- pentatonic songs
- songs with Orff arrangements
- songs with dotted quarter / eighth note patterns
- resources for composing melodies
- songs with chords I V
- lesson ideas
- article about this mostly-abandoned town
- source: Handy Play Party Book, Lynn Rohrbough, Co-operative Recreational Service, 1940
YouTube
 (or available for purchase here)
- Composition Handout
- Song with chords in 2 keys, Orff arrangement, Lesson ideas for Form (AB, call & response), Melody (improvisation in F & G), Student Recorder Copies (notes D,E,G,A,B) (PDF)
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song
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