Mudcat Café message #3525883
The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #151170 Message #3525883
Posted By: Joe Offer
13-Jun-13 - 02:10 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Tina Singu
Subject: Origins: Tina (sung by Weavers)
I've always liked the Weavers recording of this song. It's on their Classics CD, and on the Vanguard Wasn't That a Time collection. They sing over and over again: Tina singu lelobotayo
Watcha Watcha Watcha
...or at least that's what I hear.
I looked in my two Weavers songbooks and my two Pete Seeger songbooks, and didn't find it.
Here's another post on the song: Thread #24594 Message #282858
Posted By: rabbitrunning
22-Aug-00 - 08:31 PM
Thread Name: Girl Scout songs - from the fading ditto sheets...
Subject: LYR ADD: TINA
TINA
Tina singu eleiu taia
Watcheou watcheou watchou
(repeat)
Watcheou watcheou watcheou
(repeat)
la la la la la la la la la la la …
(I remember the tune for the first part (and that we usually grunted "tina" after a line of "watcheous") but I don't remember the la la part… Ah well. Colorado, Girl Scouts, 1977)
(That year a girl scout was killed near one of the camps, not in Colorado, so one unit sang this as:
We're from Ranger and we know karate
Watchout watchout watchout…)
CD
But does anybody know the true lyrics and background information for this song? Allmusic.com attributes the song to Marion Roberts, and says it's on the Vanguard Weavers at Home album. Allmusic.com describes "Tina" as a "Wimoweh"-like song sung in the Xhosa language.
-Joe-
YouTube Video (click)
I've found recordings by The Folksmiths (Joe Hickerson), the Chad Mitchell Trio, and of course by the Weavers. Pete Seeger recorded it as "Tina Singu." There's an inspired recording of this song under the title "Watsha" by the Guelph Youth Singers. I think the Kingston Trio may also have recorded the song, but I couldn't find that recording.