Monday, October 26, 2015

October 26, 2015 - Jack-o'-Lantern Trim Your Light

When I was young, in late October we sang this song over and over until All Saints’ Day came on November 1.  I have never been able to find it anywhere on the internet until tonight when I put it in Google.  I found just one site that was not there last year, and there was no explanation as to the words, so I am sticking with mine being of older internet origin.  Again I ask if anyone knows the origin of this song.  If so, please do let me know because it’s a magic song.

Jack-o’-Lantern, trim your light!
Fairies come and dance tonight!
Tripping, skipping on the green!
Merry be our Hallowe’en!

How we loved this song!  We sang it over and over, up an octave and down an octave and then up an octave again.  Each time we sang the verse, our excitement mounted, and it was especially fun to sing it at night when many coincidental things would happen.

Caught red-handed on their way to see him!

That is precisely what I was doing just after twilight when I found these fellows all rushing off to a party, their finest hats upon their heads.  I stopped them in their tracks to ask them where the party was, but they refused to tell me.  I had the advantage, you see.  I had a very bright flashlight, and they do not like such bright lights at all, especially at night.  So I persisted in asking them and in shining the light directly on them.

That might not have been such a good idea.  No, not at all.  Because I could have sworn I heard the Jack-o’-lantern song somewhere off in the woods, getting a bit louder and louder still as the singers came closer and closer.  I kept my light very bright and rushed off, begging their pardon.  I forgot how well the song worked.  Merry be our Hallowe’en, indeed!