Turkeys United
Happy Thanksgiving, Perfect Harmony Health Community!
As we enter the holiday season, music therapists often try to theme their sessions to relate to the holidays, so we are always looking for songs that fit the theme! Halloween, Christmas, and Patriotic Holidays are often easy to find music for, but Thanksgiving can be more challenging.
I have built my Thanksgiving playlist and learned some fun facts over the years. For example, did you know that “Over The River and Through The Woods” is a Thanksgiving song? It was initially a Thanksgiving poem written by Lydia Maria Child. She published the poem under the title “The New England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day.” It was later put to music by an unknown composer, and lyrics are sometimes changed to make it a Christmas tune, but the original lines in the poem said, “Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!”
I wanted to share some songs you can add to your Thanksgiving playlist. You can play them at your Thanksgiving party, or music therapists can use them in their sessions. I have listed them below with some ideas of how I have adapted a few for my clients! *Spoiler Alert* - many songs are named ‘Thank You.’
But as I put this all together, I remembered my days in the Middle School Choir and a Thanksgiving song we used to sing. It was a yearly tradition that during our choir class, we would visit all the classrooms and serenade them with a Thanksgiving song (and sometimes accompanying dance moves) called Turkeys United. We had so much doing this, and it is a memory I still treasure every Thanksgiving. Thanks to Facebook, many of the choir members are Facebook friends with our middle school choir teacher, and every Thanksgiving day, she has kept the tradition alive. On Thanksgiving, she will make a Facebook post that writes the song's first line, and very quickly, all the old choir members reply by continuing to write the lyrics one line at a time. It is a wonderful way for the choir to connect again and keep this tradition alive. So, I would love to share the lyrics to this song and a video of how it goes so you can start your own Thanksgiving tradition with this silly song. I’d also like to say THANK YOU to my middle school choir teacher for being pivotal in my growth as a musician and in developing my passion for pursuing a career that uses music. Furthermore, I’d like to send a massive shout-out to all the music educators working hard to fuel the next generations with a passion for music. From our team to you, thank you!!
Enjoy a really cute Elementary School Choir performing this song:
And without further ado, I present to you: “Turkeys United”:
We gather together
As birds of a feather
Oh, turkeys united, we stand
If you would be thinner
Skip Thanksgiving dinner
Us turkeys think that would be grand
Why don’t you try it?
Go on a diet
Chew on some succulent carrots or peas
Why don’t you try it?
Go on a diet
Order a pizza with sausage and cheese
Turkeys united!
No people invited!
Turkeys united!
No people please!
Other Thanksgiving Playlist Ideas:
Sweet Potato Pie - Ray Charles & James Taylor
Gratitude - Earth Wind & Fire
Thank You - Led Zeppelin
Thank You - Sly & The Family Stone
Thank You - Dido
Thank You - Bonnie Raitt
Count Your Blessings - Bing Crosby
We Gather Together - Craig Duncan
Grace & Gratitude - Olivia Newton John
Shake Your Tail Feather - The Blues Brothers (Hey, this can be about Thanksgiving if you have your clients shake their turkey feathers!)
(Do The) Mashed Potatoes - James Brown
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - George Winston
Chicken Dance (Except Make it a Turkey Dance)
We Are Family - Sister Sledge
Autumn Leaves - Frank Sinatra
Autumn Changes - Donna Summer
Thankful - Josh Groban
If I Knew You Were Comin’ (I’d Have Baked A Cake) - Eileen Barton (You Can insert different Thanksgiving dishes into this song!)
I’ve Got Plenty To Be Thankful For - Bing Crosby
