Repetitive songs are songs containing a large proportion of repeated words or phrases. Simple repetitive songs are common in many cultures as widely spread as the Caribbean, Southern India and Finland. The best-known examples of such songs are probably children's songs. Other repetitive songs are found, for instance, in African-American culture from the time of American slavery.
Contents
Repetitive songs part 5
Structure
Self referential: The Song That Never Ends The song quotes its own lyrics.
Describing circular phenomenon: There's a Hole in My Bucket To fix a leaky bucket, one ultimately needs to have the bucket already fixed. Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Flowers were ultimately given to soldiers, who fell in a war, new flowers grew on their graves, those flowers were given to soldiers and so on.
Cumulative songs: "Old McDonald Had a Farm"
Counting: "99 Bottles of Beer"
Repetition in children's songs
In children's songs, repetition serves various educational purposes: repetition aids memory, can aid in learning punctuation and reading skills, and is very valuable in learning (foreign) languages.
Repetition in work songs
Repetitive songs are also found in traditional work songs. Examples abound in African-American culture, in political groups, and among traveler, marchers, and walkers.
Examples of repetitive songs
Repetitive songs in Czech
Self Referential: Pes jitrničku sežral, Byl jeden číňánek; Counting: První den prohlížím koleje, Lélo lélo