(Have You Ever Thought) As the Hearse Goes By

This one has a surprisingly long, strange history for a schoolyard song. Verses like it go back at least to 1796, when they turned up in an English Gothic novel, and soldiers were singing versions of it around campfires by World War I. Somewhere along the way children adopted it, and they've kept it alive for generations precisely because it's a little bit spooky and a lot of fun to sing. It's the kind of tune that makes you smile and cringe at the same time--perfect for keeping a beginner's fingers moving while everyone giggles at the words.