Apples and Bananas
Apples and Bananas is a lively children's song that engages young learners by playfully substituting long vowel sounds into the words "apples" and "bananas" across its verses, turning a simple expression of food preference into a phonetic exercise. The core lyrics begin with "I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas," followed by variations like "I like to ate, ate, ate ayples and banaynas" for the long a sound, "I like to eet, eet, eet eeples and beeneenes" for long e, and similar changes for i, o, and u. This structure highlights phonemic segmentation and substitution, making it an effective tool for building foundational literacy skills.[1] Widely recognized as a traditional North American folk tune passed down through oral tradition in educational and family settings, the song gained mainstream popularity through Canadian performer Raffi's recording on his 1985 album One Light, One Sun, where it runs approximately 1:37 in length as part of a collection promoting multicultural unity and joy in learning.[2] Subsequent adaptations appear in various children's media, including live concert videos like Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band (1988), further embedding it in preschool curricula.[1] In educational contexts, particularly in early childhood programs, Apples and Bananas supports phonological awareness by encouraging children to isolate, blend, and manipulate individual sounds in words, which research links to improved reading readiness and oral language development.[3] Teachers often pair it with activities like vowel sound hunts or group singing to reinforce these skills, as evidenced in classroom resources from institutions focused on early literacy. Its repetitive, rhythmic format also fosters social interaction and memory retention among toddlers and preschoolers.[4]Overview
Description
"Apples and Bananas" is a traditional North American children's song characterized by its playful alteration of vowel sounds in the phrase "apples and bananas," such as transforming it into "eeples and beeneenes" for the long E sound (/iː/) or "iples and baninis" for the long I sound (/aɪ/).[5][6][7] This phonetic manipulation cycles through the English vowels A, E, I, O, and U using long vowel sounds, creating humorous distortions that highlight sound differences. The song's core theme revolves around entertaining vowel transformations, fostering an engaging exploration of phonetics in a lighthearted manner suitable for young audiences.[8] The structure is highly repetitive, beginning with the standard phrasing "I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas" before progressing through each vowel variation in succession.[9] This cyclical format builds rhythm and familiarity, often concluding with an exaggerated or silly extension, such as "oopples and boo-noo-noos," to amplify the comedic effect.[6] As an element of oral tradition, the song lacks a specific composer and has been passed down through generations without formal attribution, with unclear origins likely emerging in the United States in the mid-20th century or earlier.[5][6][10]Educational Purpose
The "Apples and Bananas" song serves primarily as an engaging tool for teaching vowel sounds, pronunciation, and phonemic awareness to young children aged 2-6, fostering foundational literacy skills through playful repetition.[11][12] By substituting long vowel sounds into familiar words like "apples" and "bananas," the song helps children distinguish and produce long vowel phonemes, such as changing "apples" to "eeples" for the long /iː/ sound or "ayples" for the long /eɪ/ sound.[13][7] This approach builds auditory discrimination by training young learners to isolate and manipulate individual sounds in words, a key element of phonemic awareness essential for early reading development.[11] In terms of language development benefits, the song's repetitive structure reinforces vocabulary acquisition as children echo simple phrases, while its humorous alterations encourage creative wordplay and oral experimentation without the pressure of rote memorization.[14] This repetition aids in strengthening memory for sound patterns and promotes confidence in verbal expression, contributing to overall speech and language growth in toddlers and preschoolers.[15] Commonly integrated into preschool and kindergarten curricula, the song introduces long vowel sounds through informal, music-based activities rather than traditional drills, making abstract phonics concepts accessible and enjoyable.[13] For instance, educators often use it in group sing-alongs to model pronunciation, followed by child-led repetitions to reinforce learning. In English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, it proves particularly valuable for non-native speakers aged 2-6, helping them practice English-specific vowel contrasts that differ from their first language, such as the distinction between /æ/ in "bananas" and long vowel variations.[12]History
Origins
"Apples and Bananas" is a traditional children's folk song rooted in North American oral traditions, emerging among English-speaking communities in the United States and Canada. Its origins are uncertain, with no documented creator or exact composition date, though it is believed to have developed in the early 20th century as a playful vowel-substitution chant.[6][10] The song likely draws from broader patterns of phonetic games and playground rhymes prevalent in American and British nursery folklore, where children manipulate vowel sounds for amusement and language practice. Collections of children's folklore document similar vowel-play activities passed down through family and community singing, predating any commercial recordings. This oral transmission allowed the song to spread informally across generations in schools, camps, and homes, reflecting common elements of North American children's verbal play without a single point of authorship.[16]Early Publications and Recordings
The song "Apples and Bananas," a traditional children's tune emphasizing vowel sounds, began transitioning from oral tradition to documented forms during the mid-20th century, particularly amid the folk music revival that encouraged the collection and dissemination of American folk and children's songs. This period saw increased interest in preserving such playful, educational rhymes through print and audio media, as folk artists and educators compiled anthologies to share cultural heritage with new generations. One of the earliest known printed versions appeared as sheet music in 1965, composed by Frank Scott and published by Harry Von Tilzer Music Publishing Co. in Santa Monica, California. This publication marked a significant step in formalizing the song's lyrics and melody for wider distribution, aligning with the era's growing market for children's music materials.[17] Initial recordings emerged in the same decade, with the exact first undocumented but Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra releasing a notable version as a single (Dot 16697) and on the album Apples and Bananas (Dot DLP 2562) in 1965. This upbeat rendition, which reached No. 47 on the Billboard charts, reflected the folk revival's influence on blending traditional elements with popular arrangements for family audiences.[18][19] By the 1970s, the song gained further traction in printed collections, such as the Teamsters Children's Camp Song Book, a mimeographed anthology used in youth programs that included full lyrics and instructions for group singing. These regional and camp-focused publications helped embed "Apples and Bananas" in educational and recreational settings across the United States, building on the revival's momentum to popularize oral traditions.[20]Lyrics and Structure
Original Lyrics
As a traditional folk song, the lyrics of "Apples and Bananas" vary slightly in phonetic spelling across versions; the following is a common transcription based on popular recordings like Raffi's.[21] The lyrics consist of a repetitive verse structure that begins with the standard phrasing and then cycles through alterations to the vowel sounds in key words like "eat," "apples," and "bananas" to emphasize each long English vowel. The core opening lines are: "I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas."[9] This is followed by five additional verses, each shifting the vowels to match the long sounds associated with A, E, I, O, and U, respectively, while maintaining the rhyme and repetition for ease of learning. The full standard transcription is as follows: A verse:
"I like to ate, ate, ate ayples and banaynas.
I like to ate, ate, ate ayples and banaynas."[9] E verse:
"I like to eet, eet, eet eeples and beeneenes.
I like to eet, eet, eet eeples and beeneenes."[9] I verse:
"I like to ite, ite, ite ipples and baninis.
I like to ite, ite, ite ipples and baninis."[9] O verse:
"I like to ote, ote, ote opples and banonos.
I like to ote, ote, ote opples and banonos."[9] U verse:
"I like to ute, ute, ute upples and banunus.
I like to ute, ute, ute upples and banunus."[9] The song's structure features a simple verse repetition, with each vowel cycle comprising 5-6 lines (including the echoed refrain), which reinforces rhyme and rhythm through phonetic play, making it memorable for young learners.[22] This repetition highlights the educational mechanism by substituting vowel sounds—such as shifting the short /æ/ in "apples" to long /iː/ in the E verse (eeples)—to demonstrate how vowels alter word pronunciation.[23] The melody is a straightforward, upbeat tune in a major key, typically C major in simple arrangements, designed to engage children with its lively bounce.[24] It is often performed at a tempo of 120-140 beats per minute (BPM), as seen in popular recordings like Raffi's version at 140 BPM, to maintain energy and facilitate group singing.[25]