Mar 06 2009
King of the Juice
Just in time for Lent, I’ve gotten my two little boys hooked on Jesus Christ Superstar. Their favorite song is the one sung by Herod, and we pretty much listen to that song over and over in the car the whole time we’re in it, and then the boys sing it pretty much constantly when we aren’t.
The little one I babysit all day, who is days from being four, sings it a bit differently than the soundtrack. When Herod urges, “Come on, King of the Jews,” Chayton sings it “Come on, King of the Juice.” And he really is singing it that way. This week, after singing the song, he’s specifically asked for “juice” with lunch three times–and he never asked before, NEVER. So, to him, Herod is actually talking to the King of the Juice.
That one little line got me reminiscing about kids’ language in general. I remember my son’s favorite song:
Queenol, Queenol,
Duntoo Star,
How I wonder
What you are
Up, up, up the
World so high
Like da diamond
In da sky.
When he finally figured out “Twinkle, Twinkle,” my heart sank. Thankfully, he still says “Lellow” for “Yellow,” a pattern his father used when he was little, from what my mother-in-law says. In fact, my husband, when he was a preschooler, had two pairs of pajamas, a yellow pair and a green pair. He wore the pajamas under his school clothes, pretending he was either “Strong Lellow” or “Strong Green” in disguise.
My MIL, noticing my own son’s propensity for saying “Lellow,” and his love of superheroes, created “Strong Lellow” outfits for him (spelling “Yellow” properly, though). And they are his favorite pajamas. Naturally.
But how long will that last? I dread the day he says yellow correctly. Just like “myooskit,” his word for music, someday his ability to pronounce will grow, and he will lose those little lilts of speech. Just as my daughter hasn’t called SpongeBob Squarepants “SpaceBob Queerpants” for years, soon my son won’t remember what he used to call himself when he wore his “lellow” cape.
But I will. I don’t intend to forget it, not ever. It will make a great story for his future girlfriend.
kids are so awesome sometimes!
I hope you’re taking lots of super lellow pictures!
And did you see? Did you see? I got into the Canadian Studies Phd program @ Trent
I liked Superstar for the way it told the story (I used to play the album at school for my religion class in Lent) but I liked the music from GodSpell better.
Jesus Christ Superstar is one of my favourite musicals, btw…. I have seen it SO many times… both the movie & the stage production
Second only to Les Mis
I am so proud of you, flit! Do you start in fall? I’ve loved JC Superstar for decades, and it’s one of the few musicals my hubby also likes (though I can’t complain, for he’s going to an OPERA with me tomorrow–Madame Butterfly). I like Godspell music too, though I tend to like the mournful, sad, depressing songs the best. And I had a harder time taking the movie seriously (although I have never seen a stage production of Godspell).
I love Les Mis, love Miss Saigon, love Phantom, love the film of Evita (I actually had the soundtrack from the stage musical, and gave it away, but I bought the movie soundtrack after it came out). My husband’s a huge fan of Fiddler on the Roof, but together we’ve seen Les Mis at least three times, and another personal favorite is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Opera…. ick!
Les Mis is AWESOME ….I have it on DVD and when I get the house to myself am apt to blast it
Never did see Phantom …. tried to watch the DVD version once but Ross’ mom hated it and would NOT shut up about it so I ended up taking it out and putting her game shows back on for her LOL
and yes, I start in September… the only thing I’m not so thrilled about is that it looks like they won’t let me keep teaching at Georgian for the first 2 years…. if Georgian has to get someone else to do my courses, I’ll never get them back and I LIKE them