Songs my mother taught me

I believe my mother thought I would grow up to be a famous singer.  She'd hear a song on the radio that she liked, and then go to a music store and buy the sheet music of the song.  She'd teach me the song, find someone to play the piano for me, then she'd find someplace for me to sing it where folks would hear it.  Some were country songs of the early fifties: SlowPoke, by Peewee king; Mister and Mississippi, by Patti Page, which I sang with a little boy at some program.  We were dressed like tramps, me with patches on my dress, the boy with overalls, carrying a stick over his shoulder that held his backpack.  I'd sing one verse, he'd sing another.  She made me learn a love song, My Heart Cries for You, at the age of seven; I hated that lovey-dovey thing, although I still remember the words.  

The Preacher had asked me if I'd sing a song for last Sunday, and I told him I could probably come up with something.  His daughters had sung a Christmas song about the moon and stars a week before, and that reminded me of a Christmas song Mother made me learn called Star of the East.  I think I sang in at Christmas program at the one-room country school I went to, but in all the years since, I never heard it sung at any time on a radio during the holiday season.  I couldn't find it on Youtube until a few years ago, but it is there now.  Judy Garland had a record of it in 1941, three years before I was born.

I did a video just now of it.  Forgive the times I go off-key, especially on the high note.  But I am, after all, 80 years old; so it's a wonder I even come close to carrying a tune!  Consider it my Christmas card to you.