Yellow Bird

Here's a letter from Poh Ching Suan, another BBGSian with fond memories of singing songs during school assembly.

Dear Joanna

I really enjoyed reading the article A Tribute to our teachers and am much delighted to know many of our school teachers are are still involved in the field of education.

Here are some songs we sang in school: (Mrs Abraham used to lead us in songs. I remember this one especially as she corrected our pronounciation of “Yeh-low bird, high up in bah-nah-nah tree… Song goes something like this


Yellow Bird

Yellow bird, high up in banana tree,
Yellow bird you sit all alone like me
Did your lady love, leave your nest again
That is very sad, makes me feel so bad.
You can fly away in the sky away
You’re more lucky than me.

I also have a pretty girl
She’s not with me today
They’re all the same those pretty girls
Build them a nest, then they’ll fly away


Isle of Capri

Twas on the isle of Capri that I found her
beneath the shade of an old walnut tree
O I can still see the flowers bloomin’ round her
Where we met on the isle of Capri.

She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
But somehow fate hadn’t meant her for me
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Still my heart’s on the isle of Capri.

Summertime was nearly over
Blue Italian skies above
I said lady I’m a rover
Can you spare a sweet word of love

She whispered softly “it’s best not to linger,”
And then as I kissed her hand, I could see
She wore a plain golden ring on her finger
Twas good bye to the isle of Capri.

Best regards,
Poh Ching Suan