Thanksgiving Music

"Over the River to Grandma's House on Thanksgiving Day" by Grandma Moses, the American primitive painter. Date: 1943 (source)

Is there any such thing as Thanksgiving music? As far as I can tell, there is exactly one song that is authentic for this holiday. There are many manufactured kids' songs for nursery schools. There are songs of thanksgiving or being thankful, some of them religious and some very sentimental or even corny. However, they are not specific to the holiday -- people have thankful prayers and thoughts on all days.

Here are all the lyrics to the one and only song. If you went to any school in America, at least if you were there at the time I was a kid, then you can sing it:

“Over the River and Through the Woods”
by Lydia Maria Child, 1844

Over the river and through the woods,
To grandmother's house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow-oh!

Over the river and through the woods,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the woods,
To have a first-rate play;
Oh, hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ling!"
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river and through the woods,
Trot fast, my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river and through the woods,
And straight through the barnyard gate.
We seem to go extremely slow
It is so hard to wait!

Over the river and through the woods,
Now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Another Grandma Moses Thanksgiving. (Source)

With all the music about other holidays, and all the time since 1844, I can't believe there's only one bona-fide Thanksgiving song. I can't even find a legitimate song about a turkey dinner. Evidently Irving Berlin wrote a song called "Plenty to be Thankful For" but I think it never took off; it came from the same movie as White Christmas, but I guess it didn't have the same appeal. And yes, I know about Adam Sandler -- doesn't count.

In place of a Thanksgiving Turkey song, here's one about mashed potatoes! Best I can do.

I hope someone will correct me, and show me that more Thanksgiving music does exist. 

UPDATE: My sister added one more song, also written in 1844:

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.

Blog post © 2020 mae sander, images as credited.