Top 5 Uplifting Ukulele Songs for Nursing Homes
Ukuleles bring us together
Why Play Ukulele in a Care Home?
It has long been known that older adults who regularly listen to music and sing along with it have a happier life. They tend to have a more positive outlook and better social interaction. From the smiles on the faces of our friends, we can quickly tell that our songs improve mood, enhance interest and create positive emotions. Songs from the past can often trigger memories in people with Alzheimer’s or dementia and even people who have lost the power of speech will hum along with us. If you get the chance, it really is a wonderful thing to do!
Here are the Top 5 most popular ukulele songs from our latest nursing home set list. Click on the titles below to download the lyrics and ukulele chords.
Happy strumming 🙂
Written in 1966 by the composer Arthur Kent, with lyrics by Sylvia Dee. ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ was first recorded by The Mills Brothers in 1968. In the UK, the song is associated with the popular comedy duo Morecambe & Wise, after it was adopted as their signature tune in 1969.
‘Bring Me Sunshine’ by Morcambe and Wise
2. Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra
‘Fly Me to the Moon’, originally titled "In Other Words", was written in 1954 by Bart Howard. Kaye Ballard made the first recording of the song the year it was written. Frank Sinatra's 1964 version was closely associated with the Apollo missions to the Moon.
‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Frank Sinatra
3. Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Judy Garland
‘Over the Rainbow’ is a ballad composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. It was written for the 1939 film ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role as Dorothy Gale. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Garland's signature song.
‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ by Judy Garland
4. Side by Side by Dean Martin
‘Side by Side’ is a popular song by Harry M. Woods written in 1927, and has been recorded by many artists. Here is the Dean Martin version.
‘Side by Side’ by Dean Martin
5. You Are My Sunshine by Bing Crosby
‘You Are My Sunshine’ is a song copyrighted and published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell in 1940. According to BMI, it has been recorded by more than 350 artists, and translated into 30 languages.
‘You Are My Sunshine’ by Bing Crosby
Discover more amazing and easy to play ukulele songs, all in one place!