FAQ: Popular Songs, Poetry, & Speeches in Sign Language

An Index

This is a guide to sources of various popular songs, poetry, and speeches rendered into sign language. The sources indicated below with an asterisk (*) were not completely indexed, only the most popular songs or poetry being included here.

Abbreviations and conventions used:

• AISL = American Indian Sign Language version
• ASL = American Sign Language version
• Illus. = Illustrations show the signs
• Music = Includes musical arrangement
• PSE = Pidgin Sign English version
• SEE = Signing Exact English (SEE II) version
• Signed English = Signed English version

Sources:

• American freedom speeches (videorecording). Burtonsville, MD: Sign Media, Inc., 1994. (VHS 327)
• American Sign Language Christmas stories. Salem, Ore.: Sign Enhancers, 1986. (VHS 131)
• *American Sign Language hymns for signing. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1995. (DEAF 782.32 H95 1995)
• Lift up your hands: inspirational and patriotic songs in the language of signs (by Donna C. Gadling, Daniel H. Pokorny, and Lottie L. Riekehof). Washington, DC: The National Grange, 1976. (DEAF 784.7 G3l 1976)
• Lift up your hands, volume II: favorite songs with sign language interpretation (by Donna Gadling Weaks). Washington, DC: The National Grange, 1980. (DEAF 784.7 L54 1980)
• Religious signing (by Elaine Costello). Toronto, New York: Bantam Books, 1986. (DEAF 420 C67r 1986).
• Selections from My third eye (videorecording). Chicago: WTTW-TV, 1973. (VHS 783).
• The sign language: a manual of signs, second edition (by J. Schuyler Long). Omaha, Neb.: Dorothy Long Thompson, 1918; also same edition reprinted by Gallaudet College, Washington DC, in 1952 and 1963. (DEAF 420 L66s)
• Signing exact English (by Gerilee Gustason and Esther Zawolkow). Los Alamitos, Calif.: Modern Signs Press, 1993. (DEAF 427 G8s 1993)
• *Sing praise: hymnal for the deaf. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1975. (DEAF 264.2 S5 1975)
• Songs in signed English. Washington, DC: Kendall Green Publications, 1984. (DEAF 784.624 K3s 1973)
• You've got a song: selected popular songs with sign language interpretation (by Donna Gadling and Daniel Pokorny). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf, 1979.

Printed English glosses from sign language:

• A-hunting we will go. Songs in signed English, p.12-15 (Signed English, Illus., Music).
• All things bright and beautiful. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 147 (ASL).
• Amazing grace. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 378 (ASL); Lift up your hands, p.28-30 (PSE, Illus., Music); Sing praise, hymn 77 (ASL).
• America the beautiful. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 696 (ASL); Lift up your hands, p.25-27 (PSE, Illus., Music); Sing praise, hymn 223 (ASL).
• Are you sleeping? Songs in signed English, p.16-19 (Signed English, Illus., Music).
• Away in a manger. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 217 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 39 (ASL).
• The battle hymn of the republic. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 717 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 225 (ASL).
• Blest be the tie that binds. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.30 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Born free. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.16-19 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Christ the Lord is risen today. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 302 (ASL).
• Close to you. You've got a song, p.21-23 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Day by day. Lift up your hands, p.11-14 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Daybreak. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.22-25 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Down in the valley. Songs in signed English, p.34-39 (Signed English, Illus., Music).
• The first noel [The first nowell]. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 245 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 45 (ASL).
• Gloria in excelsis Deo. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 72 (ASL).
• Go, tell it on the mountain. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 251 (ASL).
• God bless America. Lift up your hands, p.17-19 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Hark! he herald angels sing. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 240 (ASL); Sign praise, hymn 39 (ASL).
• He's got the whole world in his hands. Lift up your hands, p.15-16 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• I believe in the sun. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.13-15 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• I can see clearly now. You've got a song, p.11-13 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• I'd like to teach the world to sing (in perfect harmony). Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.26-29 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• It came upon the midnight clear. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 218 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 40 (ASL)..
• Joy to the world! The Lord is come. Sing praise, hymn 43 (ASL).
• Kum ba yah. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 494 (ASL); Lift up your hands, p.6-7 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Let there be peace on earth. Lift up your hands, p.20-24 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• London Bridge is falling down. Songs in signed English, p.40-43 (Signed English, Illus., Music).
• The Lord is my shepherd. See Twenty-third psalm.
• The Lord's prayer. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymns 270 and 271 (ASL); Religious signing, p.192-196 (ASL, Illus.); The sign language (ASL, Illus.); You've got a song, p.29-31 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Make new friends. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.6 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Mine eyes have seen the glory. See The battle hymn of the republic.
• My country, 'tis of thee. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 697 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 227 (ASL).
• Nearer, my God, to thee. Sing praise, hymn 143 (ASL).
• O beautiful for spacious skies. See America the beautiful.
• O come, all ye faithful. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 234 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 37 (ASL).
• O little town of Bethlehem. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 230 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 36 (ASL).
• Oh, where has my little dog gone? Songs in signed English, p.4-7 (Signed English, Illus., Music).
• Onward Christian soldiers. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 575 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 173 (ASL).
• Pass it on. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.7-10 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• The pledge of allegiance. Signing exact English, p.XXIV-XXV (SEE).
• Pop goes the weasel. Songs in signed English, p.20-23 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Row, row, row your boat. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.5 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Silent night. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 239 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 44 (ASL); You've got a song, p.24-25 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Skip to my Lou. Songs in signed English, p.8-11 (Signed English, Illus., Music).
• The star-spangled banner. Sing praise, hymn 231 (ASL).
• Sunshine on my shoulders. You've got a song, p.14-16 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Tell me why. Lift up your hands, p.8-10 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• There's something about that name. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.20-21 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• They long to be close to you. See Close to you.
• This is my country. Lift up your hands, vol. II, p.11-12 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• This land is your land. Lift up your hands, p.31-33 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• Three blind mice. Songs in signed English, p.24-33 (Signed English, Illus., Music).
• Twenty-third psalm. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 136 (ASL); Sing praise, hymn 150 (ASL).
• We three kings of Orient are. American Sign Language hymns for signing, hymn 254 (ASL).
• You light up my life. You've got a song, p.26-28 (PSE, Illus., Music)
• You've got a friend. You've got a song, p.17-20 (PSE, Illus., Music).
• You've got a song. You've got a song, p.4-6, 8-10 (PSE, Illus., Music).

Videotape recordings of signed performances:

• Acceptance speech, July 1984 (by Geraldine Ferraro). In American freedom speeches, tape 2 (ASL).
• The birth of Christ, according to the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke (excerpts). In American Sign Language Christmas stories (ASL).
• A Christmas carol (by Charles Dickens) (excerpts). In American Sign Language Christmas stories (ASL).
• The Gettysburg address (by Abraham Lincoln). In American freedom speeches, tape 1 (ASL).
• "Give me liberty or give me death" speech (by Patrick Henry) (excerpts). In American freedom speeches, tape 1 (ASL).
• I have a dream (by Martin Luther King) (excerpts). In American freedom speeches, tape 2 (ASL).
• In the great walled city, by Raymond MacDonald Alder. In American Sign Language Christmas stories (ASL).
• Inaugural address of Franklin D. Roosevelt, March 1933 (excerpts). In American freedom speeches, tape 1 (ASL).
• Inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, January 1961 (excerpts). In American freedom speeches, tape 2 (ASL).
• Inaugural address of Thomas Jefferson, March 1801 (excerpts). In American freedom speeches, tape 1 (ASL).
• The little match girl (by Hans Christian Anderson). In American Sign Language Christmas stories (ASL).
• The night before Christmas (by Clement Clark Moore). In American Sign Language Christmas stories (ASL).
• On human rights (by Jimmy Carter) (excerpt). In American freedom speeches, tape 2 (ASL).
• On woman's suffrage (by Susan B. Anthony). In American freedom speeches, tape 1 (ASL).
• The pledge of allegiance. In American freedom speeches, tape 2 (ASL).
• The star-spangled banner. In Gallaudet University commencement videotapes, any year 1989 to the present, near the beginning.
• The story of the first Christmas tree (by Rose Fyleman). In American Sign Language Christmas stories (ASL).
• Struggle for justice (by Cesar Chavez). In American freedom speeches, tape 2 (ASL).
• Three blind mice. In Selections from My third eye (ASL).
• United States Constitution. Bill of Rights. In American freedom speeches, tape 1 (ASL).
• United States Constitution. Preamble. In American freedom speeches, tape 1 (ASL).
• United States National Anthem. See The star-spangled banner.