Malvina Reynolds
Malvina Reynolds (August 23, 1900 – March 17, 1978) was an American folk/bl… Read Full Bio ↴Malvina Reynolds (August 23, 1900 – March 17, 1978) was an American folk/blues singer-songwriter and political activist, best known for her song-writing, particularly the songs "Little Boxes" and "Morningtown Ride."
Malvina Milder was born in San Francisco to David and Abagail Milder, Jewish and socialist immigrants, who opposed involvement in World War I.
She married William ("Bud") Reynolds, a carpenter and labor organizer, in 1934. They had one child, Nancy Reynolds Schimmel (a songwriter and performer in her own right), in 1935. Malvina had earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and later earned a doctorate there, finishing her dissertation in 1938.
Though she played violin in a dance band in her twenties, she began her songwriting career late in life. She was in her late 40s when she met Earl Robinson, Pete Seeger, and other folk singers and songwriters. She returned to school at UC Berkeley, where she studied music theory. She went on to write several popular songs, including "Little Boxes," recorded by Pete Seeger, Walk off the Earth and others, "What Have They Done to the Rain," recorded by The Searchers, The Seekers, Marianne Faithfull, Melanie Safka and Joan Baez (about nuclear fallout), "It Isn't Nice" (a civil rights anthem), "Turn Around" (about children growing up, later sung by Harry Belafonte), and "There's a Bottom Below" (about depression). Reynolds was also a noted composer of children's songs, including "Magic Penny" (a traditional London folk song during the 1940s) and "Morningtown Ride," a top five UK single (December 1966) recorded by The Seekers.
Four collections of her music are available on compact disc. The Smithsonian Folkways label released Another County Heard From (Folkways 02524) and Ear to the Ground (Smithsonian Folkways 40124), and the Omni Recording Corporation in Australia issued Malvina Reynolds (Omni 112) and Malvina Reynolds Sings the Truth (Omni 114).
A film biography, Love It Like a Fool, was made a few years before she died in 1978. Reynolds' most famous song, "Little Boxes" (made famous by Pete Seeger), has enjoyed renewed popularity by being featured in Showtime's TV series Weeds. "Little Boxes" was inspired visually by the houses of Daly City, California. Nancy Reynolds Schimmel, daughter of Malvina Reynolds, explained:
"My mother and father were driving South from San Francisco through Daly City when my mom got the idea for the song. She asked my dad to take the wheel, and she wrote it on the way to the gathering in La Honda where she was going to sing for the Friends Committee on Legislation. When Time Magazine (I think, maybe Newsweek) wanted a photo of her pointing to the very place, she couldn't find those houses because so many more had been built around them that the hillsides were totally covered."
In her later years, Malvina Reynolds contributed songs and material to PBS's Sesame Street, on which she made occasional appearances as a character called "Kate."
In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Reynolds's name and picture.
Malvina Milder was born in San Francisco to David and Abagail Milder, Jewish and socialist immigrants, who opposed involvement in World War I.
She married William ("Bud") Reynolds, a carpenter and labor organizer, in 1934. They had one child, Nancy Reynolds Schimmel (a songwriter and performer in her own right), in 1935. Malvina had earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and later earned a doctorate there, finishing her dissertation in 1938.
Though she played violin in a dance band in her twenties, she began her songwriting career late in life. She was in her late 40s when she met Earl Robinson, Pete Seeger, and other folk singers and songwriters. She returned to school at UC Berkeley, where she studied music theory. She went on to write several popular songs, including "Little Boxes," recorded by Pete Seeger, Walk off the Earth and others, "What Have They Done to the Rain," recorded by The Searchers, The Seekers, Marianne Faithfull, Melanie Safka and Joan Baez (about nuclear fallout), "It Isn't Nice" (a civil rights anthem), "Turn Around" (about children growing up, later sung by Harry Belafonte), and "There's a Bottom Below" (about depression). Reynolds was also a noted composer of children's songs, including "Magic Penny" (a traditional London folk song during the 1940s) and "Morningtown Ride," a top five UK single (December 1966) recorded by The Seekers.
Four collections of her music are available on compact disc. The Smithsonian Folkways label released Another County Heard From (Folkways 02524) and Ear to the Ground (Smithsonian Folkways 40124), and the Omni Recording Corporation in Australia issued Malvina Reynolds (Omni 112) and Malvina Reynolds Sings the Truth (Omni 114).
A film biography, Love It Like a Fool, was made a few years before she died in 1978. Reynolds' most famous song, "Little Boxes" (made famous by Pete Seeger), has enjoyed renewed popularity by being featured in Showtime's TV series Weeds. "Little Boxes" was inspired visually by the houses of Daly City, California. Nancy Reynolds Schimmel, daughter of Malvina Reynolds, explained:
"My mother and father were driving South from San Francisco through Daly City when my mom got the idea for the song. She asked my dad to take the wheel, and she wrote it on the way to the gathering in La Honda where she was going to sing for the Friends Committee on Legislation. When Time Magazine (I think, maybe Newsweek) wanted a photo of her pointing to the very place, she couldn't find those houses because so many more had been built around them that the hillsides were totally covered."
In her later years, Malvina Reynolds contributed songs and material to PBS's Sesame Street, on which she made occasional appearances as a character called "Kate."
In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Reynolds's name and picture.
More Genres
More Albums
Load All
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Malvina Reynolds Lyrics
Alcatraz It was Pelican Island, When the Bay was clean. The birds o…
Battle of Maxton Field Now brave the Klansmen rallied there In Maxton town that ni…
Bitter Rain The world's too much for me, It's getting so Too much need…
Boraxo Chorus: It's all right, it's all right, If you're righteou…
Bury Me in My Overalls Bury me in my overalls, Don't use my gabardines, Bury me i…
Buying The Package Chorus: You're buying the package, You're buying the dream…
Carolina Cotton Mill Song Oh I love to get into my clean bed With its…
D.D.T. I don't need your LSD, Head to toe I'm DDT, DDT on…
Daddy's in the Jail Daddy's in the jail, Oh yes. Daddy's in the jail, Oh…
Dialectic It's hard to believe that people live in such palaces, With…
From Way Up Here From way up here the earth looks very small, It's just…
God Bless The Grass God bless the grass that grows thru the crack. They roll…
I Don't Mind Failing I don't mind failing in this world, I don't mind failing…
Intro Little Boxes Little boxes on the hillside Little boxes made of ticky-tack…
Let it Be When you walk in the forest, let it be. There's a…
Like The Miller Grinds The Wheat We don't touch that machine Cause once you get your finger…
Little Boxes Little boxes on the hillside Little boxes made of ticky-tack…
Little Boxes Intro Little boxes on the hillside Little boxes made of ticky tac…
Little Red Hen The Little Red Hen found a grain of wheat, Said "This…
Look at the Sunny Side Look on the sunny side, Sugar′s goin up, Sugar it will poiso…
Love Is Something Love is something if you give it away, Give it away,…
Magic Penny Love is something if you give it away, Give it away,…
Mario's Duck Mario had a little pet duck, They couldn't afford a dog…
Morningtown Ride Train whistle blowing, makes a sleepy noise, Underneath the…
No Hole in My Head Everybody thinks my head's full of nothin, Wants to put his…
On the Rim of the World She inches along on the rim of the world, Always about…
Overtime Chorus: Overtime, overtime, overtime, Boss says I've got t…
Quiet I don't know much about much, And what I don't know…
Rosie Jane This song is addressed to my sisters. Any man who is…
Singing Jesus Let me tell you 'bout singin Jesus, And the words he…
Skagit Valley Forever There's a fine green valley not far from Vancouver, Home of…
The Albatross It is an ancient mariner Who stoppeth one of three. He kil…
The Bloody Neat Chorus: Don't be so bloody neat, Don't be so bloody clean,…
The Desert I sing of the desert, The dirt is so clean, The air…
The Judge Said The judge said "Screw 'em! Boys, you're only human. They b…
The Little Mouse A little mouse got into the wires At the central clearing…
The Money Crop Well, money has its own way, And money has to grow. It…
The New Restaurant I stopped into a restaurant and oh, it was a…
The World's Gone Beautiful The world's gone beautiful because it's about to die. I nev…
There'll Come a Time There'll come a time the smog will be so thick, We'll…
There's a Bottom Below Chorus: Do you think you've hit bottom? Do you think you'v…
This World Baby, I ain't afraid to die, It's just that I hate…
Tungsten Chorus: Tungsten, wolfram, makes the steel so hard. It goe…
We Hate to See Them Go Last night I had a lovely dream. I saw a big…
What Have They Done To The Rain Just a little rain falling all around, The grass lifts its…
What Have They Done To The Rain? Just a little rain falling all around, The grass lifts…
What's Goin' On Down There Chorus: Nobody knows about, Nobody knows about, What's go…