Day Camp Songs

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

One of my sisters goes camping several times a year with her three (sometimes four) grandsons. Keeping them entertained while in route is a bit of a challenge. They have 100 Bottles of Beer down pat. Do any of you remember any more of these daycamp bus songs?

Oh I wish:

Oh I wish I was a little bar of soap. Oh I wish I was a little bar of soap. I'd slippy and I'd sliddy over everyone's hiney. Oh I wish I was a little bar of soap, bar of soap.

Oh I wish I was a little glass of milk. Oh I wish I was a little glass of milk. I'd go down with a slurp and come up with a burp. Oh I wish I was a little glass of milk, glass of milk.

Any other verses?

------------------

Swallowed the fly:

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she'll died.

Then she goes on to swallow more, such as spider (to catch the fly). What was the order? Each is repeated in reverse order each verse, but "Perhaps she'll died" only comes at the end of each verse.

-------------

That's what I learned at daycamp: (While pointing to various parts of the body from top to bottom.)

What is this my son, what is this, what is this? This is my hat rack that what this is. And that's what I learned at daycamp.

Remember the eyes were something like a boy/girl see-er. The nose was the fart smeller. Anyone remember others? Here also they are repeating in reverse order each verse.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), October 11, 2000

Answers

This post put an instant smile on my face! I spent nine summers at camps as a child. This is my personal favorite, quess you will get a glimpse of my sick personality. Great green gobs of greasy, grimey, gopher guts, little birdies bloody feet, mutilated monkeys meat. Four quart jars of all purpose porpois pus, and me whithout a spoon. BUT I'VE GOT A STRAW. (This was what we sang in chow line) Some other songs were Clementine, Hole in the Bucket, John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Old Time Religion, Vive l'Amour, Give Me Oil In My Lamp, Today, to name a few. The state 4-H camp at Jacksons Mill used to have a book called West Virginia Sings. It is a collection of camp songs. I will be there next month and if you would like, I will pick up a copy for you. Rise Up Singing is another great group songbook, though much larger. Has over 1,200 songs in it. I used them both alot when the girls were younger and we took long road trips. Loaned the West Virginia Sings and never got it back. Lesson learned. Thanks for the memory jog.

-- Terri Perry (stuperry@stargate.net), October 11, 2000.

Don'[t know if these are the right words, but they're close.

The Happy Wanderer: I love to go a wandereing along the mountain path;

And as I go, I love to sing;

My napsack on my back.

Valer...eee, Valer...aaa, Valer...eee, Valer...ah ahah...

Valer...eee, Valer...aaa

My napsack on my back.

There's Found A Peanut. ( I'm having too much trouble with this computer, so maybe someone else can give you the words.)

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), October 11, 2000.


There was an Old Lady who swallowed a fly - I don't know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she'll die.

There was an Old Lady who swallowed a Spider that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the Spider to catch the Fly. I don't know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old Lady who swallowed a Dog. What a hog to swallow a Dog. . . .

There was an old Lady who swallowed a Cow. I don't know how she swallowed a Cow. . . .

you can keep making them up. Like - she swallowed a goat - big as a boat when she swallowed that goat. Or she swallowed a cat - it made her fat to swallow a cat. Or she swallowed a bird - I just heard she swallowed a bird.

The last verse is: There was an Old Lady who swallowed a Horse. She died, of course.

-- Deborah (ActuaryMom@hotmail.com), October 11, 2000.


"Along a rail a peanut sat, His heart was all a-flutter. "Round the bend comes Number ten, Toot-toot, Peanut butter!"

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), October 11, 2000.

I guess I didn't make it clear I am only looking for additional verses to the three ditties I listed. Am not really looking for additional ones since these are the three Barb and I remember most.

Not unusual in probably explaining myself. I have had farm help who at the start of the day I explained in excrutiating detail what I wanted done. A then B, then C, then D. Looked them right in the eye and asked if they understand what I wanted done. Answer is always yes. I go out a couple of hours later to find them doing something totally different.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), October 11, 2000.



For Ken:

Oh I wish:

Oh I wish I were a little mosquito (sang mus-kee-to), Oh I wish I were a little mosquito. I'd go bitey, bitey, bitey under Ken's little nighty. Oh I wish I were a little mosquito.

The verse you sang as glass of milk, we sang as bottle of pop.

Old Lady:

After the fly verse: Then that old lady, she swallowed a bird - How absurd! She swallowed a bird! She swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she'll die.

And now that old lady, she swallowed a cat. How about that - she swallowed a cat! She swallowed the cat to catch the bird......

The the dog, cow and horse verses.

You've brought back some really great memories, Ken. Hope you don't mind if the rest of us reminisce a bit with a few more songs - we'll be hapy to tech them to your great-nephews!!

For Terry:

We had a slightly different version: Great green globs of greasy, grimey gopher guts, mulilated monkey meat, a baby birdie's dirty feet. French fried eyeballs simmered in a pot of blood - and I forgot my spoon. So I used a straw - (slurp noise).

We also enjoyed Clementine, Hole in the bucket, Found a peanut, The hole in the bottom of the sea, Oh Susannah, 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall and all the other great songs. I would love to find a simple songbook with the words and piano score to the old songs - something like what we used to sing from in grade school music class - Hmmm, I see a trip to the used book store in my near future!!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), October 11, 2000.


Polly, Words and piano score are in Rise Up Singing. It is a wonderful book of music. Same for West Virginia Sings. Do you want West Virginia Sings, if it is still available? Let me know and I will gat a copy for you, on the good neighbor basis. ( Same for you Ken) By the way, my definition of good neighbor basis is this, I will do for you as I am sure you would do for me. No charge at all if I am in the area and you help me when you can. What is a couple of dollars? I know I just openened a big can of worms, but it is how I feel. Thanks to everyone for anyway they have helped me.

-- Terri Perry (stuperry@stargate.net), October 11, 2000.

Ken, You said, "Anyone remeber others?" I think that opened it up for other songs. Maybe that is the problem with the help? Ha Ha. There is another song that I cant remember all of the words to that I wish someone would post. I think it is called "Lingering" Um hum I want to linger, Um hum, A little longer, um hum ,a little longer here with you. Um hum ,this is the perfect night, um hum, it does'nt seem quite right, um hum , this is to be my last with you. And as the years go bye, we will both look back and sigh, ?????????

-- Terri Perry (stuperry@stargate.net), October 12, 2000.

The cake of soap song has lots of verses, with much hilarity. 1. I wish I was a little English sparrow (because) I'd sit up in the steeple and spit on all the people (funnier if you lisp it!) 2. I wish I was a fishy in the sea (because) I'd swim around so cute without a bathing suit 3. I with I was a little striped skunk (because) I'd sit up in the treeses and perfume all the breezes (also good with a lisp, and a tongue twister that way)

Also... How about

We had some chickens, no eggs would they lay. We had some chickens, no eggs would they lay. One day a rooster came into the yard, he caught those chickens right off their guard. They're laying eggs now, just like they used to, ever since that rooster, came in the yard...(repeat last sentence) Now the fun. Extra verses: We had a gum tree,no gum would it give..(after the rooster) Its givine "Chiclets" just like it used to. WE had a gas pump, no gas would it give (afterwards) it's giving shell gas... We had a garden, no plants would it give (afterwards) it's giving shell gas... So on and so forth...

-- kathy dayton (mequonmary@altavista.com), October 17, 2000.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ