Last week my kids and I took an "old style" road trip to Kansas City in our 1989 Dodge Caravan. What this meant was... no air conditioner, no radio/tape player/CD, windows rolling freely up and down only on one side, and no way to play the portable DVD player they have gotten accustomed to traveling with.
To entertain each other, I taught them all the "camp" songs I could remember from my childhood. Sometimes it took a while for the words to come to me, but the great thing about "camp" songs is that you can just make up whatever you forget.
"Oh, I, went around the corner just to get some pop and I ran right in to the donut shop..."
My middle kid, my singer, was impressed with my repertoire for the first time in her life. Her favorite was;
Alice, where are you going?
Upstairs to take a bath.
Alice, with legs like toothpicks,
And a neck like a giraffe.
Alice stepped in the tub,
And pulled out, the plug.
Oh my goodness, Oh my soul!
Alice just went down the hole!
I told some stories, as well. My dad was/is a big road trip fan, and one of my favorite memories of my dad was when he'd start singing. He'd always start real low, just singing to himself. If you stayed quiet and didn't mention it, he'd eventually sing long and loud enough for you to hear.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountain
You never change your socks
And little streams of lemonade
Come trickling down the rocks
The best songs, however, where the ones that made my mom blush. He sang one that went something like, "roll me over, in the clover." As a kid, I had a wonderful visual of people playing in a bright green field of four-leaf clovers. Now I imagine they weren't just "playing" in that clover, but I can't remember enough of the lyrics to figure out exactly what WAS going on in that song. (I didn't actually share this one with the kids, but I've been thinking about it a lot.)
The kids especially liked the one that drove my mom the craziest. I was pretty good at mimicking her voice when she'd finally holler, "Duane! Why did you teach her that song?"
Rabbits have no tails at all,
tails at all, tails at all
Rabbits have no tails at all,
Just a powder puff.
Second Verse, same as the first
Couldn't get better but it could get worse.
So, what was your favorite camp song?
1 comment:
Here Tracy... My Gran-Da used to sing the same song on our Cow Trail jaunts in the old VW wagon.
Well, this is number one,
And the fun has just begun,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
*Chorus*
Roll me over in the clover,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
Well, this is number two,
And my hand is on her shoe,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
(Chorus)
Well, this is number three,
And my hand is on her knee,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
(Chorus)
Well, this is number four,
And we're rolling on the floor,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
(Chorus)
Well, this is number five,
And the bee is in the hive,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
(Chorus)
Well, this is number six,
And she said she liked my tricks,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
(Chorus)
Well, this is number seven,
And we're in our seventh heaven,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
(Chorus)
Well, this is number eight,
And the nurse is at the gate,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
(Chorus)
Well, this is number nine,
And the twins are doing fine,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
(Chorus)
Well, this is number ten,
And we're at it once again,
Roll me over, lay me down, and do it again.
There are A LOT more verses, but you get the idea.
My favorite camp songs:
Oh I'm so tired of Pinelow (camp name) Life,
Gee ma I wanna go, but they won't let me go, gee Ma I wanna go home... with inumerable verses.
Our councelors one year woke us up every morning with the most annoying song... I now use it on my own kids when they don't want to get out of bed.
(Loudly!)"Waaaaaaay Up in the sky
The big birdies fly,
(now soft) While down in the nest the little birds rest.
(really loud) The brrright sun comes up,
(in a deep, forboding tone) The dew goes away,
(in cutesy bird voice) Goodmorning, goodmorning the little birds say!"
(repeat if necessary!!)
This is a long comment... sorry, but my Gran-Da's other specialties were:
Froggy went a courtin'
Bell Bottom Trousers (Navy ditty)
Danny Boy
and Tennesee Waltz
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