Camp Songs
| The letter names of the notes have been given, in case the tunes are unfamiliar to you. Hopefully, one leader will be able to learn the tune to teach it to the girls. | |
| A is a quarter note | If there are two notes with
the same letter but an octave apart, one will be labeled
as higher (h) or lower (L) than the other This symbol | divides the measures, if necessary A=A=A are triplets A=A=A=A are sixteenth notes A_A are tied notes A*^A are dotted eighth notes, the first note longer than the other |
| A-- is a half note | |
| A--/-- is a dotted half note (three counts) | |
| A--/--/-- is a whole note | |
| A^A are eighth notes | |
| Father Abraham | (in fast 4/4, dotted eighth notes) |
| (Chorus) | |
| Father Abraham | C--D-- | E^D# E- |
| Had seven sons. | ^D C^D | E--/-- |
| Seven sons had Father Abraham. | C^D | E E F- ^E | E^D D-- |
| And they didn't laugh | B^C | D^C# D-- |
| And they didn't cry | B^C | D^C# D-- |
| All they did was go like this: | G^A | G F E D | C |
| Right arm! (hold right arm out and let the elbow swing) | E C |
| (Chorus) | |
| Right arm! Left arm! (hold both arms out and swing them at the elbow) | E C E C |
| (Chorus--after each chorus, add another
of the following lines and movements): Right leg (kick right leg) Left leg (kick left leg) Right hand (wiggle right hand) Left hand (wiggle left hand) Right foot (wiggle right foot) Left foot (wiggle left foot) Right hip (Move hips from the center to the right) Left hip (Move hips from the center to the left) Turn around (turn around in a circle) Sit Down! (Shout this, Sit down, song is over) |
|
| Grandma Gurdy | (in 4/4) |
| Grandma Gurdy's in the cellar | G^G | G^G G*^G A^G_G | |
| Pee-yew, cain't ya smell her? | G^G G*^G A^G_G^ |
| She's fixin' dirty pancakes | ^E | G^G G^G A^G |
| On derned old dirty stove. | F^E | F^E D^C D- |
| Her eyes are full of matter. | ^D | F^F F^F G^F_G^ |
| They're drippin' in the batter | ^D | F^F F*^F G^F |
| And she sniffles as the (Sniff & wipe nose on sleeve) | E^F | G^G G^G (Eighth rest) |
| Runs down her nose | ^F E^D | C--/-- |
| Chorus | |
| Down her nose! (speak this in echo) | C*^C | C^A_A-- |
| Down her nose! (speak this in echo) | C*^C | C^G_G-- |
| And she sniffles as the (Sniff & wipe nose on sleeve) | E^F | G^G G^G (eighth rest) |
| Runs down her nose | ^F E^D | G--/-- |
| Down her nose! (speak this in echo) | C*^C | C^A_A-- |
| Down her nose! (speak this in echo) | C*^C | C^G_G-- |
| And she sniffles as the (Sniff & wipe nose on sleeve) | E^F | G^G G^G (eighth rest) |
| Runs down her nose | ^F E^D | C--/-- |
| Grandpa Gurdy's in the attic | |
| Cain't you here the static? | |
| He's fixing Grandma's TV | |
| 'Cause the picture won't come in. | |
| His eyes are full of matter. | |
| They're drippin' down the ladder | |
| And he sniffles as the (Sniff & wipe nose on sleeve) | |
| Runs down his nose. | |
| (Chorus--change her to his, she to he) | |
| Here We Sit (tune: The Old Grey Mare Just Ain't What She Used to Be) | (In 4/4--dotted eighth note rhythm) |
| Here we sit like | C C C D |
| Birds in the Wilderness | E E^D E^D C |
| Birds in the Wilderness | D D^C D^C B |
| Birds in the Wilderness | E E^D E^D C |
| Here we sit like | C C C D |
| Birds in the Wilderness | E E^D E^D C |
| Waiting for our leaders to come | D^D D^D E^E D | C--/--/-- |
| Fried Ham --(singsongy) | |
| Fried Ham, fried ham, cheese and bologna, | |
| After the macaroni we'll have onions, | |
| Pickles and pretzels and then we'll have some more | |
| Fried ham. Fried Ham! Fried Ham! | |
| 1. Regular style 2. Baby style 3. English accent | Between verses, say: |
| 4. Texan accent 5. French accent | ______ verse, same as the first |
| 6. Grandma style 7. Opera style | ______, just a little bit worse |
| Taps | (Dotted eighth note rhythm--sing slowly) |
| Day is done, Gone the sun, | C^C F (hold) C^F A (hold) |
| From the lake, From the hill, From the sky. | C^F A (hold) C^F A (hold) C^F A (hold) |
| All is well. Safely rest, God is nigh. | F^A (h)C (hold) A^F C (hold) C^C F (hold) |
| It's an Insect Covered World (to the tune of It's a Small World) | |
| It's a world of centipedes, a world of moths. | |
| It's a world of katydids, a world of wasps. | |
| There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware | |
| It's an insect covered world. | |
| Chorus | |
| It's an insect covered world. | |
| It's an insect covered world. | |
| It's an insect covered world. | |
| It's an insect covered world. | |
| It's a world of beetles, a world of fleas, | |
| It's a world of caterpillars and a world of bees. | |
| In this world that we know, there is so much to show, | |
| It's an insect covered world. | |
| (Chorus) | |
| It's a world of snakes and a world of snails. | |
| It's a world of turtles and a world of whales. | |
| Big or little, great or small, it's a wonder to us all, | |
| It is Mother Nature's world. | |
| (Chorus) | |
| Little Bugs (to the tune of Polly Wolly Doodle) | |
| There was a little mosquito, and he wasn't any bigger | |
| Than the head of a very small pin. | |
| But the lump that he raises just itches like the blazes, | |
| And that's where the rub comes in. | |
| Comes in, comes in, | |
| And that's where the rub comes in. | |
| Oh, the lump that he raises just itches like the blazes, | |
| And that's where the rub comes in. | |
| Said a thousand legged worm as he began to squirm | |
| "Has anybody seen a leg of mine? | |
| If it can't be found I'll have to hop around | |
| On the other nine hundred and ninety-nine. | |
| Hop around, hop around, | |
| On the other nine hundred and ninety-nine. | |
| If it can't be found I'll have to hop around | |
| On the other nine hundred and ninety-nine. | |
| Throw It Out The Window | (make the eighth notes like triplets with the first two notes slurred) |
| Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard | E=E=E C^C E=E=E C=C= |
| To get her poor dog a bone. | =D | E=E=E F^E D_D^ |
| But when she got there the cupboard was bare | ^B | D=D=D B^C D=D=D B= |
| So she threw it out the window, the window, | =B=D | G^F E^D E^C_C^D | E^C_C^ |
| The second story window. | ^D E^E F^E | E^D_D |
| When she got there the cupboard was bare | D=D=D B^C | D=D=D B= |
| So she threw it out the window. | =B=D G^F E^D | E^C_C-- |
| Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep | |
| And doesn't know where to find them. | |
| But leave them alone and they'll come home | |
| And she'll throw them out the window, the window, | |
| The second story window. | |
| Leave them alone and they'll come home | |
| And she'll throw them out the window. | |
| Old King Cole was a merry old soul | |
| And a merry old soul was he. | |
| He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl, | |
| And he threw them out the window, the window, | |
| The second story window. | |
| He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl, | |
| And he threw them out the window. | |
| (Try with Yankee Doodle Went to Town, Little Miss Muffet, Little Jack Horner, Jack Sprat, Georgie Porgy, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Humpty Dumpty) | |
| All My Life's a Circle | (in 4/4) |
| (Chorus) | (Same tune for chorus and verses) |
| All my life's a circle, | G G G E | F G--/-- | |
| Sunrise and sundown. | G G G E | F--/--/-- | |
| Moon rolls through the nighttime | A A A F | G A--/- |
| Till daybreak comes around. | ^F | A A G F | G--/--/-- | |
| All my life's a circle, | G G G E | F G--/-- | |
| Still I wonder why | G G E (h)C | (h)C--/--/-- | |
| Seasons spinning round again, | (h)C (h)C (h)C (h)D | B B B-- | |
| Years keep rolling by. | B A F D | (L)C--/--/-- |
| Seems like I've been here before, | |
| Can't remember when. | |
| I get this funny feeling | |
| We'll all be together again. | |
| No straight lines make up my life, | |
| All my roads have bends. | |
| No clear cut beginnings, | |
| So far no dead ends. | |
| (Chorus) | |
| I've met you a thousand times, | |
| I guess you've done the same. | |
| Then we lose each other, | |
| It's like a children's game. | |
| But now I find you here again, | |
| The thought comes to my mind: | |
| Our love's like a circle. | |
| Let's go around one more time. | |
| (Chorus) | |
| The More We Get Together | (in 3/4, dotted eighth note rhythm) |
| The more we get together, | C | G_G^A G^F | E C |
| Together, together, | C | D (L)G (L)G | E C |
| The more we get together | E | G_G^A G^F | E C |
| The happier we'll be. | C | D^D (L)G (L)G | C-- |
| For your friends are my friends | C | D (L)G (L)G | E C |
| And my friends are your friends | C | D (L)G (L)G | E C |
| The more we get together | E | G_G^A G^F | E C |
| The happier we'll be. | C | D^D (L)G (L)G | C-- |
| There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea (to the tune of "If you're Happy and You Know it") | |
| There's a hole in the bottom of the sea. | |
| There's a hole in the bottom of the sea. | |
| There's a hole, there's a hole, | |
| There's a hole in the bottom of the sea. | |
| There's a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea. | |
| There's a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea. | |
| There's a log, there's a log, | |
| There's a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea. | |
| (follow the pattern with the rest of these verses) | |
| There's a bump on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea. | |
| There's a frog on the bump . . . | |
| There's a leg on the frog . . . | |
| There's a foot on the leg . . . | |
| There's a toe on the foot . . . | |
| There's a wart on the toe . . . | |
| There's a hair on the wart . . . | |
| There's a flea on the hair . . . | |
| There's a smile on the flea . . . | |
| Three Sharp-Toothed Buzzards--similar to Three Blind Mice | (in 4/4--sing eighth notes with a short first note and a longer second note |
| Three Sharp-toothed buzzards (Hunch back--look like a buzzard) | E D^D C^C |
| Sitting in a dead tree (Put out arms like branches) | E^E D^D C^C |
| One flew a-way! (Move arm to show where the buzzard flew) | (Speak sweetly) |
| Oh what a-Shame! (Put hand to forehead) | (Speak sweetly) |
| (Repeat but with two buzzards and then one buzzard.) | |
| No Sharp-toothed buzzards (Same actions as before) | |
| Sitting in a dead tree | |
| One returned (Move arm to show where the buzzard flew) | |
| Happy day! (Clasp hands in front of chest) | |
| (repeat pattern until all buzzards are back) | |
| Daddy's Whiskers | (4/4) |
| I have a dear old daddy | G | E G G G | A G-- |
| For whom I daily pray. | E | G G A G | F--/-- |
| He has a set of whiskers | G | G G G G | A G |
| That are always in the way. | G C | G G A G | E-- |
| (Chorus) | |
| Oh they're always in the way. | G G | E G G G | G--/-- |
| The cow eats them for hay. | G | F A A A | A--/--/-- |
| Mother eats them in her sleep. | B B A B | (h)C G G |
| She thinks she's eating Shredded Wheat. | G | A G G G | A G G |
| They're always in the way. | G | E G G G | G--/-- |
| The cow eats them for hay. | G | F A A A | A--/-- |
| They hide the dirt on Daddy's shirt. | A | B B A B | C G G |
| They're always in the way. | G | A G A B | C--/-- |
| When Daddy's going swimming, | |
| No swimming trunks for him. | |
| He wraps his whiskers round him, | |
| And gaily plunges in. | |
| (Chorus) | |
| White Coral Bells | |
| White coral bells | (h)C-- B A | G--/-- |
| Upon a slender stalk | E | F A G F | E--/--/-- | |
| Lilies of the Valley | D E F D | E G |
| On my garden walk | (h)C (h)E | (h)D-- B-- | (h)C--/--/-- |
| Oh, don't you wish | |
| That you could hear them ring? | |
| That will only happen | |
| When the fairies sing. |
| Cabin in the Woods | |
| Little cabin in the woods | (L)G C E E | E D F- |
| A little old man by the window stood | ^D| (L)G^(L)G D D D^E | D C E-- | |
| Saw a rabbit hopping by | (L)G E E E | E D F-- | |
| Knocking at his door. | B B A B | C--/--/-- |
| Help me, Help me! the rabbit said. | (speak in high voice) |
| Or the hunter will shoot me dead. | (L)G D D^D E | D C E-- | |
| Come little rabbit, come with me | L)G E^E E E | E D F-- | |
| Happy we will be. | B B A B | C--/--/-- |
Return to The Young Women's Corner home page