Early 70's YMCA jingle for swim lessons

Cafe Society
1

Back in the early 70’s, the YMCA used to have a TV commercial about taking swimming lessons. It had a catchy jingle. Here’s the verse I remember:

“There is fun in the water, but there’s danger, too
So you have to swim well, so nothing happens to you”

Chorus

“Learn how to swim at the Y M C A
Learn how to swim at the Y M C A”

Anybody else remember this? Or the rest of the jingle?

2

Was this part of it? —

If you like the water (if you like the water)
Then you really otter (then you really otter) <-- cartoon otter prominently featured
Learn how to swim at the YMCA
Or was that an earlier (or later) ad?

3

I remember one YMCA jingle that had the lyrics:

Learn how to swim
But never swim alone
There is safety in numbers
Do not strike out on your own.

And never dive
Unless you know
That the water’s not too shallow
And it’s clear below.
It might have been the same jingle.

4

KRC, I think that was part of it!

5

Sink or Swim

6

That’s it. Apparently the YMCA just inserted themselves into it.

Thanks. My mind can now file this one away…

7

(It goes something like this)

If you like the water…then you really “otter”

Learn how to swim, at the YMCA

Learn how to swim like a bird up on high

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ???

XXXXXXXXXXXXXMake sure that you land

It water, you otter, it’s softer than sand

Don’t go swimin’ alone, that’s a risky thing to do do

There’s safety in numbers, and more fun too

Don’t go swimmin’ when your tired,

Don’t swim away from the shore,

Or else you might not ever go swimmin’ no more,

But,

If you like the water…then you really otter…

8

learn how to swim but never swim alone
there’s safety in numbers don’t strike out on your own
and never dive unless you know
the water’s not too shallow and it’s clear below

9

Learn how to swim like a fish at the Y,
Learn how to dive like a bird in the sky,
Don’t go swimmin’ alone or go away from the shore,
Or else you might not never go swimmin’ no more.
But if you like the water,
Then you really otter learn how to swim at the
Y … MCA!

10

More:

If you like the water then you really ought-er
Learn how to swim at the YMCA

Learn how to …
Learn how to fly like a bird from a pie

Never dive where it’s shallow, be sure that you land
In water, you ought-er, it’s softer than sand

Never swim alone, it’s a risky thing to do
There’s safety in numbers, and more fun too

There’s fun in the water, but there’s danger too
So you have to swim well so nothing happens to you

So if you like the water, then you really ought-er
Learn how to swim at the YMCA

Learn to swim well at the Y!

[Early 1970s and late 1960s too]

Great post Mr. Blue Sky!]

11

I remember this commercial on TV when I was six, it would have been 1969.