# Early 70's YMCA jingle for swim lessons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027 "2004-06-12T22:24:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/1 "2004-06-12T22:24:13Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/2 "2004-06-13T00:07:00Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/3 "2004-06-13T05:13:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/4 "2004-06-13T13:51:28Z")
KRC, I think that was part of it! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/5 "2004-06-13T22:24:57Z")
[Sink or Swim](http://serp.la.asu.edu/Health_dir/Health_dir15/SinkSwim.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/6 "2004-06-13T22:28:42Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [Sink or Swim](http://serp.la.asu.edu/Health_dir/Health_dir15/SinkSwim.pdf) That’s it. Apparently the YMCA just inserted themselves into it. Thanks. My mind can now file this one away… ---
**Author:** ![Roadbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbce88/32.png) [@Roadbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadbird)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/7 "2012-07-28T18:27:36Z")
> [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](#): > > 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? (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… ---
**Author:** ![tom\_flowers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/919ad9/32.png) [@tom\_flowers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tom_flowers)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/8 "2013-02-04T14:17:33Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/9 "2013-02-06T11:56:03Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Yuridmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/258eb7/32.png) [@Yuridmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yuridmi)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/10 "2018-09-19T07:41:32Z")
> [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](#): > > 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? 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!] ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-70s-ymca-jingle-for-swim-lessons/250027/11 "2018-09-19T08:47:01Z")
I remember this commercial on TV when I was six, it would have been 1969.