No, we did it all the time out on the eastern end of Long Island, NY.
Just curious- did anybordy learn The Rooster Song at camp?
One day that rooster- woohoo!- came into our yard
He knocked that cow
Right off her guard…
I know every single one of these songs. It is of course
greasy, grimy gopher guts
little dirty birdie feet
mutilated monkey meat
French-fried eyeballs dipped in kerosene
I went to camp every single year from the age of 7 through 15. I’d forgotten the rooster one; I think it has some sexual undertones, though. I found some lyrics.
In the Dead Dog Rover song, it always used to crack me up that one leg is missing, the other is gone. Har!
We used to sing “I Don’t Want to Stay at Marydale” (the name of the camp) and I was stunned a few years later when I saw the cast on MASH* singing “I Don’t Want No More of Army Life,” or whatever the title is. I thought my camp invented that song. Gullible kids.
Sort of. I was a 24-year-old volunteer counselor.
Ellen Cherry, your version is a bit different than mine. Really- elephants?
The refrain we used went like this:
There was a [cow/hen/fruit and vegetable garden/super-duper bubblegum machine], who wouldn’t [give milk/lay eggs/grow fruits and vegetables/ give super-duper bubblegum],
There was a [cow/hen/fruit and vegetable garden/super-duper bubblegum machine], who wouldn’t [give milk/lay eggs/grow fruits and vegetables/ give super-duper bubblegum].
My wife said
Honey
This isn’t funny
To have a [cow/hen/fruit and vegetable garden/super-duper bubblegum machine]
Who wouldn’t [give milk/lay eggs/grow fruits and vegetables/give super-duper bubblegum].
One day that rooster-
Whoohoo!-
Came into our yard
And knocked that [cow/hen/garden/gum machine] right off her guard.
We’re having [omlets/milkshakes/eggplants/super-duper bubblegum]
Just like we used to
Ever since that rooster
Came into our yard!
I agree that it can be taken as a bit sexist (even at that age, I noticed that everything the rooster kicked around was referred to as “her”), but I’m not seeing any sexual undertones.
The one we had went
We had a [hen/cow/garden/gum tree]
No [eggs/milk/veggies/gum] would it give.
Ma said
Honey
We’re losing money
Because that darn [hen/cow/fgarden/gum tree]
No [eggs/milk/veggies/gum] would it give.
Until that rooster-
Came into our yard
And knocked that [hen/cow/garden/gum tree] right off its guard.
We’re having [eggs/egg nog/eggplants/chicklets]
Just like we used to
Ever since that rooster
Came into our yard!
We also had one more verse:
We had a mother
No children would she bear.
We had a mother,
No children would she bear.
Pa said
Honey
We’re losing money
Because your darn mother
No children would she bear.
Until that rooster-
Came into our yard
And knocked our mother right off her guard.
She’s having eggheads
Just like she used to
Ever since that rooster
Came into our yard!