# What songs did you sing at summer camp? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966 "2004-03-12T21:05:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/1 "2004-03-12T21:05:00Z")
I was just talking to our accounting clerk, who is from the former East Germany, and somehow we got on the topic of camp songs. The first one (she now thinks I am completely bonkers) that popped into my mind was “The Billboard Song”: \*As I was walking down the street one dark and dreary day, I came upon a billboard, and much to my dismay, The sign was torn and tattered from a storm the night before, The wind and rain had done their job, and this is what I saw: “Smoke Coca-Cola cigarettes, drink Wrigley’s Spearmint Beer, Ken-l-Ration dogfood keeps your complexion clear, Simonize your baby with a Hershey candy bar, And Texaco’s the beauty cream that’s used by all the stars.\* (There are more verses, but I won’t torture you further.) And then, also from my Jewish Community Center day camp, one that’s really a chant rather than a song: _Give a yell, give a yell, give a supersonic yell, And when we yell, we yell, we yell like hell, And this is what we yell:_ [then a verse I can’t quite remember] _Easy, Eye-zie, Jacob, Sam, We’re the guys that eat no ham, Matza, matza is our cry, Matza, matza ‘till we die…_ [more half remembered nonsense syllables] Anyone else want to share? ---
**Author:** ![bigsister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bigsister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigsister)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/2 "2004-03-12T21:10:39Z")
The Lollipop Song L-O-double L-I-P-O-P spells lollipop It’s the only decent kind of candy Man who made it must’ve been a dandy L-O-double L-I-P-O-P you see Just to lick upon a stick Guaranteed to make you sick That’s a lollipop to me ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/3 "2004-03-12T21:37:18Z")
Announcements, announcements, annouuuuuuuuuuuunce-ments A horrible death to die, ahorrible death to die A horrible death, to be talked to death A horrible death to die Announcements, announcements , annouuuuuuncements ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/4 "2004-03-12T22:09:16Z")
**luluBahrain** , do you remember any of the verses to the Annoucements Song? I remember that there were some, but I can’t remember any of them. The ones I remember were the classic _The other day I saw a bear up in those woods o way up there_ And the Shaving Cream song. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/5 "2004-03-12T22:12:47Z")
I was british. We never had summer camps and proms and stuff. In the summer we hung around in streets making old people nervous. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/6 "2004-03-12T22:16:47Z")
Well, I’m suspecting (and hoping) these suckers are all in the public domain, but curse you for bring up the bear song! (We always did it as a call-and-response, counselors first, then campers.) The other day I saw a bear A great, big bear A way up there (2x) He said to me “Why don’t you run? I see you ain’t Got any gun.” (2x) And so I ran Away from there But right behind Me was that bear (you get the picture) But up ahead There was a tree A great, big tree Oh, glory be! [then there are a couple of verses dealing with the bear catching up, and the guy seeing a tree branch that might save him from a non-climbing bear, etc. but I can’t remember them] And so I jumped Into the air But I missed that branch A way up there Now don’t you fret And don’t you frown ‘Cause I caught that branch On the way back down That’s all there is There ain’t no more Unless I meet That bear once more What’s the Shaving Cream song? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/7 "2004-03-12T22:22:01Z")
What about the old lady who swallowed a fly? I know an old lady Who swallowed a fly I don’t know why She swallowed a fly Perhaps she’ll die. I know an old lady Who swallowed a spider That wiggled, and jiggled, And tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly I don’t know why she swallowed a fly Perhaps she’ll die. I know an old lady Who swallowed a bird How absurd! To swallow a bird. She swallowed the bird To catch the spider That wiggled, and jiggled, And tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider To catch the fly I don’t know why she swallowed a fly Perhaps she’ll die [and on up the food chain] I once spent an entire evening teaching a dormful of drunken Russian college students this song - they thought it was hilarious! Can we tell it’s Friday afternoon, it’s quiet at work for the first time in living memory, and my synapses are no longer firing? ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/8 "2004-03-12T22:32:23Z")
I went to choir camp, what didn’t we sing? Though we did have a few of our own that we sung, such as this one: _Mary had a steambost, the steambout had a bell, Mary went to heaven and the steamboat went to Hello operator, connect me to number 9 and if you disconnect me, I’ll kick you in behind the yellow curtain, there lay a shard of glass, Mary sat upon it and the shard went up her Ask me no more questions, tell me no more lies, the boys are in the bathroom, zipping up their Flies are in the kitchen, dogs are in the park, Miss Mary and the principal are kissing in the D-A-R-K D-A-R-K D-A-R-K dark!_ I’ve heard there’s more, but I don’t know the rest. (Hmmm, no Russians here, but I could go down to the bar sometime and teach it to a bunch of drunken (and not so drunk) college students. Man I’m bored.) ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/9 "2004-03-12T22:50:42Z")
I hate to tell you, **Jayn,** but that one isn’t just yours; we sang a different version. But here’s a similar one: There once was a farmer Who took a young miss In back of a barn, where He gave her a …… Lecture, on horses and Chickens and eggs, And told her that she had Such beautiful…. Manners, that suited A girl of her charm And they should get married, And raise lots of CHORUS Sweeeeet violets, Sweeter than the roses Covered all over, from head to toe Covered all over in sweet violets. The girl called the farmer And told him to stop Or she’d call her father And he’d call a…. Taxi, who’d be there Before very long [more stuff I can’t remember] ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/10 "2004-03-12T23:05:56Z")
She’ll be come’n round the mountain, when she comes; Michael row the boat ashore; Cum By Ya; (when no adults were around) Puff the Magic Dragon; John Jackob Jingleheimer Schmidt, His name is my name too; On top of old smokey. Nostalgia can be a trip… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/11 "2004-03-12T23:15:00Z")
The grand of duke of York he had ten thousand men he marched them up a hill and then he marched them down again and when you’re up you’re up and when you’re down you’re down and when you’re only half-way up you’re neither up nor down. Of course, you sit or stand on all the ups and downs. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/12 "2004-03-12T23:15:23Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > On top of old smokey. Damn you! Now I have that one stuck in my head, too. This is how we sang it: On top of spaghetti All covered with cheese I lost my poor meatball When somebody sneezed. It rolled off the table And onto the floor And then my poor meatball Rolled out of the door. It rolled into the garden And under a bush And then my poor meatball Was nothing but mush. (Then there’s a verse about the meatball turning into a tree, but I can’t remember how it went.) ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/13 "2004-03-12T23:49:13Z")
Haggalina Maggalina Oomscotta, watscatta, Mary Ugga Wugga Was her name She had two teeth In her mouth One pointed north And the other pointed south Haggalina Maggalina Oomscotta, watscatta, Mary Ugga Wugga Was her name She two warts On her knee One served coffee And the other served tea etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/14 "2004-03-13T00:03:58Z")
B-I-N-G-O was his name O… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/15 "2004-03-13T00:30:56Z")
Ooooh! They built a ship Titanic to sail the ocean blue ---
**Author:** ![ILovCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e99b99/32.png) [@ILovCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ILovCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/16 "2004-03-13T00:43:19Z")
CIRCA 1981 AND 1982 _THE CANNIBAL KING"_ The cannibal king with the big nose ring went out with the dusty \*\* _mai-ai-aid_\*\*, Every night by the pale moon light across the lake he _ **caa-a-ame** _. He hugged and kissed his pretty little miss under the bamboo _ **tree-ee-eee** _, And every night by the pale moon light it sounded like this to _ **me-e-e** _, “Hurumph, hurumph, poddidottiday, hurmph , hurumph, hurumph poddiottiday.” “Let’s build a bungalow big enough for two big enough for two, my darling, big enough for two and when we’re married happy we’ll be, under the bamboo, under the bamboo tree.” If you’ll be M-I-N-E , mine , I’ll be T-H-I-N-E, thine, and I’lll K-I-S-S, kiss you all the T-I-M-E, time. We’ll take a W-A-L-K, walk into the P-A-R-K, park, and I’ll K-I-S-S, kiss you, in the D-A-R-K, dark. And while I K-I-S-S, kiss YOU, I will M-I-S-S, miss you. And I will L-O-V-E, love you all the T-I-M-E, time. Rack them up, stack them up, any old time, match in the gas tank, kaboom! One match, one booooooom. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/17 "2004-03-13T01:18:32Z")
From Boy Scouts… You do it 12 days of Christmas style, one more line each time. (I had to look up the parts in italics.) One fat hen, a couple of ducks, three baby brown bears, four rabid running hares, five! fat! fidgety! females! six simple simons selling salt in siam, _Seven slimey sailors sippin’_ ??? at sea, eight elongated elephants escalating on an escalator, \*Nine nasty nosed nibbly "O"s nibbeling on nine nasty nosed nibbly oughts, Ten two-tone two-ton transcontinental trucks, with trailers, traveling from Talahassie Tennessee to Tyler Texas \* ---
**Author:** ![bigsister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bigsister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigsister)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/18 "2004-03-13T01:28:22Z")
> [@Eva Luna](#): > > What’s the Shaving Cream song? We sang the Shaving Cream song growing up, and I’m singing that tune over and over in my head since I saw it posted, but I can’t remember many of the words. Can someone spark my memory. I can remember… and fell in a … of shaving cream Bad memory! ---
**Author:** ![Never\_to\_be\_Queen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Never\_to\_be\_Queen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_to_be_Queen)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/19 "2004-03-13T03:01:59Z")
The Devil’s Grandmother, oh yes, _The Titanic_ That has to be one of the most catchy songs I’ve ever heard. Some others I remember are: The Jeep Song My Uncle He Sells Old Clothes Linger a Little Longer Barges When I First Came to this Wonderful Land My Lover and I Sailed Over the Sea The Rooster Song He Jumped from 40 Thousands Feet and Didn’t Pull the Cord Me and My Dinosaur The Merry-go-round Broke Down Down by the Station Early in the Morning Great Big Piles of Greasy Grimmy Gopher Guts Make New Friends but Keep the Old Little Green Things One odd song I remember is “Princess Pat.” Somebody told me it was banned by the local Girl Scouts. I don’t know why. Does anybody else remember it? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966/20 "2004-03-13T03:04:05Z")
Hey, thanks for the memories. _"I want ‘mow’_ [making lawn-mowing movements w/our arms]_of Jesus! ‘Mow’ and ‘mow’ and ‘mow’ I want ‘mow’ of Jesus than I’ve ever had before! I want ‘mow’ of His great love, so rich and full and freeeeee, I want ‘mow’ of Jesus, so I’ll give him ‘mow’ of meeee!"_ :repeat faster, ad nauseum, ala the Michael Finnigan song: It was a summer _Bible_ camp. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-did-you-sing-at-summer-camp/233966.md?page=2)