# YMCA "Learn how to swim" commercial jingle

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ymca-learn-how-to-swim-commercial-jingle/33260>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 15, 2000, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ymca-learn-how-to-swim-commercial-jingle/33260 "2000-09-15T02:31:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**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:** [September 15, 2000, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ymca-learn-how-to-swim-commercial-jingle/33260/1 "2000-09-15T02:31:20Z")

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Back in the early '70’s there was a YMCA commercial enticing you to take swimming lessons from them. It had lines like (and I’m probably not remembering them correctly):

“There is safety in numbers, but there’s danger, too  
So you have to swim well so nothing will happen to you  
Learn how to swim at the YMCA”  
(repeat last line to fade)

I don’t know why this pops into my head from time to time.

Anyone else remember this?

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**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ymca-learn-how-to-swim-commercial-jingle/33260/2 "2000-09-15T04:34:08Z")

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I remember bits and pieces of it.

“If you like the water,  
then you really oughta  
learn how to swim at the YMCA.”

and,

“Don’t go swimming alone.  
Don’t stray away from the shore,  
or else you might not never  
go swimming no more.”