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Songs: T-Z

Temperance Union

We're coming, we're coming, our brave little band
On the right side of temperance we do take our stand.
We never chew tobacco because we do think
That the people who chew it are likely to drink.

Away, away with rum by gum,
With rum by gum, with rum by gum,
Away, away with rum, by gum,
The song of the temperance union.

We never eat cookies because they have yeast
And one little bite turns a man to a beast.
Can you ever imagine a sorrier disgrace
Than a man in the gutter with crumbs on his face?

Away, away ...

We never drink soda because it has bubbles
And one little sip and your whole vision doubles.
Can you ever imagine a sorrier mess
Than a man getting potted on a bottle of Vess?

Away, away ...

We never drink gumperts because they are sweet
And one little sip makes you look like a beet
Can you ever imagine a sorrier disaster
Than a man drinking gumperts until he is plastered?

Away, away ...

They Call The Wind Mariah

Away out here they’ve got a name for rain and wind and fire
The rain is Tess, the fire’s Joe and they call the wind Mariah.
Mariah blows the stars around and sends the clouds a-flyin’
Mariah makes the mountains sound like folks was up there dyin’

Mariah,    Mariah,  They call the wind Mariah

Before I heard Mariah’s name and heard her wail and whinin’
I had a gal and she had me and the sun was always shinin’
But then one day, I lost my gal, I left her far behind me
And now I’m lost, so goldurn lost, not even God can find me.

Mariah,    Mariah,  They call the wind Mariah

Out here they’ve got a name for rain, for wind and fire only
But when you’re lost and all alone, there ain’t no name for lonely.
For I’m a lost and lonely man without a star to guide me
Mariah blow my love to me, I need my gal beside me.

They’re Rioting in Africa (“Merry Minuet”)

They’re rioting in Africa   (whistle)
They’re starving in Spain   (whistle)
There’s hurricanes in Florida  (whistle)
And Texas needs rain.

The whole world is festering with unhappy souls
The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles
Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch
And I don’t like anybody very much.

But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud
For man’s been endowed with a mushroom-shaped cloud
And we know for certain that some lucky day
Someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away.

They’re rioting in Africa  (whistle)
There’s strife in Iran  (whistle)
What nature doesn’t do to us
Will be done by our fellow man.

Three Sightless Rodents

Three sightless rodents, three sightless rodents,
Observe how they navigate, observe how they navigate.
They all pursued the agriculturalist's spouse,
Who severed their posterior appendages with a culinary object.
Have you ever observed such a phenomenon in your existence
As three sightless rodents.

Titanic

I believe that I have the right to claim that I brought the Titanic to Camp Hope, although it was not my creation.  As Chip Buckner likes to point out, we both learned it at a Y camp--Santosage--that we attended before we became Hope-ful.--Kelly Bufton

Parenthetical text shows places Chip's memory differs from Kelly's. Kelly's memory is presented first.

Oh, they built the ship Titanic to sail the ocean blue
and they thought they had a ship that the water'd never go through,
but the good Lord raised his hand,
said that ship will never land
It was sad when the great ship went down

It was sad, so sad
It was sad, too bad
It was sad when the great ship went down
To the bottom of the sea.....
[some voices] husbands and wives, little children lost their lives
It was sad when the great ship went down.

They were nearing Iceland's shore when the rain began to pour
and the rich refused to associate with the poor.
So they put them down below where they'd be the first to go.
It was sad when the great ship went down

It was sad ...

They put the lifeboats out on the dark and stormy sea
and the band struck up with "Nearer my God to Thee"
Oh, the captain tried to wire, but the wires were all on fire
It was sad when the great ship went down

It was sad ...

The sides began to break and the bow began to burst
and the Captain shouted "Women and children first"
Oh, the women and children cried, while all around them died
It was sad when the great ship went down

It was sad ...

Well, the moral of this story, is if you go out to sea,
(You should)/(is to) wear a life preserver or on the bottom you'll be
The Titanic (ever)/(really) was, but never more shall be
It was sad when the great ship went down.

It was sad ...

Twas Friday Morn

Twas Friday night when we set sail
And we were not far from the land
When the captain spied a pretty mermaid
With a comb and a brush in her hand

Oh, the ocean waves may ro-o-oll
The stormy winds may blow, may blow (woo woo)
We poor sailors go skipping to the tops
And the land-lubbers lie down below-ow-ow
And the land-lubbers lie down below

Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship
And a well spoken man was he
"I've married a gal in Salem Town
And tonight a widow she'll be"

Oh, the ocean waves ...

Then up spoke the cook of our gallant ship
And a red hot cook was he
"I care much more for my pots and my pans
Than I do for the bottom of the sea."

Oh, the ocean waves ...

Then three times round, went our gallant ship
Then three times round went she
Then three times round, went our gallant ship
And she sank to the bottom of the sea

Oh, the ocean waves ...

Walk Shepherdess

Walk shepherdess walk, and I'll walk, too
To find the ram with the ebony horn and the golden-footed ewe.

The ram with its fleece of silver, like summer sea foam
The wether with its crystal bell that leads them a-home.

So, walk shepherdess walk, and I'll walk, too,
And if we never find them, I shan't mind, shall you?

Waltzing Matilda

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he sat and waited while his billy boiled
"You'll come a'waltzing matilda with me"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a'waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he sat and waited while his billy boiled
You'll come a'waltzing Matilda with me.

Down cam a jumbuck to drink at the bilabong
Up jumped the swagman, Grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his tucker bag
You'll come a'waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda ...

Down came the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred
Up jumped the troopers, one, two, three.
Who's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll come a'waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda ...

Up jumped the swagman, sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive" said he.
And his ghost (voice) may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
You'll come a'waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda ....

Watermelon Song

Oh you can plant a watermelon right above my grave
and let the juice [slurp] run through.

Well you can plant a watermelon right above my grave
that's all I ask of you.

Well now a pumpkin and a canteloup taste might fine
but there ain't nothin' sweeter than a watermelon vine

Oh you can plan a watermelon right above my grave
and let the juice [slurp] run through.

Way Up in the Sky

Way up in the sky, the little birds fly
While down in the nest, the baby birds rest

With a wing on the left, and a wing on the right
The sweet little birdies sleep all through the night.
(Shh! They're sleeping.)

The bright sun comes up, the dew falls away
"Good morning. Good morning", the little birds say.

Wayfarer's Grace

For all the glory of the way,
For thy protection night and day,
For food, tree, fire, and bed and board
For friends and home, we thank thee Lord.

We Are Crazy

Tune: Frere Jacques, sort of

We are crazy, we are crazy
We are nuts, we are nuts.
Happy little morons Happy little morons
Doodle-le-do, beep, beep, Doodle-le-do, beep, beep

When I First Came to this Land

I remember a tall guy who was a little older than the average camp counselor teaching this song. I think he had a crew cut. Who am I thinking of?--Barbara Banfield

When I first came to this land
I was not a wealthy man,
so I got myself a [farm]
And I did what I could.

I called my farm Muscle-in- my-Arm
But the land was sweet and good
And I did what I could.

[On subsequent verses, substitute the new item for "farm".

shack ... Break-My-Back
cow ... No-Milk-Now
horse ... Trigger, of course
wife ... Run-for -your Life
son ... My-Work's-Done

Add the new line to the expanding refrain until, the last time through it becomes ...]

I called my son "My-Work's-Done",
and I called my wife, "Run-For-Your-Life",
and I called my horse, "Trigger", of course,
and I called my cow, "No-Milk-Now",
and I called my shack, "Break-My-Back",
and I called my farm "Muscle-In-My-Arm",
But the land was sweet and good
And I did what I could.

When the Saints Go Marching In

We are (travelling/following) in the footsteps
of those who've gone before.
And we'll all be reunited
on that far and sunlit shore.

Oh when the saints go marching in,
oh when the saints go marching in,
Lord, I want to be in that number,
when the saints go marching in.

Oh when the sun refuse to shine ...

Oh when the trumpet sounds its call ...

Some say this world of trouble
is the only world we need,
but I'm waiting for that moment
when the new world is revealed.

Oh when the new world is revealed ...

Oh when the saints ...

Witchcraft

If there were witchcraft, I’d make two wishes,
A winding road that beckons me to roam
And then I’d wish for a blazing campfire
To welcome me when I’m returning home.

But in this real world, there is no witchcraft
And golden wishes do not grow on trees
Our fondest daydreams must be the magic
To bring us back those golden memories.

Memories that linger, constant and true
Memories we cherish----Camping days and You