Campfire Song Book

Call and response

BOOM A CHIK A BOOM

I said a boom-a-chik-a-boom! (echo)
I said a boom-a-chik-a-rock!
I said a boom-a-chik-a-boom-
a-chik-a-rock-a-chick-a-boom!
Oh yeah? All right. (repeat)
(Just a little bit louder...)

BILL GROGAN'S GOAT

Bill Grogan's goat (echo) was feeling fine (echo),
Ate two red shirts (echo) right off the line (echo).

I took a stick, gave him whack,
And tied him to a railroad track.

The whistle blew, the train grew nigh,
Now that poor goat was doomed to die.

He gave a shriek of mortal pain,
Coughed up that shirt, flagged down train.

THE SQUEEGY HUNT

Goin' on a Squeegy hunt (Goin' on a Squeegy hunt)
Gonna catch a big one (Gonna catch a big one)
I'm not afraid. What's that ahead?

It's a door! A great big door
Can't go over it, can't go round it
Can't go under it, gotta go through it.
[Creeeeeak...Bang!]
CHORUS
It's grass! Long thick grass [russle russle russle]
It's twigs! [click click click]
It's mushrooms! [squelch squelch]
It's a cave! A deep dark cave! [thump thump thump]
What's that ahead?
It's got big eyes! It's got a big nose!
It's got big teeth! It's a SQUEEGY!
Out of the Cave! [thump thump thump]
Through the mushrooms! [squelch squelch]
Through the twigs! [click click]
Through the grass! [russle russle]
Through the door! [Creak...BANG!]
Phew!

Goin' on a Sqeegy Hunt, gonna catch a big one
I'm not afraid ...well, maybe just a little bit.

BIRDY

Early in the morning (echo)
When I'm fast asleep (echo)
I hear a little birdy
That goes cheep cheep
Now this little birdy
Has a funny name
It...was...
Auga flauga feega flooga, ishga nauga neega nooga,
auga flauga feega flooga birdy

SHE SAT ON A HILLSIDE

She sat on a hillside and strummed her guitar,
strummed her guitar, strummed her guitar.
She sat on a hillside and strummed her guitar,
strummed her gui-ta-a-a-ar.

He sat down beside her and smoked his cigar...
He said that he loved her but, oh! How he lied...
They were to be married but somehow she died...
He went to her funeral but just for the ride...
He went to her grave site and laughed 'til he cried...
The grave stone fell over and squish-squash he died...
She went up to heaven and flittered and flied...
He went down below and sizzled and fried...
The moral of this song is: don't tell a lie...

I MET A BEAR

[Tune: Sipping Cider Through a Straw]

The other day, [echo] I met a bear, [echo]
Out in the woods, away out there. [Point.]

He looked at me, I looked at him,
He sized up me, I sized up him.

He says to me, "Why don't you run?"
"'Cause I can see, you have no gun."

I says to him, "That's a good idea."
"Now legs get going, get me out of here!"

I began to run, away from there,
But right behind me was that bear.

And on the path ahead of me,
I saw a tree, Oh glory be.

The lowest branch was ten feet up,
I'd have to jump and trust to luck.

And so I jumped into the air,
But I missed that branch away up there.

Now don't you fret, and don't you frown,
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.

FROGGIE / FLEA FLY

Dog.
Dog, cat.
Dog, cat, mouse.
Froggie!
Itsy bitsy, teeny weeny little bitty froggie.
Jump, jump, jump, little froggie.
Spiders and flies are scrum-deli-icious.
Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit,
Croak.

Flea.
Flea, fly.
Flea, fly, mosquito.
Swat 'em!
Calamine, calamine, calamine lotion.
Oh, no more calamine lotion.
Itchy, itchy, scratchy, scratchy, got one on my backy, backy.
Ohy, ohy, owwy, owwy, wish he'd go away.
Quick get the bug spray, I think he went that-a-way-shhhhhh!
[Make can-spraying motions.]

Actions: Set up a clap-slapping rhythm, and repeat each line after the leader. On the first run-through, do it slowly; with each repetition go faster, until the audience explodes.

I MET A POLAR BEAR

[Tune: Sipping Cider Through a Straw]

The other day, I saw a bear,
A big while bear, I had to stare.

He stared right back, and seemed to grin,
His long white fangs, hung to his chin.

He move toward me, upon four paws,
And those four paws, held six-inch claws.

I couldn't move, my feet were froze,
As I saw steam, shoot from his nose.

But I was safe, because I knew,
This polar bear, was at the Zoo!

SIPPING CIDER THROUGH A STRAW

The prettiest girl [Echo.], I ever saw, [Echo.]
Was sipping cider through a straw.
[Repeat previous two lines.]

I asked her if, [Echo.] she'd show me how, [Echo.]
To sip that cider through a straw.

Then cheek to cheek, and jaw to jaw,
We sipped that cider through a straw.

Every now and then, the straw would slip,
I'd sip some cider from her lip.

The parson came to her backyard,
A sipping cider from a straw.

And now I have a mother-in-law,
And fourteen kids to call me Pa.

The moral of this little tale,
Is sip your cider from a pail!